Private In-Home Dog Training in Raleigh & Wake Forest, NC
Personalized, positive-reinforcement dog training designed around you, your dog, and your home environment.
Training Your Best Friend provides private in-home dog training and behavior consultations throughout North Raleigh, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Youngsville, Creedmoor, and Knightdale, NC.
With more than 40 years of professional dog training and behavior experience, I understand that every dog—and every family—is different. Private training allows me to work directly with you in the environment where many everyday behaviors actually occur.
Whether you are raising a new puppy, working on obedience and household manners, struggling with leash walking or impulse control, or seeking help with a more complex behavioral concern, I will develop a training approach based on your dog’s individual needs and your goals.
My Training Philosophy
I use 100% positive-reinforcement, science-based training methods. I do not use shock/e-collars, prong collars, choke chains, or training methods designed to cause pain, fear, or intimidation.
Do No Harm. Cause No Pain. Create No Fear.
I believe trust and confidence are the foundation of effective training. My goal is not simply to stop unwanted behaviors, but to help you understand your dog, improve communication, teach appropriate behaviors, and build a relationship based on trust and mutual understanding.
My approach begins with looking at the whole dog and creating an environment that sets your dog up for success. Management, consistency, clear communication, appropriate reinforcement, and understanding what motivates your individual dog are all important parts of the training process.
Just as every dog is different, every family’s goals and challenges are different. That’s why I don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. I train both ends of the leash, helping you understand not only what to teach your dog, but how your timing, consistency, body language, and responses influence the learning process.
Private In-Home Training
Working in your dog’s everyday environment gives us the opportunity to address the behaviors that matter most to your household while teaching you how to continue the training successfully between sessions.
Private in-home training is available for both standard puppy and adult dog training and for dogs experiencing more complex behavioral concerns.
Puppy & Adult Dog Training
Private training is available for puppies and adult dogs who need help developing essential skills, household manners, and a strong foundation for everyday life.
Depending on your dog’s individual needs and your goals, training may include:
- Basic obedience and everyday manners
- Loose-leash walking
- Attention and focus
- Sit, down, stay, and wait
- Coming when called
- Door manners and polite greetings
- Jumping
- Impulse control and self-control
- Puppy manners and household training
- Confidence building
- Creating consistency among family members
- Other everyday training challenges specific to your home and lifestyle
Training is customized to your dog’s age, temperament, learning style, current skill level, and your family’s goals rather than following a predetermined program.
The goal is not only to teach your dog new skills, but also to teach you how to communicate clearly, reinforce appropriate behaviors, and continue making progress after our session.
Behavior Modification Consultation & Training
For behavioral concerns that go beyond basic obedience, I offer private behavior modification consultations and training. These sessions are designed to help me understand what is happening, identify factors that may be contributing to your dog’s behavior, and determine the most appropriate training plan for you and your dog.
A behavioral consultation is a comprehensive, personalized session for dogs experiencing more complex or challenging behaviors. This may include fear, anxiety, reactivity, aggression, or other behaviors that are creating difficulties at home or out in the community.
During the consultation, I take the time to learn about your dog’s history, daily routine, home environment, previous training, personality, and specific behavioral concerns. I will observe your dog’s behavior and responses, discuss your concerns and goals, and begin appropriate training exercises when possible.
Rather than focusing only on the behavior you see on the surface, I look at the whole dog and the factors that may be contributing to the behavior. Fear, stress, environment, previous experiences, learned behavior, and even medical concerns can all influence how a dog responds.
Common Behavioral Concerns
Behavioral consultations may be appropriate for:
- Reactivity toward dogs, people, or other triggers
- Aggression, growling, snapping, or biting
- Resource guarding of food, toys, people, or spaces
- Separation-related behaviors
- Excessive barking or vocalization
- Fear, anxiety, shyness, or insecurity
- Compulsive or repetitive behaviors
- Other challenging behaviors affecting everyday life
The goal of a behavioral consultation is not to provide a quick fix. My goal is to help you better understand your dog, provide practical strategies you can begin using immediately, and give you a clear path forward.
Training may include management strategies to reduce stress and prevent unwanted behavior from being repeatedly practiced, as well as exercises designed to teach your dog more appropriate responses and build confidence.
Choosing the Right Training Program
Depending on my evaluation, I may recommend continued private training or one of my specialized behavior-modification programs.
Dogs whose primary challenges involve fear, shyness, insecurity, or anxiety may be better suited for my Fearful Fido program. This program focuses on building confidence, reducing fear responses, and helping dogs learn to feel safer around people, dogs, sounds, movement, objects, and unfamiliar environments.
Dogs displaying aggression toward people or other dogs—including snapping, biting, attempted biting, fighting, or aggressive leash behavior—may be better suited for my specialized Reactive Rover program. I will help determine the most appropriate and safest training option based on your dog’s individual behavior and needs.
Initial Consultation, Training & Pricing
90-Minute Private In-Home Consultation & Training Session — $240
All private in-home training begins with a 90-minute initial consultation and training session, whether you are seeking help with standard puppy or adult dog training or assistance with a more complex behavioral concern.
With more than 40 years of professional dog training and behavior experience, I have learned that successful training begins with understanding the whole dog—not simply addressing the behavior you see on the surface.
The initial 90-minute session gives me the time needed to learn about your dog’s history, daily routine, home environment, previous training, personality, and the challenges you are experiencing.
I will observe your dog, discuss your concerns and goals, and begin appropriate hands-on training and coaching during our time together. You will learn practical strategies and exercises that you can begin implementing immediately.
For standard training, we may begin working on skills such as leash walking, attention and focus, basic obedience, jumping, recall, impulse control, puppy manners, household manners, or other behaviors important to you and your family.
For behavioral concerns, I will take a more in-depth look at your dog’s behavior, triggers, environment, responses, and possible contributing factors. When appropriate, we will also discuss management and safety strategies and determine the most suitable training approach moving forward.
Your Personalized Training Plan & Homework
Following your initial session, you will receive a personalized written summary of what we covered, training recommendations, and homework exercises based on your dog’s individual needs and your goals.
Your written plan gives you something to refer back to after our session and provides clear direction for continuing your dog’s training at home.
I believe the work you do between sessions is an important part of your dog’s progress. My goal is to make sure you understand what to practice, how to practice it, and why we are using each training strategy.
Additional Private Training — $165 per 60-Minute Session
Additional private training sessions are available as needed and are scheduled individually.
There is no requirement to purchase a training package.
I believe training should be based on the individual needs of the dog and family rather than requiring every client to commit to a predetermined number of sessions.
Some families may find that the initial 90-minute session, personalized training plan, and homework give them the guidance they need to continue working successfully at home. Others may choose additional sessions as their dog progresses, when they need additional coaching, or as new training goals arise.
During follow-up sessions, we can evaluate your dog’s progress, troubleshoot challenges, build on previously learned skills, introduce new exercises, and adjust your training plan as needed.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to dog training. My goal is to provide you with the individual attention, professional guidance, education, and practical tools you need to better understand your dog and make meaningful, lasting progress.
