What to expect from an In-home Dog Training Consultation.
We may be dog trainers ourselves but even we are firm believers that an in-home dog behavior consultation and assessment is absolutely necessary before moving forward with any dog training. While we as trainers gather a lot of information during the initial phone call or e-mail we may receive from you, it still won’t be sufficient until one of our trainers meets you and your dog in person. Without the initial in-home consultation, it’s like finishing a puzzle but there’s a huge empty space in the center of the puzzle.
Why is the initial in-home consultation so important?
First off, we want to meet you and your dog! How can we really know what’s going on with your dog if we haven’t met them yet? We also need to know how your dog is behaving both in and outside the home, which is why we meet at your home. We may even go for a short walk around the neighborhood, depending on what your dog’s issues may be. In-home consultations are also important to see how your dog behaves toward you and your family members. Trainers take mental notes and pay attention to things like: if you are demonstrating leadership with your dog, or is your dog head of the pack? Free In-home consultations also enlighten trainers to any changes YOU as the owner might need to make in order for your dog to succeed in behavior training. Along with your dog’s behavior toward their familiar environment and home, a trainer will also get a good idea on how your dog behaves toward a new person, especially in their territory. Will your dog greet their trainer politely when he or she comes into your home? Or, will they bark excessively and hyperly jump all over them as you try to grab their collar for control? Trainers also pay attention to see how your dog will react when they knock on the door. Will your dog bark out of fear, and continue to demonstrate fearful behavior when they meet your dog trainer? Or, will another presence in the house distract your dog from obeying basic commands from you, the owner? These important questions and actions will prepare your trainer more for when they want to incorporate more distraction or behavior training for your dog down the road.
The Initial Phone Call
For example, when our Come.Sit.Stay trainers speak on the phone with you about your dog’s problems, we learn what’s stressing you out and what you find to be the big issues in your dog’s behavior. Oftentimes though, there are a lot of other things happening that you may not notice or even be aware of, and our trainers job to pick up on this. After the initial phone conversation we then set up a day and time that works best for you and your dog’s schedule to do our Free In-Home Consultation.
The In- Home Consultation
In-Home consultations are very important. As we mentioned, professional dog trainers are able to pick up on a lot of behavior and triggers that you may not. For example, our Come.Sit.Stay trainers may get an owner that calls and says that their dog is “fine” except for their leash pulling. But then, when they first meet the dog, not only do they see leash pulling, they also see hyperactive behavior, such as running around and jumping all over the owner and them. In-Home consultations also allow the trainer to see behaviors that an owner may not see as problematic but can be contributing to certain behaviors. Like a dog that won’t listen to the owner unless there’s food involved. Or, that the dog knows the command “Sit” but not “Heel” or any other basic commands. When creating a custom training plan for you and your dog, we want to make sure we create a plan that tackles the behaviors that are driving you absolutely crazy! But most of the time, we need to also address other things that might be contributing to those major behavioral problems, and meeting you and your dog will allow the trainer to find the core of the bad behaviors. Most behaviors that people complain about is usually a symptom of something else, such as anxiety or fear or just lack of structure (or a combination!). If a trainer can get to the root of the problem and work toward eliminating that, then they have a better chance of reaching your training goals!ConclusionAs you can see, an in-home assessment is for everyone involved! Yes, a trainer comes to assess your dog, but they are also there to assess you and whether or not you might be willing or able to fully commit to dog training. At Come.Sit.Stay Dog Training, we ask questions about your dog’s behavior in conjunction with your lifestyle.
We also ask about any training you’ve done and what you’re comfortable doing.
We then paint a detailed picture on what your responsibilities as the owner will be in order to achieve behavioral success with your dog.
At Come.Sit.Stay Dog Training, our in-home Consultations come with no strings attached and there’s no pressure to start training with us. We simply want to get to know you, your dog, and give you the opportunity to meet us! That’s right!!! Our in-home consultation allows you to assess us as well! We want to help everyone and their dogs, but not everyone might want help from us…and that’s their choice and it’s okay! We want to give you the opportunity to meet us, ask us questions and know exactly what you’re getting into. That way you can decide whether you want to move forward or not.To reach out to us for an initial in-home consultation, just click here to fill out our contact form or call our office at 904-233-0608.We’ll provide a phone consultation and figure out the best day and time for our trainer to come meet you and your dog for an initial in-home assessment and consultation!
June 6, 2022 - By : Dana
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