Frequently Asked Questions regarding private training:
1. Where does training take place?
a. Training takes place in your home. We will use your neighborhood, parks, shopping centers and stores to take “field trips” as necessary if we are working on a behavior such as reactivity or puppy training that requires us to move to new environments.
2. Should anything be purchased prior to lessons?
a. No, you don’t need to purchase anything special. We will bring any equipment to show you that you may want to purchase (from us or from your local retailer).
3. Where should dogs be upon trainer arrival?
a. All dogs in the household should be safely confined to ensure safety of the dogs and the trainer. We want to prevent dog bites, dogs door dashing and rewarding unwanted jumping behaviors. Options could be a crate, pen, yard, room or if absolutely needed, leashed with the owner (which may be the only option for separation anxiety dogs).
4. Should the dog be exercised prior to lesson or rested more than usual?
a. No, keep your routine the same on training day. We want to see your dog in his normal, day-to-day behavior.
5. Should the dog not be fed the day of training?
a. If your lesson is near a feeding time, feed your dog HALF the normal ration. If the lesson is far apart from normal feeding time, you will see after the lesson if dinner needs adjusting.
6. How long will it take to fix the issue?
a. We cannot give concrete time lines but can give you a good idea of how prior dogs similar to yours have progressed after we assess and start working with you. Dogs progress at their own rate and also at the rate in which they are worked with.
7. Who will be doing the training?
a. The trainer will be speaking with all owners present about issues written on the intake form. We will go over why the issue is occurring, the approaches we can take to mitigate it and then from there, can work directly with the dog while owners watch and then in turn, coach owners how to work with their own dog.
8. What methods are going be used in training the dog?
a. Tailored Dog Training is a positive reinforcement training company. We use rewards for good behavior and prevent or redirect negative behavior. Sometimes time-outs are used as is taking away rewards for misbehavior. With positive training there is no “corrections” of yelling at dogs, choking dogs, shocking dogs or causing any physical pain. We teach true behavior change and not just behavior suppression.
9. What happens if a session needs to be canceled?
a. On the last page of the intake form contract, it states a client is responsible for charges if not enough time is given. Cancellations within a 24-48 hour window is charged as a $35 fee. Notice under 24 hours or no notice at all, is the entire session fee.
10. What type of payment is accepted?
a. We accept cash, all major credit cards, check and paypal to ally.tailoreddogtraining@gmail.com
11. Are there any refunds?
a. Refunds are not given after a training session has occurred. Extenuating circumstances may occur in which an unused lesson may be transferred to group class, another family or day train services.
12. What time will the trainer arrive at my house?
a. The trainer will arrive within 15 minutes of the agreed upon time scheduled for the lesson. The majority of the time, the trainer will be there at the exact time, however, when we have clients in large blocks, unexpected traffic or accidents can make a trainer 5-15 minutes behind. If your trainer will be more than 15 minutes late, you will be contacted.
13. How long is each session?
a. The initial session is 75 minutes and each subsequent session is billed by the hour and scheduled within an hour long window. If you would like a longer session, please let us know during scheduling and we can accommodate a longer session.
14. What can I expect at the initial visit?
a. At the first visit it is very critical that the trainer learns about your dog, how you interact with your dog, what the dog’s routine is like and your goals. We do this by reviewing the intake form prior and also skimming over the details in person. Next, we get right to the goals and writing out a training plan. This detailed plan is your training “how-to” with instructions on how to achieve your goals. At the 30 minute mark, we will have you bring your dog out to meet the trainer and work directly with your dog on exercises relating to your goals then coach you through the same. Then the trainer will give your dog an entertainment item (brain toy or approved chew) to build a positive association and make any notes about the exercises just shown. You will be given written homework to complete before the next scheduled lesson, handouts to read over and then schedule and pay for additional lessons. Post lesson, the trainer will email any video links to further show examples of what was worked upon. You may email your trainer anytime with questions related to what has already been covered or general dog care related questions. Please refrain from asking for further plans on behaviors that haven’t been worked on yet. We want you to succeed and that usually means practicing the homework given to you and progressing the difficulty with it before bumping up to new exercises.