Frequently Asked Questions

Here at Paws & Kisses we understand that the online dog training world can be a confusing, divisive, and even emotionally charged whirlwind of information.

As a registered LIMA (Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive) dog training establishment, our focus is to cut through the noise and use evidence based methods to teach and guide the dogs (and humans!) in our care. We believe in the power of positive reinforcement as well as effective canine communication via voice, body language and tools.

But most of all, we believe just like in humans, dogs are individuals, so while fundamentals are nearly always the same, there is no cookie cutter system to banish unwanted behavior.

The result is a blend of techniques uniquely catered to what YOUR dog needs, that will help facilitate a bond and trust between owner and dog, and create the building blocks to overcoming frustrating behaviors.

Our goal is teach you how to get the most satisfaction and joy from your canine companion, even if at times it seems like you are at your wits end or there is no hope.

Reactive, mouthy, excitable dogs are our specialty, so we look forward to helping you build a fabulous relationship with your dog! Set up a quick virtual consult here so we can help get you and your dog(s) on the right track!

Probably not but it depends on what you already have, including your dog’s temperament and handling skills!

While we may recommend some different tools, as individual dogs respond to different things, most dogs can be trained with just a simple slip lead, halti/gentle leader, and in some cases even a body halter (although this tool is not recommended for beginners, and is not right for every dog).

We don’t recommend a flat collar as this can be confusing to the dog, ineffective, and even harmful in many cases. So if that is all you currently have, you will likely be asked to get something else, and your professional will work with you on that. These items are affordable, effective, and always humane when used properly.

When you have your consultation, it is possible your professional will recommend a certain tool to increase training and communication efficacy, but please wait for the professional to advise and teach you how to use any new tool before using something new.

Outside of certain leash and collar arrangements, bite-risk or bite-history dogs will be recommended a humane muzzle and muzzle conditioning which your professional will work with you on. If your dog is already muzzle conditioned, even better, however it is still possible your professional will recommend a different muzzle for the dog’s comfort, human protection, or ease of use.

The only other thing we recommend is having valuable rewards for reinforcing desirable behaviors. Often these are pieces of meat or moist food, and toys like squeaker balls and tug ropes. Having these items in your pocket is fine, although we, like many pros, like having a bait bag.

The bottom line? If you are starting completely from scratch with nothing but a naked dog, you still wouldn’t be spending more than $150 or so tops, and we will help you make sure you are getting quality tools every step of the way. However most people, if they need spend at all, will be spending $50 or less on new equipment, and it all really is case-by-case.

If you have any further questions, feel free to shoot us an email via our contact page if it’s just a quick question. Otherwise book a free virtual consult and we can dive deeper into what’s puzzling you!

Dog training is an art and a science. That’s to say, there is no way to know exactly how long or even how well different training techniques will take, because each situation is unique.

That said, studies and experience inform us that a new concept can be learned almost instantly (usually 20 seconds to 20 minutes), but may take two weeks of frequent repetition before it becomes fully integrated as a habit.

To that point, training isn’t permanent…otherwise we could all get in shape by doing pushups once and then never have to hit the gym again! The point is, consistency over time is going to yield better results than if you just send off your dog to a training boot camp.

That’s why we focus on not just training the dog but also on teaching owners and guardians dog handling skills. Much like getting in shape at the gym, clients start feeling results immediately as they start applying their new communication skills to the human-canine relationship. But just like with the gym, the impressive and life altering results come from consistency over time.

With our classes and 1:1 training sessions, we hope to get you off to a rockin’ start nonetheless, so that working with your dog goes from being a frustrating chore to a true delight.

We stand by our evidence-based methods and we can guarantee you that our total focus with our time together will be to move you to the results you want.

However, just like with humans, every dog is an individual. In some (uncommon) cases, we might get to a point where we can only manage behaviors and improve obedience as outside forces or the individual dog may make it too difficult for full behavior modification. This is usually just extreme cases, but because of the nature of working with different animals of different temperaments with varying needs of the owner, no training program could possibly promise a specific outcome or result every time.

What we do promise is to never mislead you about what you and your dog can achieve, and focus all our skill and know-how on helping your dog learn to relax into the rules of the human world and to help you develop the best possible relationship with your dog that we can.

100% of the dogs we work with see improvement when the owners continue the advice and training at home.

However, those that do not continue or revert to ineffective techniques will often see regression. This is not the fault of the training but rather the lack of continuing it!

The other important note to make is that it’s not always possible to the desired results simply because of the individual. You might never get a basset hound to do agility with any enthusiasm just as you might never get a whippet to enjoy water sports. We will always help our clients set expectations realistically, and I think you might be surprised what kind of results your dog IS capable of with our help.