We are LIMA compliant, which means our approach is least intrusive, minimally aversive. We do not punish our students for getting the wrong answer. We guide them to the right answer. While training your dog, we use methods like “Free Shaping,” which means we reward a behavior we like, when we see it. This increases the chance of the dog repeating the behavior and making the connection. We also like to make things easier for your dog and condition them to a clicker. This tool is used to mark good behavior and is followed by a reward. Don’t worry, we’ll teach you how to use it!

Although these tools may be useful when applied correctly, we avoid them here at Lil’ Scouts! We will try all other avenues before having to use any aversive tools.

Although these may be useful when applied correctly, we avoid them here at Lil’ Scouts! We will try all other avenues before having to use any aversive tools.

Immediately! Any dog 8 weeks or older is ready to start learning. For puppies, sessions that are short and frequent are better for them. After working with your dog or puppy, playing afterwards will actually help them retain what they’ve learned — if they aren’t already too tired!

“Proper socialization” is also important for all ages, especially puppies and dogs under 2 years of age (see below).

Socializing is when you expose your dog to new experiences and environments. When socializing your dog or puppy, make sure that they are not under too much stress. Do not let your dog meet random dogs while on leash, as this could lead to trouble. Also, do not let everyone pet your dog as this can lead to anxiety or fear aggression over time. Letting your dog observe the world without dogs or humans bursting their bubble is what you need to focus on.

While keeping allergies in mind, we have a few different treat options to offer your dog that are usually very tempting! However, some dogs may need more time before feeling comfortable enough to take treats, or they just are not motivated by food. Treats are the most popular choice, but we will get to know what motivates them best!

Ask the trainer during your consultation or via email. The short answer is, it depends. We generally do not do “corrective training” to fix a problem behavior. However, we believe that the positive reinforcement training that we provide could make a good foundation for a dog to learn to obey commands and follow rules that ultimately correct bad behavior. We start every day with the most important ingredient to obedience learning — lots of exercise!

You may choose any skill that you feel your dog needs to learn; however, we recommend that every dog knows how to do the first 6 skills in that order before moving on to any others.

We make no guarantees that your dog will be able to perform the command for you after a single session. However, we DO guarantee that we will do our best to teach your pup as much as we can during each 40-minute session until they’ve mastered it. There are also different levels of mastery for each skill. We’ve had very positive results since we started, with most dogs mastering the commands even faster than their parents thought they could!

Every dog we’ve trained is different, and there are different levels of mastery.

Example: your dog can SIT if you are holding a treat and standing over them; or, your dog can SIT by you giving the command from across the room with no treat.

For a beginner’s level of mastery with a skill (and depending on which skill), most dogs will have it between 2-4 sessions. You will get a postcard from your pup each day they are at camp with a video included so that you can see for yourself how well school is going.

Our style of training is reward based! Treats, praise, repetition, and corrections. If your dog needs special treats, let us know! Most dogs love to please.

Absolutely! If your dog knows all of the tricks, it can still be a good refresher and LOTS of fun to join the Lil’ Scouts. In fact, we recommend certain prerequisite classes before learning the next skill. Ultimately, it’s up to you to let us know what you’d like your dog to learn next. 

Yes! It’s our specialty. We believe we can help just about any dog become a well-rounded social citizen that is cool and comfortable in almost any situation. We have lots of experience with this and it is our passion. At Lil’ Scouts, we will safely build your dog’s confidence at YOUR dog’s pace — nature’s pace. For some dogs, this means baby steps over a few days/sessions. Others will be running with the pack after only one 40-minute session! Click here to go to the Socialization Page and learn more about our 3 Days or Less program.

Yes and no. We can help with potty training in two ways. In camp, during indoor training sessions, the trainer will always work on your pup’s communication skills and praise them for alerting when they need to go outside. They’ll also have a routine of IN and OUT all day long, and dogs can figure out that outside is the place to “go,” naturally. 

Another way we can help is by meeting with you for a one-on-one lesson and advise you how to best do it yourself at home. Potty training is best learned in the house, but there are right and wrong ways to teach it. Check out this blog post for more info! 

For any camp style of training where you drop them off, we have to charge for the boarding and daycare, too. At Poochie’s Park, the facility is top notch and your dog will get a LOT of exercise and playtime — important ingredients for any well-trained dog! However, if you are doing a Private Lesson or Group Class where you will be staying with your dog for the whole training session, then there is no charge for daycare or boarding.

Any training that we do for your dog here is training that you’re allowed and encouraged to participate in. Just let the trainer know during your consultation how much you’d like to participate, and they’ll make a customized plan. Plus, EVERY DAY of training camp includes a video starring your pup and their trainer doing their lesson. You’ll also receive a handout created by us for each specific skill with instructions to help you practice at home.