At DogMore Academy, we are constantly striving to ensure our programs can serve the varying needs of our clients. Our popular in-home programs and our weekly WalkMore Drop-In Clinics have enabled us to provide our professional dog training services to dog owners in the west Michigan area.
As part of our ongoing mission to grow and evolve our service offerings, we have recently launched a new way for you to work with DogMore Academy – with the introduction of our Day Training programs. Whilst we have designed our Day Training to mirror the core components of our private lesson programs, there are some unique benefits on offer when you sign up for one of our Day Training options.
In this article, we’re going to cover the main benefits of our new Day Training program, and why it might be a good choice for you and your dog!
How do our Day Training programs work?
Day Training at DogMore Academy is pretty simple!
We offer three programs – Elite (six sessions), Complete (four sessions) and Manners (two sessions). For each session, you will drop your dog off at our training facility in Allegan, MI. We will then spend the day working with your dog to achieve your training goals.
When you return at the end of the day to pick up your dog, we will demonstrate the progress we have made and show you how to maintain the behaviors at home. We will also schedule follow-up sessions after the completion of your chosen program, which can take place at your home or at our facility. You’ll also get lifetime access to our WalkMore Drop-In Clinics, meaning you’ll always have peace of mind when it comes to any issues with your dog’s behavior!
The benefits of our Day Training programs
There are a few major benefits of our Day Training programs which may be preferable for some owners, depending on your lifestyle and circumstances.
More time spent = quicker results
It stands to reason that the more time we can actually spend training your dog, the quicker we can arrive at our desired training outcomes. Although our in-home lessons are a very useful option (particularly for resolving behaviors that may only occur in your home environment), it obviously isn’t feasible for us to spend a whole day at your house to train your dog.
Due to the sheer amount of time we are able to work with your dog during the course of a Day Training session, we can achieve much more in a shorter amount of time. For example, with our in-home packages, we typically recommend bi-weekly lessons; with Day Training, we sometimes work with dogs twice per week. This means that even our Elite Program (six sessions) can be completed in less than a month.
Added convenience for dog owners
If you lead a busy lifestyle juggling work and family life, you may find it difficult to find time in your schedule for our in-home lessons. Additionally, if you don’t have time to spend working with your dog during the week, the training objectives can take longer to achieve.
With our Day Training programs, all you need to do is drop your dog off in the morning and pick them up in the early evening! Whether you are on your way to work, or you simply need a day catching up at home without your dog under your feet, there are a number of reasons why Day Training is more convenient. And don’t worry – when you arrive at the end of the day, we’ll cover exactly what we’ve worked on, so you can make sure to reinforce the training at home.
An optimized structure for dog training
During our in-home sessions, there are times when a dog becomes overwhelmed and exhausted. Continuing the training past that point often serves little purpose and means that the overall training takes longer to complete.
In this respect, our Day Training programs are different, because we can work with your dog in a series of smaller sessions throughout the day. We can structure a plan which will get the most of our training in short bursts, meaning your dog remains focused and enthusiastic. For example, rather than one lesson lasting for two hours, we might split it into four half-hour sessions. This allocation of time allows your dog to rest in between these short sessions, and ensures that they can recharge and be ready to learn.
Customized follow-ups
Included in each of our Day Training programs is a number of follow-up sessions (two follow-ups for our Elite program; one follow-up for Complete and Manners). These sessions take place after a period of time has elapsed after the completion of your dog’s program, and are designed to ensure that your dog is continuing to meet its training goals.
We offer a lot of flexibility for the follow-up sessions so that you can get the most out of them. You are welcome to bring your dog to our training facility, but we are also happy to visit your home if you want us to see how your dog behaves in its regular environment. Follow-ups can also take place at a time of your choosing – meaning you can wait a few months if you prefer. And don’t forget you will have lifetime access to our weekly WalkMore Drop-In Clinics, providing you with the chance to socialize your dog in a controlled environment and put your questions to a professional dog trainer.
Go-home videos
As part of our Day Training program, you will receive a series of training videos which will be specific for your dog’s training goals. This will help you to maintain your dog’s behavior in its home environment.
After each day your dog spends with us at DogMore Academy, you will receive a personalized video which will highlight some of the training we have worked on. Within these videos, you’ll receive instructions on what to keep working on at home – and you’ll always have access to that video, so you can refer back to it as much as is needed.
Different training environment
Bringing your dog to our training facility is a great way to expose them to a new environment – with new smells, new people, new everything – which is essential to building a well-rounded dog.
During our Day Training programs, your dog will be in a completely different setting to the one it is accustomed to. This is great for building and proofing behaviors. We can also introduce external factors to our training – such as common distractions, including people or other dogs walking by – in a controlled setting which increases the chances of successful training.
In conclusion
At DogMore Academy, we want to make our dog training programs accessible and convenient for owners in the west Michigan area. Introducing our range of Day Training programs is another way we can deliver our programs and help to strengthen the human-canine bond.
If you require any further information about our Day Training programs, or have any questions regarding your dog’s behavior, we would love to hear from you! Simply call us on (616) 446-3639 or email [email protected] and we will be happy to help.