Vida and David
- THE INITIAL CONSULTATION - This is your first meeting with us. During this one hour session, we will talk about your problems and your goals while assessing your dog, so we can determine if we are a good fit for your needs/$50
- THE BASIC – Two 60 minute sessions/$200
- THE TUNE UP – Three 60 minute sessions/$275
- THE OVERHAUL – Four 60 minute sessions/$350
Basic Training Rates
- Basic Obedience Sessions – If you have a dog that does not have any behavior problems and you just need to work on some basic obedience, then your rate is $75/hour.
- Puppy Package – If you have a puppy (6 months or under), then we want to see you for at least two hours. $125 per 2 hour session. No initial consultation needed. Some exceptions.
- Vida and Katy
I began working with dogs in 2003 in Los Angeles, CA, while fostering a American Pitbull Terrier mix named Remy. After we (Angela and I) decided that we could not provide the best environment for Remy (we lived in a small apartment and Remy craved the attention of other dogs which we could not provide enough of), we adopted an emaciated, yet vigorous Boxer mix named Vida. She was described by the rescue organization as a “dog that did not get along well with other dogs of the same sex.” This gave us cause for concern, but after a few days and nights with Vida, we fell in love and accepted the challenge, though we had no idea what we were in for. After all, we were rookies.
Vida has been my primary inspiration and the fire behind my passion for all things dog. Working with her has been a daily reminder that behavior is in constant flux. She has taught me patience and continues to help me deal with my frustrations. She is a lovely friend, but not a perfect one. She is who she is, and I accept that now. On a daily basis, we train together, and each day she gets more comfortable with the things that once made her behave aggressively.
We have since adopted Lily, a lovely little Lhasa Apso, and, on occasion (when we need a dose of madness), we foster puppies if they fit well in our environment.
QUESTION: “How can I have the best relationship with my dog?”
In this age of information overload, finding the answer should be easy, but…
With so may outlets for finding advice on how to have a great life with your dog – TV, the Internet, books, magazines, friends, family, and other professionals – pet guardians become overloaded, confused, and frustrated.
Some of the information out there is helpful, some, however, is far from.
Our Approach to Relationship Building and Communication with Dogs:
Our methods are primarily reward-based.
We believe food reward training is the easiest, quickest, and most family-friendly way to train companion dogs.
We typically avoid aversives (things your dog finds threatening/offensive) in our efforts.
We spend the majority of our efforts on teaching dogs what to do or what we want by reinforcing behaviors we want to see more of. We accomplish our goals, primarily, through lure-reward training (see Dr. Ian Dunbar for more) and clicker training / shaping (see Karen Pryor for more).
We will not tell you to “put the dog in her place,” “show the dog who’s boss,” or focus on status and pack order.
Behavior that is reinforced (commonly referred to as “rewarded”) occurs more often, thus we emphasize reward training.
Common reinforcements are: food, play, toys, affection, access to other dogs, and walks, but can be anything your dog loves.
Dog training becomes is for you and your dog, and we avoid damaging our relationship with our pet by being nasty.
Sounds good, doesn’t it?
- David holds a Certificate in Training and Counseling from the San Francisco SPCA’s Academy for Dog Trainers.
- In May of 2007, David completed Legacy Canine’s dog training workshop Coaching People to Train Their Dogs.
- David is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.