Private, Semiprivate and Small Group Training Sessions for All Dogs
Understanding Fido offers clients a variety of positive, rewards-based training options occurring in the home or in the community. Our goal is to work alongside you to improve your dog's skills and confidence...and to strengthen your bond with each other.
Why Work With Amy
Our owner, Amy Cranmer, possesses skills in observation and analysis that help identify opportunities to make training sessions more fun and effective. Our services will help you work towards your goals with your puppy or adult dog.
Amy's background in breaking tasks into attainable steps helps make training simpler and clearer for both humans and dogs. After gathering information from BOTH of you, she finds ways to incorporate new strategies into your established daily routine with the least amount of disruption possible.
Consultation
This is the first step for new clients. A typical consultation lasts up to 90 minutes and involves gathering information, addressing your questions, assessing your dog's needs, evaluating his environment, and introducing some strategies that you can implement right away. This process allows us to make recommendations for modifications and for the focus of your training goals, while also leaving you with things to work on until we meet again. Following your consultation, you will receive a detailed summary that includes next steps for you and your dog, as well as extensive resources. A consultation for one dog costs $100.
(Additional fees and extended time apply with complex initial consultations for multi-dog households.)
Private Training Session
Our private training sessions provide undivided attention for you and your dog, and identify appropriate ways to include the whole family. A single session costs $85. A package of three sessions costs $240, saving you $15.
Semiprivate Session
Semiprivate sessions are perfect for multiple dog households or tight knit neighborhoods where familiar dogs socialize often. Lasting up to 60 minutes, a single session in your home includes two dogs and two handlers and costs $100 per session. A package of three sessions costs $270, saving you $30.
Please note that the dogs must be living in the same home, or encountering each other happily and with some regularity. Handlers should have a consistent relationship with their dog.
Fido Takes a Field Trip
Take your dog on a field trip with us and have some fun in the community! Lasting up to 60 minutes, these private field trips provide you and your dog an opportunity to build your confidence as a partnership. You'll be able to strengthen his basic manners in a more challenging environment while increasing his exposure to new settings and experiences.
Let’s work together to determine field trip locations that are meaningful to you and your dog! A single session costs $85. A package of three sessions costs $240, saving you $15.
Puppy Play Dates
Research has shown that there is a critical window of time in a puppy’s life where experiences---or lack thereof---have the biggest impact on confidence, adaptability, and overall emotional well-being. The things that occur---or don’t occur---from approximately 3 to 14 weeks of age significantly shape how a puppy will be able to engage in life as an adolescent and adult. Play skills, curiosity, impulse control, acceptance of people and experiences all start in puppyhood.
Puppy Play Dates: provide a safe, structured opportunity to get your puppy started on the right social-emotional foot; are open to puppies approximately 8 to 16 weeks of age; introduce a variety of experiences that support all of your puppy’s senses; allow an opportunity for your puppy to practice his social skills with same-aged puppy peers and dog-loving human “strangers”; allow you an opportunity to learn about canine body language and appropriate play skills in order to support your puppy.
With the guidance of our trainer, owners will support and engage their baby Fidos in this fun-filled, socialization outing down on the farm.
Available to established Understanding Fido clients, paperwork and proof of age-appropriate vaccinations and deworming is required in advance of attendance. Subject to availability, this extremely small group, single-session experience costs $25 per puppy for up to 60 minutes.
Pre-Pooch-Preparation
Are you planning on having a dog for the first time in your life? Bringing home a new puppy? Rescuing a senior dog? Adding a new furry friend of any age (or species!) to your current dog’s life? Preparation is your friend!
Pre-Pooch-Preparation provides support and assistance through proactive problem-solving to make the transition as smooth as possible…for all involved. Amazon lists, furniture arrangement, schedules, community resources, information sheets…we’ve got you covered. If you haven’t already identified the exact Fido who will be joining your family, let’s talk about that too. We can help you take a good look at your lifestyle and your expectations and point you in the right direction for a love connection. Puppy or senior, Poodle or American Rescue Dog, one size does not fit all families. Pre-Pooch-Preparation is offered through a virtual format by phone or video. A single session costs $85 and lasts up to 60 minutes.
Virtual Services
Schedules get tight for all of us. Virtual sessions can be a great option and often allow us to provide you with feedback, insight and potential resources more quickly. They are appropriate for initial consultations, and in some cases, for ongoing sessions. Virtual services also allow us to support those who live outside of the Understanding Fido in-person service area, and those whose fearful dogs are not comfortable with strangers coming into their home just yet. Virtual sessions can be completed via phone or video. Duration and pricing as noted for services above.
Training Schedule and Fees
Client sessions are offered Monday through Friday. Payment is due at the time of your session. If you’re opting for a training package, full payment is due at the first session of your package.
We Can’t Wait To Meet You and Your Dog!
Our lines are open! Contact us right away if you have any questions or requests.