Quite simply, no.  When it comes to a dog’s behavior, they are not machines that we can simply re-program.   For that reason, you should be very wary of anyone who guarantees anything of the sort!   The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior states: “There are no guarantees. Because of the variable and often unpredictable nature of behavior, a conscientious trainer cannot and will not guarantee the results of training. However they should be willing to ensure satisfaction of their services.”

The successful outcome of a situation depends on a number of factors: our assessment of the situation and advice, your own involvement and participation in the process, and your dog’s response.  Out N’ About Dog Training guarantees that we will use our skill and expertise to determine the issues and develop a personalized plan based on sound and scientific principles, as well as ethical strategies to help you achieve the outcome you want.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) is a group of veterinarians and doctorate level animal behaviorists dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through an understanding of animal behavior and they say it best! Read what AVSAB recommends

Highly Qualified Trainer

Julie Schmitt has over 25 years of experience in the field. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainers who is Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). She is also a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), the world’s largest international dog training association. The APDT is an advocate for trainer continued education and the use of ethical training techniques and business practices. Learn about her other certifications here.

Flexible Training Options

Out N’ About Dog Training offers a variety of training service options! We offer private training with your dog, day training, group classes, or boarding and training options. Learn more

Small Class Sizes

Out N’ About Dog Training is dedicated to giving you personal attention, even in group classes! Our drop-in group classes allow only 4 pups. Our Puppy Preschool Class allows up to 6 pups, with up to two assistants. This means that your trainer will have more time to help you. This also makes the environment less stressful for everyone and more conducive for learning!

Reward-based, Leading Edge Methods

Scientific research has taught us that a dog’s intelligence is on par with that of a 2 year old child. (Read full article here) This guides all our training methods. As a result, we use only gentle techniques and tools, and avoid any mental or physical intimidation or correction. We will show you how your leadership can be established and control can be restored through play, setting consistent boundaries, and reward-based training with your dog. Julie Schmitt is committed to updating her methods to keep in line with the latest in scientific research.

As a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, I’m bound by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers’ Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Policy. (need link)

NO! As you start actively training with your dog, you will realize that your dog finds many things in life rewarding, so not all “treats” are actually food! We definitely do start our training programs with food, because it’s usually a universal reward, a very good indicator of your dog’s stress level, and a necessity for survival. As your dog’s learning foundation becomes solid, we take care to step you through the process of fading out your management and training tools and replacing them with what we call “life rewards.”

The first step we often recommend is that you use their regular food for training, and conduct short training sessions prior to their regular daily meals. However, if your dog has behavior issues, or is highly distracted outside the home, higher value foods may be necessary for training. We suggest you decrease their regular food by the amount you are substituting with training foods, and only use natural, healthy treats. In fact, most of the treats we use and recommend are actually holistic types of dog food, or “human grade” foods/ingredients found in their regular dog food.

As soon as you bring your puppy home. The biggest impact you will ever make on your puppy is before 16 weeks of age, during the Imprinting Period. Once your puppy is 8 weeks of age, we recommend enrolling in our Puppy Preschool and our trainer-led DIP (drop-in-playgroup) to meet other healthy puppies in a safe and clean environment. The American Veterinary Society on Animal Behavior Society believes there is great significance in early socialization and that it is safe to begin before your puppy is fully vaccinated. Please read their article here

We require puppies to have at least one set of puppy vaccinations (DA/HPP) administered by a licensed veterinarian 7 days before they start class. We also recommend Bordetella and/or Leptosprosis, per your vet recommendation.

In the case that your puppy is sick, or you are simply uncomfortable with exposing your puppy to other puppies at such a young age, we can make arrangements for private training sessions to get you and your puppy started off on the right paw. In any case, no need to wait to start socialization and training — we will find a way that works for you and your comfort level!

Even our Best option for puppy training is actually less expensive than replacing household furniture, carpets, or curtains due to the destruction an untrained puppy can cause.  You’ve already made about a 13 year investment by getting a puppy, we suggest giving it the Best option to be a well mannered pet for years to come.

It’s very comparable to the type of preschool in which families consider to enroll their child.  There are many options out there, but the least expensive one is not always the best.  You are making an investment in your child’s future, hoping to get ahead of the game by enrolling them in a quality program.  You are making a similar investment of time and energy with a puppy.  It makes sense to entrust your puppy with a company that has the proven training, and expertise to guide you along the way.