Frequently asked questions

I offer clarity calls as a way to connect, discuss your questions in depth, and ensure you have the information you need before moving forward.

However, it’s important to know that a clarity call isn’t a quick advice session. Offering advice without a thorough understanding of your dog’s full situation including their environment, family dynamics, history, and daily routine can be incomplete or even unsafe.

Based on my experience and education, I’ve learned that most behavior questions are rarely simple. What might seem like a straightforward answer often opens the door to many more questions and important considerations. For me, it’s both a professional responsibility and a personal commitment to avoid giving quick answers that could lead to misunderstandings or unintended consequences.

That said, I recognize that sometimes you just need to be pointed in the right direction. During a clarity call, I can help with that while also providing important context about potential risks or what might happen if the issue isn’t fully addressed.

In short, the clarity call is a thoughtful first step ,helping you gain confidence and clarity before diving into a full consultation and beginning a relationship with me.

Beginning with a virtual consultation is often more effective than starting in person. It allows for focused communication, a calmer environment, and a clearer understanding of the situation without distractions. Experienced trainers do not need to witness the problem behavior firsthand to identify its causes. Through detailed discussion, they can accurately assess patterns, prioritize safety, and identify what may need to change right away. This approach is also more time and cost efficient, allowing for meaningful conversation and immediate guidance instead of managing the logistics and interruptions that often occur in the home environment.

The initial consultation is designed for information gathering and early intervention. Owners receive practical strategies that can be implemented immediately to reduce stress and begin forming new habits. It is also a time to identify existing routines that may be reinforcing unwanted behavior so they can be adjusted before introducing new training. Establishing these foundations early ensures that future in-person sessions are more productive and targeted toward clear goals.

A portion of the virtual session can also be used to plan the first in-home session so that time is spent wisely and the environment is set up for success. When sessions are carefully structured in advance, the dog experiences learning in a lower-stress and predictable way, which supports faster and more reliable progress. This intentional preparation helps both the dog and the human learn efficiently, creating smoother transitions between strategy and real-life application.

Most families benefit from starting with a Behavior Consultation. Welcoming a new dog involves many moving parts such as history, genetics, environment, routines, expectations, health, and the setup of your home. An hour and a half gives us enough time to go through everything carefully so you are not guessing during those first critical weeks.

Quick tips can be helpful, but they rarely address the whole picture. Without knowing you, your routines, your habits, your environment, or how you learn best, suggestions are much harder to apply. A consultation lets me understand the details of your household so the guidance is specific and realistic for your daily life.

During the consultation, we can cover:

• How to prepare your home and routines

• What to expect in the first few days and weeks

• Sleep, separation, routines, safe exercise, genetic factors to consider

• Socialization that is safe and appropriate and how to learn your dogs stress signals

• Early behavior patterns to watch for as well as preventative measures to take

• Support for integrating with resident pets or children

• A plan for next steps based on your skills and how you’ll be applying what you learned

This longer format helps us build a foundation that fits your dog and your household instead of relying on general advice that may not apply. If an hour and a half sounds excessive, schedule a Clarity Call and you will see how quickly the time fills once we look at your home, your routines, and your new dog together. I also have a short blog post on this topic if you’d like to see what we’d cover in slightly more depth.

Training is more complex than it may seem at first. Success often depends on understanding reinforcement, motivation, environmental management, learning theory, and how to apply them in real-life situations.

If your dog doesn’t seem food motivated, that doesn’t mean they can’t learn it likely means there’s something in the setup that needs adjusting. It could be that:

• The training environment isn’t conducive to learning (too stressful, too distracting, or not engaging enough).

• Problem behaviors are still being unintentionally rehearsed or the dog is being set up to practice part of the problematic behavior chain.

• Your dog’s body language is being missed or misread, which can guide what to do next.

• Your own stress, patience, or expectations may need recalibration. Self-regulation plays a huge role in successful training.

• You may have focused training only around the trigger or the problem behavior, without addressing the bigger picture like daily lifestyle, rest, exercise, trigger management outside of training sessions, or breed-specific outlets. Just like going to the gym for an hour won’t yield results if your other 23 hours don’t support your goals, your dog’s behavior won’t change if their day-to-day life isn’t aligning with what you’d like changed.

• Behaviors haven’t been generalized properly across different contexts, people, or environments.

Also, food is just one kind of reinforcer. Every dog is motivated by different things in different contexts. Play, movement, access to preferred places or activities…Learning to identify and know when and how to use different reinforcers is a skill, and it's okay if you haven’t been taught how to do that yet.

If your dog has never been food motivated, there’s a reason and part of the process is figuring that out together. In some cases, uncovering why your dog isn’t food motivated reveals daily habits that may need to change. Diet might need adjustment, excess weight could be dulling appetite, daily patterns may need some tidying up, or there may be underlying issues like GI inflammation or musculoskeletal pain affecting their interest in food. These are just a few possibilities.

That’s why effective training starts by addressing the whole dog not just the behavior. When we support their physical, emotional, and behavioral needs, motivation improves naturally, and better habits have room to form.

It might seem like a simple behavior issue on the surface but even things like leash pulling and jumping on guests have underlying causes that are important to understand before jumping into solutions or even corrections.

The initial consultation isn’t about complicating things, it’s about making sure we’re solving the right problem, not just managing symptoms. Pulling on leash could be about excitement, frustration, fear, or unmet needs elsewhere in your dog’s life. Jumping on guests might be a lack of impulse control, but it could also reflect communication gaps, over-arousal, or missing outlets for natural behavior and social connection. 

The goal of the consult is for you to:

• Understand your dog’s behavior in context

• Discuss and learn how  their daily routine, environment, and history impacts behavior 

• Clarify what your goals are and what success looks like for you

• Make sure your dog’s emotional and physical needs are being supported so that change isn’t so hard

Think of it like this: jumping into training without a consult is kind of like starting physical therapy without an evaluation. It’s too rushed. You might get some short-term relief, but you’re more likely to spin your wheels or create new issues if we don’t first understand the bigger picture.

Whether your dog’s challenges are big or small, my job is to meet you where you are, get clear on what’s really going on, and make a training and management plan that works for you. Plus, it’s likely the consultation will give you the info you need to start making changes on your own anyway - if its that simple of an issue ;) 

If you’ve already worked with professionals, tried medication, and put in time and effort without seeing results, it makes sense to feel skeptical or stuck. Here’s how I approach things differently:

• I look at the whole dog not just the behavior. Behavior is often a symptom of deeper unmet needs. We’ll explore not only training techniques, but also daily structure, stress levels, sleep, nutrition, enrichment, pain, and communication patterns between you and your dog. Sometimes, the thing that’s missing is small but it carries a lot of weight. That one overlooked piece can be the key to progress.

• I focus on communication and environmental support. Most of the time, the barrier isn’t a lack of effort, it’s miscommunication. You and your dog might not be fully understanding each other, or the environment might not be providing the level of support your dog needs to succeed. I help you decode your dog’s behavior as communication, interpret what they’re telling you, and make adjustments that help you both move forward.

• I take a relationship-based, functional approach. We’ll dig into what your dog is trying to communicate through their behavior, and what function that behavior serves. From there, we focus on building trust, safety, predictability, and teaching your dog new ways to get their needs met so problem behaviors start to dissipate. 

• You’re not starting from scratch, we build on what you’ve already tried. It’s possible those past efforts weren’t wrong, just incomplete or misapplied. I’ll help you interpret what has and hasn’t worked so far, and why, so we can make more targeted and effective progress going forward.

• I support you, not just your dog. Burnout, doubt, and emotional overwhelm are real, and they affect the outcome of training. I’ll help you regulate, reset, and create sustainable habits so you can show up for your dog in the way they need.

Change often takes more than just medication or obedience training, it takes addressing the entire context your dog is living in. If nothing has worked yet, that doesn't mean your dog is broken or hopeless. It likely means something small but important is missing and that’s where I come in. You’re not alone!

I understand that seeing several service options at once can feel overwhelming. My goal is for every client to feel informed about their choices and the level of support available.

To keep things simple, everyone begins with either a clarity call or a full consultation, depending on readiness and comfort with commitment. The Puppyhood with Purpose program can move forward without a consultation.

From there, most clients continue with virtual training sessions. This step matters because consultations often include a large amount of information. While you will leave with practical steps to start, real progress usually requires consistent follow-up. The time between the consultation and subsequent sessions is important. Waiting too long can cause momentum to fade and old habits to return.

It can help to think of this process like working with a fitness trainer. You might have an excellent first session, but without continued guidance, it is easy to plateau or lose consistency. Regular follow-up allows me to fine-tune your plan, monitor progress, and keep learning on track.

If you are local, a virtual training session following the consultation can be used to plan your first in-home visit. This ensures time is spent efficiently and the environment is set up for learning before I arrive. I typically work in the Jackson and Edison areas, depending on the day of the week. Scheduling in-home sessions is done either during a virtual appointment or later over the phone.

If you are not local, we will continue virtually, or you may choose the Trainer on Retainer option. This format provides more frequent communication and real-time feedback between sessions, so you can make adjustments as you go. It is often helpful for cases involving separation anxiety, reactivity, multi-dog homes, or households with children, but is available to anyone seeking more consistent guidance.

Training is a process, and much of the progress depends on what happens between sessions. My role is to guide, adjust, and support you along the way. Staying connected through follow-up sessions or a flexible support plan helps ensure that your efforts remain effective, sustainable, and suited to both your dog’s needs and your daily life.

This is an important question and one that comes up often. Group puppy classes are widely recommended, and when done well, they can absolutely be a valuable part of your puppy’s journey. They offer exposure, basic skills, and ideally, some appropriate play and novelty. I can help you choose a class that fits your puppy’s needs and temperament, no problem.

But after teaching hundreds of puppy classes and working with thousands of students, I know exactly where most people  and their puppies struggle. In fact, I worked hard to offer a different kind of puppy class experience when I did teach them, because truthfully, most puppy classes aren’t taught by professionals with my background in behavior, development, and prevention. That’s not a criticism, it’s just a reality. And it’s why my approach is different.

What I’ve seen, time and time again, is that families come into class already overwhelmed, unsure of how to navigate daily life with their puppy, and hoping that one hour a week will be enough. But when you’re exhausted, confused, and trying to implement new skills without a plan for rest, structure, or emotional support, even the best advice can fall flat. I don’t want that to be your experience.

Puppyhood with Purpose was built to change that. It’s a high-contact, preventative series, a 10-week one-on-one journey that supports you through real life with a puppy, not just rehearsed behaviors in a class setting. We’ll address how to set up your home, manage family routines, navigate vet visits, build confidence, prevent problem behaviors before they emerge, and most importantly, guide your puppy through socialization in a way that is thoughtful, measured, and actually effective.

Socialization is often misunderstood as simply “exposure.” But healthy socialization means your puppy is having new experiences with an open mind, not just tolerating them, but learning from them. Most people are never taught how to ensure that, and that’s where I come in. By the time you walk into a group class, you’ll know exactly how to make the most of it, how to advocate for your puppy, pace them appropriately, and interpret what’s really happening in the room.

And once your foundation is solid, we can build from there, into the fun stuff. We can take training field trips together to safe public places, go on nature walks or hikes, maybe even plan a parallel training session where you work with your dog alongside another client who is also participating in this series at the same time. If you’re interested in adventure activities like kayaking or paddle boarding, or even just hiking safely, we can begin laying the groundwork for that too. Your puppy’s world can grow with intention and joy every step of the way.

This series is more than just training. It’s preparation. Preparation for the relationship, the rhythm, and the resilience that you and your puppy are going to build together. It’s not meant to replace group classes. It’s meant to ensure you don’t walk into one unprepared and leave feeling more confused than when you started.

That’s a great question and one I’ve thought about a lot, especially after working for a small business that did offer package pricing.

In my experience, packages can be both helpful and limiting, depending on the person. I’ve seen some clients truly benefit from packages because they gave them a sense of structure, helped them stay committed through the early challenges, and kept them showing up long enough to start seeing results. That initial accountability can be incredibly valuable.

But I’ve also seen the flip side: clients hesitating to even begin because the idea of a multi-session commitment felt like too much. I’ve seen people stall, feel anxious, or talk themselves out of getting help entirely because they weren’t sure they could follow through. And understandably so. change is hard, and it’s even harder when you're paying to be educated on how to do the hard thing.

In some cases, people fell off track or asked for refunds not because they didn’t care, but because they didn’t realize how much consistent effort it takes to see real behavior change. When that reality hits mid-package, it can lead to stress, shame, or avoidance, which is the opposite of what I want for you.

That’s why I’ve chosen not to offer packages at this time. Instead, you commit only to what feels right for you, when it feels right. I’ll give you my full energy, knowledge, and support for anything you choose but I won’t pressure you into a commitment you're not ready for. The desire to change has to come from you. If you feel like you need a package, we can make that work for you. 

Most of my services are designed to be flexible and responsive to the individual needs of each dog and human. Behavior, learning, and progress don’t follow a script and I believe in creating space for you to access support as needed, not because a pre-set number of sessions says it’s time. However, learning and progress do need consistency - but, you can decide what method would work best for you and I can make suggestions if you’re open to them.

That said, Puppyhood with Purpose is a purposeful exception. It’s not a package for the sake of bundling. Tt’s a structured, high-contact series designed specifically for the critical window of early puppy development. During this short but sensitive time, frequency and consistency aren’t just helpful, they’re foundational. That’s why this is the only series I offer as a committed timeline. It’s about prevention, education, and giving you the tools before challenges feel overwhelming.

Everything else I offer is more fluid, because every dog-human team is different. Puppyhood is a brief but important stage, and this series is built to support it intentionally. Many of my clients didn’t have the chance to do this early work before, which is why starting now can make such a difference.

Payment is required before your scheduled session for a clear and intentional reason. In many one-on-one services such as therapy, coaching, or education, payment is made in advance to confirm time and commitment. Pre-payment reserves your spot and reflects readiness to participate fully, just as I prepare to dedicate my time and focus to you and your dog.

Each session involves preparation on my end, including reviewing your notes, adjusting recommendations, and, for in-person services, planning travel and scheduling routes. Requesting payment after a session can create unnecessary discomfort and shifts attention away from the work itself. Collecting payment in advance allows our sessions to stay centered on learning, progress, and care rather than logistics.

I understand that paying ahead may feel unfamiliar if you are used to other arrangements, but it helps maintain structure and respect for both our time. Thank you for supporting this policy. It allows the process to run smoothly and keeps our focus on your goals and your dog’s wellbeing.

* If you are seeing this that means I have removed the ability for clients to schedule their own sessions for the time being.

I set aside specific times for virtual appointments so I can also make room in my week to travel to in-person sessions. If you don’t see a time that works for you, please fill out the form on the Connect page and I’ll be happy to find something that does.

My availability can shift as in-person clients are scheduled, so openings this week may look different next week. Some appointments also require advance notice, which means you may not be able to book the same day. Because of that, it’s best to schedule as soon as you see a time that fits your needs, or reach out directly if you need help finding a spot.