1. Do you come to our home / neighborhood for training?

YES! I come to you for our training sessions if you are within approximately 50 minutes or less from Frederick, Maryland. I enjoy working with clients and their dogs in their actual homes, their actual neighborhoods, etc…where they experience life with their dog on a daily basis. Meeting with clients and their dogs in their own “stomping ground”…to resolve many behavioral concerns and build a strong foundation…is highly desirable in order to make lasting, real-life progress. **Though most sessions are at your home and in your neighborhood…depending on the personalized training plan I design according to your dog’s needs, we may also meet at a place that is frequently visited by you, like a specific pet shop, Lowes, your vet office area, or at a local park, etc. for one or more of the sessions. So when I say “in-home”, it is mostly “in-home / in-neighborhood”…but we branch out as needed to other unique locations when helpful. The main idea is that your dog is going to be learning, practicing, and growing where the problems are actually occurring.

2. What is the Confetti Dogs Training Experience Like?

Generally speaking, from my perspective, here is what you can expect from your experience from beginning to end with a Confetti Dogs Training Program:

  • A Free Introductory 15 Minute Phone Call (if desired)
  • A Free In-Home Evaluation (Usually 50-60 Minutes…and before the eval, you fill out a questionnaire about your dog so I have some background knowledge before I meet the pup).
  • A Personalized Training Plan Proposal (TPP) PDF created to help you address the challenges you are having with your dog. This plan is created and emailed to you within 3 business days after your in-home evaluation…it is sent for your approval.
  • User friendly payment links via Quickbooks
  • All Training Supplies included in the price of the plan (with the exception of crates…If a crate is a part of a particular plan, that client must purchase separately).
  • 5-8 Weekly In-Home Sessions (60 minutes each)
  • We form an Interactive WhatsApp Training Group Chat (This is where I send you your specific HW concepts, where you upload 3-4 short videos of your HW throughout the week, I offer video support here, as well as, helpful critique on the drills and concepts you are working on, etc…)
  • Weekly support during our training program when you have questions about anything (I usually respond to your questions within 24 hours).
  • 6 Months of free Long Term Support sessions (1 – 30-45 Minute Session per month) These LTS sessions are included in every plan and are always listed as 30 minutes, but typically are longer than that. I never allow myself to be overbooked so that I there is always space on my schedule for these sessions. *These are something I am very proud to offer my clients and I feel it is very important.
  • Access to our on-leash group class in Frederick, MD for 1 full year (usually twice a month)
  • Long Term Support via text, email, phone call when you have questions as time goes on.
  • A fun, educational, interactive dog training experience that should leave you with more confidence, more hope, and a plan of action moving forward!
3. Do you offer a “Board & Train” program?

Currently, I do not offer Board & Train programs. However, if that is something you are wanting to do and you need help finding an excellent trainer in or around Frederick, MD who will offer a Board & Train…I would be glad to help point you in the right direction. There are many wonderful trainers around…and I’d love to help you find who you are looking for so you can reach your training goals.

4. Do you have payment plans available?

Currently I offer 3 different payment options for every personalized plan for dogs 6 months and older: Option A, B, and C. Here’s how it works: Option “A” is the full actual price of the program paid up front before starting the program. Option “B” is broken into 2 payments over a span of 3 weeks and the price is $75 more than the original price, and Option “C” is broken up into 3 smaller payments each 2 weeks apart and the price is $75 more than Option B. Many clients tend to choose Option A, but whatever you would like to do is always fine with me. For Confetti Puppies Programs, I offer only an Option A and Option B (following that pattern listed above). As always, if you have unique financial circumstances and need a different payment plan, I would be more than happy to listen and work with you to come up with a solution!

5. Do you do obedience training?

I work on rehabilitating dogs with challenging behavioral concerns that are affecting someone’s quality of life, so while I do think obedience is a very important aspect of dog training…in most of my programs, I am finding that obedience is not often the solution…but rather a part of the journey towards reaching our goals. Though obedience development can be a nice “bridge” to help us get where we want to be, it is not typically the thing that actually helps us directly address the behavioral concerns that actually need modification. I tend to incorporate obedience practice (SIT, DOWN, PLACE, etc…) into my programs as more of a foundational “relational dynamics practice” between the dog and their handler(s) / owner(s).

6. What are your hours?

My hours for training sessions with clients / in-home evaluations / introductory phone calls, etc…are currently the following (SUMMER OF 2023):

Sunday: OFF

Monday: 3pm – 8pm

Tuesday: 11am – 8pm

Wednesday: 11am – 8pm

Thursday: 11am – 8pm

Friday: 11am – 6pm

Saturday: 12pm – 5pm

Also, two Saturdays / month: *Group Class often @ 10am

(*for clients who have finished their particular programs)

7. Do you guarantee your services?

As any dog owner or dog trainer will know, I can’t guarantee you that after your particular training program, that your dog will make perfect decisions every minute of every day in every situation throughout the course of their entire life. No trainer can offer that kind of guarantee. However, I CAN GUARANTEE, wholeheartedly, that I will walk alongside you throughout your training program and beyond your weeks. Even if you have questions 3-4 months after our training program is complete or even a year later, etc…just give me a call or send an email and I’ll do my best to support you. I appreciate my clients very much and am very committed to their long-term success. *Now…if, upon completion of our agreed upon program, you are not satisfied with the results and your plan of action moving forward (…assuming you have participated fully in the training session/s each week and have completed your very manageable weekly homework assignments with your dog) then I offer a 100% money back guarantee (minus cost of any training supplies and approximate cost of gas based on miles traveled).

**Having said all of that, I think you’ll be very satisfied with your results and I believe you’ll have a plan of action moving forward for your dog! Throughout the process we sort of become a team as we work with your pup!

8. What methods of payments do you take?

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discovery, etc.

9. Do you do free-evaluations / free-consultations?

YES! I like to schedule a free in-home evaluation with all potential clients. (*You can sign up for one by clicking HERE >>> FREE IN-HOME EVALUATION) This evaluation is free-of-charge and usually takes about 50-60 minutes. When you sign up for the eval using that link, it has you create the actual appointment and then it has you fill out a Questionnaire about your dog. During the actual eval, I get to meet you and your dog and answer any questions you may have about my training processes. After the free evaluation if you are interested in potentially doing a training program, I will write up a TPP (Training Plan Proposal) for you and email it to you within 2-3 business days for your review / approval. I also give 15 days for you to read over it and decide, meet with other trainers in the area to get other quotes, do other consultations, etc. The last thing I want is to have you feeling pressured or rushed into a training program…so if you need to take your time, you have time to take! 🙂

If for whatever reason you don’t choose Confetti Dogs after the free-evaluation or after I send you your TPP, that is 100% OK! I am more than happy to point you in the direction of other excellent trainers in the area who may be a better fit for you or who may offer a Board & Train Program, etc…I am on your team and I want you to be successful whether you end up being a Confetti Dogs client or not. Let me know how I can help! **Remember, you can schedule a free in-home evaluation on this website, you’ll find the link in a number of different places. Look for “FREE-EVALUATION” or “BOOK A FREE IN-HOME EVALUATION” or just look above in the first paragraph of this section and click that link! 🙂

10. How much do you charge for training?

For a dog who is 6 months or older, depending on a variety of factors…my prices currently seem to range from approximately $1300 – $2000. This almost always includes 5-8 weeks of training (depending on the needs of your program) + 6 Months of Long Term Support (one free session a month) and access to our on-leash group class (typically twice a month). All necessary training supplies are included in the price and are always laid out clearly in the Training Plan Proposal (TPP) that I will send you after your free in-home evaluation.

*For the Puppy Programs, my prices generally range from $700-900 depending on the needs of the client and the dog. Puppy Programs typically start with a Zoom Call, followed by 3-4 weekly in-home sessions.

I do not currently charge per session or per hour for any of my programs. To give you an example of why…let’s say that many clients and their dogs tend to reach their goals in 5-8 weeks, but for you and your dog it has taken a little bit longer. That’s ok…and you will not need to stress / worry about getting charged for additional sessions. I will always strive for excellent results with my clients, even if it takes a week or more longer than anticipated!

It’s also important to note here, that there are some programs that, due to the dog’s highly specific training needs, may not fit into the typical price ranges or scheduling patterns, etc. For example, if your dog is needing to work through, what some would call, Dog-Dog Aggression concerns or Human Aggression concerns, then the price may be higher than $2000. On the other hand, there are some programs that are priced lower than $1300 due to highly specific needs that don’t require a full out program.