Frequently Asked Questions
Clients
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Yep! We train them all.
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The oldest dog we have trained was 18 and blind. Poppy’s dog is currently 15 and deaf and loves to play the training game. Training is an excellent way to support cognitive, emotional, and physical health in aging dogs. You very much CAN teach an old dog new tricks!
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Puppies can start training at any age with developmentally appropriate goals. Your puppy does not need to be fully vaccinated before beginning training, though we suggest limiting their exposure to safe surfaces and known adult dogs until their second set of vaccines. The current position statement of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviorists recommends puppy training classes as early as 7-8 weeks of age with a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the first class, a first deworming, and a plan to stay up-to-date with vaccines for the duration of the class. We will take every precaution we can to ensure the health and safety of the puppies we teach.
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Yes, please! Poppy is our resident cat expert, and Kay has worked with everything from aardvarks to parrots.
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Yes! We love having the whole family involved in training lessons. This allows for everyone to be on the same page, making training and communication clear for everyone.
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We’d love to! Helping dogs and kids to life happily together is a special interest of both Kay and Poppy. Kay has a home with two children under four, a young dog, and two cats. Poppy's education and experience in early childhood development also makes this area particularly close to the heart. We teach games that support both kids and dogs in building healthy relationships with great boundaries.
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Positive reinforcement training uses a reward (treats, praise, play, anything the learner enjoys) to reinforce desired behaviors. Because the reward makes them more likely to repeat the behavior, positive reinforcement is one of the most powerful tools for influencing your dog's behavior. Force-free training means exactly that, no force or punishment is used to teach your dog. Force and punishment can be defined as yanking or checking a leash, using verbal or physical punishment, or using training collars that deliver an inescapable frightening or painful sensation, such as electric shock.
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We train all breeds of dog and many other animals too! The principles of learning theory apply to all living things. If we can use positive reinforcement to train lions at the zoo to cooperate with blood draws, train wild elephants take migration routes safe from poachers, or train butterflies to fly in time to music, we can train your malinois, chihuahua, or XL bully.
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As positive reinforcement trainers, we rely on tools that help dogs love to learn. School is Cool! We use clickers, target sticks, mats, platforms, treats, whistles, flirt poles, harnesses, tugs, balls, and more. We do not use choke chains, prong collars, electric shock collars, or any other tool that functions by introducing pain or fear to punish behavior.
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Kay (she/her) studied animal behavior psychology at the University of Washington before starting a career at Pt Defiance Zoo & Aquarium as a zookeeper and animal trainer. There Kay honed her skills in training with positive reinforcement with a wide variety of species. While working at the zoo, she also started this business (formerly named The Zoo Crew) in 2013, offering professional pet sitting, dog walking, and training services to the community. She then attended the Karen Pryor Academy for Professional Dog Trainers, becoming certified through the world renowned school in 2017.
Poppy (she/they) teamed up with Kay in 2022. With an education in early childhood development, Poppy has great experience in the science of learning theory, which applies to all species. Before moving to Tacoma in 2020, her love of animals lead her to volunteer with several rescues and shelters in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to being a Certified Training Partner through the Karen Pryor Academy, Poppy has completed the IAABC's Cat Behavior Consultant Mentorship and is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator.
We are both lifelong trainers, but professionally we have been working with dogs and training many species of animals since 2010.
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No.
Our professional credentials, organizational memberships, and personal ethics prohibit us from using pain, fear, or intimidation to teach animals or people.
Methods
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We are a mobile company, so training sessions are done in whatever environment your dog’s goals require. We most often work in your home or yard, in parks, and out in the surrounding neighborhood. We are happy to come to you and facilitate training right in the comfort of your own home. We can also do training outside in your neighborhood or at a nearby park. Depending upon our training plan, there may be field trips to pet-friendly businesses, the airport, or a brewery! See our SERVICE AREA page for more details.
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With few exceptions, your trainer will be determined by your location. See our SERVICE AREA page for more details.
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Answer Forthcoming!
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Answer forthcoming!
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No. We are called in to reduce aggression and make a situation safer for families and communities and the dogs they love. Our insurance would not cover us intentionally increasing aggression. We encourage prospective protection dog owners to look into the legal, financial, and emotional liability this entails. A dog who barks at the door is a safe, effective deterrent for most households.
Protection training is not the same thing as bite sports, in which a dog is playing a very fun game about biting with lots of rules and willing human participants.