Frequently Asked Questions

  • Not at all!

    It's what I'm most known for and what I love doing, but I also enjoy doing other pet dog training as well!

  • No. No ethical trainer guarantees results.

    The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers prohibits their members from guaranteeing results, and I would have my credentials revoked if I did so.

    Guaranteeing results is a slimy marketing gimmick. I’ve had many clients over the years come to me after working with a “results guaranteed” trainer who didn’t get the results they were promised.

    I CAN guarantee that I will do everything possible to help you get the results you want.

    Results will depend on a number of factors, including:

    • how often you practice and work with your dog

    • how closely you follow your trainer’s instructions

    • your dog’s health, temperament, and personality

    • your training goals

  • While I don’t offer service dog training, I can help with good behavior and manners that service dogs will need.

  • No, the cost is the same regardless of how many dogs we work with during your one-hour session.

  • As long as it’s safe and appropriate to do so, absolutely! I love seeing kids train dogs. However, there must be an adult present and participating in the session.

    Kids are also welcome in classes as long as they can behave appropriately (sit quietly and calmly and respect the space of other dogs). Kids can work with their dog but an adult must be holding the leash.

  • Nope!

    It’s never too late to train a dog, no matter how old they are or how long they’ve had problematic behavior.

  • Right now!

    The sooner you start training your puppy, the easier it is. Puppy brains are primed for learning, as they have more neural synapses before 12 weeks. Not only is it easier for young puppies to learn, but they haven’t yet learned a bunch of bad habits!

  • Just some great training treats and your dog! Nothing fancy!

    We may talk about options for equipment at our session, depending on your dog and your goals.

  • It varies from dog to dog and will depend a lot on your training goals, your starting point, and your commitment to training.

    People and dogs all learn at different rates.

    My goal is always to help you reach your goals as quickly as possible!

  • No, and it wouldn’t be very useful for you anyway.

    It’s easy for me to get your dog to listen to me, but you need your dog to listen to you! Handling skills play a big role.

    I’ll teach you how to work with your dog, and we’ll tackle the training together - you, me, and your dog!

  • I specialize in reactivity, which is the bulk of what I do.

    However, I take a very limited number of aggression cases. Whether I choose to take an aggression case will depend on many factors, including the severity of the aggression, risk to me and others, and owner commitment to training, management, and safety.

    Book a free call or shoot me an email, tell me about your good dog, and I'll let you know if I can help and if I have room in my schedule!

  • No.

    As a small business, offering discounts is not feasible, but you can make monthly payments if you’re on a budget!

  • I’m not a behaviorist; I’m a Certified Professional Dog Trainer.

    The requirements for a behaviorist include, among other things, having a master’s degree or PhD from an accredited college or university in a biological or behavioral science with an emphasis in animal behavior and a research-based thesis.

    Unfortunately, there are many unethical trainers who falsely call themselves behaviorists despite having absolutely no credentials.

    There are only a few behaviorists in Washington State - none are in Spokane.

    Click here to see a listing of all accredited behaviorists in the US.

  • There are a few reasons for this. First, puppyhood is actually very short and ends around 18 weeks when adolescence begins. Adolescent dogs are not appropriate to have in Puppy Class.

    Puppy Class has to be a safe place for young puppies to play and explore off-leash.

    There is a huge developmental difference between an 8-week-old puppy and a 5-month-old adolescent, and it’s not always ideal to have such a large age discrepancy.

    In addition, older, larger dogs tend to play more roughly than young puppies, which can cause injury or scare them - not what we want in puppy class.

    Second, the socialization period ends at around 12 weeks, so there’s significantly less benefit to your puppy if they’re starting that late. I would prefer to save the limited spots in Puppy Class for puppies who would most benefit - those in their socialization period.

    The younger you can start Puppy Class, the better! For dogs over the age limit, we have an equally fun Good Dog Class!

  • There is a no-refund policy, so please be sure you’re able to commit before purchasing a class or other training service.

    The owners who are committed to the training process see the best results!

    If you have any questions before booking, please book your free call and let's chat!

  • Absolutely!

    I require a call before working together 1-1 to see if you’re a good fit for my program, but you can book a free call any time!