Leash reactivity isn't a behavior problem.
It's a communication gap.

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 reactivity 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.

E.D.G.E. stands for Engage, channel Drive, Guide, Execute. The name matters because you will be relying on it when the walk gets hard and you do not have time to think it through. Engage: your dog learns to value and focus on you rather than everything moving around them. Channel Drive: the energy that currently goes into reacting gets directed somewhere productive instead. Guide: you learn the handling, leash mechanics, and timing that make your next choice clear to your dog. Execute: you run it in real environments until it holds under pressure. The stages overlap rather than queue up one after another, which is why progress on one tends to pull the others along.

It may be, but it is a different scope and it is priced separately: programs for aggressive dogs start at $3,600, with the exact plan set after the evaluation. I do take on dogs who have shown aggression, and every case is assessed on its own. There is one limit worth knowing before you book. My insurance does not cover dogs with a documented bite history, which as I understand it means a record of the incident somewhere, from animal control, a police report, or a veterinary report. If that is your dog, I cannot take the case. Reach out anyway, because I would rather sort that out early than have you come out to an evaluation that cannot go anywhere. It is also worth saying that not every dog who looks aggressive is aggressive. Plenty of dogs who lunge and bark are scared rather than dangerous.

$2,397 for 6 one-on-one sessions across 6 weeks. The program extends if your dog needs more time, at no change to the terms. The evaluation is free, so nothing is charged up front. There is no travel fee inside Placer County and no extra charge for equipment or support materials.

Nothing. The evaluation is free, and it is where I meet your dog in person and give you a straight answer on what I think is possible. If it shows this is not the right fit, you keep the feedback and are under no obligation to enroll.

Payment details are part of the evaluation. If you need to spread the cost rather than pay it all at once, say so when you book and we can go over the options that fit your program and schedule. If your program gets extended, we sort the timing before the next lesson so nothing is left open.

If we have not hit your goals after the 6 sessions of your program, the Make-Right Guarantee covers up to 4 additional lessons at no cost, bringing it to 10 lessons. At least one of those is mine alone: I handle your dog with no leash in your hand, read what the dog actually needs, and hand that understanding back to you. The rest keeps the leash in your hands as much as possible, because the skills have to work when I am not there.

Yes. 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. I step in when a repetition will land better in my hands, then hand it straight back.

What your dog learns does not decay on its own as long as the handling and the environment stay consistent. Behavior lives inside the life you 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, change your hours, and the picture changes. The last lessons are spent making you the handler rather than making your dog dependent on me, and I keep the door open afterward. Text or call when something comes up, and if a new situation shows you a gap, we address it then instead of letting it become a new problem.

Nothing. Equipment is included and there is no upcharge, which means what gets used is decided by the dog in front of me rather than a kit you are required to purchase. Most of the time that is a properly fitted collar, a six-foot leash, and food your dog actually agrees is food. If your dog needs a specific piece of gear for safety, I will tell you exactly what and why.

More than 90% of the dogs I work with show significant improvement within the six weeks. What that looks like varies. Every dog arrives with a different history, a different nervous system, and owners with different amounts of time to put in. What I can do is assess honestly at the evaluation, tell you the likelihood of reaching your goals in a reasonable timeframe, and tell you if I think the goal itself needs adjusting. If I do not think I can help your dog, I will say so rather than take the work. If we have not hit your goals after the 6 sessions, the Make-Right Guarantee covers up to 4 more lessons at no cost, for 10 in total.

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 is still adaptable to a wide range of breeds and personality types.

For training, I accept proof of current vaccinations or proof of a titer test performed within the last 30 days.