Services & Pricing
Comprehensive Consultation
1-1.5 hr $100
This is our first step in working together. Dog training is an important investment of time and money, so we need to make sure that we are a good fit right from the start. This in-person consult works as a meet and greet, temperament evaluation, training session, and interview all in one. You'll experience firsthand how I interact with dogs and can ask as many questions as you need to feel assured that Renaissance Dog Training is the right choice for you.
We'll go over goals, your dog's history, a schedule, a training plan, methods, first impressions, observations, advice, techniques and tricks of the trade. It's a way to have an in-depth and hands-on conversation, face to face, that phone calls just don't compete with. I'll get to play with your dog and show you training tips that you can start straight away. We'll also fill out your dog's own personal Character Sheet, a fun way to track skills and progress.
It takes about an hour to an hour and half (I get real chatty about dogs) and costs $100. This fee goes towards the lesson package should you choose to move forward.
No matter what training service you are looking for, start here!
Puppy Starter
2 lessons $350
Puppy Starter lessons are designed for dogs less than four months old and can begin a soon as you bring them home! At this age, puppies are nothing but potential, and I will show you how to guide them in the right direction.
We will discuss exactly what you need to set your pup up for success, such as a schedule to make potty training a breeze. We'll also work on the right skills to prioritize while we have such an impressionable youngster. Together we will teach your puppy that calm, attentive behavior is much more rewarding than wild mischief! Perhaps most importantly we will set a plan for effective and meaningful socializing; I'll show you exactly what to look for and what to avoid.
We'll also work on how to handle feisty moods and what to do to stop nipping and biting. This is especially important to teach to young kids in the family; many puppies see kids as the ultimate squeaky toy! We will start walks early, getting them used to a leash and harness. The adventures start right away!
We will begin grooming early so that it doesn't become a chore later and plan for early vet appointments. I'll also advise you on what items and equipment to get first so that you can avoid second guessing at the pet store.
This is a precious stage of their development and these lessons are to help you take full advantage so that training can start immediately!
One-on-One Lessons
$700 per set of 4 or $2,000 for 12
Preferred training tools included
I will coach you through the finer techniques and details, but to truly get your relationship with your dog to the legendary level, they need to listen to and learn from YOU. Through lessons I will train you not only how to train your dog but also how to be a cooperative communicator, and ultimately a Master worth listening to.
Legendary companionship and real-world reliability aren't built on a script of rigid commands; they are crafted over time. By investing in the complete 12-lesson curriculum, I partner with you through every phase of growth, ensuring your companion achieves flawless composure entirely at liberty. This is how your dog will become a true Renaissance Dog!
Lessons come in three sets of 4 sessions.
The Starter Set
The Starter Set
Building the Foundation
Before you can read your dogs mind, we need the fundamentals! We'll start by building value in the behaviors that you want to become the standard for your dog. They learn to want what you want. Together we'll build a vocabulary and marker system so that we can pinpoint behaviors precisely. We'll improve walks right away by teaching leash manners; how to follow the leash, and stop fighting against it. We'll bring calm, settled behavior to a premium to keep your dog from becoming a stessed, excitable mess. And of course we will cover the most important command in dog training: coming when called. Get started on the road to reliability!
In brief:
- Vocabulary and markers
- Loose leash walking
- Settling, self-control, and "Place"
- Coming when called and attention
The Advanced Set
The Advanced Set
Developing Real-World Reliability
Once we have the foundations of efficient communication, we can start building behaviors in earnest. In this set we finalize the big 5 obedience commands: Sit, Down, Here, Heel, and Place. By this time, your dog will love the work and we will be able to practice wherever you choose. I also like to supplement these formal commands with more day to day "vocab" words: easy, wait, back up, off, settle, load up etc. These tend to be much more useful for your usual interactions throughout the day. We don't want your dog to be "clocked in" with formal commands all the time. In fact, formal commands should be rare and valuable! You'll learn how to balance commands and vocab, knowing when to direct your dog and when to let them regulate on their own. We want composure more than compliance!
You will learn the art of play, and how to engage with your dog at their energy level. This gives you more options for rewards, a great opportunity for structured exercise, and an exciting outlet for the dog.
You'll be able to build a large vocabulary that creates a partnership full of opportunity. We don't want you or your dog to see obedience as a chore but as a tool, and just a portion of how you live your lives together.
Our goal is a dog that knows when to let loose, when to pay attention, and when no means no without you micromanaging everything that they do.
In brief:
- On leash obedience
- Formal commands and when to use them
- Useful Vocab
- The art of play
- Putting it all together
The Master Set
The Master Set
Freedom at Liberty
First I teach you how to hold the leash, then I'll teach you how to let it go. By now, your dog has a long list of skills, knows the inherent value of composure, and looks to you for guidance. They trust you, and now we enhance our trust in them. We'll introduce an e-collar (included in the price) and I'll teach you to be fluent in using it in a way that is fair to the dog. They already have the skills, now we can let them run with them.
These lessons are mostly done away from the house. The goal is reliability at liberty. We give the dog the space and opportunity to make good choices in the environments that you want to enjoy together. As trust and predictability grow, we will seek out new places and activities. I want your friends to beg you to bring your dog out with you!
An e-collar is a powerful tool; we need it's addition to be smooth. By waiting 8 lessons deep into the program, your dog knows how to work with you when we start using it. The change won't be a jarring one. By this Set, they know the rules and you will be confident in your responses. Now we practice it at a distance. At the end of this set, you are a Master and your dog is a certified Renaissance Dog!
In brief:
- off-leash reliability
- e-collar fluency
- accountability and trust
- freedom!