How We Train

Hiring a trainer to help your dog improve their manners, learn obedience training, or curb problem behaviors is a big decision. At Tug Dogs, we take our trainer education seriously so that we can provide you and your dog with the absolute best training that is fun and highly effective.

Tug Dogs Training System The Tug Dogs Training System utilizes the following key components to meet all your training goals.

Collecting Detailed Diagnostic Information:

Want your dog to walk politely on leash, not bark at other dogs, greet your guests without jumping, follow commands every time, or otherwise stop their problem behaviors? It all starts with us learning about who your dog is and what training can best meet their needs. Like treating a disease, if you don’t properly diagnose what’s going on, treatment can fail. Often the behaviors that are causing you concern are symptoms of deeper, root problems or are related to other issues that keep your dog in the habit of making poor choices. By using our thorough diagnostic approach, we can find those roadblocks to success and target them specifically so that your dog will be the well-behaved companion you dream of. This is why our training starts with a free phone consultation so that we can understand who your dog is and how they see the world.

7 Pillars of Training:

To get effective dog training that makes it easier to live and adventure with your dog, our unique approach relies on the 5 pillars of training developed by owner Erin Kramer. These are the key elements that create the right foundation for all of your dog’s training. Without each of them in place, your dog will struggle to follow rules and commands. By using all 7: Observation, Clarity, Consistency, Timing, Repetition, Motivation and Compassion, we make sure that your dog knows what is expected of them, has the right information to make better choices, is motivated to follow the rules, and has the ability to actually behave better.

Creating Custom Treatment Plans:

Dog training is not a one size fits all model here at Tug Dogs. In your dog’s treatment plan, we will include all of the skills he or she needs to know to meet your training goals without tacking on expensive extras that you don’t really need. Our experienced trainers know exactly what training exercises to include and which ones to leave off the list in order to get your dog behaving better, to stop their difficult behaviors, and to make them an easier dog to live with. By creating a treatment plan customized fully to your dog, we ensure the fastest and most effective training possible.

Building Skills Before Getting Advanced:

Imagine you are scared of public speaking and sought help from a coach to overcome this fear. Would you learn better if your coach marched you up on stage in front of a big crowd of people completely unprepared and asked you to start speaking while also trying to coach you on how to overcome your fear at the same time? Of course not! You would avoid being traumatized and certainly learn much better if you were able to work on your skills in a relaxed environment first where you could focus on the coach’s information and make positive, new habits. This is exactly how we work with your dog at Tug Dogs! Building your dog’s skills before putting them in situations they have struggled with is a key part of why our training system has helped so many dogs transform into better-behaved pets.

Teaching You:

The term “dog training” is really not accurate. Consider this for a moment…you decide where your dog lives, who they live with, who they meet, how they meet them, where they go, how fast they walk, what they eat, what toys they get, how much exercise they receive, what access to healthcare they have, what rules there are in place, how they are rewarded, and almost every major decision of their life! Since you are in charge of so much, you are a critical piece of the training process. This is why we use our unique Tug Dogs Client Coaching to ensure that you get all of the information you need in an easy to apply format. By approaching your dog’s training as a team effort with you, your dog, and your Tug Dogs trainer working together, you will be surprised at how quickly and effectively your dog’s behavior and training skills will improve.