Program 01
In-Home Private Training
I train your dog where they are most comfortable, in your home.
Starting at $700
- 1 evaluation session
- (4) 1-hour training sessions
- Price varies according to dog's age
- Lifetime trainer support after face-to-face
Train Your Dog the Right Way with DW Dog Training
I specialize in obedience training, from basic commands and housebreaking through behavior modification. My goal is to help you build a bond with your dog and a lasting relationship based on trust and mutual respect.
- Dog Training since
- 2001
- I answer
- 6 AM - 7 PM, 7 days a week
- Board and train
- In my home, not a kennel
“Better Relationships From Better Communication”
And then reality happens
For most of us, when we get a dog, we have an image in our mind of how great life is going to be. Playing fetch. Strolling down the street enjoying a lovely day. Nighttime cuddles on the sofa watching your favorite show. A happy face when you get home no matter how dark your day was. It is going to be great.
And then reality happens. Your dog’s favorite game is running away and having you chase them. You have arms of steel from water skiing behind your dog, who is dragging you toward another dog, a person, a tree, a squirrel. Your favorite show gets interrupted because your dog needs your attention NOW, or strangers are walking past the house and the world needs to know about it. You brace yourself before you walk through the door to endure the love mauling you are about to get, and that is before we talk about what happens when guests come over.
I have plenty more examples, but I hope you understand the point: you are not alone. Nearly every person who calls me is describing some version of this, and most of them have been putting up with it far longer than they needed to.
Where "Better Relationships From Better Communication" comes from
Most owners I have spoken to are at their wits’ end, not understanding how to communicate their needs to their dogs. They give them the best food, plenty of exercise, enough toys for a hundred dogs, lots of love, all the things a dog could ever need. And still their dogs carry on with frustrating, sometimes dangerous shenanigans. It makes for a very unbalanced relationship.
So my motto is better relationships from better communication. The more black and white you make things, the easier it is for your dog to understand and follow through. It really is that simple, most of the time.
That is also why I train in your home rather than in a hall. Dogs show their best and their worst behavior where they actually live, so that is where the work belongs, and it means there is no awkward translation step afterwards where your dog behaves beautifully somewhere it will never be again. More about how I got here.
Three programs, real prices
Every program is tailored to the individual dog and owner. Pick the one that fits how you live, and I will tell you honestly if a different one suits you better.
Program 02
Kick Start Training
Best of Board and Train blended with In-Home Private Training.
Starting at $1,600
- (5) daily 1-hour in-home training sessions
- Training sessions 6 and 7 are a private lesson for the owner
- Training equipment is included in the price
- A continuation program is also available
Program 03
Board and Train
Advanced dog training, where I take your dog in for up to 3 weeks.
Starting at $3,600
In my home, not a kennel
- Training is in my home, not a kennel
- All training equipment is included
- On-leash training or on-and-off-leash training are available
An evaluation is $100, and it rolls into the overall fee if you proceed with training. How evaluations work
Behavior problems I work with
Behavior work is matter-of-fact here: assess it, train it, live better. Nothing about it needs to be dramatic.
The problems
- Biting
- Excessive barking
- House training
- Digging
- Running away
- Destructive behavior
- Handler aggression
- Leash pulling
The training
- On-leash training
- Off-leash training
- Basic obedience
- Advanced obedience
- Service dog training
Dogs I have worked with
Real clients, with what they came in for and when. It is a fair sample of what actually comes through the door, and very little of it is a dog that will not sit.
Questions I get asked a lot
- What age is too young or too old for training?
- Ideally the younger the better, but that is not always possible, so really any age is fine. It is never too late to train your dog. I have trained dogs as old as 13.
- Which is better, private lessons or board and train?
- It is up to you. With board and train I take your dog and train them for a set time, then give you a go-home lesson and follow-up lessons when they come back. With private lessons I train you to train your dog, in your home and your neighborhood. I prime your dog with the exercises first so they go relatively smoothly for you, and we build from there.
- I do not have a dog yet. Can you help me find one?
- Puppies are cute and you get to guide everything from the start, but they are a lot of work: sleepless nights, eyes in the back of your head, potty training, constant monitoring. Worth it, as long as you know the work is front-loaded. Older dogs are great too. They usually sleep through the night, you have a good idea of the personality you are getting, and there are plenty in shelters who ended up there for losing their puppy cuteness. Get in touch either way. I work with several local rescues and we can usually find you the right match.
- My dog went through training elsewhere and it did not take. Can you help?
- Maybe. There are several reasons training does not stick, so I will ask a lot of questions to work out which one applies. Often it is simply that some handlers and some dogs are overwhelmed in a group class and do far better with private in-home work, or that the dog performs well at a facility and cannot transfer it home. It is a fairly common problem and not a verdict on your dog.
- Do you guarantee results?
- No, and be careful of anyone who does. What happens depends on the dog, its history, your household, and whether the handling continues after I leave. What I promise is a straight assessment, including telling you when I am not the right fit for your dog.
Where I work
I am based in the Baltimore, MD area and travel out from there, and how far depends on which program you want. In-home lessons and Kick Start reach roughly a two hour drive, because I am the one covering the distance. Board and train works from a tighter catchment of about an hour, because your dog makes that trip twice.
Dog training in Baltimore, Towson, Columbia, Ellicott City, Annapolis, Silver Spring and Bethesda. If you are not sure whether your address works for the program you want, call and ask. It is a thirty second answer. See the full service area.
Brian K., on a month of work
“Denise did everything she promised and more. I can’t say enough great things about her. In only a month, she transformed my dog. Also, she makes the training easy to do for the average dog owner. Can’t recommend her services highly enough.”
What Baltimore-area clients say
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Better Relationships From Better Communication
A phone consultation is a good first interview. We will talk through what your dog is doing, what you want to change, and roughly how I would approach it.