GET THE ANSWERS!!!
Q. If I make an appointment, who will my trainer be? How do I know if they are experienced?
Q. What training methods do you use?
Q. Why are your programs and prices different from other trainers?
If I make an appointment, who will my trainer be? How do I know if they are experienced?
There is no licensing or state certification for dog trainers. There are few affordable schools for dog training that include practical experience. Most trainers learn from other trainers or they take 2 -4 week crash courses. They work part-time and it takes years to gain the experience most clients are looking for. Some dog trainers build their companies based on quantity of sales using inexperienced trainers. The more experienced full-time trainers (who own the dog training companies) are generally more expensive because their time is limited. If you want an experienced professional, you will have to pay the price.
The dog trainers who are still learning work independently and contract out or apprentice with dog training companies; usually part-time. This is also true for Sacramento Dog Trainers. That does not mean that they are ineffective, just inexperienced. But often these companies will pass off inexperienced dog obedience trainers (less than 2 years full-time) as professional dog trainers, including commercial pet stores. The Dog Lady does not. You will first talk directly to The Dog Lady. She will try to find a program that will help you and is within your budget. You will work directly with her. She has built her business based on the quality of the services offered, not just the quantity. One lesson with the right trainer is worth a lot more than many lessons with the wrong trainer. She still does personal house calls for dog training in Sacramento and oversees the doggie boot camp board & train programs. Apprentices and trainees work under her supervision. You will only be referred to professionals that she knows well and will only be sent a dog trainer or dog behavior consultant that has at least two years experience.
You will only know who is an experienced dog trainer by shopping around and asking for references. Anyone can start a business, build a website and call themselves a dog trainer. Good marketing does not make a good dog trainer or dog behaviorist.
What training methods do you use?
The Dog Lady uses a variety of training methods but is somewhat of a turncoat. She spent many years using just correction training. After studying animal behavior and seeing first-hand the long-term effects of different methods, she has turned to positive training and pack leadership training. But do not make the mistake of thinking that positive dog training just means food rewards. There is a lot more to it. It is actually more difficult to learn than correction training. In order to be good at it you need to study animal behavior. A dog trainer who claims to study and know animal behavior or calls themselves a behaviorist will use positive training.
Dog training is still a relatively new profession. It became popular after World War II and, at that time, the experienced trainers mostly came from the military. Dogs were used for military, police, and working (hunting and farming). At that time most dog trainers were men just out of the military. Then, dogs as household pets became more popular. Keeping dogs in our homes without understanding them led to a problem with their behaviors. So, we needed more dog trainers. The only way for new trainers to learn was from existing trainers, the military way. At the same time we saw a rise in the study of animal behavior. First, it began with water mammals (dolphins) and now many different mammals including dogs. This is where women began to make their entry into the dog training arena. They were more open to using psychology instead of force on animals. Now, women account for more than half the dog trainers today.
Though sometimes when necessary, The Dog Lady can and does use correction training. Some behaviors (like sit) are easily taught with positive techniques. Some behaviors are life-threatening (like chasing cars) and must be stopped with the fastest technique. Some owners insist on using correction training. The training methods used on a dog depend greatly on the owners, the dog and their environment. The Dog Lady calls her training “paw reading” because she believes you have to consider the dog’s personality along with the training objectives. A dog with a sensitive personality will react differently to obediance training than a dog with a status-seeking personality. If your dog does not enjoy behavior training then he will not enjoy being with you.
If you think your dog is your best friend, then ask yourself this... If your best friend corrected, punished and intimidated you every time you did not do as they asked, would you really want to be their friend? Yes, you can be the pack leader without using fear and punishment!
Why are your programs and prices different from other trainers?
They really aren’t. They are just different from some local Sacramento dog trainers. Most dog trainers will copy their business after the trainers they learned from. The Dog Lady's prices are based on what you get and the programs she offers actually make it possible for more people to train their dogs properly. Everyone loves to watch the Dog Whisperer on TV and copy what they see. What they fail to notice is that he does not offer package dog training lessons.
The Dog Lady, Inc. has been an experiment in how to make a profit by helping dog owners solve their problems, not by exploiting them because they have a problem. It takes either time to train your own dog or money to pay someone else to do it. This is what The Dog Lady offers; affordable lessons where you take the time to do the training or comprehensive board and train doggie boot camps where you pay her to take the time to train your dog.
Some training companies base their programs on up-selling or down-selling. Some will sell you much more than you need in the way of package programs that you never use. This offers them a large profit. Others will sell you much less that you need in the way of a limited number of group classes that end before problem behaviors are solved. This way you will have to buy more. Again, more profit.
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