FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

That's exactly what your free consultation is for. We'll talk through your dog's history, your goals, and your daily life, then recommend the program that fits — whether that's Stay & Train, in-home sessions, an online program, or a custom plan. You'll never be pushed into a program you don't need.

We meet you and your dog (in person or virtually), watch how they behave and respond, listen to what's really going on at home, and answer every question you have. You leave with a clear recommendation and an honest picture of the timeline, cost, and work involved — with zero obligation.

We proudly serve University Place, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Ruston, Fircrest, Steilacoom, Lakewood, Puyallup, Bellevue, and Seattle — and the surrounding communities. Beyond our home territory, we do travel for clients and find ourselves working in multiple other cities each year for custom services and special cases. If you're outside the areas listed, just ask — there's a good chance we can make it work, and we'll be upfront about what that would look like.

Pretty much everything a household struggles with — including the serious cases other trainers turn away. That covers aggression (growling, lunging, or biting toward people or other dogs), anxiety and fear (trembling, pacing, destruction when left alone, or shutting down around new people and places), leash reactivity (barking, lunging, and exploding at the end of the leash), poor recall, rescue and shelter trauma, puppy problems (jumping, nipping, chewing, potty accidents), resource guarding of food, toys, spaces, or family members, leash pulling, nuisance barking, and dogs that know their commands at home but completely check out the moment anything interesting appears. We also help with separation anxiety, multi-dog household conflict, dog fights, fence fighting, counter and trash surfing, crate training, urban socialization, and homes with small children. If you don't see your struggle on this list, ask — chances are we've worked with it.

We use balanced training under a LIMA approach — Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive. Our methods are fair, clear, and reward-based first, building communication and trust before we introduce any other tools. We never use fear, pain, or intimidation, and we'll happily explain exactly how and why we do everything we do.

Most owners see meaningful changes within the first couple of weeks of structured work. And when behavioral issues are at hand, you can expect to see changes in your dog from the very first in-person session or evaluation — as soon as you begin implementing our recommendations. Real, lasting behavior change is a process — but you'll know exactly what progress looks like because we map it out with you at the start, and you'll get updates along the way.

No. Adult and senior dogs absolutely can and do change. Many of our biggest success stories are five-, seven-, even ten-year-old dogs whose owners were told it was 'too late.' It wasn't.

You're in the right place. Behavioral rehabilitation is our specialty — we take on the cases other trainers turn away. Aggression is usually fear or stress, not a 'bad dog,' and we start with a full evaluation to find the root cause before building a safe, structured plan. An evaluation is required before enrollment for aggression cases.

Yes — every breed, every size, every backstory. We evaluate each dog as an individual, not a breed label. Bully breeds, shepherds, rescues, doodles, seniors, puppies — our methods meet the dog in front of us.

Every program is quoted individually, because every dog and household is different. After your free consultation you'll get a clear quote — no surprises and no pressure. We'll also tell you honestly if there's a lower-cost option that fits your situation.

Yes. Many programs can be split into a deposit plus installments, and our online options are the most budget-friendly way to work with our methods. Ask at your consultation and we'll find something that works.

Stay & Train is the most immersive — your dog lives in our trainer's personal home and trains daily. In Home Training brings the coaching to you, working on behaviors where they actually happen. Online programs give you our proven methods, self-paced, anywhere in the world. Each fits a different situation, and we'll help you pick.

Both. We do the heavy lifting with your dog — but dogs don't generalize to new people and places on their own, so every program includes dedicated coaching for you and your family. That's how the results follow your dog home and stay for life.

When you complete a program with us, you're not on your own afterward. If issues resurface or new ones appear at any point in your dog's life, you can reach back out and we'll help you get back on track. It's a partnership for the life of your dog, not a one-time transaction.

In our trainer's personal home — not a kennel or facility. Your dog lives as part of a real household, training daily in a structured, real-world environment, with daily exercise, socialization, and plenty of attention.

We don't just hand you the leash. Your program includes a dedicated go-home transfer session where we coach you through everything your dog has learned, so the new behaviors hold up in your home, on your walks, and in your life.

Your dog's food, vaccination records, and any medications they need — plus a little information about their routine and personality. We handle the rest, and we'll go through the full checklist together before drop-off.

Yes. Pick-up and drop-off may be included as part of your Stay & Train program, depending on your location and individual needs. We understand that every client's circumstances are different, so transportation arrangements can be tailored around you and your dog whenever possible. We'll discuss the most convenient options with you when planning your program.

Absolutely. Transparency is a fundamental part of our Stay & Train programs. We don't believe your dog should disappear into training for several weeks only for you to receive a handful of polished videos showing the finished result. Throughout your dog's stay, you'll receive multiple training updates each week that show the actual process — not just evidence that your dog can perform a behavior. We want you to see how we're teaching your dog, how we communicate with them, how new skills are introduced, where they struggle, what mistakes look like, how we work through those challenges, and how those individual pieces gradually develop into reliable behavior. Where beneficial to your dog's progress, owners may also be invited to attend training-specific sessions during the program. This allows us to begin transferring skills to you at the appropriate stage, work through owner-specific dynamics, and ensure the progress being created with us can ultimately translate successfully back into your everyday life. Our goal is for you to understand how your dog became successful, not simply be shown that they are successful. By the time your dog comes home, the training process shouldn't feel like something that happened behind closed doors. You'll have been able to follow their development, understand the methods being used, see the challenges as well as the successes, and become part of the process yourself. Your dog's training should never be a mystery — and with us, it won't be.

Rabies, DHPP, and Bordetella are required for in-person and Stay & Train programs. You'll upload your records through the client portal, and we'll flag anything that's expiring soon.

Not usually. We're K9 First Aid & Trauma certified, and we routinely work with dogs who have allergies, anxiety medication, joint issues, and other conditions. Just tell us everything up front so we can plan safely around it.

Yes. Dogs will not interact with one another directly — all work around other dogs is carefully managed and matched to your dog's comfort and skill level, and reactive dogs are always worked at a safe distance first. When appropriate, our own stable, neutral dogs are utilized to create positive, controlled experiences around other dogs — these experiences vary case by case, based on each dog's needs and training goals. For example, a service dog program focuses on teaching the dog to remain calm and unresponsive around both trained and untrained dogs — in other words, to ignore them entirely. Safety — for your dog, you, and us — is never negotiable.