K9 Manners Matter, LLC
Ranked #2 in Hartville and #15 in Ohio
Service Overview
Types of Dog Training
- Family Dog
- Therapy Dog
- Competition / Agility
Specialty Focus Areas
- Basic Obedience
- Puppy Training
- Leash Pulling
- Potty Training
- Recall
Training Formats Offered
- Private Lessons
- Group Classes
- In-Home
- Private Facility
Program Formats
- Sessions Package
- Ongoing Weekly
Age of Dogs Trained
- Puppy (<1 year)
- Adolescent (1-2 years)
- Adult (2-8 years)
Dog Training Methodology
Methods:
- ✓ Positive Reinforcement Only
Equipment:
- ✓ Clickers
- ✓ Food Rewards
K9 Manners Matter offers a variety of 6-week group classes, each meeting once a week for an hour. Puppy 1 (10-16 weeks) covers developmental stages, care, potty/crate training, confidence building, socializing, and basic cues like Name recognition, Focus, Sit, Down, Leave-it, Wait, Come, and Leash Skills. Puppy 2 (4-9 months) builds on these with similar cues and confidence building.
Manners 1 (9 months+) focuses on Focus, Sit, Down, Stays (Distance, Duration, Direction), Wait, Leave-It, Placement, Loose Leash Walking, Sit for Greetings, and Come. Manners 2 (9 months+) is for graduates of previous classes, emphasizing Heeling, in-motion cues, turns, Stays (Distance, Duration, Distraction, Direction), greeting people/dogs, Park-it, Stand, and Pivots. A Tricks class (6 months+) is available for confidence and mental stimulation, covering various tricks for AKC titles. A Canine Good Citizen class prepares dogs for the AKC CGC 10-step test.
Private training is also offered, customized to the dog’s specific needs and schedule, and can be conducted at the client’s home, a store, or a park. The first private session is 1.5 hours for agenda preparation, with subsequent sessions being 1 hour, typically once per week.
Pricing & Policies
Policies
All dogs must be up to date on DHLPP & Rabies vaccines to attend classes, with puppies requiring age-appropriate vaccines. Choke chains, prongs, or shock collars are not permitted. Currently, only private trainings are running. If feeling sick, running a fever, or having symptoms, clients are asked to call/text and stay home.
Testimonials
“Michelle was AWESOME! Her quality, expertise, and accessibility to getting our dog Zoey trained was unmatched. You can tell she takes the time to listen and understand you and provides you with great techniques to get your pet trained. We also loved that she was able to be contacted really easily for any questions as items popped up. If you’re looking for a great and easy training experience with someone who knows what they’re doing for an incredible value, look no further.”
– Mario & Lena
“This letter is in appreciation for all of your incredible teaching that has helped us become such an amazing team. Just when I thought that I didn’t have the skill or Janie just couldn’t catch onto something, there you were! One minute in your gifted hands and she was doing what I had been asking of her. Then your attention turned to me and showed me “how to speak Janie’s language” and what was the best way for me to train her. We thoroughly enjoyed all of our classes, Puppy 1, Puppy 2, CGC, and Tricks. I am proud to say that Janie has earned her CGC and Tricks titles so easily because of your great teaching. You always know how to make learning fun and your classes are always positive. Thank you so much for training me to teach my dog. When I signed up for classes I thought we were training Janie, I was soon to discover you were training me to be able to train her correctly. Thanks, in large part to you, Janie is now: UKC CH, AKC pointed, God’s Gift Wind Beneath My Wings, CGC, TKN, Spot On And this is only the beginning. Watch us soar! With heartfelt thanks to our Dog Whisperer!”
– Pam and Janie Eggers
“I just want to thank Michelle Vickers for the great class my daughter and I took last winter. Great instruction! Appreciate that you were to willing to accommodate dogs at different levels of experience and continue to challenge them while keeping the learning going within the group. The class was very helpful to my daughter, Beth, as she recovered from a serious health problem. You were so kind and understanding as she went thru the various sessions. I appreciate you allowing my current competition dog, Hap, and I to attend and support Beth, while enjoying the training and watching the various teams evolve in their learning. I highly recommend Michelle as an instructor and wish her much success with her new venture, K9 Manners Matter, LLC.”
– Kathy Wilmoth
About the Trainer
K9 Manners Matter, LLC is a dog training business led by Michelle Vickers, a Certified Dog Trainer through Animal Behavior College. They specialize in positive reinforcement, treat-based training, focusing on rewarding correct behaviors to encourage their repetition without the use of force. The business aims to help owners build a strong bond with their dogs and achieve various training goals.
They offer a range of group classes including Puppy 1 (10-16 weeks), Puppy 2 (4-9 months), Manners 1 (9 months+), Manners 2 (9 months+, requiring prior classes), Tricks (6 months+), and Canine Good Citizen prep. Private training sessions are also available, customized to the dog’s specific needs and can be conducted in various locations such as the client’s home, a store, or a park.
Michelle Vickers is also an AKC Canine Good Citizen, Tricks, S.T.A.R Puppy, and Temperament Test Evaluator. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. The business emphasizes a fun and motivating training approach, ensuring dogs learn effectively without becoming reliant on treats indefinitely.
Accomplishments
Michelle Vickers is a Certified Dog Trainer through Animal Behavior College. She is also an AKC evaluator for Canine Good Citizen (C.G.C.), Tricks, S.T.A.R Puppy, and Temperament Tests. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from The University of Akron. She has 16 years of experience in dog training, starting at a corporate store and spending a significant portion of her career at an AKC All Breed Club.
How to Get Started!
To sign up for a class or inquire about private training, clients should call Michelle at 330-323-9558. There is also a contact form available on the website for general inquiries.
Contact Information
Certifications
- Credentialed
Associations
- AKC
Languages
- English
Misc Features
- wheelchair accessible parking