Oh, how you’ll hate this answer! Because... it depends! Here are some questions to ask yourself. Each of these factors can increase or decrease the number of sessions.
- How old is your dog? The older the dog, typically the harder it is to learn.
- How long has your dog been practicing this behavior? The more rehearsed a behavior is the harder it is to replace. If they have been barking at the mailman for 10 years, one training session, not even one week, will stop that behavior. We have a long established habit to reverse.
- What is your dog’s training history? If they have never had to learn before it can take longer, because we have to teach them how to learn. If they have been trained using punishment based or “balanced” training methods we may need to teach them learning can be fun and worthwhile to them.
- How intense is the behavior and what is the emotion that drives it? If your dog’s behavior is very intense or the behavior is rooted in fear, anxiety, or is an intrinsic behavior (i.e. prey drive) it will take longer.
- How much time, commitment, and resources do you have to dedicate to your dog? The more time and dedication you have the better for your dog! Sometimes we have to bring in other professionals, specifically veterinarians. Do you have the means to afford vet visits and medications?
- All that being said, most people see a huge difference in 4 to 6 follow-up sessions.
Like above, it depends!
- We offer a variety of training packages and a few classes that we are happy to suggest depending on how intense the behavior is, how much you are willing to put in work between our visits, and your financial means.
- While we like to make money and be able to comfortably pay our bills we also take into consideration what you can afford. We are happy to give you bare bones information for you to tackle mostly on your own. Or we are happy to be there with you every step of the way.
- Please review our TRAINING page for information on what all is included and costs.
- Valarie, Maddi, and Tracy have attended Catch Canine Trainers Academy. They regularly attend continuing education opportunities both via webinars and in-person conferences. And they are bibliophiles, so they have stacks of books they have read and are waiting to read.
- Our trainers' individual certifications can be found on our About Us page.
- Valarie focuses her practice on behavior issues such as reactivity, aggression, fear, overarousal, resource guarding, and generalized anxiety.
- Maddi specializes in separation anxiety. She also focuses on behavior issues such as reactivity, overarousal, and anxiety.
- Tiffany is our Service Dog trainer.
- All of our trainers work on basic manners, puppy socialization, and reactivity without bite histories.
We use something called positive reinforcement or science-backed training. This training method has been proven through extensive scientific research to not only be the most effective, but will reduce stress, fear, and anxiety. We believe the science when it says it is the most humane way to train. We will never use shock, prong, or choke collars. We will never starve, hit, or yell at your dog. If they “mess up” believe it means that we didn’t set them up for success and we need to change what we’re doing. Dogs do not want to dominate us, they want to be safe, have a comfortable place to sleep, to have some fun, and probably some snacks. We use those basic desires to teach them how to best navigate this crazy human world they live in.
We currently offer a variety of affordable group classes for puppies, adult dogs, and dogs struggling with reactivity, as well as some fun sports at our Training Center located at 24748 Aurora Rd., #130, Bedford Heights, Ohio 44146.
Virtual appointments help in a number of ways. We are able to help you set up good management, which is essential especially when your dog doesn’t like people in their homes. It allows us to see how the dog behaves without us potentially changing their behavior just by being there. Also, this allows us to take an extensive history, which is critical to developing your specific training plan and giving you a prognosis.
Training doesn't have to be as time-consuming as many people think. Training sessions can be as short as 5-10 minutes, spread out throughout your day. Your trainer will work with you to find a training routine that works for you and your unique circumstances.
Dog training is a process that will require you to keep up your side of the bargain. Since our training is wholly dependent on the dog's performance and pace, we will not offer any guarantees as that is completely unreasonable, and we are not fortune tellers. We are, however, extremely confident that you will be delighted with the results and have a complete understanding on what makes your dog tick.
All sales are final and we do not offer refunds, unless due to extenuating circumstances.
In order to book your initial consultation, you will need to complete the intake form and make payment at the time of booking. After that, we ask that you purchase a follow-up training package for your follow-up sessions, so it is all paid for in advance. If you must do an ala carte follow-up session it needs to be paid prior to the session.
We require a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to your appointment for cancellations. If a cancellation is done after that time your fee is forfeited.
Yes! Just like any other professional service, we require that all clients sign our Training Service Agreement to make sure you know exactly what you're getting into with us! But never fear! These agreements aren't scary.
We are booking out between 2 - 6 weeks depending on which trainer you need to work with.
All types. All breeds. All ages. And almost all behavior concerns.
Yep! This is a big area of interest specifically for Valarie. She has been working with dogs that struggle with aggression for several years.
Nope! It may take us a little longer, but they are still super trainable!
To answer this question, we feel like we need to clarify what a service dog is. A Service Dog helps someone with a disability or an impairment to complete a task necessary for everyday life. The most obvious example of this is a seeing-eye dog for the blind, but they can be used for psychiatric and mobility issues to name a few. These are dogs who complete these tasks, go through our special training program that can take years to complete and sometimes they do not make the cut. Therefore, not every dog can be a service dog. Furthermore, task-trained Service Dogs are permitted to enter any premises their handler goes as mandated by the Federal Government and are not considered pets. If you are looking to be able to just take your pet with you everywhere, we cannot condone this.
In order to join our Service Dog program, we require a recommendation from your physician or licensed therapist, an evaluation of your dog's appropriateness for public access service work, and a signed commited from you.
- If you are actually looking to have your dog become an Emotional Support Animal, then we can help you with the obedience side of things. To have your dog recognized legally as an Emotional Support Animal, you will need a doctor's approval. Emotional Support Animals do not carry the same weight as Service Animals, and therefore, can be kicked out of an establishment if their behavior is undesirable. So even though training isn't technically required to have an Emotional Support Animal, we highly suggest it since it will be hard to convince someone that your dog is an ESA if they are barking at everything that moves. The only privileges an ESA is afforded is regarding living situations (i.e. no pet policies in rental or HOA agreements).
- And lastly, if you want your dog to become a Therapy Dog, we can also help with the obedience side of things and prepare your pup to achieve the AKC Canine Good Citizen certification. A Therapy Dog is a dog who volunteers their time at nursing homes, hospitals, airports, etc., to help boost the morale of the people who need it.
No, Sits n Wiggles does not provide guard dog training. We suggest contacting Chad Byerly at PosiDog Canine Learning Center.