We have 1.3 seconds to influence our dog’s understanding of cause and effect. Sometimes we have even less time. Having great timing is critical to clear communication with our dog.
We must provide a consistent set of rules for our dog. This is important to maintain to minimize conflict within your dog. The more consistent we are about creating and maintaining behaviors, the faster these behaviors become habitual.
One of the first steps of the training process includes charging the marker with something that’s meaningful.
Through this, an action that is ordinarily mundane to the dog (the sound of a clicker, a vocalized command, etc.) obtains meaning through following it with what the dog wants (for example, food). This is how your dog will learn to respond to all of your commands.
During this process, we believe it’s important to understand the timing between the cue (the marker) and the reward. All we want is to mark the specific behavior that we desire from the dog. We are careful to include a split-second delay between giving the marker and reaching for or delivering the reward. This way, your dog understands the difference between the marker and the reward. Otherwise, dogs can become confused by things like misplaced body language, potentially ruining their training.
What will make a dog work? Food, pets, a ball or toy; anything physical that they enjoy.
We extinguish behaviors with correction collars that provide an uncomfortable feeling. We can also withhold rewards to create a negative, and make bad things go away to create a positive experience. We use positive and negative reinforcement and punishment, classical and operant conditioning.
MUST be done first and foremost. If you just recently brought a new dog into your home and you're not sure what's next, this is the place to start. During this lesson we will go over basic care, management and training philosophies. This is the first step towards entering any of our Full Potential K9 training programs.
Starting at $100.00
Our Board and Train program is our best program for getting results quickly. You drop off your dog, and we do the work for you!We put in hundreds of repetitions, and that’s what it takes to teach all the behaviors the correct way. We have programs specifically for puppies, for friendly but untrained dogs, for service dogs and for behavioral cases such as aggressive and fearful dogs.
Starting at $2,800.00
One on one training for you and your dog. Want to be more involved in the training process? Private Lessons with one of our Full Potential k9 trainers are held at your home. One of our most popular programs, and a great option for anyone who wants to learn how to teach their dogs how to learn!
Starting at $100.00
Once you and your pet meet certain prerequisites, you can join our semi-private group sessions to work in a controlled group setting with 5-10 other owners and their pets. Group classes are held Wednesday Nights and Saturday during the day at various dog friendly locations so we are able to generalize behaviors.
Starting at $40.00
A FREE phone consultation is available for all dogs.
We do appointments by scheduling only as we are not open to the public. No dog is permitted on our property without undergoing a complete behavior assessment and temperament test.
I have been a dog owner for most of my life and have had a few breeds, from Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Tibetan terrier , long haired Dachshund to Brussels Griffons; all mellow, cuddly lap dogs. After losing my "heart dog" during the holidays I decided that it was time to have a French Bull Dog puppy. To me, they are the cutest, most adorable, funny looking dogs out there today. I found my perfect puppy to take home, to love and to shower with attention. Within the first few days of having my most adorable 8 week, 4 lb. puppy, she started showing some signs of aggression that I have never seen before! She had a voice that was telling me that she was the one in charge! Being completely baffled and shocked that my adorable puppy didn't want to sit with me on the couch and cuddle, but rather lunge at me and tell me she was not interested and that she was not a Golden Retriever, but a French bull dog, a breed that I had no idea how to handle and what I got myself into, I consulted with my veterinarian who suggested I get ahold of the situation as soon as possible and gave me a few recommendations to explore. After doing my research, I decided to go with Full Potential K9. The owner Dillon was accessible to me immediately and made an appointment to come to see me, wearing a mask of course, to evaluate my new puppy Fiona, or should I say the Tasmanian Devil! Dillion suggested that he take her for 3 weeks of training. Of course I was hesitant to give my new puppy away and especially for 3 long weeks, but I needed to do everything I could to make this work Dillion kept me apprised of her progress every couple of days which included videos and pictures so that I could see her in action. We also followed him om Instagram @fullpotentialk9 where we could see Fiona at work. This was very comforting since we truly did miss her. He was on top of her health issues from the very beginning and gave her all her daily medications that she needed and even picked up medication at the veterinarian when we needed a refill. Dillon was available 24/7 for my questions, concerns and answered my texts immediately. He bathed her, cut her nails and put her in real life situations so that she could be acclimated and feel comfortable with in the "real world" when she returned home to us. We came for several one on one training lessons where we learned the skills that they used during their training sessions and Dillon made sure he was available to us for training until we felt completely comfortable. After three longs weeks it was time to take Fiona back home. Once she came home, she was a new dog ! Dillon and his team worked their magic on Fiona. Dillon is a skilled professional with an abundance of patience and understanding and because of his experience and commitment to training animals he is an expert in his field. Fiona now walks by our side on a leash, heals wherever we go, she sits and comes and knows how to get on "place". This is amazing for a three month old puppy. We are so delighted with Fiona's new skill set. The training was worth every penny and we are excited to continue with follow-up training with Dillion...after all it does come down to the owner and their commitment to their dog, which we all have.. I highly recommend FULL POTENTIAL K9 for all of your dogs' needs! I know you and your dog will be thrilled.
