“What training methods do you use?”
The Art of Dog uses “Balanced training methods”. This means that we believe in teaching dogs the concept of yes and no using all four quadrants of the behavior spectrum. It is important to establish clarity in our communication with our dogs. Other fad training styles will implement one but not the other, leaving our dogs guessing too much and creating confusion. We use a combination of food and praise to reinforce what it is that we want the dog to do as well as Consequences for dangerous behavior or selective hearing of known commands.
“Why do you use E. collars?”
Modern day E collars are the single most effective tool for empowering owners to be able to communicate with their dogs, giving them the reliability in commands. Most other training tools or techniques leave a lot of room for inconsistency in use. This creates a dog that may listen better to different people. E collars deliver consistent feeling stimulation and give softer owners the ability to handle more difficult dogs with greater ease.
“Do you offer any sort of guarantee on your training?”
Due to the many factors involved in a dogs success at home, including owner commitment, consistency, and follow through, it impossible to offer a 100% guarantee. That being said, ANY of our clients going through any of our training program have our total commitment to helping them in any way we can. We have never had a dog that hasn’t been able to make incredible breakthroughs with us provided their owner is willing to put in the work required to make such breakthroughs.
“I’ve already been to other trainers and it hasn’t worked. Can you really help?”
The Art of Dog’s unique approach to dog training creates an incredibly strong relationship between us, you, and your dog. Within that relationship we establish a mutual respect, and create healthy boundaries, not to mention sharp obedience that results in addressing the problems you having directly, while also maintaining these healthy boundaries as your dog adjusts back into their home life. This creates long lasting training for you and your dog.
These philosophies and techniques are broken down using our very easy to understand teaching methods honed through years of educating people and dogs alike.
Second is our strong emphasis on client follow up and education. In any of our programs, wether board and train or private lessons, you will receive UNLIMITED follow up support both during and after the program. You will have access to your trainers which you will be able to reach out to with any questions between sessions or after your program has ended. Our #1 goal is ensuring that you stay successful with your dog for the rest of their lives.
“Private Lessons or Board and Train, which one is right for me?”
The choice between private lessons and board and trains is a personal decision based on your lifestyle. Private lessons are great for the motivated dog owner who has the time and discipline to be incredibly consistent as they are going through the early teaching stages. Board and trains, on the other hand, are much more intensive of training programs. Since your dog will be with a trainer all day, every day, during their stay with us we will be able to move through things a bit faster and pay attention to some of the little details that add up and make things easier for you when you go to take the leash again. These board and trains can be a great fit for busy households, if you have a long vacation planned, or if you are not confident in your consistency at home. Minor to moderate behavioral issues can be solved in either program but more severe behavioral issues like aggression usually require a board and train. Please contact us if you are still on the fence and we will help you decide!
“Can you do in home lessons?”
We typically do not do in home lessons. It is important to be able work through all of the typical stressors and distractions of a new place.The big reason we do the lessons in our facility is that we also have the access to controlled distractions we will need as your dog is moving through the program. If we need dogs, we have plenty of them at all stages of training to use as distractions. If we need people, we have staff and clients that are always in and out of the facility to work your dog around. If we find ourself moving through the program and seeing that we are not able to resolve the specific issue you are having at home we can then add an in home session but rarely do we find ourselves in that situation.
“What does my dog do all day during their board and train?”
All dogs that come in for our board and train programs have a tightly structured day to day schedule that focuses on specific problem behaviors, physical exercise, and mental exercise. At the beginning of the day we do our morning potty runs. After everyone has been out, we start any morning walks that need done. All dogs get about a 30 minute structured walk around the facility. Post walk we do roughly 4 hours of training sessions where we will focus on socialization, obedience, duration work, and specific behavioral modification. We do our second feeding around 5-6PM. All dogs then rest in their crates, or on the place command for approximately one hour post meal time. Finally we end the day with our last evening walk and any final training sessions we need to do before they are kenneled up for the evening.
“Will I see my dog during the Board and Train?”
We do not allow visitations during the board and trains. We put a lot of effort on making sure the first interactions that your dog has with you after their stay is as structured as possible. This lets the dog know that the same rules that we implemented with them will apply when they go back home. You will be getting periodic updates through direct contact and social media posts.
“My dog is aggressive. Can you help him? How will you stay safe while training him?”
We specialize in working with challenging dogs. If your dog is biting other people we can absolutely help them. We implement very strict protocols with any aggressive dog that we work with to ensure that your dog as well as our staff stay as safe as possible. For more severe cases we do require that owners muzzle the dog before bringing them in for additional safety.
“Do you offer discounts on multi dog training?”
Unfortunately we do not offer multi dog discounts on our training programs. Successfully training for a multi dog household is actually significantly more work than training for just one dog. Not only do we need to train them to work individually but we also need to ensure they know how to work together adding a lot more steps to the process.
“Your programs are expensive. What if I need help, but can’t afford it yet?”
We accept any major credit cards as well as financing programs like Paypal and affirm. In special cases we can sometimes arrange a payment plan. Please contact us for more information!
“What if I have to cancel my training program? Will I get a refund?”
We require a 50% deposit to reserve all board and train spots. Our Board and Train programs are often booked out weeks in advance- the spots are first come first serve, and due to such high demand, deposits are absolutely non refundable (in very specific cases refunds can be issued).
There are no refunds once a training package has begun or been completed.
“How do I check in on my dog while they are in the Board and Train program?”
While a dog is in the Board & Train program we make sure our trainers are spending their time focusing on training and less on creating content. That being said, we understand clients want to know how their dogs are progressing. We have two ways to keep you updated:
1. We will post 3-4 short video clips on our Instagram stories of the Board & Train dogs per week. These will be highlights of things they are working on in training sessions. Remember, the stories stay up for 24 hours so check frequently!
2. Calls and check ins are encouraged! Clients are more than welcome to call or email us as much as they’d like to check on their dog’s progress or request a picture!