Training
Make A New Best Friend
At Animal House, we’re excited to offer professional dog training. We’re dedicated to helping you and your furry friend build a strong and healthy bond. Whether you’re looking to address specific behavioral issues, teach basic commands, or simply enhance your pet’s social skills, our expert trainers are here to guide you every step of the way.
Why Choose Us
Dog training is about more than just teaching commands—it’s about helping owners understand how to create a fun and healthy relationship with their dogs that benefits both parties. Our training programs are designed to strengthen communication between dogs and their owners, leading to a happy, balanced, and well-mannered pet.
By integrating dog training into our comprehensive veterinary services, we provide a holistic approach to your pet’s well-being. Training sessions can be conveniently scheduled during regular vet visits, and our trainer works closely with our veterinary team to ensure your pet’s physical and behavioral health are aligned.
Meet Our Trainers
Taylor, Head Trainer
Taylor has been a valued member of the Animal House team since 2015, specializing in dog training since 2018. In 2020, Taylor’s expertise and dedication led to a promotion to Head Trainer.
With a passion for enhancing human-canine communication, Taylor helps dogs achieve a healthy mindset while guiding owners to better understand their pets. Taylor’s diverse expertise covers a wide range of training areas, including:
- Beginning obedience
- Behavior modification
- Anxiety management
- Reactivity issues
- Resource guarding
- E-collar training
Taylor employs a balanced training approach, emphasizing positive reinforcement techniques. Services include private sessions both in-facility and at clients’ homes, as well as group classes covering:
- Puppy training
- Beginning manners
- Intermediate skills
- Scent work
- Agility
Taylor’s mission is to foster strong, positive relationships between dogs and their owners through effective, compassionate training methods.
Michael, Trainer
Michael’s journey into the world of dog training began with a passion for animals that led him to pursue pre-veterinary studies, followed by a pivot to canine behavior. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where his love for understanding and working with dogs truly blossomed.
Michael has spent the past few years as an assistant trainer, apprenticing under two highly experienced trainers who helped shape his approach to dog training. His hands-on experience and academic background have equipped him with the skills to help dogs and their owners build strong, positive relationships.
Michael is also a proud dog parent to Kenai, a lively 1-year-old Golden Retriever. Together, they’re exploring the world of Dock Diving and other dog sports, with plans to pursue therapy work in the future.
Our Training Programs:
Puppy
It’s never too early to start training with your new puppy, and the earlier the better! This course is designed for dogs under the age of 6-7 months and sets the groundwork for a happy, healthy, engaged, and obedient pet. You will learn how to build a bond with your dog through classical conditioning so that you have an engaged canine partner who wants to learn with you. Basic obedience commands covered in this class are the following: sit, down, stand and come. We will discuss numerous behavior issues that arise during puppyhood and adolescence, and introduce the concept of loose-leash walking.
| Maximum Class Size: | 6 |
| Length of Class: | 6 weeks |
| Recommendation: | 8 weeks – 6 months of age |
| Optional: | Private Training |
Day Train Program
Our Day Train Program is more than just daycare—it’s a structured environment where your dog will learn and socialize under the guidance of a professional trainer. This program is tailored to meet your specific goals and is limited to six dogs per day to ensure personalized attention.
Board & Train Program
Our Board and Train Program is ideal for establishing a strong foundation and routine for your dog, especially for proactive puppy owners, busy families, or frequent travelers. With a limited enrollment of two to three dogs, this program ensures your dog receives the dedicated attention needed to achieve your training goals.
Beginning Manners
Throughout this course you will learn how to build a bond with your dog so that you have an engaged canine partner. In addition to learning basic obedience commands such as sit, down, stand, wait, place and back, we will discuss impulse-control exercises to address problems such as jumping on people and rushing doors. This class also introduces the concept of loose leash walking.
| Maximum Class Size: | 6 |
| Length of Class: | 6 weeks |
| Recommendations: | 6 months + of age |
| Optional: | Private training |
Rally Obedience
This is a course designed to develop teamwork and hone obedience skills in a moderately-paced environment of obstacles and commands. Teams will learn to work together to learn new skills and sharpen old skills with an emphasis on heeling. This course will take motivation, patience, and teamwork on behalf of both the dog and the owner, but the rewards are high for both team members. This course is best thought of as a class geared towards intermediate obedience.
| Commands: | Heel, Sit, Down, Circle, Side, Front |
| Maximum Class Size: | 6 |
| Length of Class: | 6 weeks |
| Recommendations: | Beginning Manners or trainer approval |
Scent Work
This course is designed for owners and their dogs to have fun and discover the power of their dog’s nose. Owners learn how to trust their dog’s natural scenting abilities and dogs learn how to problem solve and self-reward. This course will build teamwork and teach dog owners how to enrich their dog’s lives by searching out rewards and target scents at various elevations and containers.
| Maximum Class Size: | 6 |
| Length of Class: | 6 weeks |
| Recommendations: | Beginning Manners or trainer approval |
Intermediate Manners
This course will focus heavily on loose-leash walking with the addition of distractions to commands already acquired, especially the “place” command. Additionally concepts are introduced such as coming when called with moderate distractions and greeting a friendly stranger and their dog. Dogs entering this class should know how to sit, down, stand, and go to place reliably (covered in Beginning Manners).
| Maximum Class Size: | 6 |
| Length of Class: | 6 weeks |
| Requirements: | Beginning Manners or prior trainer approval |
Advanced Training
Advanced training is a challenging class focused on off leash training and long distance commands. For the owner that seeks a highly bonded relationship with their pet.
| Exercises: | Sits and downs in motion, Halfway commands, off leash walking |
| Maximum Class Size: | 6 |
| Length of Class: | 6 weeks |
| Requirements: | Must have passed Intermediate Manners |
Introductory Agility
A super fun dog sport where pet owners learn the techniques of directing their pet through an obstacle course including tunnels, teeter totters and jumps. Appropriate for any breed. Great class for building confidence and burning energy!
| Commands Needed: | Loose Leash Walking, Sit, Down, Wait |
| Exercises: | Jumps, Tunnels, Dog walk, Table, Teeter Totter |
| Maximum Class Size: | 6 |
| Length of Class: | 6 weeks |
| Requirements: | Be able to walk on leash. |
Agility II
Challenge your pet to reach new heights of skill, coordination and confidence. Agility II expands upon the fundamentals learned in Introductory Agility. Course changes weekly to give you and your dog greater variety. Emphasis will be on refining skills and improving course times. Appropriate for any breed. Excellent exercise!
| Commands Needed: | Loose Leash Walking, Sit, Down, Wait, Recall |
| Exercises: | Sending Dog to Equipment, Calling Dog Over Equipment, Inside and Outside Lines |
| Maximum Class Size: | 6 |
| Length of Class: | 6 weeks |
| Recommendation: | Successful Completion of Introductory Agility or Trainer Approval. |
In-Home Training
Beneficial for behavioral problems that are specific to the home setting and family dynamics. Our trainers will work with your entire family to alleviate/resolve deeply entrenched problems. An excellent option for busy families whose schedule does not allow attendance at evening or Saturday afternoon classes.
One-On-One Training
For the pet that needs more time and attention from our training staff than the traditional group setting. One-on-one training can be conveniently scheduled when pets are receiving other services such as boarding or daycare. Particularly beneficial for the pet that may have deeply entrenched socialization issues such as aggression that may challenge their relationship with other pets and/or people.
Let’s Talk About Your Goals
Before starting any program, we’d love to discuss your goals and guide you toward the best steps for your dog’s training journey. Contact us today at 920-465-4444 to schedule an evaluation with one of our trainers and find the perfect program for you and your furry friend!
