The Relationship-Based
Dog People
Helping families, one dog at a time.
Why us?
For almost 20 years of combined experience, we have spent countless hours attending conferences and seminars, reading books & studies, and familiarizing ourselves with the latest industry research and methodology. Over those years, we have listened to pet parents, dog owners, and our own clients to uncover what exactly you are looking for in a dog trainer.
You want simplicity and predictability. You want high quality, skilled trainers who will give you reliable results. You want clear communication, realistic expectations, and reliable follow through. But most of all, you want the absolute best care possible for your best friend.
Starting now, don't let your dog's untrained behavior stop you from having the companion you’ve always wanted. You deserve to be happy with the dog you have in your life. We are the #1 Indianapolis Dog Trainer to help you get there.
Stay a while.
We designed this website to answer to as many of your questions as possible.
Manners & Obedience
A dog that is not only lovable, but easy to love.
An unruly may make you laugh at first, but eventually, these behaviors will catch up to both the dog and the family. A well-mannered dog is a dog that will stay with the family for life. A well-mannered dog is a compliment to the home. Building an environment of clarity, structure, boundaries, and reinforcement can feel impossible - and it's okay if you haven't figured out the magic formula yet. Here's the big secret no one is telling you: there isn't one. But there is help.
Behavior Modification
Let's just start here: it's not your fault.
Dogs are one of society's hottest commodities nowadays, almost as mass-produced as the t-shirt you're wearing. This means we're seeing a lot more accidental litters, bad breeders, and strays getting together, mixing genetics that never should have been. Behavior problems are on the rise, and owners aren't sure how to handle it. If you have a dog with a behavior problem, all hope is not lost. Improvements are possible.
Sports & Tricks
One of the best things a pet parent can do for their dog.
Dogs enjoy having fun. It's just a fact of life. You know what's not fun? Sit. Down. Stay. Wait.
As we've been saying for years, "obedience is for the owner, tricks are for the dog." Tricks and dog sports are the single best way to improve the communication with your dog, build a lasting relationship, and show your dog you are the source of all things they love doing.
Our Methodologies & Philosophies
The Dogs:
We teach dogs that it is fun to do what we want them to do! We prefer dogs to listen to us because they have learned that good things happen when they do, not because they fear what might happen if they don't.
We believe it is best to train animals as kindly as possible, while still setting clear rules and boundaries. We strive to foster a relationship between the pet parent and the dog based on a foundation of clarity, communication, and trust.
1. Trust: without trust, nothing is possible. Any living being must first feel safe before learning new behaviors.
2. Relationship: Trust later forms a connection between the human and dog. A bond begins to form.
3. Communication: Once a relationship has been established, the dog learns that we can communicate with one another using a common language.
4. Choice: Giving the dog choices builds confidence. When the dog makes desirable choices, we reinforce that choice with something that the dog finds valuable, such as food or a toy.
The Humans:
We believe in building honest, trusting relationships with our clients as well as their dogs. We strive for full transparency, including the topics that may be difficult to discuss. It is our personal belief that most of our clients are doing the absolute best they can with the knowledge they have. Our clients truly love their dogs and want what is best for them, but may be struggling to get to a point where the relationship with the dog is effortless. This is not the client's fault. The past few years have been very difficult for pet owners, with the pandemic severely inhibiting social activities for humans as well as dogs. It is hardly surprising that many dogs these days are struggling with separation anxiety, lack of socialization, fear-related behaviors, under-developed dog socialization skills, and more.
We operate our business in an all-inclusive manner. This is a safe space for the LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, and any other marginalized community.
The Process, Outlined
1
Send us a Message
Tell us a little bit about your dog, and what you've been going through. Give us any relevant information regarding your dog's behavior, and include some of the goals you may have for your dog.
4
Choose a Program
We will decide on a program together based on a combination of our evaluation of your dog's behavior, your goals for the dog, your schedule, our schedule, and your budget. Once you've chosen a program (or we've designed one for you), we will send you a link via e-mail to sign up.
7
Schedule a Go-Home Date
Toward the end of your dog's program, we will correspond through either text or phone call about the progress your dog has made thus far. We will decide together whether the dog is ready to go home, and we will set a date to drop your dog off at home. We will come to your house and conduct a private lesson (2-3 hours), where we will teach you everything your dog learned.
2
Schedule a Phone Consultation
We will correspond with you via email to determine a good time to hold a 30-60 minute free phone consultation. Chris will ask you some questions about your dog's behavior, and answer any questions you may have about our programs.
5
Set a Start Date
If we are doing private lessons, the start date is the date of your first lesson. We will strive to meet roughly the same day & time each week for the duration of your program. If you have selected a board & train program, the start date will be the day you drop your dog off at our house. This will count as "day zero," and no training will occur this day, just acclimation and trust building.
8
Follow-Up Private Lessons
Each program comes with a specific number of private lessons. The Go-Home lesson counts as private lesson number one, and the remaining lessons can be scheduled at your leisure. Some of our clients save their lessons for months, when they need advice for a problem behavior in the future. If you take full advantage of your private lessons and would like to schedule more, we offer additional lessons at a 50% discount.
3
Meet in Person
If we feel we need to see your dog's behavior in your home, we will schedule a free meeting at your house to further evaluate your dog. Some people prefer to take this time to come see our house, where we host board & train programs and private lessons. We encourage you to come see where your dog will be staying before committing to a program.
6
Training Time
Your dog will receive daily training (except day zero) specifically tailored to the goals you have for your dog. The amount of training varies from dog to dog, with some dogs being able to handle significantly more than others. We are happy to send pet parents photos and updates upon request throughout the duration of the program.
9
Lifetime Support
We like to describe our Lifetime Support as "having a dog trainer in your back pocket." Like we mentioned before, we are not corporate, we are just regular people who took a lot of time to learn about dogs. You can text us, call us, or message us anytime with questions about your current dog, or any dog you add to your family in the future.
