The Learning Dog Academy

The Learning Dog Academy offers a variety of training programs tailored to different needs and ages. Their 1:1 training packages provide personalized enrichment and training programs, with sessions available at the client’s home, their Behavior & Enrichment Center, or in the community. These include single sessions for goal discussion and management plans, as well as multi-session packages for basic manners, loose leash walking, recall, polite greetings, and nuisance barking.

For more complex issues, they provide behavior consultations and a comprehensive behavior modification package for dogs struggling with aggression, anxiety, reactivity, and fearfulness. Group classes are available for puppies (Puppy Foundations), adolescents (Adolescent Manners), and mature dogs (Manners for the Mature Dog), focusing on basic obedience, calmness, and impulse control. They also offer specialized group classes like Scentwork, Loose Leash Walking, and “Choose Your Own Adventure” for fun and challenging activities, as well as a “Reactivity: The Basics” class.

Pricing Summary

Private 1:1 sessions are $145 per hour. Packages for specific issues like basic manners, loose leash walking, recall, polite greeting, and nuisance barking range from $450 for 4 sessions to $890 for 8 sessions. Behavior consultations are $295 for a 2-hour session, and a comprehensive behavior modification package is $1585 for 12 sessions, with payment plans available.

Group classes are generally $185 for six 1-hour sessions, with some variations like a 3-week loose leash walking class for $93 and a reactivity class for $265.

The Learning Dog Academy focuses on preparing dogs to live well in a human-centric world, offering practical solutions for real-world living. They believe in developing a strong bond with your dog by understanding their needs and behaviors, rather than just traditional training skills. Their approach prioritizes understanding why a dog does certain things, then providing solutions that include exercise, enrichment, and training.

They offer personalized 1:1 training, group classes, and specialized behavior solutions for dogs struggling with aggression, anxiety, fear, and reactivity (AARF dogs). Additionally, they operate a Behavior & Enrichment Center, a safe indoor space for dogs to engage in natural “doggie things” like sniffing, digging, and exploring, which helps dogs be calmer and happier. They also have a podcast, a blog, and an online supply store.

Accomplishments

Delores Carter, the founder, is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Licensed Family Dog Mediator. She graduated from Karen Pryor Academy and earned a certificate in Applied Animal Behavior from the University of Washington. She also completed the Aggression in Dogs master’s course and the Unlocking Resiliency certificate course, and holds an MA in Communication from Michigan State University.

Shannon is an Accredited Dog Trainer through the International Association of Animal Behavior (IAABC) and a Family Dog Mediator (FDM). Hanna is a Karen Prior Certified Dog Training Partner (KPA-CTP) and a Family Dog Mediator (FDM).

How to Get Started!

For 1:1 training, clients can schedule a single session or a package directly. For AARF (Aggressive, Anxious, Reactive, & Fearful) issues, the first step is to schedule a 2-hour behavior consultation with Delores, which includes history taking, dog evaluation, and an initial management plan, followed by a full evaluation and behavior modification plan sent a few days later. Group classes can be registered for online, with limited class sizes.

They encourage potential clients to contact them with questions via phone or email.