Roots K9: A Guide to Our Programs
Which type of program is best for my dog?
Every dog has a different personality, needs, and issues to work with, and if you’re new to this whole dog training thing, it is understandable to be a little overwhelmed! It is important that you, as the owner, can understand what goes into the process of training/rehabilitating your dog.
All of our programs start with a solid foundation using food, so that your dog can “learn to earn” its meals. The second phase is teaching your dog the language of leash/e-collar pressure and how to turn it off. The last and final phase is introducing the concept of accountability and correcting your dog’s poor choices, so they understand these very few commands are rules, not suggestions. This results in dogs who are less stressed about life, more fun to be around, and who will have more freedom than just the back yard.
Throughout the training process, the goal is always for your dog to get better while being fair to the dog. We will go as slow as your dog needs, while developing a working relationship with your pet and accentuating the positive things about your dog. The main thing to consider is whether you and your dog would fit better into Private Lessons or Board & Train. Let’s break it down a little further:
one-on-one
Private Lessons are a great option for happy go lucky dogs in need of basic obedience, with owners who have 1-2 hours of time each day to dedicate to working with their dog on a consistent basis. If you have a dog who is basically solid, with no major behavioral issues, and you find the process of training interesting or fun, one-on-one work with a trainer will be a great fit for you. Private Lessons are highly effective at creating well-balanced family members, and I love working one on one with owners and watching as the relationship levels up. In this program, you are learning all the science and philosophy behind what it takes to build a good pet, and your relationship will be that much stronger as a result of your work together.
If you put in the hours and be consistent, you will create an awesome dog - a dog who comes when called every time, relaxes when asked, is polite around guests, cares about what you are doing, walks nicely, and listens even around competing distractions. You will learn how to create structure, calmness, accountability, and of course all the fun stuff that led you to get a dog in the first place. We have a huge success rate with our Private Lesson clients, because we set them up with a very specific system from Day 1, and provide detailed feedback and coaching throughout the process.
We book private lessons primarily with owners of younger dogs in need of “shaping up," or dogs of any age who have no major behavioral history. If the worst thing your dog does is kiss you too much, and you have the time and energy to devote to the simple, repetitive process of training basic commands/teaching the tools, private training is the way to go.
We have two sequential four lesson packages. The first, our On Leash Program is geared towards teaching you how to work your dog for food, shaping a few solid commands, and teaching your dog leash pressure. The second, our Off Leash Program, is geared towards remote collar understanding and introducing distractions for full off leash control & reliability. With very few exceptions, dogs need to go through our On Leash Program as a prerequisite before beginning to train with remote collar.
Much like a physical fitness plan, you can expect to see small changes that stack up over time as you put in the daily work. Sometimes a dog needs a little more work than eight lessons (or a refresher down the line), and we do offer single lessons after a dog has gone through both On & Off Leash programs.
board & Train
The goal of a Board & Train is to give you and your dog a leg up by starting the process for you. Most younger, eager-to-please dogs can get to a really good place within the span of 3-4 weeks. Occasionally, some dogs are slower to learn, and that’s okay. We will always reach out if we feel like your dog might need an extra week. The ideal dog for a Three Week program is already crate/potty trained, and has already had some socialization experiences.
Dogs who struggle with severe behavioral issues - aggression, reactivity, anxiety - will be best served by a fresh start with professional trainers, who understand the importance of doing things in right order and at the right time. Behavioral issues take time and consistency to address, and a novice mistake could be dangerous and actually make things worse. That’s a position I would never want to put you in as someone just stepping into dog training, and it’s not fair to the dog who needs help.
Think of it this way: there’s a reason that drug and alcohol rehab exists. Addicts often need that time away from their normal environment, to begin to make a dent in their recovery and change their habitual thinking/behavioral patterns. The counselors in a rehab program are highly trained to deal with addiction issues - they are not unskilled volunteers interested in psychology. Dogs are much the same. If we want to create behavioral change to the level and timeframe that is necessary for dangerous dog issues, it needs to be with a holistic program with trained staff.
Nine times out of ten, the reason the dog developed behavioral issues in the first place is because the communication was never set up clearly from the beginning, so a large part of the behavioral modification side of Board & Train is “remedial” work. Our Board & Train is designed to instill the fundamental concepts every dog needs - like working for food, understanding leash pressure, respecting human space, and being calm in a crate - in an efficient, safe manner that is fair to the dog. We can move forward with a dog more efficiently than at home because we have a system that works, because our environment is highly controlled, and (most importantly) because we have no prior history with your dog. We are literally a clean slate that gives your dog an opportunity to start fresh. If you’ve ever thought that your dog was simply too much to handle, a Board & Train will likely be the best option for you.
how board & Train actually works
You may have heard that Board & Train programs are bad, because the habits won’t transfer home. And, if there is no plan in place for continued support and education, I would tend to agree. That’s why we spend so much time educating you before, during, and after the training process.
We want to make one thing clear: a Board & Train will not help your dog if there is no motivation to continue at home with strengthening good behavior and discouraging bad behavior. Our job is to build a dog who understands certain cues & commands, patterns (like sitting at the front door), and languages (like the language of the leash and e-collar). Your job at home is to interact and communicate with your dog daily - to show it what you want and what you don’t want. Most owners find that handling a trained dog is worlds easier than starting the process from scratch themselves - it is a leg up to help you get started training. Think of it this way: you’ll still need to learn how to ride the bike and not fall off or crash, but the Board & Train process will give you training wheels and a little push to get momentum.
While your dog is here, you will have some homework too. You will be absorbing balanced training resources, preparing for an upgraded relationship, and following along with your dog’s progress on social media. Your dog will go home with follow up plan in place to guide you through the reintegration process, and if you have questions, your trainer will be just a phone call away.
Your relationship with your dog is a process that requires your continual commitment, regardless of your dog’s personality or prior history. Your dog has already established belief system around what’s allowed at home - and changing that belief system will take work & discipline and discipline on your part. But it is work that needs doing if your dog is to get better.