PRIVATE LESSONS
Elena shows up on time, never rushes us and answers all of our questions.
She is encouraging and dedicated.
Mary N.
Basic Training
Basic training can be a lot less straightforward with a rambunctious puppy or a dog that likes to chase squirrels! Elena will help you learn how to teach your dog, how to read and understand their body language, and how to use what motivates them to your advantage in everyday life. Her goal with every dog and handler is to make them enjoy each other’s company even more than they already do! Focusing on teaching the dog good habits rather than just straight training, Elena will help you discover ways to create a dog that makes good decisions all of the time. She starts with an explanation of dog learning theory, why she uses positive methods, and how to train with as little frustration and confusion from both the handler and the dog. Since she uses positive methods please be prepared with treats your dog will work for and/or toys your dog loves. Elena can give you suggestions for good training treats and toys that may work for your dog.
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Elena offers private, at home training designed to give you more bang for your buck. She will work on your individual needs and create a plan that will work for you and your dog. Even if you only have five minutes a day to work with your dog, Elena will give you advice, tips, and hands on practice for you and your dog. If you are interested in working outside your home and yard, Elena is happy to accommodate this as well.
Puppy training is highly encouraged but all puppies must have their first round of vaccines finished for their own safety. Elena can help you with potty training, puppy mouthing, basic training every dog should know, and will help you through the puppy and adolescent stages.
All dogs must be up to date on their rabies, distemper, and parvo vaccines. Dogs should be on a nonretracable leash when working and use proper equipment. Elena can advise on equipment suitable for your dog.
Behavior Modification
Does your dog bark and lunge at other dogs when you walk down the street? Or does your dog destroy the house and show anxiety when you leave? Elena can help you resolve many behavior problems you may have with your dog. Behavior modification requires a complex look at your dog’s background, training history, current lifestyle, stress triggers, and more. Elena will help dissect where the biggest problem areas are for you and your dog and come up with a plan to help them. Many times traditional training is not what these dogs need so individualized plans are crucial. Elena may choose to have you work with a Veterinarian to prescribe your dog appropriate medication to help the training.
Please be sure to mention if your dog has a bite history before meeting with Elena so appropriate safety measures can be taken.
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Elena is a referral trainer for Dr. Jokela, one of only 80 Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorists in the world. She has worked with dogs suffering from
- Leash Reactivity
- Resource Guarding
- Fear Aggression
- Separation Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety
Work starts with an initial consultation where Elena will dive deeper with you to get a full account of what is going on with your dog. She will then create a plan for you to implement and a guide for future sessions. This work is often slow going and methodical but has proven results. Each plan will have an element of management, training, and some therapy to help your dog.
Service Dog Training
One of Elena’s passions is helping disabled people train a dog to help them function better in everyday life. She is happy to work with you on your specific disability to create an individualized plan for you and your dog. Don’t have a dog yet but want to train a Service dog? No problem! Elena has experience picking out dogs specifically for clients to work as Service dogs. Service dog training is very extensive and Elena will help you with everything from the basic sit, stay, come, to advanced tasks that can be performed in public with high distractions. Elena will educate you on proper equipment, laws and rights of Service dogs, and proper etiquette for teams in public.
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Not all dogs are suitable for Service dog work, especially public access, but many can make it with correct training. Elena will consult with you on whether your dog is a candidate. She will guide you through the process from beginning training or selecting a dog, problem solving how your dog can help you best, to giving a Public Access test that shows your dog is ready for work in the general public. Training begins at home and quickly progresses to pet friendly venues. When the team is reliably performing disability mitigating tasks in these venues training can move to non-pet friendly places. Service dogs are allowed in anywhere the general public can go so flexibility is easy for clients wanting work in a specific location or with specific distractions. Elena is happy to help clients with specific needs that may require a little more creativity in the training process. Tasks can and will be adapted to the individual dog and handler. Service dogs can be trained tasks to help mitigate disabling symptoms of mobility impairment diseases, seizures, anxiety, diabetes, hearing impairment, and more!
Elena can also help you through the process of making your dog an Emotional Support Animal (ESA). ESA’s require no special training but give you some comfort from minor psychological issues such as minor depression or anxiety. Elena will talk you through what is required to qualify for an ESA and what rights you would have legally. While they require no special training Elena will help you with basic training to create a pet that is easy to live with. Dogs can be taught minor tasks to help you with everyday tasks as well!
Advanced and Trick Training
Want to take your dog off leash to a park or bring them to that new outdoor café? Elena can help you achieve your advanced training goals. Whether you are specifically looking for off leash skills or being able to take your dog into a hospital, advanced training will be catered to your needs. Advanced training often requires traveling to places outside of your dog’s comfort zone and may also involve Elena’s personal dogs. To elevate your dog’s performance to the next level Elena will help you find the ultimate reward for your dog which can be used to get really great efforts in training. Proofing is a very important step in the advanced training process and this will be broken down into steps so that you and your dog can accomplish and progress quickly.
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Advanced handling techniques will also be covered in this level of training if desired. Learn how to control your dog with a simple hand gesture or a quick word. Skills such as retrieving, distance work, and competition level exercises can also be taught.
At this point in training fun things like tricks can also be incorporated into the lessons. Tricks can be a great way of focusing your dog in stressful or exciting environments. Many tricks can also be useful in everyday life such as teaching a dog to wipe their paws or take off your socks!
Other Training
Elena offers some extra training for her clients. She can help you train a Therapy dog, to complete the Canine Good Citizen test, and can help you train all sorts of different tricks to impress your friends and do something fun with your dog. Elena is also a Canine Life And Social Skills (C.L.A.S.S) evaluator and instructor through the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. The C.L.A.S.S. program offers three levels that can be achieved for your dog as part of their basic through advanced training.
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Therapy dog training can allow you and your dog a great opportunity to volunteer giving back to the community in a form you both will love! Therapy dogs can visit hospitals, nursing homes, and schools and are trained to comfort people other than their handler. The test to become a Therapy dog can be a bit daunting for some people but Elena breaks the test down into simple, easily achievable parts. Mock tests will be given before the actual test to confirm both the handler and dog know what to except. Part of this training will be done in different environments to ensure the dog can safely work around distractions. If your dog has no initial training work will be done to pass the Canine Good Citizen test first. Elena recommends all pet dogs pass the Canine Good Citizen test as it is a good indicator of having solid basics.
If you have a unique training request, feel free to contact her and she will discuss with you the possible training solutions for your goal.