ABC Obedience Training and Supplies
2458 Boston Post Road | Guilford, CT  06437 | 203-458-2223 (ABCD)
Office/retail hours: Mon 3-6 • Th 12-6 • Sun 11-1 | Training hours by appointment or class schedule.

PRIVATE TRAINING

Private dog training sessions are individually tailored to the needs of each dog and owner(s). Private sessions may be conducted in your home, our facility, out in public ("the real world") or a combination of any of those options.

Private dog training allows the training to be implemented in YOUR actual environment (for example, you may ask a question during groups about how to stop the dog from jumping on Granny, but in private sessions, we can set up a visit with Granny and supervise that the techniques be learned and applied correctly. Another example of being in your own environment would be that we can take walks where the dog normally goes and deal with specific distractions, we can assess house behavior and attitudes that may not be obvious when the dog is in "school mode" at ABC.

Another benefit of private sessions is the flexibility of scheduling. Sessions are generally 60-90 minutes, set up at mutually agreed upon times. We are available days, evenings and weekends (no Fridays, we need one day off!).With 24-48 hours notice, sessions can be re-arranged if needed.

If you want to involve your children private sessions, even the youngest members of the family can usually work with the dog, if appropriate (if your dog's issue is child-directed aggression, we probably won't recommend Junior do much handling). Children are welcome to attend our Beginner groups and to work with parental supervision at home, but the Beginner classes are not designed to accommodate young handlers. In, Puppy Kindergarten (for pups under 18 weeks old), where exercises tend to be more stationary, the children are welcome to be involved in class.

Another important consideration regarding private sessions is level of distraction... for the human! Some people do not learn as well in groups. Although our groups are small (usually 6-8 dogs), there is a course schedule and sometimes the pace must cater to the majority of the group. We always allow and encourage questions during groups, but some issues are more involved than others. In addition, some people may not bring up issues that we can notice when in a one-on-one session. Aggression issues of any kind are best dealt with during private sessions

Private sessions may be combined with group classes for the "best of both worlds" (some personal attention, and yet more economical). Group classes are great for socializing, working with distractions, and saving a bit of money. Private sessions will provide attention to detail that happens when your dog is the sole focus of the trainer.

Common questions regarding private sessions:

Will you take my dog and train it?
No. We teach you to train your dog so that the relationship of understanding and respect is built between you and him/her. Dogs cannot be programmed like a computer.

What will my dog learn?
Generally, private sessions include basic skill such as manners (no nipping, polite greetings, leaving things alone, quiet, car manners, door behavior, etc. We also cover commands such as sit, down, stay, coming when called and more. Get verbal or signal command on the FIRST command, EVERY time, even with distractions. Due to the individualized nature of private training sessions, what is covered will vary greatly from client to client, depending on your needs.

How many sessions are involved and how much does it cost?
For new clients, we offer a three or six session package. Because training involves repetition and consistency, single sessions for new clients are not an option. The amazement at first session results is likely to fade when the dog thinks of new ways to challenge, or the client simply misinterprets one part of how they were taught. By session three, most people are "in the groove" of timing and behavior modification, and by session six most clients have really mastered the techniques fully. IF you are enrolled in group classes or have previously completed private sessions with us, you may buy single sessions "a la carte". Our goal in offering packages is simply to assure each client has enough repetition to be effective. Please call for pricing.

Will 60-90 minutes a week be enough to train my dog?
Not likely... that is why you will work with the dog a few minutes each day.  Sessions are to teach the humans (although of course we work with the dog) and approximately a week apart to allow for practice. Your training sessions between visits should be short and frequent (2-5 minutes, 3-10 times a day... like every time you go to the "cookie" jar or take a leash walk or during TV commercials). During visits with the instructor, the dog will not be working the entire time, much of this process involves the human member of the team!

Where is your email address?
Sorry, unlike larger training franchises, we are a personalized, small business and would never be able to respond to the volume of emails we would get in any type of timely manner. Please call us at 203-458-2223 and if we are not here, we will return your call (usually no later than 48 hours). Our office/retail hours (when a human is virtually chained to the desk) are:  Th 3-6 and Sun 11-1. Our training/class hours are 9 am to 10 pm, every day but Friday. Our unseen administrative hours are 9 am to 3 am :)

NEW
Click here to request a call regarding private dog training information 
(if you have not yet spoken to us)


IF you already have an appointment -

Pre-session Info
Click here
to submit information prior to your first scheduled private session training appointment.

Forms submitted without a scheduled appointment will be discarded; please call us at 203-458-2223 if you would like to speak to us regarding private sessions.