West Coast K-9 Dog Trainer San Diego conducts the private training at the clients home or at our training/boarding facilities. There is a required thirty minute phone consultation before training is scheduled. This consultation is FREE and there are no obligations.

• Training your canine companion is vitally important for both you and your dog. It is a time where you begin to understand your dog, creating a bond of love and mutual respect.
  
• West Coast K-9 Dog Trainer San Diego is fully insured and operated by a team of Expert Certified Dog Trainers with extensive knowledge and experience. This knowledge coupled with a variety of training techniques meshed into a unique style will allow you to experience a better and more fulfilling relationship with your well trained dog.

6 week basic obedience One session per week, each lasting 1 hour. This program covers all the basics as well as problem solving. It includes On Leash training, some Off Leash training, solving and curtailing issues such as barking, digging, jumping, bolting, nipping, housebreaking, chewing etc. Your dog will also learn basic obedience commands.(sit, stay, down, heel, come etc).

6 week course 2 one hour visits/week 12 total training sessions This program is designed for Advanced Training and Behavior Modification. Some behavioral issues we work with include: excessive barking, introducing your dog to other animals in the house, destructive behaviors, submissive behaviors due to lack of confidence or past experiences, extreme unruliness in the house or on leash, fear aggression, toy/food possession or aggression, separation anxiety. Program 2 can also benifit the dogs that have been through basic obedience already. We can brush up on current training as well as focus on advanced training, taking your dogs obedience skills to the next level. Call or e-mail for details.

6 Week Basic Obedience 2 one hour visits/week 12 total training sessions This program follows the same training as program 1, except that the owner does not have to be present for 5 out of the 6 weeks. For the last two training sessions the owner will need to be available to review what the dog has learned, and how to continue this training so the trainer can empower the owner.

We cater to you and your dogs needs...we do it all. Housebreaking, Basic Obedience, Intermediate Obedience and Advanced Off-Leash Obedience, house manners, chewing, digging, jumping, barking, crate training and more. All boarding takes place in one of the homes of a West Coast K9 Trainer, and the dogs live in this normal home environment during their stay. Your dog will be exercised 2-3 times daily and although the training is fairly constant; we do set aside 2 hours a day for focused 1 on 1 training sessions. A one hour follow up session in your home is mandatory and it is included in the boarding price. If you send your dog to us from another city or state out of our area your follow up session will be conducted over e-mail and telephone. General prices are listed below. Special requests and multiple dogs will be subject to price increases.

1 Week Board & Train - $950.00 ($136/day)

2 Week Board & Train - $1800.00 ($129/day)

3 Week Board & Train - $2400.00 ($114/day)

4 Week Board & Train - $2800.00 ($93/day)

Your dog will be Safe, Happy & Stimulated both mentally and physically during his/her stay with West Coast K9.

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West Coast K9 – San Diego Dog Obedience School – Located on site at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas.

Obedience training can make a remarkable difference in a dog’s behavior, and every dog can benefit from obedience training. After successful dog obedience training, a dog that was once out of control becomes alert to the commands of his owner, and a dog with obedience training often calms down considerably.

The primary concept in training dogs is indirect access. Using positive reinforcement we train the dog with something the dog desires. Whenever the dog does something we desire, we reward the dog with what he desires; say a treat, play or affection. This is identical to Ivan Pavlov, the famous psychologist's classical conditioning methods. The more we reinforce that behavior, the more we are likely to cement it into the dog's thoughts.

For this type of classical conditioning to work a dog must learn what is known as indirect access. Indirect access is really defined by the term. Instead of the dog going directly for what he wants, the dog must learn that the fastest way to fulfill his desires is actually taking an indirect route-obedience to the owner. This is the essence of training; programming an animal's mind with a foreign, un-natural thinking pattern in order to suppress an undesirable natural pattern.

The expression "practice makes perfect" is very true with dog obedience training. The more you condition your dog in a certain behavioral pattern, the more ingrained that pattern will become. After the dog has been properly trained, your wishes will be more easily obeyed. Being consistent with your commands and follow through is a key component to training your dog, without it you won’t accomplish the obedience training goals you have set.

Ironically your dog will probably be thinking he is training you to follow his commands! Talk about reverse psychology! The ability to create a treat, play or receive affection on command is often all too irresistible to a canine. In a way, both of you are being trained to give each other what you desire; creating a more satisfying relationship for both of you. As a result of the benefits in the relationship there becomes a stronger bond between you and your dog. We believe an obedient dog is a happier and healthier dog because of the new found communication.

West Coast K9 San Diego Dog Obedience Courses use a combination of approach’s toward training; also employing a "no free lunch" policy. With a no free lunch approach a dog must learn to use self control and employ obedience to gain everything he desires. This policy does not only apply to food reward but also to attention, affection, play with humans as well as other dogs and other forms of reward.

Making eye contact is also another way to grab the attention of your dog. How can you teach your dog anything if you cannot get his attention? The dog should only be concerned about you; recognizing you as the provider of all good things. Each time the dog gives you his attention you need to reinforce this behavior by maintaining eye contact and rewarding the dog. The more you reinforce this behavior, the more engrained it will become. Keep in mind timing is crucial in any training exercise, especially when teaching your dog to look at you and maintain eye contact.

Dog Obedience Training San Diego:

Continue obedience training throughout your dog’s life. It should be a part of a daily routine: he waits at doorways, gets in the car when invited, comes when called etc. As he masters the Basic Obedience, teach him new advanced commands to stimulate his mind. Our children attend school for 18 years and then many continue their education for another 4 plus years in college or trade school. One 6-week- dog obedience course or a few private lessons isn’t going to fix everything; although, it will most likely lay down a great foundation. You must continue using what you have learned and strive to learn more. Give your dog the opportunity to succeed and teach him right from wrong.

When choosing a Dog Trainer you must consider a number of important factors:

1. Ask them if they are a Certified Dog Trainer?

2. Where did they go to school to learn this unique trade?

3. How long have they been professionally training dogs?

4. Do they work with any local Veterinarian Offices, Rescue Groups or Humane Societies? A good trainer will have relationships with other professionals in the community, particularly a Humane Society as they promote humane dog training methods and on going education.

5. You often pay for what you get…If a one Obedience Course is $100 and another is $150 explore the differences and compare the two. You will most likely find that the less expensive course has 2 to 3 times the number of dogs in the class and there is far less personal attention. The dogs and owners that don’t pick up on the training as fast will be left behind in a large classroom. The same goes for children…would you rather have your child in a class of 20 kids or 40 kids. At West Coast K9 we keep our classes’ small and intimate; being sure that every owner and dog has the opportunity to succeed. We couldn’t possibly provide the same attention with a class of 20 plus dogs. It will be well worth the extra $50.00 to be in the smaller class.

6. Are they Licensed, Insured and Bonded? This is an important one as many dog trainers are not properly insured to run their business.

7. Do they use humane methods? What portion of their training is science based? Do they use methods such as Operant Conditioning, Classical Conditioning and primarily focus on Positive Reinforcement? A balanced trainer will employ a combination of methods, not just one type of training. Every dog is unique and will require different motivators, if the trainer has one style he or she will not be able to adapt to the individual temperament of your dog.

8. Are they good with people as well as dogs? Dog training is at least 50% training and working with people; your trainer should be able to communicate well with both you and your dog.

These are some of the main points to ask and watch out for when choosing a Dog Trainer/Dog Obedience Instructor. When working with West Coast K9, a San Diego Dog Obedience School, you can be confident that we can answer all of these questions with a positive YES and in detail. Not only are our trainers Certified, they are honor graduates of the largest dog training school in the nation. We have also been working with local shelters, rescue groups, humane societies and veterinarians for over 5 years. West Coast K9 is the contracting training company for the Rancho Coastal Humane Society and we are now on site with our new training facility. This confirms our humane and effective approach to dog training…please read our Bio pages and other areas of the website for more information about West Coast K9 and Graham Bloem, San Diego Dog Trainer.

*If you are not interested in enrolling in one of the training programs listed above, private training fees are $95 per hour and can be scheduled according to your needs. Special requests will be considered and priced accordingly. Service areas include these zip codes in San Diego County: 92007, 92008, 92009, 92014, 92024,92067, 92075,92130.

If you are outside of these zip codes please call or e-mail for special requests or to be referred to a trainer in your area.