Private dog training.
One on one with Steve or Dave at the ranch, for families who want the work in their own hands. Ninety minutes to start, on its own or as a series of three, and you leave with a plan for your dog.
A plan you can hold
We quote your sessions on the first call, before you book. The first session is where we meet your dog; no separate assessment is required. The work is hands-on, with your hands on the leash and us beside you, because the rules have to come from you to hold at home. You leave with a plan written for your dog, and for you.
The first session runs ninety minutes and follow-ups run sixty, all at The Maddie Ranch, where we can control the environment and read your dog away from the habits of the living room. The behavior at home comes from the relationship, and the relationship comes with you. In-home sessions are available for follow-ups only, case by case and not guaranteed, with a travel fee.
A dog who is struggling, or a family who wants to understand.
A dog who is struggling
The family whose dog pulls, jumps on guests, ignores them outdoors or cannot settle, and who wants to learn the handling that changes it.
Trainers, without understanding
The family who tried trainers and got obedience without understanding, and wants to know why their dog does what they do.
Before anything goes wrong
The family who simply wants to understand their dog, and to set the rules of the house while everything is still easy.
When a dog needs more than sessions can give, we will say so, and The Pack Leader Residency is the next door.
Single, or a series
Single session
One ninety-minute session: we read your dog and the two of you together, work hands-on, and you take the plan home the same day.
Series of three
The ninety-minute session and two sixty-minute follow-ups, two to four weeks apart. The follow-ups are where the plan becomes your dog's new normal.
Your quote is given on the first call, before you book. We meet your dog at the first session. For how the Residency is priced, see the cost page.
What a session changes.
“Practical advice that I could immediately put in place and see improvements day after a day. Well worth the time and investment.”
Manny BGoogle review
“With one day of working with Steve we saw a big change in Lola.”
Stephanie D'AmelioGoogle review
Before you book.
Our dog's problems are mostly at home. How does a session at the ranch help?
Because the behavior at home comes from the relationship, and the relationship comes with you. At the ranch we can control the environment, read your dog's state of mind and your own, and teach you the handling that changes it, away from the habits and distractions of the living room. You take the plan home the same day, and the follow-up sessions are where it becomes the new normal. In-home sessions are available for follow-ups only, case by case and not guaranteed, with a travel fee.
What tools do you use?
Whichever tool fits the dog, the human and the relationship in front of us, and that decision comes last. We start with understanding: the dog, through dog psychology; the human; the relationship between the two; and the goal. Only then do we choose the tools that work best for that individual dog and family, and we will use most of them depending on the case. The best tools of all are the right energy and knowing exactly what to do, and those come home with you.
What if our dog doesn't show the behavior during the session?
It rarely matters. We are not waiting for an incident; we are reading the state of mind underneath it, and that shows in the first minutes of how your dog arrives, walks, and looks to you. Most owners are surprised how quickly the pattern is clear. The plan you leave with is for the moments at home, not the one we happened to see.
Not sure this is the one?
Begin an application.
Tell us about your dog and we will point you to the right way in. The application takes five minutes, and you will hear from us within one business day. For Private Sessions, the first session is where we meet your dog.
Or call 201-528-3647.