INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS
My individual sessions are geared for those who have a dog who they don’t feel can safely attend a group class, need help before a class is being offered, or for those with very specific goals for their dog in the show ring or to be trained as a therapy dog (a therapy dog is one who is handled by a person in environments such as hospitals, nursing homes and schools to bring other people joy). I compete with my own dogs in the conformation, rally, obedience ring as well as have experience with agility, scent work, Fast CAT, and other performance events. I also use several of my dogs in a school setting and am familiar with the therapy dog organizations of Pet Partners, Therapy Dog International, and Alliance of Therapy Dogs. As a CGC evaluator, I am able to conduct evaluations for Alliance of Therapy Dogs. I feel like my personal involvement in the real world of dogs, both in therapy work and showing, gives me much of the experience needed to help you train your dogs.
Initial Evaluations for prospective clients typically last 1-2 hours. During this time I am visiting with you, watching and observing your dog, discussing what is and isn’t working, offering suggestions, explaining why dogs are the way they are, and working with your dog some to see what might or might not work.
Individual Sessions last approximately one hour. During this time, we are working together on whatever it is that you and your dog need. I will be handling the dog some to try out different techniques, but you will do the majority of the working with the dog under my supervision and guidance.
A commonly asked question is “How long will training take?” And honestly, I do not know. I have had some clients come in for their initial evaluation, and we were able to discuss enough information to get the owner started and they felt comfortable enough to continue on their own. I have had other clients where we met weekly for months and months. Still others, come in every other week or even once a month, and after a few sessions they were where they wanted to be. Each dog and owner is a unique situation because every owner has a different goal for their dog. I do not require a contract nor do I require you to attend a certain number of sessions. There is never an obligation to schedule another session with me.
