FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should I start training my puppy?
The sooner the better!  Your puppy starts learning the moment he first sets foot in your house.  You want to make sure he learns the right things from day one.  We accept puppies for Puppy Kindergarten at age 8 weeks.  However, your pup must have at least two of their puppy shots for protection before they start playing with other puppies.  We use only gentle, positive training methods, so we can start effectively them at a very early age.

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How long will it take to train my dog?
Her whole life! Seriously, this is an impossible question to answer. It depends on you, your dog, and your training goals.  Every time you are with your dog one of you is training the other. If we stop training our dogs, our dogs start training us - which doesn't usually bode well for our relationship with our dog!  In general, the introduction of basic obedience skills usually takes 6-8 weeks.  

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What training methodology do you use?
We are committed to using positive reinforcement training methods!  More and more scientific studies continue to prove and support the use of positive training over negative training.  Top behavioral scientists at the leading veterinary schools, including the University of Pennsylvania, Tufts University, Cornell and the University of California at Davis promote only positive behavior modification methods.  They believe that negative training and physical force methods are unsafe, unnecessary, and ineffective for  the long term.  We choose to use positive reinforcement training techniques because they have been proven to be highly effective and they directly contribute to building a solid, healthy relationship between the owner and dog.  If you would like to learn more about positive reinforcement training methods, we suggest you read Pat Miller's book, "The Power of Positive Dog Training" or Karen Pryor's book "Don't Shoot the Dog!".   Go to our Links page and click on Dogwise.com - you can purchase these books and many other excellent titles from their website.

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Why don't you use choke chains, prong collars or electric collars in your training?
Training is not just about getting our dogs to respond to a list of commands. Training is about relationship - the way we interact and are with our dogs. Choke chains, prong collars and electric collars rely on pain to force compliance and are dependent on your willingness to force (hurt) your dog to comply with your commands.  We use positive reinforcement training.  We consistently reward the behaviors that we want from our dogs, and manage or ignore (when possible) the behaviors that we don't want. By using positive reinforcement we can get our dogs to voluntarily give us the behaviors we want, rather than forcing them. We don't risk damaging our relationships with our dogs through the use of force and punishment, and we don't risk the physical harm that can occur with the use of painful, punishing tools.

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In what areas do you provide service?
We provide dog care services primarily for Howard County.  Our training services are available to clients in Howard, Frederick, Carroll and southwestern Baltimore country area.  Our board-and-train services are available to clients within a two hour drive of Columbia, Maryland. 

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Can I train with my friends?
Yes!  If you would like to have a training session(s) with your friends and their dogs we can do that!  Whether it is basic obedience skills, fun tricks or a "play training games" class, we can prepare a session that will be fun, entertaining and a great learning experience for all!

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What vaccines does my dog need to participate in your programs? 
Dogs and puppies should be vaccinated according to your vet's recommendations.  We ask that most dogs or puppies be vaccinated for bordetella, distemper and rabies at the appropriate times.  We will accept dogs that have acceptable titer levels - please provide us a copy of the titer report.

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What is your neuter/spay policy? 
Male dogs over 6 months of age who wish to participate in play groups must be neutered.  Females do not need to be spayed but may not participate in any of the activities or programs while in season.  Please ask your vet for their recommendation for the appropriate time to spay or neuter your dog.

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