Private One-on-One Dog Training in Royal Oak, MI

Our private, one-on-one dog training lessons in Royal Oak are designed to be flexible, effective, and focused on long-term results:

These lessons are tailored to your dog’s behavior and your goals, whether you’re working through leash pulling, jumping, barking, socialization issues, or just need more transparent communication. You’ll leave each session with hands-on coaching, a customized plan, and a better understanding of how to confidently lead your dog.

In individual dog training lessons, we primarily use slip leads and long lines to create clear, consistent communication between you and your dog. In some cases, we may introduce prong collars or e-collars for adult dogs, but only after we’ve coached you on using them calmly and responsibly. These tools help establish structure and guidance while controlling you, without overwhelming your dog or relying on constant bribery. The goal is always clarity, not correction for the sake of it.

We also teach you to use treats as a tool, not a crutch. Timing is everything—if you reward a behavior too late, your dog won’t make the proper connection. At the same time, if you give your dog a treat while they’re in a bad state of mind, you accidentally reinforce a bad behavior.

Our sessions show you exactly when to reward your dog, and more importantly, why it matters. The goal is to reinforce calm, obedient behavior at just the right moment, so your dog begins to associate good choices with good outcomes.

As your dog becomes more consistent, we help you transition to intermittent rewards, which keep them engaged without making them dependent on treats. This balance helps your dog behave because they understand what’s expected, not just because there’s food involved. Treats and tools are never one-size-fits-all. What matters most is how you use them—and that’s exactly what we teach you.

Absolutely—and most do without owners realizing it. Dogs mirror human energy, body language, and reactions. If you give in when your dog barks, pulls, or demands attention, you’re reinforcing that behavior, whether you mean to or not. These patterns become habits fast.

One-on-one training is about making you aware of how your behavior shapes your dog’s. We’ll coach you through the moments where inconsistency creates confusion and show you how to replace it with calm, confident leadership. Once you change, your dog does too.

Boundaries are everything. They create safety, structure, and clarity—not just for your dog but for you as the leader. Without boundaries, your dog learns to push limits, take control, or stay stuck in a constant state of overexcitement or stress.

In our private dog training lessons, we help you set house rules and stick to them: no rushing the door, no jumping on guests, no pulling on the leash. When your dog sees that those boundaries are always enforced—calmly, clearly, and consistently—they begin to trust your leadership and settle down.

The key is showing, not just telling. Dogs don’t understand language the way we do—they learn through timing, body language, and repetition.

In your one-on-one lessons, we’ll guide you through every step: giving the command, physically helping your dog into the right position, rewarding calm compliance, and correcting gently when needed.

More importantly, we’ll teach you how to follow through at home. Most training fails not because the dog can’t learn but because the owner doesn’t know how to teach. Our lessons focus on coaching you just as much as your dog.