Obedience Services: All-American Dog Services LLC provides IN HOME
all-breed dog obedience and behavior modification. By conducting
obedience training in home, I am able to see the dog in his/her
environment and can take environmental factors into account when
developing an obedience training plan*. I provide a FREE in depth initial
consultation that usually takes about an hour. The consultation allows
me to see the current level of obedience the dog has before any training
takes place. What I focus on during the consultation is the interaction
between the owner and the dog, the dog's diet and sleeping
arrangements, the dog's exercise and daily activities, and the basic
environment the dog is in. All of these are important factors for
developing a customized training plan for behavior modification and
obedience.
The consult gives me an informal session with the owner to answer questions and provide a realistic picture as to what can be achieved
through obedience training. I have an in-depth questionnaire that I give to all potential clients, and with the questionnaire and the consultation, I am able to develop a customized obedience training plan for the client and the dog before the first formal obedience lesson.
Remember that just like people, all dogs have their own personalities and potential. How quickly and successfully the dog/owner team masters the obedience skills taught during obedience lessons will depend on the individual personality factors and the dedication of the owner to complete the obedience homework assignments before the next obedience lesson. The skills that I focus on in the obedience portion of training will teach your dog the following:-Heel without pulling on the leash
-Sit on command and automatically
-Down on command
-Stay in the down position until given another command by the handler
-Recall on command (come when called)
Obedience is the first step in developing the proper leader/follower pack relationship and is the foundation to addressing behavioral problems. Some of the behavioral problems I can assist in modifying are:-Housebreaking - Jumping up on you and guests - aggression problems - recall issues - separation anxiety - please call and ask about any specific problems besides these that apply to your dog.
Let me be up front and very clear, not all behavior problems are fixable to 100% perfect. Genetics, past history, length of time the unwanted behavior has been present and dedication of the owner to consistency and fairness while correcting/rewarding disobedient/obedient behavior are all factors in the successful modification of behavior problems. Some behavior problems in dogs are not necessarily a dog behavior problem but an owner misconception problem and are easily fixed. Other behavior problems will require owner patience and diligence in preventing the dog from failing. The owner and the dog are a team and need to work together to achieve success.MY PHILOSOPHY: I am dedicated to each dog I train in obedience as if they were my own animal. I try to approach every situation with an open mind and develop an obedience training plan that is tailored to each dog. I look at things from the canine perspective and use canine behavior as a guide in preparing an obedience training plan for each dog. I train puppies differently than I would an adult dog. This is logical because a puppy may not understand what is being asked of him/her and must be shown what is being asked before they are expected to perform obedience behaviors on command. I do not believe that dogs are little fuzzy animals that think they are people. I believe that dogs know they are dogs and they think humans are funny looking, fairly hairless fellow canines.
I firmly believe in the use of reward and correction in obedience training dogs. I try to find the particular drive the dog is predisposed to and use this drive as a reward to modify behavior. In a nutshell, drives are what make your dog "tick". If the dog is food oriented, I will use this as a reward. If the dog is prey oriented, I will use a ball/tug/toy and exploit this as a reward. I firmly believe in consistently rewarding the dog for proper responses to obedience commands. Don't be afraid to reward your dog and always remember a smile from you to your dog will work wonders in obedience training.On the other side of a reward is the correction (or discipline). I do use, and will show you how to administer a proper correction with corrective devices (i.e. the leash and training collar). Chapter 10 of "How to be Your Dog's Best Friend" by the Monks of New Skete sums up discipline in the best way I have seen it and I suggest it as a "must read" for any dog owner. Although positive-only obedience training has a great track record for ingraining new behaviors, it can take an extreme amount of time before a new obedience behavior is learned and even longer before the behavior is permanently ingrained. Dogs view the world literally and figuratively in black and white. By using fair and consistent rewards and corrections in obedience training, the dog is able to learn what is being asked at a faster pace and the end result, in my experience, is just as solid as positive only training. If you are unwilling to use corrective devices or are unwilling to administer a firm, fair correction to your animal during obedience training, please seek another trainer. Do not be fooled by what you see on TV, I would be happy to discuss any of the obedience training methods you see on TV and what is actually happening to the dog on and off screen.* For extremely aggressive and territorial dogs, I may not do the first few training lessons at the dog's home. This is for safety reasons. As an outsider coming into the dog's territory, the factors of aggression and territory may cause the dog to bite. The decision to have the lesson at another location is at my discretion.
Obedience Services and Training Philosophy
All-American Dog Services LLC
724-554-3024
email: allamericandogsvc@yahoo.com
Dog Training in a 4 Inch Box
A dog is genetically hardwired for survival and is a master at quickly figuing out what behaviors lead to success. They see the world in the following 4 ways:
1. Positive Reinforcement: My behavior causes good things to happen. Outcome Successful-Behavior Increases
2. Negative Reinforcement: My behavior causes bad things to stop happening. Outcome Successful-Behavior Increases
3. Positive Punishment: My behavior caused something bad to happen. Outcome Failure-Stop Behavior
4. Negative Punishment: My behavior caused something good to stop happening. Outcome Failure- Stop Behavior
