At Nebraska Dog Trainers, our philosophy is that dog training, when done correctly, creates a strong bond between the pack leader and the pack member- a relationship with the dog that goes beyond the commands. A properly trained dog choses to obey because it understands what it is being asked to do, not because it has no other choice. Obedience commands have no effect if the owner and their dogs are not on the same page. Clarity in communicating the desired behavior to the dog is of paramount importance at Nebraska Dog Trainers.

Our Board and Train philosophy utilizes a comprehensive approach that consist of five parts:

Teaching your dog

During the teaching phase, we teach your dog all the exercises and commands, using a great deal of rewards and motivation, as well as numerous repetitions by showing and luring your dog into the desired behavior.  We use many types of rewards including verbal praise, physical affection, play, food, and toys.  Your dogs are shown and taught with so many repetitions that they will sometimes begin to offer any behavior that they have learned just to get their rewards. We ensure that your dogs have a foundation with a very positive
attitude towards learning.

Training your dog

In the training phase, the dog is expected to know all the exercises and commands that it has been taught, so we begin to increase the level of difficulty by adding longer durations, distance, and distractions. We now begin to use rewards intermittently. The idea here is to encourage your dog to make a good choice and not always expect to get a reward for it.

Proofing your dog’s training

In the proofing phase, your dog is exposed to as many new environments and distractions as possible to make sure that it’s training is reliable. Good choices made by your dog in these situations are rewarded intermittently in any way that has value to your dog. It could be verbal praise, physical affection, food, toys or play. This proofing phase is critical because a solid obedience foundation could save your dog’s life in certain situations.

Training YOU, the dog owner

In the training you phase, we show and teach you how to be your dog’s trainer for the rest of it’s life. We teach you how to gain back the bond and authority in your relationship with your dog. You will learn that you must be constantly communicating with your dog apart from the commands that it has learned. You will learn how to apply your dog’s new training skills to functional day-to-day activities. Training knowledge and skills are useless when not applied correctly and in a timely fashion, so we will teach you simple concepts and techniques that make your new life with your dog more enjoyable. Creating an on-going management plan for your dog and you to maintain the dog’s training is critical.

Creating an on-going management plan for the dog and owner to maintain the dog’s training

During the Turn-Over session following the board and train, we will discuss a management plan to help you maintain your dog’s training based on the breed, temperament and your top three challenges and issues we addressed during the training. Remember that from now on, you are constantly communicating with your dog whether you like it or not! Not paying attention to undesirable behavior is sending a strong message to your dog that it is okay to be a “bad” dog. Remember that if you don’t take the lead, your dog is always looking for the opportunity to do so. Happy training!