Comfort Zone Critter Care offers Fear Free®, force-free, positive, reward-based dog training, dog walking, and pet sitting in your pet’s comfort zone – your home!
As a professional dog trainer, I offer private lessons in your home (or an agreed-upon location). This is perfect for those dogs who are not comfortable with a group class setting, or if attending group lessons won’t fit into your busy schedule. I am a Fear Free Certified dog trainer, which means I look after your dog’s physical and emotional well-being. I do not use any shock, prong, or choke collars in my training. I use positive training methods only, so as to not harm your dog, your relationship with your dog, or put you in harm’s way. I want your dog to be a great companion and a member of your family, not a robot without any personality!
Private lessons are beneficial for:
- Dogs who are shy or skittish and need to gain self-confidence
- Dogs who have behavior issues specific to the home
- Dogs who are not well-suited to group class environments
- People who have a busy schedule that makes it difficult to attend weekly group classes
- People who need lessons that are tailored to their pet’s specific needs
There is no age limit for private lessons. From puppyhood through adolescence, adults, and seniors, clients with dogs of all ages can take advantage of private lesson training.
An in-person or virtual behavior consultation is required prior to booking private lessons. The Initial Behavior Consultation is the interview session taking a complete medical and behavioral history of your dog(s) in your home. This also allows me to formulate a plan that works for you and your family. After your initial consult, I will work up a behavior modification program to get you, your family, and your dog(s) back on track.
Dog Training Service Rates
I travel to you so we can address your pet’s behavior where it matters most – your home!
Initial Consultation: $175 for the initial 90-minute behavior consultation (required for all new clients). Payment for the Initial Behavior Consultation is due in advance. I have a limited number of spaces for consultations, and you’re reserving one of them. Payment can be made by credit card, Venmo, or PayPal to reserve your time slot.
Three Sessions: $380 for a package of three training lessons (Lessons are approximately 1 hour long). This package is the right choice for you if you have concerns about basic manners or one specific training problem (for example leash skills or nail trims). Email, text, phone, and video chat support between lessons.
Six Sessions: $730 for a package of six training lessons (Lessons are approximately 1 hour long). This package is the right choice for you if you have more severe behavior modification concerns, such as human or animal aggression, resource guarding, or general anxiety. Email, text, phone, and video chat support between lessons.
Individual Lessons: $135 for individual lessons, tailored to your specific needs. From foundation behavior training to managing and solving problem behaviors, I work one-on-one with you and your pet to tailor a specific plan. (Lessons are approximately 1 hour long). Private lessons will include written instructions for your reference.
You may add on additional sessions at any time after completing one of my packages, and packages can involve multiple issues from manners to anxiety, as time allows.
Note that while it is not mandatory, at least 3 lessons are strongly advised when registering for behavior modification.
Payment for the Initial Behavior Consultation is due in advance. I have a limited number of spaces for consultations, and you’re reserving one of them. Payment can be made by credit card, Venmo, or PayPal to reserve your time slot.
Payment in full is required prior to the first session for individual sessions and package deals. Payment for training sessions can be made via cash, check, credit card, PayPal, or Venmo.
Training your dog takes time, effort, and commitment. Package training sessions are non-refundable and not subject to rescheduling to give you success. *Training Packages must be used within 90 days. All sessions must be completed within 90 days from the date of commencement of the contract or they will be forfeited.*
*Prices are subject to change without notice!*
I accept PayPal, Venmo, checks, or cash as forms of payment. I also accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
“Dana has been great helping us understand and smoothing out some behavioral issues with our year-and-a-half-old pup, Tess. She is so knowledgeable, flexible, positive, and fun to work with! Not only has she helped us with Tess, Dana also sat for our cat, Pumpkin, while we were out of town. We trust her 100% with our pets and home!”
-Mary Fay
How Would You Like to Trade Your Old Dog Training Equipment for Great Discounts?
I want to swap great discounts on my most popular services for your choke, prong or shock collars, or any other qualifying pet gear. By participating in “Project tRade”, you can earn up to 15% off** my most popular training services simply by giving me old pet gear* that you have laying around. It couldn’t be easier!
What is “Project tRade”?
Project tRade is the Pet Professional Guild’s (PPG) international advocacy program that promotes the use of force-free pet training equipment by asking pet guardians to swap choke, prong, and shock collars (and any other devices that are designed to change behavior through pain or fear). Because we want all pets and their guardians to experience the huge advantages and long-lasting effectiveness of force-free training and pet care, we will give you great discounts on our most popular, effective, fun, and pain-free training and pet care services in exchange for your old gear.
Effective, humane animal training and pet care methods are the foundation of any animal’s healthy socialization and training and help prevent behavior problems. Since a wide variety of equipment and tools are commonly used when training pets, the pet-owning public needs to be aware of the potential problems and dangers some equipment may pose. Specifically, the use of collars and leads that are intended to apply constriction, pressure, pain, or force around a dog’s neck (such as ‘choke chains’ and ‘prong collars’) should be avoided. Distinguished veterinarians and behaviorists worldwide are joining the discussion and calling for the elimination of such devices from the training efforts of both pet owners and professionals.
What Do the Experts Say?
Respected veterinarian and thyroid expert, Dr. Jean Dodds, recommends against choke or prong collars “as they can easily injure the delicate butterfly-shaped thyroid gland that sits just below the larynx and in front of the trachea. These collars can also injure the salivary glands and salivary lymph nodes on the side of the face underneath both ears.”
Bestselling author and canine behaviorist, Jean Donaldson, says: “These devices (choke and prong collars), when they work, do so to the degree that they hurt. With the advent of modern methods and tools they are irrelevant.”
According to veterinarian and veterinary behaviorist Dr. Soraya V. Juarbe-Diaz: “Using punishment to stop behaviors is not new. Notice I say ‘stop’ rather than ‘teach’ — I can stop any behavior, but I am more interested in teaching my students, animal or human, to choose the behavior I want them to perform because they can trust me, because I do not hurt them and they are safe with me, and because the outcome is something they enjoy.”
PPG thus encourages all pet owners and pet professionals to embrace modern, scientifically based, training techniques and tools, especially the latest generation of no-pull harnesses which are free of the risks posed by traditional collars and offer far more benefits. So swap your gear and help create a kinder world for you and your pet!
To learn more just visit PetProfessionalGuild.com.
*qualifying pet gear = prong collars, shock collars, pinch collars, choke chains, citronella collars, and the like.
**Comfort Zone Critter Care offers a discount on services for any client who trades in the equipment listed below:
o Choke collars 15%
o Prong collars 15%
o Shock collars 15%
o Scat Mats 10%
o Bark Collars 15%
o Boundary Fencing 10%
