Come! Come now, and come fast.

Situations arise where you need your dog to come immediately to you, such as if unfamiliar dogs appear in the environment, or there is a risk of moving vehicles. Knowing that you have control over your dog gives you a sense of peace, and it may keep your dog from harm. With good obedience training, your dog can be trained to come now and come fast--and to execute this command reliably. Ultimately, this creates a more enjoyable relationship between you and your dog.

I am a combination trainer, which means I can recommend which training aids best fit your dog’s personality and environment (home, park, trails, neighborhood), without sacrificing any of your dog’s behaviors that you love. I can use multiple training methods to meet your goals. For example, if your dog has no inherent food drive, it’s useless to think you’re going to use food with a clicker as a training aid. Even if your dog has a good food drive, sometimes you don’t have food available, so you’ll want to utilize different training aids for different environments.

I have been formally schooled as a trainer, with additional time earning narcotics and tracking certifications. I have bred and trained German shepherds for over a decade. And, I have been obedience-training dogs for over 25 years. I train dogs because my passion is facilitating a successful relationship between you and your dog. I use a combination strategy that is individualized, reliable, humane, and cost-effective—teaching you the skill sets you need to control your dog in all situations—without compromising his trust and personality and without wasting time and money.

I offer start to finish obedience training, consultations, puppy training, behavior modification for rude behaviors and aggression, and a Board & Train experience for select dogs. Give me a call today to discuss your situation at 936-588-9414 or complete my contact form.

Training Spotlight: Rafiki Story

Rafiki, now 9 1/2 years old, is a DELIGHTFUL dog! As a puppy and young adult dog, NO ONE would have used the word "delightful" to describe him. As a young dog he was reactive, dog aggressive, disrespectful and all-around naughty!

Prior to finding Rick and Focus Dog Training, I tried several dog trainers who used various techniques none of which worked for Rafiki and me.

I had many dogs in my past. But this was the first dog I showed and competed with. So, here I was in a new situation (dog shows and performance events) with a poorly behaved dog that paid no attention to me. It was embarrassing and nerve wracking.

Rick taught me the importance of being consistent and teaching Rafiki what was expected of him and what the consequences were if he did not do as trained. It was up to Rafiki to make the choice and up to me to consistently praise or correct him. We spent about 1 year training with Rick and had phenomenal results. Not only is Rafiki a wonderful dog and companion, he is also:

Grand Champion - Conformation,
Field Champion - Lure Coursing,
Number 1 Dock Diving Rhodesian Ridgeback in the USA for 3 years, and
is currently competing at advanced levels in Obedience, Rally, Nosework and Tracking.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are sight hounds and were bred to track and chase. This "chase instinct" makes it more difficult to get a dog to come to you once they have seen something they want to chase. Rafiki, my Rhodesian Ridgeback, lives in the foothills of Colorado and routinely encounters game such as deer, elk, fox, turkey and bear. With the help of Rick and Focus Dog Training, Rafiki and I learned a Recall command that was 100% dependable. When hiking in the mountains, this is imperative. Without it, you could lose the dog, or end up with a severely or mortally wounded dog or game animal. Rick's teaching technique allows me to walk off leash with Rafiki and to know that when I call him to Come, that Rafiki will stop the moment he hears the command and will return "with no questions asked".

Cheers, Monnie