Responsibilities of Trainer

My responsibilities include:

• Provide an initial consultation to assess your dog’s current level of knowledge and skills of basic commands; identify any behavior problems that need addressing; and help you to develop a goals plan.
• Provide throughout the training process ongoing assessment of your dog’s progress.
• Demonstrate the use of verbal cues, hand signals, clicker training and positive reinforcement.
• Teach you effective training and handling techniques through instruction, modeling, helpful handouts and homework assignments.
• Provide you with homework assignments to do between sessions to enhance your dog’s progress and your training skills.
• Promote training in locations where your dog will be in contact with other dogs and people; encourage training during activities with your dog such as when taking walks.
• Discuss the importance of socialization and how to enhance this process for your dog.
• Address any negative behaviors that your dog is displaying and develop effective strategies to resolve them.
• Help you and your family to be consistent in ways of interacting with your dog, using the same commands and training techniques, and the same strategies for addressing problem behaviors.
• Focus on using positive reinforcement techniques.
• Effectively train you to the extent that when the professional training process is over with, you will be able to continue the training and manage your dog's behavior.

Responsibilities of Owner

• Attend weekly training sessions.
• Follow the trainer’s modeling and instructions.
• Learn and utilize clicker training.
• Read and follow the trainer’s handouts.
• Do homework assignments between training sessions; if you only train during sessions, the training will be ineffective. You will come away from the experience unsatisfied and your dog will not make progress.
• Be consistent in your training techniques and commands; use the same command for the same desired behavior.
• Instruct family members on the training techniques and commands being used; stress the importance of consistency by all members.