At Home Instead of Alone, Inc. we have always believed the most important part of any dog training program is to ascertain the specific goals of each individual client, and figure out the best way to help the entire family, as a unit… including the dog …accomplish them.
Boot-Camping has been a very successful program we offer to clients Who:
- Find they just do not have the time required every day to train their dog or puppy.
- Find their vacation time snuck up on them quicker than they realized, and must find a place to board their puppy or dog anyway, so hey… why not board them with a professional trainer and get some training done while they are away?
- Have a dog that has negative behaviors (such as soiling in the house, being destructive, not following any commands, etc) which have developed into difficult-to-break habits. In these cases, we found that temporarily removing the dog allows us to begin the process of re-training them the correct way. This allows them to return home with a solid understanding of the ‘new rules’ and of what is now expected of them going forward.
Through experience, we have come to realize that dogs don’t multi-task!!
We have found that the most effective way to ensure your dog or pup’s personal success in both housebreaking and obedience (command) training is to split them into two separate training programs. The results that we have witnessed since dividing them have been even more amazing then even we could have anticipated. So here is what you can now expect from our two programs:
Boot-Camp for Housebreaking
The fact is, most people do not have the time in their busy day-to-day schedule to take a puppy out every two to three hours like clockwork. Add a hectic household with kids, and let’s just say, even with the best intentions, the puppy’s schedule goes by the wayside.
This is where we come in. This is what we specialize in.
Our housebreaking program runs a minimum of two weeks and is broken down into phases.
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- Pre-Arrival Call
- Detailed Assessment – of your pup and family; relationships and experiences
- Game Plan – based on YOUR needs and goals: around your family’s schedule…
- Introduction
- Meet and Greet –we get to know each other, establishing our new leadership role with them and we start to introduce and reinforce new positive behaviors.
- Routine Established –we structure their day based on your day to day lifestyle.
- Week One
- Documenting your pup’s experience –sending you updates that establish your dog’s current patterns and signals, which enables us to mold and shape their new ones.
- Week Two
- Reinforcing–teaching them to control their bladder and bowels for longer periods of time and solidifying their understanding of what is now expected of them.
- Pre-Arrival Call
Download our Boot-Camp for housebreaking agreement here
Boot-Camping for Basic Obedience (Commands)
This program is for puppies or dogs that are already housebroken. This program is a minimum of two weeks. In this program, your puppy or dog will learn 8 commands including:
- SIT /STAY: including holding the stay a minimum of 30 seconds
- OFF: where they learn not to jump up on people and objects
- LEAVE IT: where they learn to leave objects undisturbed when told to.
- WITH ME: where they will learn to walk quietly and politely next to you on a loose lead, on whichever side you are more comfortable with.
- And 4 more challenging commands…
During this time, we can also work on issues such as:
- Impulse control
- Possession aggression
- claiming an object (a bone, food, toy) a human, or a space as their own
- acting in an inappropriate or threatening manner when they think the item will be taken away or their space invaded.
- Nervous or Excited urinating or marking
- And many others…
Download our Boot-Camp for Obedience Training agreement here
**disclaimer: Some issues take longer than others to correct or fix. Please remember that these behaviors did not happen overnight. Regardless of whether you are dealing with a four-month-old puppy or an older rescue dog you just came home with, all negative behaviors at one time started off small and escalated over time. Oftentimes it is a culmination of things that caused it.
The important thing that matters to us going forward is the everyone involved – trainer and family – communicate openly and work together as a team to provide the leadership, unconfused messages, boundaries, safety, and stability to turn your dog into the happy, stable, well-adjusted, loveable pet they were always meant to be!