Virtual Dog Training

How does virtual dog training work?

Don’t we need to SEE the behavior?

This is an EXTREMELY common question that we get and the truth is - NO, we do not! We can assure you that we know exactly what you’re talking about!

Here are some key concepts:

• Positive reinforcement training focuses on being preemptive in training instead of reactionary. This means we try to give the companion more feedback throughout the day when they are making the right choices. Positive reinforcement training does not rely on the rehearsal of undesirable behaviors in order to teach you or your dog.

• Positive reinforcement training focuses on creating an environment that is reliable and predictably positive. Virtual learning can aid in creating new routines, habits, and structure within your home.

• Even when we are teaching in-person, we still do not want to see the behavior firsthand. We are trying to teach you how to modify your own approach to training and management so that we can reduce the practice of unwanted behaviors - particularly behaviors that might be a risk to you or your companion’s personal safety!

• Virtual sessions can often give us a more objective view of baseline behavior when we can observe what your companion is like in the comfort of their own home, without the stress/excitement of a dog trainer present.

So what types of behaviors are virtual sessions best for? Any of them! The first consultation is often best done virtually! A significant portion of that session is going over your goals and the behavioral history of your companion, as well as getting you up-to-speed on preliminary concepts before we can get going with your dog training goals.

Many guardians seeking behavior modification actually greatly benefit from learning new techniques themselves with a calm companion who is fully engaged in the process and not stressed out by a visitor.

Some examples:

• Puppies - puppies run out of steam FAST during sessions and the added excitement of a visitor in the home only adds to that exhaustion. With basic behaviors, virtual dog training sessions are easy and it gives us more time to talk about specific struggles you’re having.

• Basic manners/excited greetings - any dog qualifies! Learning in a stress-free environment is the best way to learn! We have LOTS of examples of the training to display in our resource folder and have our own demo companion that is on-screen with us to show you the process.

• Fearful/anxious companions - if our presence in the home causes your companion to shut down, run, hide, or not accept reinforcement - then we cannot teach correctly and we cannot modify the fear response as easily - or at all. Doing all or partial packages virtually for scared companions can help get them thoroughly practiced on counter conditioning concepts before we attempt a meeting face-to-face. Our goal is to establish trust and we cannot help if your companion is not participating in their own learning.

• Separation anxiety - this type of training is done strictly remotely, as the presence of a trainer in your home can skew the emotional state of the dog. For example, a dog that is excited or fearful of visitors may have a more difficult time learning departure protocols. Keeping the environment and routines as close as possible to normal, daily life is critical for this type of training to be effective.

• Bite histories/bite risks - The dog trainers, themselves, ARE a trigger in your home and we are extremely sensitive to that. We never want to contribute to risk and/or liability with our methods. If our presence in the home puts ourselves or the inhabitants of the home at risk, then virtual is the most ideal avenue for these cases.

Virtual dog training allows us to help people outside of our normal travel radius. We can even take virtual walks with you! All virtual dog training sessions are recorded so that you may refer back to our conversations and training.

We encourage our virtual learners to send regular video documentation so that we can review and discuss it thoroughly. In many ways, the lines of communication are opened in a much different way!