We are offering classes virtually now! Dog behavior training is so important. We need our dogs to cooperate as we navigate these uncertain times. We are here for you and will do our best to coach you to have a better relationship with your dog. We can work on boredom, barking, food aggression, leash pulling and general mischief.

Because we can take this online now, we can expand the communities we serve. Like what you see? Tell your friends in Texas, California, New York,Canada and everywhere else to head to class with us on Zoom.

Yes, your dog can come to class too. We will practice corrections and connections as they arise.

Live Virtual Class Descriptions

Basics: Learning to Respect the Hand That Feeds

Is this you? “We leave food out during the day in case she’s hungry. She’s so protective of her food with other dogs we get nervous about fighting.”

If this is your first class, we suggest you start here. This is the first concept a puppy would learn with a mother. In the beginning, it’s all about reducing overstimulation in dogs and puppies. It’s about correct bad human behaviors we teach to our dogs. Our dogs still need to learn basic commands not taught in your average obedience class. We teach what gentle means, that sit means sit. We teach patience and wait. This is the foundation of all dog behavior.

Peacefully Co-Existing Through the Pandemic

Is this you? “I was hosting a Zoom call for my team and my dog start relentlessly barking at the Fedex guy. So annoying and so embarrassing!”

Is this you? “My dog is going insane. He’s so happy we’re here all day, but I can’t entertain him!" He’s digging holes in the backyard.”

Working from home or being home all the time is a big shift for you and your dog. We renamed a prior class we offer called “Who’s Leading Who?”. These are similar principles and can be applied to getting through quarantine time. This is about space management 101 and space is the most critical concept to understand. How do you hold a dog accountable to the space and rules surrounding a given situation? How does a momma dog teach her puppies to respect her space while she’s chewing on a bone? How do you reverse the relationship so you tell your dog when to stop and when to start, not the other way around?

Leash Reactivity: What You Need to Know Before It Gets Out of Hand

Is this you? “If she on leash as soon as she sees another dog, she goes nuts.” Is this you? “We walked him in the beginning, but my arm hurts too much. It’s easier to let him in the backyard.”

Leash reactivity is a result of overstimulation predominantly caused by adrenaline. The number one way to overstimulate and make your dog react is adding excitement to a situation on the leash i.e. words, tension, or any form of insecurity. If your dog is behind you barking at something, we might say your dog is insecure and fearful. This is very different from being in front of you barking and becoming excited. That is a confident and dominant dog. If there is tension you cannot make a correction effectively. The best way to get a dog to stop a dog’s reactivity is to get them to think about what is going on with their nose. We want a dog that relaxes and not a dog that reacts to a change. A tug-tug motion is much more effective than constant tension on the leash.

How to Calm Your Dog in Any Situation

Is this you? “I pet him to make him feel better. Why are you whining baby? It’s ok.”

The best way to calm your dog is to calm your dog is with your body language physically and feeling confident. The hormones will not lie to your dog. With confidence you need to convey to your dog that you’ve got this and you are in control. A dog’s sense of place in the pack is the space they’re allowed to occupy.    

Bringing Up Puppy

Is this you? “I just need a little help. He’s a terror…..But he’s so cute when he sleeps with us.”

Is this you? “We’re doing a lot of clean up. Potty training isn’t going well.” Is this you? “Crate training?! No way, he whines every time we leave the room. It’s so sad.”

Is this you? “We left him in the kennel while we were gone and he chewed a humongous hole in the carpet under his kennel.”  

Puppies need patience, warmth, cuddling and play. This is also about pushing boundaries, learning to trust each other. How do you take steps to get your puppy to learn to trust you? It’s no longer about treat motivation, it’s about being with you. It goes back to space and learning the very beginnings. You always need to keep an extra eye on puppies. You can mitigate the likelihood of something going wrong by thinking about risk management.      

Take more than one class because dog behaviors overlap. You might not think your dog barking at the mailman has anything to do with the way you feed him, but we know it does.  

Is this you? “It’s so cute my dog’s favorite pastime is barking at the German Shepherd next door. It’s not so cute when he and his sister snarl at each other during meal times.” Try Learning To Respect The Hand That Feeds and Who’s Leading Who? and maybe even Socializing.  

Is this you? “My dog doesn’t play well with others.” Try them all!

Why are classes our passion? We will help strengthen you and your dog’s relationship!

Learn the most basic and advanced principles to influence your dog’s behavior. Many of us deal with daily behavior challenges at home. We teach our children to respect and trust us— especially in new environments and changing situations. Our dogs require very similar household rules with established boundaries and limitations to feel safe and loved.

Every day you and your dog undergo new and exciting situations requiring consistent leadership skills. Some events are exactly the same and you have probably even conditioned yourself to predict, react and avoid your dog’s unruly behavior — leash reactivity, excessive pulling/barking, jumping, separation anxiety, nipping and sofa surfing are all easily correctable behaviors.

The Dog Masters teaches pet parents and canine professionals how to best manage stress, space and modify their dog’s behavior at home and in the field.

Classes covers leash pulling, reactivity, obsessive compulsive tendencies, crate training, whining and barking, chewing and working with submissive and dominant mannered dogs. Classes focus on all life stage coaching, so every dog owner will find something of value.

As efficiently as we can, we will address each behavior obstacle and how to overcome it in a group setting.

At The Dog Masters, we face our fears, stretch our minds and hone our skills together. Our classes are designed for all levels of humans and dogs including puppies and seniors. We will prepare you for everything you need to start class.  

Like any new habit or technique, walking with your dog takes practice. Since these classes are designed for beginners and intermediates, we encourage to come back as often as you like.

We ask our students to follow the same rules we ask of our dogs. Please respect one another when unwanted behaviors come up. The goal is to learn from fellow classmates’ experiences and judgement is unnecessary and unwelcome as we are all dog parents.