In response to the Coronavirus, Paw In Hand is doing remote private training options. Contact Mel to set up a time for remote training.
Mel is doing private lessons for those who need them. Dogs must be current on rabies and distemper, and clients for in-person private lessons must be vaccinated against Covid. Since Mel has chronic migraines, unfortunately there is a significant chance she may need to reschedule on short notice, but if all that is acceptable, qualifying clients can email about setting up in-person private lessons.
Class materials can be found online in the Behavioral Education Center or in Mel’s training manuals, below.
Having trouble with obedience skills? Read Dog As A Second Language, Mel’s training manual, available in ebook or paperback form. Mel designed this book to go right along with her basic obedience classes, supplemented by videos in the Behavior Education Center. Buy now!
Got a puppy? Read Puppy, Translating Your World, also available in ebook or paperback form. This book was designed to go right along with Mel’s puppy classes, supplemented with the handouts and information on the puppy page of the Behavior Education Center. Buy now!
Paw in Hand wants you and your pet to succeed. As such, we offer a variety of types of services, so that you can pick the one(s) that best fit your needs and help you transform troublesome behavior into a harmonious relationship.
Private Lessons
Many times an animal is more comfortable in their home, and the stress of going out can decrease their reception to learning new skills and behaviors. Fearful and reactive dogs benefit from beginning skills to decrease their anxiety in a familiar environment with controlled distractions before going out and attending something like a group class. Also, many behaviors that trouble owners are specific to the life-style, and in-home lessons can help you find ways to manage your pet’s behavior while you work with them to create new, more desirable behaviors. They can also help you learn to apply techniques from lessons specifically to your home situation. For the vast majority of cats, training is best done in the home, in their territory.
Mel highly recommends all family members be present at the lessons so that everyone gets the same information at the same time, in order to increase consistency.
There is no additional charge for multiple pets in the house. To aid you in working with your pet, Mel offers several packages. Since Mel loves rescue pets, all clients will receive a 5% discount with proof of adoption of their pet from a shelter or rescue.
Feline Packages and Rates:
Individual lessons and consultations last up to one hour. Among the issues commonly addressed are litter-box issues, inappropriate scratching, or trouble introducing a new member to the household. Call for a consultation today: many issues are fixable over the phone.
Canine Packages and Rate:
Individual lessons last about an hour each, and are usually spaced out a week or two between lessons, to give you plenty of time to master skills between lessons. Mel is well-versed in working to solve obedience or manners issues, impulse control, puppy behaviors, fearfulness, reactivity, aggression, trouble introducing a new member to the household, and more.
A set of three lessons is a 10% savings, and a set of 6 lessons is a 20% savings.
Day Training (Canines only)
If you don’t have time to train your dog, or if you are afraid you don’t have the techniques to train your dog properly, Mel can simplify your life. Day training involves Mel coming to your house to train your dog for you, or you can drop your dog off at Paw In Hand for about an hour. She will work with your dog for an hour a day three times a week on basic manners, obedience, and problem areas. At the end of each week she will meet with the family to show progress and teach you how to keep up on the skills learned. Call for a consultation and price quote!
Group Classes: All dogs must be 4 months or older and current on distemper, bordatella, and rabies to attend. Rescue dogs receive a $10 discount. Classes are designed to be affordable and still packed full of learning, and enrollment is limited to 7 dogs per class.
A note about the Sample Syllabi provided: This is what the average class covers. Some classes progress faster than others, some slower, simply due to the ability of the dogs and handlers and any issues they are bringing to class. I will not progress faster than the ability of the dogs and handlers in the class, but I will push you and your dog to progress as quickly as you are able by encouraging you to tackle as much difficulty as possible.
Puppy Class: This 4 week course focuses on manners and socialization for puppies under 4 months of age at the start of class. We cover housebreaking, chewing, nipping/play biting, self control, handling, conditioned relaxation, and proper supervised socialization with other dogs. Demo dog Zelda will be there to help shy puppies gain confidence, help pushy puppies learn boundaries, and to help keep play safe, mannerly, and appropriate.
Sample Syllabus:
Week One: Questions & Answers, Supervised play, Nipping and chewing, Conditioned Relaxation, Name & Explain combined with handling, Socialization list, fear of things and “What’s this?”, Socialization with noisy things, Supervised play combined with Come, the importance of permanent identification
Week Two: Q&A, Supervised play (calm puppies first), Name and Explain with Handling, Pass the Puppy, Socialization with children and wheeled things, Supervised play combined with Come, Basic grooming, Jumping up on people
Week Three: Q&A, Supervised play (calm puppies first), Name and Explain with Handling, Pass the Puppy, Socialization with strange clothes, Supervised play combined with Come, Leave it, Targeting
Week Four: Q&A, Supervised play (calm puppies first), Name and Explain with Handling, Pass the Puppy, Socialization gaps, Supervised play combined with Come, Basic obedience with targeting, Poisons and household hazards
Basic Obedience Class: We’ll begin with the basics like Conditioned Relaxation, Sit, Down, Come, Loose Leash Walking, and Leave It. We’ll also work on appropriate greetings and solving problem behaviors, and then proof all behaviors against distractions. Class meets for an hour a week once a week for six weeks.
Sample Syllabus:
Week One: Conditioned Relaxation, Sit (implied stay) w/ release command, Down (implied stay) w/ release command
Week Two: Review Conditioned Relaxation, Sit and Down with distractions and distance, Leave It
Week Three: Waiting at doors, Loose Leash Walking with pressure and release, Come – paper plate game
Week Four: Review pressure and release, Loose Leash Walking – Attention Game, Come – paper plate game, increased difficulty
Week Five: Appropriate greetings, Loose Leash Walking, Come – paper plate game or lines
Week Six: Wrapping up loose ends, Repeating any exercises needed, Answering questions, If time, Tricks.
Intermediate Obedience Class: If your dog has already mastered Sit, Down, Stay, Come, and Loose Leash Walking in moderate distraction, then the intermediate class will provide you and your dog with challenging group activities to complete together, moving toward off leash reliability! Learn how to keep your dog’s attention with higher distractions, and work toward mastering activities like targeting, place, moving Sits and moving Downs, commands from a distance, and long stays including while out of sight. Class meets for an hour a week once a week for six weeks.
Sample Syllabus:
Week One: Sit from a Down, Doggy Push-ups, Stand-Stay, Weave throughs with position changes, Begin position changes with distance, Targeting
Week Two: Splitting the Mind, Weave throughs with position changes slowly increasing distance, Targeting, Place
Week Three: Popcorn Dog, Independent releases, Weave throughs (increase distance farther), Place with distractions, Opposing Heel/Come, Long Downs, begin out of sight
Week Four: Popcorn Dog, Independent releases, Close Encounters of the Canine Kind, Opposing Heel/Come, Perpendicular Heel/Come, Heel/Place around the room, Long Downs out of sight, Treat lines – Leave it
Week Five: Strange positioning for Sits and Downs, Perpendicular Heel/Come, Long downs together out of sight, Long stays, release independently, Close Encounters, Begin Sit/Down in motion, Begin Heel/Finish commands
Week Six: Leap Dog, Come with high distraction, Long downs together out of sight, Long stays, released independently, Sit/Down in motion, Heel, Finish commands, Heel progression to off leash, Rally-O.
Off Leash Class: Is your dog reliable on leash but not so much off leash? Progress from on leash reliability to off leash reliability in a safe, enclosed space, with group activities and moderate to high distractions. We’ll work with activities including Heel, Come, Moving Sits and Downs including at a distance, Stand-Stays, Send-outs, beginning Retrieve, and beginning Scent Detection. Class meets for an hour a week once a week for six weeks.
Sample Syllabus:
Week One: Independent Releases, Martin Deeley’s Splitting the Mind exercise, Close Encounters Game, Weave throughs, leash in pocket, Come with Leave it, Stand Stay with Distraction (“Examination”) and Distance (Owner in front)
Week Two: Close Encounters Game, leash in pocket, Perpendicular Heel/Come, Weave throughs, dragging leash, Long Stays, released independently, Send outs, come back, Stand Stay with Distraction (“Examination”) and Distance (Owner in front, 6 ft away)
Week Three: Close Encounters, leash dragging, Weave throughs, leash dragging or off, Send out, come back with distance, Sit/Down in motion, Sit/Down/Stand at distance
Week Four: Retrieve, Left side/Right side, Silent commands – Hand signals, Sit/Down in motion, from distance, Send out, come back, with direction.
Week Five: Silent commands – Hand signals, Directed Retrieve, Left side/Right side, Scentwork, Control Exercise
Week Six: Directed Retrieve, Item Delivery, Scent Discrimination, Control Exercise, Play as a reward, Impulse Control
Therapy Class: This 4 week course is specifically designed for dogs getting ready for therapy work. If your dog has or could have CGC certification (for manners and obedience), you are welcome to take this class! For three weeks we will work on skills needed for therapy, and for the final week we will go out and about for a mock therapy session to give you and your dog a taste of what it’s like!
Other services:
Lost Pet Recovery:
If you’ve lost your cat or dog, call Mel in the first few hours for a consultation. She can advise on where the best places to search for your pet might be, how best to search, what flyers would best look like, and aid in getting the word out. The more people that know about your lost pet, the more likely you are to find him/her!
AKC CGC Testing:
If you would like to get your CGC, simply call Mel to run a test for you! Tests are only $10 each, and test items can be found by clicking here.
Therapy Dog Testing:
Is your dog ready to be a therapy dog? Mel is a certified evaluator for the K9to5 National Therapy Dog Registry and would love to help you get your dog certified! Your dog must have their CGC and have taken therapy class in order to test for the registry.