FAQ

Eliza, the owner and head trainer of DLS Dog Training Academy, will personally work with you and your dog throughout the training process. She has been coaching owners and their dogs for over a decade and she takes the time to understand each dog’s individual needs and each owner’s goals. Her goal is to make training practical, understandable, and achievable for every owner.

Your dog can be as young as 8 weeks to start training! That said, because they are too young to have had all their vaccinations at this time, it would be best to start with private lessons. For board & train, dogs must be at least 16 weeks or old enough to have had their rabies vaccine among others. The same rules apply for the day train program.

Board & Train: Ideal for owners who want an immersive training experience or need help establishing a strong foundation more timely and efficiently. It is great for dogs of any age and breed but especially helpful for dogs who have more severe behavioral issues such as aggression, fearfulness, or reactivity. It is also great for reliable off leash obedience in a reasonable time frame and exposure/socialization in a controlled and safe environment.

Private Lessons: Best for owners who want to be directly involved and have the time and consistency to practice almost every day, each week, in between sessions. Lessons can be very successful, but results depend heavily on the owners constituency and practice between sessions. Also, great for dogs that have issues specific to their home environment.

Before your dog’s stay, you’ll complete our intake sheet and waiver and provide current vaccination records, including Rabies and Bordetella.

We recommend having your dog treated for fleas and ticks prior to their stay, particularly during the warmer months.

Please bring your dog’s regular food in a labeled container, along with any medications or essential items they need. A favorite blanket or a small number of toys is welcome but please keep personal belongings to a minimum due to limited storage space.

We provide the crates, bowls, water, treats, leashes, enrichment toys, and everything else your dog needs for their day to day care.

Your dog stays in our personal home and is supervised 24/7 throughout their stay. We provide individual crates as well as kennel-run options for larger dogs.

Dogs have access to fresh water throughout the day and have routine feeding times, typically twice per day.

Their daily routine includes multiple structured training sessions, supervised play and enrichment, regular potty breaks, rest periods, and exposure to a variety of environments and distractions as they progress in training.

When appropriate for the individual dog, we incorporate field trips and supervised interaction with other stable dogs.

If your dog is not crate trained, that is okay. Crate training can be incorporated into their stay when appropriate and discussed prior to drop off.

Visits are considered on a case by case basis. We generally recommend giving your dog time to settle into their new environment before scheduling a visit, as seeing their owner too soon can sometimes make the transition more difficult, depending on the dog.

Instead, we provide frequent photos and videos throughout your dog’/s stay so you can see their progress and see exactly what we are working on.

If a visit would be beneficial for your dog, we will discuss it with you and determine the best approach.

We use a balanced approach with a strong emphasis on clear communication and positive reinforcement. Our methods are tailored to the individual dog, their temperament, and the specific goals of the owner.

We believe dogs learn best when they understand both what we want from them and how to make good choices in different environments. Natural communication with dogs always can include food or toy rewards, praise, play, pressure and release, and appropriate consequences.

The goal isn’t simply obedience in a controlled environment. It is reliable skills, confidence, clarity, and the ability to make their own good decisions in real-life situations.

For dogs struggling with behaviors such as reactivity, barking, lunging, frustration, or poor impulse control, we focus on teaching them how to better navigate those emotions rather than simply suppressing the behavior.

Yes. We use electric collars as a communication tool and incorporate them into training once a dog has a clear understanding of the behaviors being taught.

The electric collar is not used to teach a behavior from scratch or as a way to cut corners or rush the process. It is layered onto behaviors the dog already understands to provide clear communication, reinforce obedience, and help create reliability in situations where verbal or physical communication may not be enough.

This tool is particularly important for developing reliable off-leash obedience and communication at a distance. The goal is to provide a consistent form of communication that the dog can understand.

There can be many nuances to properly using this tool, including timing, consistency, and how it is incorporated into the dog’s existing training so having the guidance from a trainer who has a lot of experience, is very important.

Board & Train specifically includes 3 follow up lessons, day train includes 2 follow up lessons, and private lessons are in their 5 and 10 packages.

Training doesn’t end when your scheduled sessions are over!

After your lessons are complete, you can still reach out directly if you have questions or need guidance. Whether you call and leave a message or simply reach out with a question. We are always here to help and give continued guidance as best we can.

If additional hands n training or lessons are needed, we can discuss the best option for your dog and your situation.