Recommend your dog trainer?

[Anonymous]

My 2-year-old rescue pup is now great at obeying commands (come, sit, down, stay, wait, and some tricks!) in low-excitement situations but doesn't "heel" despite our efforts, remains highly reactive on the leash, and has trouble paying attention to us at all when there are distractions - ie, anytime we are at a dog park, or she spots a squirrel, or a squealing child. her reactivity on the leash is particularly problematic. she's sweet but highly excitable and has a strong prey drive, and i'm pleased at the progress we have made, but we seem to have plateaued and I think perhaps we have reached the limit of the training methods i know. the first trainer we hired is very much about the positive reinforcement ONLY - an attitude I appreciate but I suspect just might not work any further progress here. (it's not like I want to put a shock collar on her - just interested in a trainer who might consider judicious use of the spray bottle, or maybe proper use of a pinch collar for training purposes as appropriate). we went for several sessions and she definitely helped with some of the basic stuff, but i'm not seeing any further progress. there are a dizzying array of trainers out there and I'm not sure which are useful. are there qualifications in particular I should look for? any individuals you would recommend?

[Anonymous]

Where are you located? we have a great trainer in Old Town alexandria that I'd highly recommend.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'm in NW DC. Old Town might be a bit far but perhaps not depending on what else we find?

[Anonymous]

David at Old Town School for dogs.
Works with a bunch of rehab dogs and knows when positive reinforcement isn't enough. He can do a set of six private lessons and while they are expensive he is excellent and generous with his time.

[Anonymous]

david

[Anonymous]

My parents used Old Towne and they are amazing. A huge difference with their dog. But at the end of the day, the owner needs to stay with the training to be successful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm in NW DC. Old Town might be a bit far but perhaps not depending on what else we find?

Sidewalk dog training is located in AU Park: http://sidewalkdogtraining.com/

Give him a call and see if he works for you.

[Anonymous]

Furgetmenot in Shirlington has classes for leash manner, reactive dogs, etc. They also do private training.