Trainer standing beside a black and white dog that sits and looks up at him during a park training session
Founder-led coaching for adult dogs

Better walks.Clearer choices.Stronger teams.

Practical, one-on-one coaching for adult dogs who need everyday leash skills or focused help with reactivity.

Book a discovery call
Programs

Two training paths, both built around the adult dog and the person holding the leash.

Choose the plan that fits your goals.

Everyday leash skills01

Basics

One-on-one coaching for adult dogs who need clearer communication, and more reliable obedience for everyday living.

  • Five weekly lessons of 60 minutes each
  • Equipment and support materials included
  • Loose-leash walking and focus
  • Practical neighborhood sessions
  • Hands-on coaching for the handler

Pricing

  • $975 · 5 weekly lessons of 60 minutes each
  • Runs about 5 weeks, one lesson per week
  • $100 evaluation fee credited toward the program cost upon enrollment
Leash reactivity02

E.D.G.E.

One-on-one coaching for reactive dogs of any breed, completed over six to eight weeks or in an accelerated four-week format. Best suited to moderate to severe reactivity.

  • Engage, channel Drive, Guide, Execute
  • Four practical stages that work when the walk gets hard
  • Practice under real-world pressure

Pricing

  • Standard: $2,375 · 8 sessions over 6 to 8 weeks
  • Accelerated: $2,975 · 8 sessions in 4 weeks, two lessons per week
  • $100 evaluation fee credited toward the program cost upon enrollment
The E.D.G.E. method

A framework you can remember under pressure.

E.D.G.E. stands for Engage, channel Drive, Guide, Execute. Four practical stages that work when the walk gets hard. All running together.

01

Engage

Your dog learns to value and focus on you. Reactive dogs are reinforced by the world around them. Let's flip that around.

02

Drive

We give your dog's energy a place to go that's productive, instead of right at their reactivity triggers.

03

Guide

You learn the handling, leash mechanics, and timing needed to make the next choice clear.

04

Execute

You practice it in real environments until it holds under real pressure. The leash stays in your hands as much as possible.

Australian Shepherd resting on grass with a yellow long line trailing away and a red tug toy nearby

More information. Less guesswork. A walk you can stay present for.

Reviews

Clearer communication changes the whole walk.

Real experiences from clients who worked directly with Derek.

Black dog with one blue eye looking up at the camera while leashed on a walkAustralian Shepherd sitting on gravel and watching the handlerBlack and white dog standing calmly on a sidewalk beside a road while on leash
“Once Derek showed me how to communicate clearly and consistently, everything changed. My dog now listens, he checks in with me, he’s calmer, more focused, and so much less reactive. For the first time, I can take him on a walk without feeling anxious the entire time. Derek is a wonderful trainer.”

Heather Wilson

Calmer walks · stronger check-ins · less reactivity

01 / 08
Derek Weaver smiling beside a brindle dog wearing a training collar on a downtown walk
Founder-led

You work directly with Derek Weaver.

Why this approach

The handler is part of the solution.

The goal is not to make your dog smaller or hand the work to someone else. It is to give both ends of the leash a shared language.

We start with the situation that keeps repeating, build a practical decision sequence, and practice it in the environments where you actually need it.

Questions

Clear answers before you commit.

No mystery language. No pressure. Just the information you need to make a useful next decision.

Still deciding?

The $100 evaluation is where most of these get answered for your dog rather than in general, and it comes off your program if you enroll.

Basics is for everyday leash skills and clearer handling. E.D.G.E. is the one-on-one program for reactive dogs of any breed, and it suits moderate to severe reactivity where barking, lunging, fixation, or shutdown makes walks difficult. The evaluation confirms the right fit.

E.D.G.E. stands for Engage, channel Drive, Guide, Execute. It is the four-stage framework behind the reactivity program, and the name is easy to remember because you will be using it under pressure. Engage means your dog learns to focus on you instead of the world around them. Channel Drive means the energy that goes into reacting gets aimed somewhere productive. Guide means you learn the handling, leash mechanics, and timing that make the next choice clear. Execute means you practice it in real environments until it holds. The stages overlap rather than run in a line, which is why the program is built around them instead of a list of commands.

The evaluation is where I look at two things together: the relationship between you and your dog, and what the dog actually knows. I assess standard obedience, how severe the problem is, and the likelihood of reaching your results in a reasonable timeframe. Your dog is not being tested for a pass or fail, and you are not being sold to. You leave with honest feedback either way. It is non-refundable because the evaluation is the service, and it is credited toward your program if you enroll.

Yes. Aggression is a common issue, and completely natural to a dog's behavior. However, the process to gain control of aggression, and ideally to rehabilitate the dog, requires a more in-depth approach, starting with the evaluation. Programs often run longer, and the cost of time and money is greater than with most other issues. Aggression programs start at $3,600, due to complexity of the issue and the risks involved.

E.D.G.E. is $2,375 for eight sessions across 6 to 8 weeks, or $2,975 for the same eight sessions compressed into four weeks with two lessons each week. Basics is $975 for five weekly lessons of 60 minutes each, with equipment and support materials included. The evaluation is $100, charged up front and credited toward your program if you enroll. There are no other fees, no travel charge inside Placer County, and no upcharge for equipment. If we have not hit your goals after the eight sessions, the Make-Right Guarantee covers up to four additional lessons at no cost, with at least one of those mine alone.

The evaluation fee is not refundable, because the evaluation itself is the service you receive. It does apply to the cost of the program if you enroll, so it is not an extra cost on top of your program price. If your dog is not a fit, you keep the feedback and are under no obligation to enroll.

Payment details are part of the discovery call. If you need to spread the cost rather than pay it all at once, say so when you book the evaluation and we can go over the options that fit your program and schedule.

No. It is a structured coaching process, completed over six to eight weeks or in an accelerated four-week format. Your progress depends on the dog in front of you, the environments you practice in, and your ability to maintain the work between lessons.

No. You are involved in every session. Your dog has to listen to you, not just me. I follow an 80/20 approach, so you do most of the handling while I direct timing and mechanics.

What a reactive dog learns does not decay on its own as long as the handling and the environment stay consistent. Behavior lives inside the life you and your dog actually have, and a change to that life is usually what undoes the work, not time. Move house, have a baby, get a new dog, start different hours, and the picture changes. So the last lessons are spent making you the handler rather than making your dog dependent on me. I also keep the door open afterward. You can text or call when something comes up, and if a new situation shows you a gap, we can address it then instead of letting it become a new problem.

Nothing beyond a collar, a leash, and food your dog actually agrees is food. Equipment is included and there is no upcharge, which means what gets used is my decision based on the dog in front of me rather than a kit you are required to buy. Most of the time that is a fitted collar, a six-foot leash, and a handful of treats worth working for. If your dog needs a specific piece of gear for safety, I will tell you exactly what and why. I will also tell you when a tool is not the answer.

The honest answer is: it depends. We hop on the phone, then schedule an evaluation so we can be sure real progress is achievable. I have a strong record of results, but I want you to know what to expect for your dog and your situation, because every dog is an individual and the outcome will look a little different from dog to dog and owner to owner.

Any breed is welcome to train. Herding and working breeds such as Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, German Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois often progress fastest because of their built-in motivation to learn and adapt. The program stays adaptable to a wide range of breeds and personality types.

Confident Canine Coaching serves clients in and around Placer County, California, including Rocklin, Roseville, Loomis, Lincoln, Auburn, and Granite Bay. Sessions are built around the environments and situations that matter in daily life.

You will talk through your dog, the current challenge, and your goals. The evaluation is where you get honest feedback that helps you decide whether this is the right program. It is a straightforward conversation, not a pressure-heavy sales call.

A clear first step

Bring the walk that keeps repeating.

Tell Derek what your dog notices, where the leash gets difficult, and what you want to be able to do together.

A short call first, then the $100 evaluation. If your dog is not a fit, you still leave with honest feedback and under no obligation to enroll.

Adult dog looking up at the camera with an open-mouthed grin on green grass