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.
"Before finding Full Potential K9, I was incredibly stressed out about training my dog, Jameson. He would bark so much while I ate that I actually would dread dinner time. He would jump up on countertops, pull on the leash while on walks, and whine/ bark nonstop in the crate. Since I was about to start law school, I knew I had to resolve the continuous circle of stress I was going through with Jameson, as I would try and teach him and nothing would stick. After I reached out to Full Potential K9, Dillon was extremely professional and eager to begin working with Jamo. Right away he asked what problem areas Jameson had and we scheduled a consultation. I cannot stress enough how shocked my mom and I were within ten minutes of Dillon working with Jameson during the consultation. He was completely relaxed, not jumping, and actually just laid down because he was so mentally drained from just a few minutes of training- clearly I was doing it wrong before!! Dillon came and picked Jameson up and I felt entirely comfortable knowing that he was going to be well taken care of for the duration of his three week training program. I was able to see pictures and videos on Full Potential K9's Instagram, as well as text Dillon directly for updates, of which he sent plenty. Dillon provides a one-on-one lesson before pickup and patiently walks through everything he taught your dog. It was evident right away how well he did with Jameson. Jameson was in "place" and didn't move off even after seeing me for the first time in weeks! (I promise he loves me!) I walked around the backyard with Jameson on a leash to work through the "Let's go" command, practiced using the training collar, and got a full download of what I need to do in order to ensure Jameson's awesome behavior continues at home. After getting home, I did just as Dillon instructed and so far am enjoying my dog so much more than I was before. Dillon has also checked in multiple times to make sure the transition went smoothly. I'm able to sit with him outside and not worry about him pulling/jumping/barking. I actually moved into a new apartment building while he was at training and Jameson makes me proud every time we walk around! People have commented on how well behaved he is while we're on the elevator! All in all, I cannot recommend Full Potential K9 enough. 100% worth the investment for both you and your dog so that you can enjoy life together more!"
