“My cute little puppy is driving me crazy.”

Puppy Training

Summary

Point A

  • Housetraining woes
  • Punctured clothing and skin
  • Chewed shoes, furniture, and treasured belongings
  • Broken sleep
  • Exhaustion and frustration

(Thank goodness they’re so cute!)

Point B

Enjoy a calmer puppy who knows where to potty, how to keep her teeth to herself and her own things, who can sleep through the night, responds to basic manners cues, and will grow up into an easy-going adult dog you can take anywhere.

Let me help you connect the dots between Point A & Point B so you can enjoy your dog’s puppyhood and watch her grow up into a great companion.

Choose Your Personalized Puppy Training Path

Coaching Path—You learn to train your puppy

We’ll meet once each week in your home. I’ll show you how to work with your pup and set you up with the week’s training homework.

Day Training Path—I train your puppy for you

We’ll still meet once each week in your home. But in between I’ll train your puppy for you, getting her ready to show off and transfer her new behaviors to you at the end of each week. Recommended for busy puppy parents looking for the fastest relief.

How I Work

All puppy training begins with a 90-minute Initial Consult, which is $225.

At this consult, we’ll work together to set goals and carve a personalized path to reaching them, building around your household and lifestyle and your puppy’s learning needs.

If you choose to pursue training, personalized sessions will be billed at the rate of $125/one-hour session. Discounts are available for packages of four (4) or more sessions.

All training will be a positive experience for puppy and human alike, based on sound scientific principles. Learn more about my approach to training.

Ready to connect the dots to Point B?

Call or email me to set up your Initial Consult today.

Phone: 484.995.0932
Email: melanie@melanieceronephd.com

Puppy Socialization: The Most Important Training You’ll Ever Do

For most puppy owners, house training, biting and chewing, and basic manners top the list of puppy concerns. But for dog trainers, it’s all about socialization. Socialization is the process by which we systematically teach puppies to love the world around them—to enjoy meeting new people and making new dog friends, to get along with the cat, ignore backfiring cars, and generally be easy-going about new places, experiences, and situations.

But my puppy is already so friendly

Socialization probably sounds silly on the surface—your puppy is a friendly bundle of silly at the moment. It’s hard to imagine her growing up into a fearful or aggressive dog. And yet shelters around the country are full of fearful and aggressive dogs who missed proper puppy socialization to help them become laid back adult companions.

The risks of under-socialization

Your pup’s brain is hardwired to be accepting of new things. But as she grows up, that openness will dwindle. Her genes will tell her to be wary of anything she hasn’t already had plenty of positive experience with. If she hasn’t met lots of dogs while on leash, that could translate to leash reactivity or aggression. If she hasn’t spent time around children, she may become fearful or aggressive when little ones are around. If she hasn’t spent time in loud, busy urban environments she may be unable to relax and enjoy them with you as an adult.

For these reasons, it is important to build socialization into every puppy training plan—along with all the things on your goal list.

Your pup’s brain is hardwired to be accepting of new things. But as she grows up, that openness will dwindle.

Your Puppy Trainer

Melanie Cerone, Ph.D.

Perhaps because she specializes in aggression, Melanie loves puppy training. There’s great joy in preventing the challenging behaviors that so often leave guardians at their wits’ end, and there’s no better time to do that than puppyhood.

Learn more about Melanie.