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Training is key to creating a safe, loving environment for your canine companion. Dogs are great learners and always eager to please their owners. With the right techniques, a little patience, and consistency from the whole family, Fido can learn just about anything.
Besides teaching your dog respectful behaviors (like no excessive barking and no begging from the table), training keeps your dog:
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Safe
If your dog knows to come on command, or “stay” in place, both of you will be safer when outdoors. Untrained dogs may dart off into the road, or become distracted by their surroundings and get lost. -
Smart
Consistent instruction is mentally stimulating and improves your dog’s cognitive health. Learning also prevents boredom and the destructive habits that result from it.
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Happy
Dogs thrive on positive, loving relationships with their human family members. A dog that doesn’t know proper behavior is unlikely to have a positive relationship with the people around him. By teaching your dog what behaviors are acceptable, you establish a comfortable and loving environment.
Effective training is key to a positive dog-owner relationship. Learning how to communicate with your canine companion is difficult without assistance, however. If you’ve been struggling with your dog’s behavior, it may be time to find a professional dog trainer near you.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Cincinnati location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Gold Training Program
$2,145
Our Gold program offers all the basics of obedience/behavior training.
Training Equipment Included: E-Collar
- In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 5 Sessions
- Group Training Sessions 12 Sessions
- Ongoing Support
- Come (come when called)
- Heel (walk with you without pulling)
- Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Off(furniture if desired)
- Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
- Place(go to bed)
- Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Housebreaking / Potty Training
- Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
- Get Into Car or Kennel
- STOP Running Away
- STOP Jumping on People
- STOP Puppy Biting
- STOP Chasing Animals
- STOP Chewing
- STOP Digging
- STOP Begging & Stealing Food
Platinum Training Program
$2,745
Platinum offers advanced obedience/behavioral modification with a goal of off-leash control. Includes additional training options and offers more one-on-one and group sessions than Gold.
Training Equipment Included: E-Collar
- In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 8 Sessions
- Group Training Sessions Unlimited
- Ongoing Support
- Come (come when called)
- Heel (walk with you without pulling)
- Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Off(furniture if desired)
- Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
- Place(go to bed)
- Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Housebreaking / Potty Training
- Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
- Get Into Car or Kennel
- STOP Running Away
- STOP Jumping on People
- STOP Puppy Biting
- STOP Chasing Animals
- STOP Chewing
- STOP Digging
- STOP Begging & Stealing Food
- STOP Bolting Through Doors
- Focus on either Anxiety or Aggression/Reactive
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Choose to Address Advanced Concerns:
- Calm Anxiety
- Control Aggression -
Or Choose One Tailored Skill Below: *Specialized training options based upon your dog's abilities.
- Therapy dog training
See Details
- Emotional Support Dog Training (see details below)
- Ride on a Golf Cart, or Wagon
- Stay with You on Jog, Hike, or Bike Ride
- Other Custom Command Approved by Trainer
Gold
$1,895
- In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 5 Sessions
- Group Park Training Sessions 16 Sessions
- Come
- Heel (walk with you, loose leash no pulling)
- Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Place(go to bed)
- Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
- Off(furniture when desired)
- Down(lay next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Load Up (go into kennel, car, or dog house)
- Manners, Safety & Boundaries
- Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
- Housebreaking / Potty Training
- STOP Jumping on People
- STOP Mouthing & Nipping
- STOP Chewing & Digging
- STOP Begging & Stealing Food
- STOP Bolting Through Doors & Running Away
- STOP Chasing Animals, Cars & Bikes
- STOP Reactivity (dog & human)
Platinum
$2,495
Platinum offers advanced obedience/behavioral modification with a goal of off-leash control. Includes additional training options and offers more one-on-one and group sessions than Gold.
- In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 8 Sessions
- Group Park Training Sessions Unlimited Sessions
- Come
- Heel (walk with you, loose leash no pulling)
- Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Place(go to bed)
- Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
- Off(furniture when desired)
- Down(lay next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Load Up (go into kennel, car, or dog house)
- Manners, Safety & Boundaries
- Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
- Housebreaking / Potty Training
- STOP Jumping on People
- STOP Mouthing & Nipping
- STOP Chewing & Digging
- STOP Begging & Stealing Food
- STOP Bolting Through Doors & Running Away
- STOP Chasing Animals, Cars & Bikes
- STOP Reactivity (dog & human)
- *Stay With You on a Job or Bike Ride (off-leash)
- *Emotional Support Dog Training(ESA)
- *Control Aggression(dog & human)
- *Calm Extreme Anxiety(behavioral modification)
Finding Professionals In An Unregulated Industry
There is no regulating body or licensing process for professional dog trainers. Anyone can advertise themselves as a trainer, whether they have the necessary skills and knowledge or not.
Navigating through this unregulated industry can be tricky. As a dog owner, you want a qualified trainer that will:
- Respect you, your dog, and your family.
- Stick to your schedule.
- Use positive training methods.
- Never harm your dog.
- Address your dog's unique needs and behaviors.
- Teach you how to better communicate with your dog.
- Provide ongoing support and check-in after training sessions.
- Train in various settings, environments and stages.
- Empower you to build a healthy, loving bond with your dog.
It takes years of experience and education for trainers to be able to offer all of the above. So how do you find a professional that fits your and your dog’s needs?
Se habla español!
"Pawsitive" Indicators of a Good Dog Trainer
Some things to look for when searching for a Cincinnati dog trainer include:
Training Technique
There are various training methods out there, but the most effective is positive reinforcement. According to the American Kennel Service, positive reinforcement techniques “are based on the science of animal learning and have the bonus of strengthening the dog-owner bond.”
- “Alpha Dog” or dominance-based training techniques. Dominance theory is based on incorrect assumptions of dog and wolf behavior. Dog behaviorists have proven that positive techniques are the only healthy way to communicate with dogs. Dominant, punishment-based training causes anxiety, fear and aggression.
- Trainers that use choke-chains, shock collars, sprays, and other punishment tactics.
Stay Away From:
Personality
You want to enjoy the time spent with your trainer, so find someone with a happy, exciting personality. You’re looking for a professional, of course, but we are all dog lovers here, so light-hearted attitudes are important. Your dog must connect well with a trainer for efficient learning, so pay attention to how your dog reacts to your chosen trainer.
- Trainers that make you feel bad about your relationship with your dog or your dog’s behavior.
- Rude, dismissive attitudes, and trainers that are too uptight.
- Trainers that use harsh words and aggressive tactics.
Stay Away From:
Empowerment
A dog trainer is truly a teacher at heart, and their goal is to teach you how to better communicate with your dog. You need a coach who helps you connect better with your pet, empowering you to build a strong bond. When the trainer is gone, you’ll be the one giving the commands, so make sure you find someone that is understanding, patient, and committed.
- A trainer that does not want to involve you and your family members in the process.
- Programs that only offer board and train -- effective training involves various settings, including classes and inside the home.
- Trainers that cannot explain how dogs learn and cannot teach you how to communicate with your dog.
Stay Away From:
Credentials
Dog trainers do not need a license, but there are various education programs available. Look for a trainer that can prove their credentials with experience, education, and certifications. If you have a specific need, such as personal protection or service training, be sure to find a trainer that is experienced in that area.
At Dog Training Elite, our dog trainers are educated and experienced with training dogs of all breeds, sizes and ages. All locations are registered with the Professional Retriever Trainers Association, the International Association of Canine Professionals, and the American Kennel Club.
Trainers that cannot prove their education, experience, or background.
Stay Away From:
Customization
All dogs have unique personalities and life experiences that shape their behaviors. A well-qualified trainer offers customizable programs tailored to the unique needs of each client and dog. In-home training approaches are preferred, so the trainer can observe your dog in his home environment (where he feels most comfortable acting naughty!).
You should also look for a trainer that covers both basic obedience and advanced programs.
- Trainers that can’t teach more than basic obedience commands.
- A trainer that diagnoses medical issues as reasoning for problem behaviors. Trainers are not licensed veterinarians and should never diagnose a dog. If a medical issue is suspected, a qualified trainer will recommend you speak to a vet.
Stay Away From:
Good References
References and consumer reviews are key to finding a reliable trainer. Ask around at the dog park for good references, and research each trainer or company. Read through customer reviews and take a look at how professional their website appears.
- Trainers that have no website or online references, or trainers that have poor reviews.
- Trainers with reviews that mention aggressive tactics, fear-based techniques, and punishment-based theory.
Stay Away From:
Se habla español!
Our Balanced Theory
We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.
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Empowering Owners
We empower Owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times. -
Personalized
We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis. -
Environment Specific
We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
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Supportive
We support Owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session"). -
Involved
We work with all members of the household. -
Simplified & Customized
We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
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Continued Training
Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training. -
Lifetime Investment
We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term. -
Satisfaction Ratings
Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.
clas·si·cal con·di·tion·ing
PSYCHOLOGY
noun
A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus and is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!
Elite Cincinnati East was amazing! We had Alex as our trainer and he was wonderful! We bought our puppy for our daughter to eventually become a service dog for her. Alex was able to teach us the skills and work with us to train our puppy to perform the basic commands and have a strong foundation for further service dog training. Alex did more than show us how to work with our puppy; he taught us about how to read our puppy’s actions/body language and the best ways to communicate with our puppy what behavior we expect from her. Thanks to Alex we were able to figure out what was the best approach for training our puppy to get the best results. I would highly recommend Elite Cincinnati East and Alex!— Holly Gooch
Posted September 23rd 2024
My partner and I recently moved in together. My dog and her dog did not get along very well with my dog being the main aggressor. We did 5 training sessions with Alex and couldn’t be happier. We can live in peace knowing that we have the tools in hand to keep our dogs living together happy and in peace. Great program to fit a lot of different needs that your dog might have.— Shelby Looper
Posted September 11th 2024
Scott & Jen was amazing!!! We learned as much as Murphy did. We did a board & train with another dog, but liked the fact that they come to us & train in his territory. Murphy loved these guys & looked forward to Friday!! Would highly recommend these guys!!— Melissa Rees
Posted September 3rd 2024
Our trainer Alex VanWeiden was fantastic. Our lab Nellie both loved and respected him. His knowlege of dog psychology is impressive and he was able to deliver great results improving Nellie's behavior. He did this by focusing not just on our dog's actions, but also on how we interacted with her. At the beginning of our training journey, we couldn't have imagined a better outcome. Thanks Alex, for exceeding our expectations.— Peter Craig
Posted August 26th 2024
Game changer! That’s the best way I can describe our experience with Alex at Dog Training Elite. In 5 short weeks, he has made such a positive impact on our mini-bernedoodle’s behavior and how we interact with him. From the basics, to behavioral challenges, Alex has equipped us with the tools we need to have a long, healthy and happy relationship with our crazy boy, Rocky! Would highly recommend them!— Lora Brand
Posted August 22nd 2024
Our 2 year old Pitbull Waylon struggled with behavioral issues and basic commands we reach out to Scott and Jen and it was one of the best decisions we ever made, we just finished up our one on one home sessions and the difference is night and day Thank you, Scott and Jen !— Mike Donahue
Posted August 6th 2024
The trainer was very knowledgable and did a great job helping us integrate our puppy into our existing dog pack. He also did a fantastic job addressing and stoping our older dog's resource guarding and excessive barking. We highly recommend Dog Training Elite!— Caitlyn Henehan
Posted August 2nd 2024
We have had the best experience with Dog Training Elite so far! We did the Gold package, and have completed all of our in home sessions, and the difference in my dog is amazing. Alex was an absolutely wonderful trainer, and he customized each lesson to help with our specific concerns about our dog. Dog Training Elite was great with scheduling and keeping me informed about what was going on, as well as provided everything we needed to be successful. I was originally worried this would not be worth the money, but I am happy to say I feel that it was completely worth what we paid and we haven't even started our group classes yet! I look forward to continuing to work with Dog Training Elite and seeing our dog improve in her training even more.— Abby Walz
Posted July 31st 2024
Alex at Dog Training Elite Cincinnati East did an amazing job training our Colorado mountain dog. Alex was knowledgeable in training different breeds and worked with our family to train the behaviors we struggled to do on our own. I am go glad we worked with the Elite dog trainers. I also highly recommend the group classes as this helped our pup learn to follow directions not only at home but also out in the community. This was a great experience I would highly recommend them. Thank you for training us and our pup and stop the behaviors we didn’t want to see. Yay, we still have a couch!!!— Danielle Seymore
Posted July 27th 2024
We are so thankful for Scott & Jen! We were at a loss about where to even begin with training our 3 mini aussies, but they broke it down into very simple tasks each week. Having them come to our house was so helpful and also served as accountability for us (the humans) to work on the training before the next session. They have given us a strong foundation with our dogs and have helped improve our daily lives more than I can even explain. The group sessions are also so helpful for our dogs and for us. We are forever grateful! Thank you!— Alison Liddic
Posted July 17th 2024
Jen and Scott are phenomenal to work with! Jen has a great calm and firm demeanor for training and Scott is playful but also firm as well! They are a great team to help for great obedience training! We are now working onto more task training for Service Dog work and they are incredibly knowledgeable and trustworthy to help individual needs for specific service work! Additionally, Michelle is very responsive with calls, texts and emails for communication and scheduling! Highly recommend working with DTE!— Liz Burley
Posted July 16th 2024
Loved working with Alex. Feel like this company and trainer excelled at working with our dogs and helping teach us to be better trainers as well.— Dante Zompetti
Posted July 6th 2024
Alex was a great trainer! He really took the time to show me the steps to train my dog at home. My dog (11 months) is so much calmer now and I love to go on walks with him now.— Cora Merrow
Posted July 3rd 2024
Alex exceeded our expectations with training our two golden doodles. He was very knowledgeable, and patient throughout the process. We would highly recommend him to anyone given the progress we’ve seen with Sammy and Roxy.— Rebekah Manis
Posted June 30th 2024
Wonderful experience with Alex and Diane! Our dog is very well behaved thanks to Alex training us. Bunny learned a lot too! 😊— Betty Coutant
Posted June 30th 2024
Thank you to our trainer, Alex for changing our lives for the better! We moved to Cincinnati back in December, and it was quite an adjustment for our two dogs (3yr & 1yr) to live in a busy apartment community. The dogs were reactive when they saw other dogs, jumped each time we had guests over, and high-stress on walks (lots of leash pulling and inattention issues). From day 1, Alex taught us unique skills to combat these issues. Alex always went above & beyond for training classes, ensuring we never felt rushed and throughly understood the materials from class. There is no one we trust more with our dogs than Alex! I cannot say enough good things about our experience. We can now enjoy walks without being pulled & have guests over with minimal jumping. Thank you Alex & Dog Training Elite.— Emma
Posted June 30th 2024
It’s been a pleasure working with Alex! He is very intuitive and my dog warmed up to him rather quickly considering his temperament. I have a 4 year old Shiba Inu named Dai Dai and he trusted Alex enough to follow commands promptly, and he responded very well to any corrections that Alex gave him on the first day they met. Dai Dai does not like anyone or anything near his neck area, and he has the tendency to scream, but he didn’t do that with Alex! Dai Dai was excited and ready to work everyday thereafter that Alex came over. Having Alex come over and help train me and Dai Dai has been a blessing. Alex was also incredibly flexible and worked with our schedule. He is passionate about his career, and gives 200%. We couldn’t be happier with the level of care, expertise, consideration, and training we received. Thank you Alex. Breanna and Dai Dai— Breanna Bohan
Posted June 25th 2024
I have a very large beautiful Chesapeake Bay retriever who is powerful and playful – only two years old. Within a few short weeks I feel confident that have command of the dog which enables us to have a wonderful time together. Lucky is calm and attentive on the leash and very patient with our 14-year-old senior citizen dog Lily. Alex our trainer is knowledgeable explains things clearly and best of all Lucky gets very excited when it’s time for training— Molly J. Hall, MD
Posted June 16th 2024
Dog training elite sent Alex to our house to help us train our dog. He was very knowledgeable and helped us understand our dog's behavior and what we could do to train her. Very impressed with him and how well his training worked! Our dog is now trained and certified as a service dog, and she is doing great! I fully recommend Dog Training Elite, just be ready to do your part in training your dog too!— Alex Washburn
Posted June 14th 2024
Wonderful process, Alex was so great with Bree. They were very flexible with training sessions and the training worked so well!— Jill Flood
Posted May 31st 2024
Trust Your Gut
Choosing a trainer is an important part of being a dog owner, and in the end, you want to choose the professional you feel comfortable with. This is someone that you’ll be inviting into your home and spending plenty of time with! A dog trainer with credentials, experience, and a friendly personality that makes your dog’s tail wag is most likely a great choice.
You also want to make sure you get your money’s worth, so choose a trainer that is invested in you and your dog. At Dog Training Elite, we follow up with our clients even after training sessions have ended. Our goal is to help clients build strong relationships with their pets, and that takes consistent effort. Our professional dog trainers are some of the best in the Cincinnati area. We cover training programs such as obedience, personal protection, anxiety, aggression, and service dog.