Frequently Asked Questions...
Do you recommend Group or Private Lessons?
Group lessons with Rocky Mountain Dog Training are great for puppies who are up to date on vaccinations, and older dogs who are just in need of basic obedience work.
Private lessons are recommended for very young dogs who have not been fully vaccinated, and for dogs who need work in areas that don't necessarily fall into basic obedience categories and who are in need of a behavior modification-type program.
How long should I wait before enrolling my puppy in training?
Training begins the moment your puppy enters the world.Their most important socialization period begins right as the dog joins your family at 8-10 weeks. Puppies are very impressionable and its important to remember that with every interaction you have with your puppy you are shaping its behavior for life. We offer one-time sessions for prospective owners who want a leg up BEFORE the new pup comes home. We also offer puppy packages that can begin the week your pup joins the household. We will cover potty training, crate training, proper socialization with other dogs and humans, bite inhibition (teaching your dog to have a soft mouth), chewtoy training, appropriate handling and gentling and an introduction to basic obedience. It's important to note that dogs are constantly learning. Through every action, you are teaching your puppy something. Get started now to learn out how to effectively help your pup develop into a great dog!
We're not quite ready to join a group class, do you have any tips for raising a puppy before we enter into training?
Yes! There are three urgent deadlines you will need to meet when raising a puppy.
- First, it is of the utmost importance to teach your puppy bite inhibition before the dog is 4.5 months. After this crucial period, teaching this skill becomes very difficult and sometimes impossible. Puppies rarely do significant damage when their jaws are still weak, but an adult dog should never bite hard under any circumstance. Check out our blog for information on how to achieve this.
- Second, it is important to properly socialize your dog to all sorts of people. A good rule of thumb is to introduce your puppy to at least 100 individuals(men, children, women) by the time the puppy is 4.5 months of age. Choose a variety of folks, from men with beards and hats, to women wearing glasses and walking with a cane. The more varied the exposure, the better off your dog will be in the long run. Puppies generally seem to be more shy around men and boys, so take extra time to gradually introduce your dogs to these people. Employ different handling skills with your puppy to achieve this. Rub the puppy's ears, look at its teeth, handle the paws and tail firmly but gently, and rub the puppy all over. Give the puppy treats throughout the exercise to ensure that this is an enjoyable experience. On that note, choose your participants wisely and give each person detailed instructions!
- Last, its important for your puppy to continue on obtaining the social skills it was learning when it was still with the litter. You can safely acheive this by allowing your puppy to interact with other puppies in a puppy socialization class, or by throwing your own little puppy party. It's unsafe to bring a young puppy to the dog park, and can potentially ruin your dog's temperament to other dogs for life. Adult dogs aren't always as forgiving to nagging and nipping puppies, and one attack by an adult dog on a puppy, even if no major physical damage is done can spell disaster.
What would you recommend I do for my dog who is seemingly aggressive or reactive to strangers or other dogs? What about other behaviors like separation anxiety or nuisance barking?
Its really important to complete a thorough evaluation with a professional before partaking in any type of behavior modification. Using the wrong method can spell disaster for you and your dog and can actually make things much worse. Rocky Mountain Dog Training offers free evaluations prior to sign-up for these types of cases.
How did you get into dog training and behavior modification?
From Julie, the owner: I've loved animals all my life, and I have been working with dogs in some capacity for the last 13 years. My first dog, Jethro (pictured below), was adopted from Colorado Great Dane Rescue before the organization dissolved. He has always been an inspiration to me, and I was very lucky to befriend the president of that organization and she started me on a path of rescue work. I volunteered with their organization for 2 years sporadically and then got heavily into rescue with Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue. There, I went from being a standard volunteer to holding a number of key positions including Event Coordinator, Fundraising Coordinator, Foster Coordinator, and finally President. I also volunteered with Adams County Animal Shelter first as a dog walker and then as an off-site adoption volunteer. I fostered many dogs through these groups, and placed many more in forever homes. After volunteering for 10+ years in various rescues and shelters, I came to realize that this was where my heart was. My "day job" as a Software QA engineer was paying the bills, but just wasn't cutting it as a fulfilling career anymore and in 2007, after a corporate restructuring, I left the industry forever. At first, I put my energy into reading book upon book about dog behavior, and continued to apply what I'd learned to dogs in various local shelters and rescues. Doing rescue for such a long time, you start to see the direct link with lack of training and socialization and homeless dogs. I wanted to do more! I made the decision to change my career to dog training. I enrolled in a formal course to learn the ins and outs of dog training and behavior modification, where I learned a lot about traditional methods, and finally, enrolled in an extensive course with the International Positive Dog Training Association (IPDTA) which taught me gentle and effective methods and lure/reward based training. I launched my career in 2008 and I continue my research through various books and seminars. I've found that through dog training, I really can make a difference in the lives of many animals and owners, and I am dedicated to educating the public on safe, easy and fun training methods, properly raising puppies, bite prevention, the truth about Breed Specific Legislation, and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. I take my job very seriously, and work diligently to ensure that through my programs, I prevent dogs from losing their homes and ending up in shelters. There is my long-winded (even though I edited it down) explanation of why I'm in this business. :-)
