Why in-home consultations?
I believe it's important to work with dogs and owners in their home environments. We need to start with an understanding of your daily routine -- how do you feed your dog, play, go for walks? How does your dog greet you at the door? Working at home helps us understand these key details that are absolutely essential to whether your dog is willing to offer you good behavior.
Furthermore, dogs do not have the same ability that people have to generalize from situation to situation. For example, if you were to practice a "sit" command with your dog every day at noon in the basement, your dog will learn to sit... at noon, in the basement. Similarly, if you take a dog to obedience training outside your home, your dog may learn some useful skills, but you may not be able to replicate them in your home.
More importantly, your dog may behave differently in the class because she understands that she is in someone else's territory. When she's back on her home turf, where she believes that she's the boss, her unwanted behaviors may come right back. The most important thing I do is help my clients establish themselves as leaders in their own homes.
