About Us
Private Lessons, Group Sessions, and Certification Training Offered.
Experienced instructors including, therapy dog, AKC, and UKC evaluators. Class sizes are limited so every student receives individual attention. Please expect to spend 5 to 10 minutes once or twice a day practicing what you are shown during class.
Experienced instructors including, therapy dog, AKC, and UKC evaluators. Class sizes are limited so every student receives individual attention. Please expect to spend 5 to 10 minutes once or twice a day practicing what you are shown during class.
About Us - Bios
In 2017 Heidi and Sandra, mother and daughter, decided to open an obedience training center. They volunteer their time to teach responsible dog ownership. All of the money from the group sessions goes back into the school for competition grade equipment and expanding the training offered. Recently, they were training at an AKC all breeds club, for confirmation, rally, and advance obedience. Understandably, the club could not allow fearful or reactive dogs into group session and did not offer one-on-one training to help change the behavior. Now they are able to assist individuals with dogs that might otherwise end up in a shelter, to help keep them in a forever home. Both are experienced instructors including, therapy dog, AKC, and UKC evaluators, and have earned titles and awards in performance and conformation competitions with their own dogs. They have trained hundreds of dogs and over 60 different breeds throughout different stages, from puppies to adult, both small and large.
They make regular visits with their therapy dogs to the local senior and memory care centers. They partner with local veterinarian hospitals to provide canine CPR and first aid workshops for handlers of working dogs. Additionally, they worked with local veterans, through the Hunde Helfer Program, to provide low or no cost training obedience to veterans with disabilities, including PTSD.
Heidi, our Training Director, has fifty years experience training canines. Heidi spent thirty years as a police officer, K-9 officer/handler/trainer, DARE program manager, Officer Friendly, and retired as Chief of Police. Heidi was nominated for 2017 Jackson County Woman of the Year. She was president of the Henry County, Illinois Mounted Patrol and a member Search and Rescue team. Heidi was honored with the Meritorious Award for Service as Police officer in Colona, Illinois. Heidi is an evaluator for AKC, UKC, and Alliance of Therapy Dogs. She also breeds long coat German Shepherds and owns Alexanderhof Kennels.
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Sandra Owen, our Operations Manager, Training Supervisor, and Instrucor has over twenty five years of experience training canines, including several years of assisting law enforcement training police K-9 and their handlers in Illinois with obedience, protection, and tracking. Then moved to Colorado and continued working with the local DARE program. In the last few years Sandra has fully trained several service dogs including German Shepherds, Giant Schnauzers, and a Doberman. As expected they went everywhere; including traveling by air, on the metro, by car, in many hotels, stores, and restaurants. In addition, she is an evaluator for AKC, UKC, and Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
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Megan, our Learning Development Specialist, assists in teaching group sessions, offers private lessons, transports dogs and puppies, including those for Alexanderhof Kennels. In 2017, Megan began attending our group training sessions, continuing through our advanced classes. In 2019, she started competing in Rally Obedience and continues to attend shows as ring steward and participant. As well as exploring other dog activities such as Dock Diving and competing twice in the U.S. Canine Biathlon. Megan is an AKC evaluator and continues to volunteer at a rescue shelter in Dacula, attending to dogs, assisting with transports, evaluating future adopters and dogs for adoption.
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Training Methods
We are balanced reward-based dog trainers. While we specialize in working dogs, we also assist with training all size and breeds of dogs. Dogs are not cookie cutters; they have different personalities and are as individual as people. We believe that training must be adjusted to each dog, so we observe the dog’s body language and demeanor to find the correct method that will benefit each dog’s individual personality. We find what motivates the dog, whether they are food, toy, or praise-driven. Ninety plus percent of the training should be well-timed rewards. We always recommend positive, reward-based training during the learning phases. Don’t wait for the dog to fail; set them up for success and always end training on a positive note.
Positive only training may sound like a good idea. However, think of all the dogs in shelters for simple behavioral problems that could have easily been corrected with proper training. While individuals may be well intentioned, it does a disservice to the dog. Purely positive training cannot address dog aggression, food aggression, incessant barking, etc. Plus there will come a point when whatever is distracting the dog is more interesting than whatever reward is in your hand, and if there is no consequence for not following a known command, what is to stop them?
Corrections are not punishment or cruel and should not cause fear or intimidation. Rewards and positive reinforcements should be given for desired behavior, and corrections are done to modify undesired behavior. Ineffective corrections have little or no effect on the dog and will desensitize the dog so they don’t think they need to pay attention to their handler. You should be able to fully control your dog in any environment, even when highly distracted. If your dog was to get off leash in the face of distractions or pick something up that may be poisonous, having a dog that consistently follows commands could save its life.
Dogs are learning all the time and many people inadvertently teach them bad habits. Dogs are creatures of habit; they look for structure. It takes patience, confidence, and consistency to train a well-mannered dog. We love our dogs and would never do anything to harm them.
Before signing up for training, check the trainer’s certifications and get referrals. Be sure you are included in the training process. Don’t send your dog off to get “fixed” as this rarely works.
If we can’t provide what you are looking for chances are we know someone that can.
Positive only training may sound like a good idea. However, think of all the dogs in shelters for simple behavioral problems that could have easily been corrected with proper training. While individuals may be well intentioned, it does a disservice to the dog. Purely positive training cannot address dog aggression, food aggression, incessant barking, etc. Plus there will come a point when whatever is distracting the dog is more interesting than whatever reward is in your hand, and if there is no consequence for not following a known command, what is to stop them?
Corrections are not punishment or cruel and should not cause fear or intimidation. Rewards and positive reinforcements should be given for desired behavior, and corrections are done to modify undesired behavior. Ineffective corrections have little or no effect on the dog and will desensitize the dog so they don’t think they need to pay attention to their handler. You should be able to fully control your dog in any environment, even when highly distracted. If your dog was to get off leash in the face of distractions or pick something up that may be poisonous, having a dog that consistently follows commands could save its life.
Dogs are learning all the time and many people inadvertently teach them bad habits. Dogs are creatures of habit; they look for structure. It takes patience, confidence, and consistency to train a well-mannered dog. We love our dogs and would never do anything to harm them.
Before signing up for training, check the trainer’s certifications and get referrals. Be sure you are included in the training process. Don’t send your dog off to get “fixed” as this rarely works.
If we can’t provide what you are looking for chances are we know someone that can.
Facilities
1510 Skelton Rd., Hoschton, GA 30548
This approximately 20 acre outdoor and indoor training facility exists solely for the purpose of educating you and your dog.
Our facilities are located at 1510 Skelton Rd., Hoschton, GA 30548
Our facilities are located at 1510 Skelton Rd., Hoschton, GA 30548
- From the intersection of Hwy 124 & Hwy 332 go North on 332 for 1/4 mile,
COVID POLICIES
We’ve received numerous requests from our students and decided to resume our class sessions, with a few differences, unless there is a change in directive by the State or County.
For the safety of our customers, students, and trainers we request everyone adhere to social distancing guidelines by maintaining at least 6 feet separation from one another. Additionally, to limit the number of attendees during class we ask that for now only the person training/handling the dog be inside the school. We will be avoiding direct contact with the pets for the moment, including petting, instead trainers will use their own dogs for demonstration purposes. Be sure to bring plenty of your own treats and doggie cleanup bags. The door into the school will remain open before, during, and after class to eliminate touch points.
Before and after coming to class please practice good hygiene prevention habits. If you have a cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, repeated shaking, muscle pain, new loss of taste or smell or been around anyone exhibiting these symptoms in the past 14 days please stay home.
Lastly, heed the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cdc.gov/coronavirus
For the safety of our customers, students, and trainers we request everyone adhere to social distancing guidelines by maintaining at least 6 feet separation from one another. Additionally, to limit the number of attendees during class we ask that for now only the person training/handling the dog be inside the school. We will be avoiding direct contact with the pets for the moment, including petting, instead trainers will use their own dogs for demonstration purposes. Be sure to bring plenty of your own treats and doggie cleanup bags. The door into the school will remain open before, during, and after class to eliminate touch points.
Before and after coming to class please practice good hygiene prevention habits. If you have a cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, repeated shaking, muscle pain, new loss of taste or smell or been around anyone exhibiting these symptoms in the past 14 days please stay home.
Lastly, heed the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cdc.gov/coronavirus