Technology is changing many industries and dog training is no exception. While it may seem counterintuitive to not have someone come to your home to train your dog, distance (or remote) dog training can be a very successful, cost-effective and convenient way to get personalized training for you and your dog. It allows you to get the help you need without leaving the comfort of your home and gives you access to quality training that may not otherwise be available in your geographical area. But, it can feel weird to not have someone in person to see your home and your dog and to train the dog. After all, isn’t that what you’re paying for? (Not really…read on.)
Distance training has been used successfully for separation anxiety training for quite a while, to help remove any false results by the presence of the trainer. The “trainer effect,” as it’s sometimes called, can cause the dog to behave differently and that’s not helpful when we’re trying to replicate real world scenarios. Remote training removes this obstacle for any issue, since the dog is in their normal environment, with its familiar people, in a low distraction environment.
And here’s a little secret, many behavior issues really don’t require a trainer to actually do the training – the guardian is more than capable with the right coaching! Yes, sometimes it can be more efficient to do something like day training where the trainer does the heavy lifting of teaching the dog basic skills. But, in reality, those skills still need to get “transferred” to the owner. A lot of dog training is giving the humans the tools they need to work with, live with and help the dog.
I can easily teach/coach someone remotely on what to do when and how to implement the customized management, enrichment and training plans I’ve designed for their dog and their dog’s issues, for much less than cost of an in-person session. You get all the same handouts, knowledge and access but without feeling like you need to clean your house before the trainer arrives!
Through the use of technology (computer, tablet or smartphone), we can use widely-accessible video services like Zoom to do training sessions in real time. If you can click a link, you can do remote training! Live video sessions are especially good for basic obedience behaviors, food or resource guarding and body handling cases because I can coach in real time based on my observations. I can point out, and we can discuss, observations like what I’m seeing in terms of body language, and then make the decision when to push the dog to the next step in the plan.
In other cases, like dogs who are afraid of strangers, remote training can actually be better for the dog because we’re not triggering the dog’s fear by having a stranger (the trainer) come into their home. A good trainer doesn’t need to see the dog being fearful or aggressive to help them. I know what resource guarding looks like – I don’t need the dog intentionally pushed over threshold to show me how he growls or tries to bite if he has something he’s afraid of losing.
In cases like stranger danger, I often send clients on missions, to a park or shopping center parking lot, to work on the training plan at a safe distance and clients will record short video clips of themselves working with their dog (usually with their phone, sometimes with a friend filming or using an inexpensive tripod – no fancy equipment needed) and then send those to me, via upload, for review/feedback. This allows me to see the client’s training mechanics, the dog’s normal response and then I can tweak plans as needed or coach the client on what to do to make things more efficient for the next time.
I’ve successfully helped clients with a wide variety of cases remotely including stranger danger, house training (adults and puppies), crate training/aggression, baby prep, pre-puppy/new dog prep, fear of children, fear of men, resource guarding, leash reactivity, barking and more!
How Does It Work?
To get the most out of our session together, block out uninterrupted time for our session. For the first session, your dog often doesn’t need to be present. The first consult is a lot of talking, where we review the complete history from the registration form you’ve completed, discuss what you’ve tried, what has worked and what hasn’t, review how dogs learn and how we use this to modify behavior or teach new behaviors, discuss your goals, review your dog’s prognosis and discuss the factors that affect it, discuss and implement management strategies, review training plans, discuss if a meds consult or vet referral is needed for your case and review the relevant handouts.
Ahead of our session, please check your internet connection, microphone and camera, and make sure your kids and dog have something to keep them occupied, so we can focus on discussing all the important details listed above. And please make sure your Zoom is updated before our meeting so we’re not running late!
You will receive an email with any handouts ahead of our meeting and you should have access to these during our session.
For follow-up sessions we will review and track your progress, discuss any sticking points and make necessary adjustments to the training plan. If you schedule a coaching session to watch you train then you will also be coached on your mechanics and/or watch Kate demo or review videos so you can see the proper mechanics.
After your initial consult you will receive detailed follow-up notes (for fear and aggression consults), a recommended shopping list along with any additional handouts, training plans and homework. Your job will be to put everything into action and then send updates and/or videos so they can be reviewed and feedback can be provided on the training you’re working on.
Not sure if remote training works?
It’s a common concern. But dog training is more about teaching the human, giving them the tools and knowledge for how to manage and live with their dog. A trainer coming into your home for an hour isn’t going to accomplish much just working with the dog when you need to live with your dog for all the other times. All of my clients have been remote since Covid, and many even before that! And they’re all very successful. Read this AP News article I was featured in discussing remote training. And, you can read all of my 5-star Google reviews if you’re still unsure!
Happy training! I can’t wait to work with you! Schedule your session here!
