What Actually Happens During a Shake Training Session

(Because You Probably Have Questions)

I get some version of this question a lot: "So... what do you actually do when you come over?"

It's a fair question. Hiring a trainer, especially one who comes into your home, feels like a big step. You don't totally know what to expect, and honestly I think a lot of people don't reach out because they're not sure what they're signing up for.

So let me just tell you exactly what it looks like.

First, we talk — a lot

The first chunk of any session is me asking you questions. A lot of them. What does your dog do that's driving you crazy? When does it happen? Who else lives in the house? What have you already tried? What does your dog love, hate, get excited about?

I'm not asking to be nosy. I'm building a picture of your dog's world, because behavior doesn't happen in a vacuum. The same issue in two different households can have two completely different causes, and the fix needs to match the cause, not just the symptom.

Then I watch

Before I start teaching you anything, I want to see how you and your dog interact naturally. This is one of the biggest advantages of in-home training. Your dog's behavior at home is almost always different from how they'd act in a training facility or a vet's office. I'm seeing the real version, the couch they're not supposed to be on, the door they go nuts at, the specific spot in the backyard where they lose their mind.

Context is everything in behavioral work.

Then we actually train, and so do you

Here's something people don't always expect: a big part of my job is teaching you, not just your dog. Dogs don't generalize well, which means what they learn with me in a session won't automatically transfer unless you're reinforcing it consistently in between visits. So I'll walk you through exactly what to do, let you practice it with your dog while I'm there, and make sure you leave with a clear plan for the days until we meet again.

It's a partnership. You're not dropping your dog off and picking up a trained version later. We're building skills together.

To wrap it up, I give you homework

Every session ends with specific, written guidance on what to work on before next time. Not vague advice like "practice more", actual exercises, with instructions on how to do them, what to look for, and what to do if it's not going the way you expected.

This is where a lot of the real progress happens, honestly. The session plants the seed, but what you do between sessions is what makes it grow.

If you've been on the fence about reaching out, I hope this helped demystify things a little. The first step is just a conversation, and that part's completely free.

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