While dog training is frequently taught in a class environment, there is no "One Size Fits All" approach to training your dog. Group classes place you and your dog under conditions which make it challenging to learn. Many owners therefore become frustrated and come to believe that their dog is "untrainable", or perhaps even stupid. Not so at all.

We gear our training to you, your family, and your particular dog. And, as an added bonus, you and your dog get our undivided attention and have fun in the process.

A limited number of group classes are available for those individuals who find that situation a more desirable alternative. Enrollment in our group classes is open; that is you and your puppy may start at any time. This "rotation" concept allows the new puppy the added benefit of observing the more mature dog during training. Please click the menu selection to read a bit more about each type of class.

• Learn how to train your dog without jerking, hitting, kicking, shocking or shaking
• Learn how to use the spiritual tool of nonviolence to empower your relationship with your dog
• Learn how to turn affection, play, toys, praise, and social activity into powerful rewards
• Learn how to humanely solve behavioral problems such as jumping, barking, eliminating, digging, chewing, and mouthing
• Learn to understand your dogs body language and the vocalizations needed to effectively communicate with your dog.

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Just what is Clicker Training?

"Clicker training" is the common term used to describe a technique of training animals that has become increasingly popular in the last decade. Also known as operant conditioning within the professional community, its popularity is largely due to the draw of its gentle methods.

Trainers needed to find another way of letting the animal know that he was doing the right thing, so they began using a conditioned reinforcer. A conditioned reinforcer is anything that wouldn't ordinarily be something the animal would work to get. A primary reinforcer, on the other hand, is something that the animal automatically finds reinforcing, such as food or water. When a conditioned reinforcer is paired with a primary reinforcer, they become of equal importance to the animal. Enter the clicker as a conditioned reinforcer.

The Clicker is a small plastic box with a metal strip that makes a sharp, clicking sound when pushed and released. Its value is that the unique sound doesn't get lost in the babble of words we are constantly throwing at our dogs. It is faster than saying "Good dog!" and allows the trainer to mark with great precision the behavior for which the dog is being reinforced. Paired with something the animal finds very reinforcing, the clicker becomes a powerful tool for shaping behavior.

W hen you shape a behavior, you reinforce closer and closer approximations of the actual behavior you are looking for. For instance, if you are trying to teach your dog to "shake hands" you would click and treat at first if he simply raised his paw just a bit off the ground. As you progressed, you would stop reinforcing a slight raise of the paw. You would now require that the paw is raised higher, and then the paw would have to come towards you, etc. Breaking the behavior down into TINY steps allows progress to be made quickly.