During Covid-19 Services
Due to the rise in Covid-19 cases and the falling temperatures, I will ONLY be doing Zoom training at least until March 2021. It is my expectation that as temperatures rise I will at least be able to resume outdoor, social distanced training, and as more people get vaccinated I hope to be able to resume indoor private training once it is safe.
**Video and Written support resources.
All services discussed below have been updated to reflect discounted prices for Zoom, and where relevant, for in-person sessions at my location rather than yours.
Photo by Roma Vista
General Handling/Puppy Orientation
(All of these sessions are offered as Zoom Only)
Whether you have a new puppy, a new adult rescue, or an older dog with new or troublesome behavior, you will learn how to get and keep your dog's attention, with the goal being a companion who is a pleasure to live with. This session is two-hours and is adjusted for your needs.
For puppies: this session teaches you how to deal with housebreaking, typical annoying puppy behaviors, such as nipping, jumping up, barking, chewing inappropriate objects, etc. In addition, you will gain a foundation in how to teach your puppy commands and to obey them. The basic concepts are taught with the specific commands of Sit and Leave-it.
(If you want help BEFORE getting your puppy, I also offer a "Pre-puppy session that goes over Housebreaking/Crate Training, What to expect, and puppy-proofing. If you do both the Pre-puppy and the Puppy Orientation, each will be 90 minutes with a total price for the two (Zoom) sessions of $200.
For older dogs: the General Handling session will teach household manners, the foundations of handling and obedience, and otherwise be tailored to your specific needs.
Price for the two-hour (Zoom) Puppy Orientation or General Handling session is $125.
Behavioral Issues/Perception Modification
The programs outlined below are designed for dogs that need training, but are inherently stable, even though they may exhibit typical annoying behaviors such as jumping up, excessive barking, inappropriate chewing, etc. For many reasons that I won’t go into here, a lot of the issues people have with dogs these days have more to do with dogs who are anxious, fearful, reactive, generally over-adrenalized, or even aggressive. Although I can gauge how much time it will typically take to teach a basically stable dog or puppy and his/her owner’s obedience commands, it is much harder to gauge how long it will take to address these more “psychological” issues. However, using Mark McCabe’s Training Between the Ears “TBTE” (add link) techniques, progress generally is much faster than with more traditional approaches, whether “balanced” or “positive only.” Evaluation of and working on behavioral problems generally needs to be done in-person rather than Zoom. The way I proceed when behavior issues are the primary concern is still to start with a two-hour General Handling session that includes an evaluation and an introduction to the TBTE approach. From there, we can either proceed lesson by lesson or I can customize a program for you and your dog.
In-person social distancing General Handling session is $150 if you come to me, and $180 if I come to you.
Three Programs to Fit Your Needs:
During Covid, I am doing a mix of Zoom and in-person-social-distancing and that mix will vary depending on the individual dog and client's needs. Thus, although I am using the programs as a guide, I am not doing anything prepaid – everything is pay as you go. After the General Handling session, Zoom appointments are $75/hour; In-person social distance outdoor sessions are $95/hour at my location (where I have a two car garage and screen porch for some shelter, but still completely ventilated) or $125/hour if I come to you.
Safety and Simple Manners Program
Does your dog jump up on people and furniture, pull on the leash, dart out the door, and generally seem to pay you no mind? How would it be if instead you walked in the door every day to a dog who greeted you happily while keeping four feet on the floor so that you no longer had to worry about being scratched or having clothing ruined? How would it be if she walked at your pace so that your arm wasn't getting yanked and you didn't have to worry about being pulled in front of a truck? Suppose she waited at the open doorway to be allowed outside and you no longer feared that she would dart away and get hit by a car? Best of all, imagine her looking to you for direction rather than focussing on EVERYTHING ELSE.
This program is designed to take approximately seven hours. Actual time to complete will vary slightly depending on how much time is Zoom (which is a bit slower) vs. In person. Note that puppies usually do better with Zoom at first because working outside is highly distracting for them.
Program Includes
The Accomplished Dog
It may go without saying that you want a well-mannered dog, but perhaps you want more than that -- a dog who is your partner, who reflects the competence and care with which you approach everything in life. Picture being out for a walk with your dog and encountering someone in distress. You are able to place your dog in a down-stay while you help out, possibly even at some distance away, knowing that your dog will not budge from the spot. As the situation resolves, you can call your dog from the stay,m knowing with absolute certainty that he will come straight to you. Happy to have helped out, you pull out a tennis ball as you get to your front yard.
It's not fenced, but it's not a problem because your dog obeys you and loves to retrieve. If the tennis ball happens to roll out into the street, you call your dog to DOWN immediately to prevent him from following it, and Down he goes, safely on your lawn, fifty feet away from you.
This program is for you if you want off-leash reliability, confidence in the dog's self-control even in distracting environments, and perhaps the possibility of getting started in Companion Dog Sports such as Obedience, Rally, or Agility.
Since this program is not prepaid under Covid restrictions, it is very open-ended and tailored to the individual's needs. It can include a variety of components listed below.
Program can Include
Testimonials
"Lisa was an absolutely great dog trainer. We appreciated her positive approach, as did our golden retriever, Abbie, and it was very successful. Lisa provided not only training, but valuable general advice based on many years and lots of dog experience. She was very responsive between sessions for any questions we had. Importantly, after each session she provided handouts so that we could practice the activities. Overall, a delightful person and a wonderful trainer."
ABBIE ROSE
-Bruce and Christine Cheson in Bethesda
"Lisa Daniel trained Rocky, my 4th Westie. She was absolutely phenomenal in her approach. Lisa is very thorough and provided written detailed printouts of helpful hints for all of our sessions. She had a keen sense of what was going on with our puppy and literally trained us how to train and get through the worst of puppyhood. We also had a five-year-old Westie and were juggling the puppy with another dog. Lisa was punctual, professional and made a significant difference. Today, I have a happy 11-month-old puppy that is a great addition to our family. I highly recommend Lisa as an obedience trainer who can troubleshoot all problems by training you"
ROCKY
-Amy W. in Bethesda:
"We were so fortunate to have found Lisa Marie Daniel to train our new puppy. We have had many dogs before, but none for 13 years. We wanted to make sure our new little boy had the best. And she is!! Lisa is warm, kind, and firm. She trained him and trained us as well. You could only be pleased if you chose Daniel's Dog Training. Thank you Lisa Marie for making Bubba a GOOD boy."
BUBBA GUMP
-Bob and Ellen Cook in Bethesda
"A veterinary behaviorist called our young rescue, Zuzu, one of the most fearful dogs she'd ever seen. The vet put ZuZu on Prozac but otherwise did not have an active set of steps we could take to increase ZuZu's confidence. ZuZu began to enjoy my petting some of the time but reacted to most others by withdrawal or by defensive barking. I wanted to increase her trust and decrease any chance she'd turn into a biter. About 4 months after I started ZuZu on Prozac, I contacted Lisa on advisement of a friend. My fear about hiring a trainer was that they would be all about teaching commands without changing ZuZu's emotional responses to people and novelty. On Lisa's first visit, ZuZu was after an hour literally eating out of Lisa's hand, something she had only done with me. Over the nine training sessions, ZuZu began to transfer to strangers the association she'd made between Lisa and fun and treats. I began to take her to play with dogs in the park where much to my delight she often runs up to strangers looking for treats. She is not "cured," but she is so much more mellow that some people don't think she is the same dog. ZuZu is loving life! Having a dog that for months resisted going on walks, wouldn't leave the one room she felt most at ease in and wouldn't get house-trained was lonely and discouraging. Lisa helped turn our lives around. I haven't always practiced everything LIsa taught us, but I have the tools to continue to make progress. We are most grateful."
ZUZU
-Andrea in Bethesda
"We got Bo from a serious breeder, but he was 10 months old and had no early training. So Lisa had to start from scratch with a very active boy not used to sitting, going to place, or even getting into the car (he grew up with the breeder on a farm with other dogs). By the second visit, he was sitting, staying, going to place and learning to heel with a leash. She had a remarkable rapport that made it look easy for him to respond. We practiced what she taught and we have a wonderful family dog."
BO
-Barry and Marika Cutler in Bethesda
"The Daniel's training strategy -- focused around techniques that allow the handler/owner to manage the dog effectively in a loving fashion -- has been critical to our ability to have Lily be a great dog both within our household, on walks throughout the neighborhood and in interacting with other people and dogs. Lily will have and enjoyable and productive life because of this training and we are grateful to Lisa Daniel."