The Polite Dog

Private Lessons – weekly one-hour sessions with you, your dog, and the trainer, focused on communication and specific behaviors.

Polite Dog School (Day School) – ten days of training for your dog plus five lessons for you, suited to everything from a green puppy to an adult dog ready to take skills further.

Polite Dog Preschool – five lessons for you and your puppy covering house and crate training, managing unwanted behaviors before they become habits, and building early vocabulary.

In-Person Consultation – meet with the trainer to talk through your goals and find the right program. Phone consultations are complimentary.

Complimentary pick-up and drop-off is included with all programs, and sessions can be arranged around your schedule instead of a fixed class timetable.

Pricing Summary

Private Lessons: $150 per one-hour session.
Polite Dog School (Day School): $1,900 for ten days of training plus five lessons for you.
Polite Dog Preschool (Puppy Preschool): $700 for five lessons.
In-Person Consultation: $150.

Phone consultations are complimentary, and complimentary pick-up and drop-off is included with all programs.

Policies

The Polite Dog follows LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive), the standard for humane behavior work. Dogs are continuously monitored for signs of distress and allowed to opt out; if a dog shows distress, the trainer re-evaluates the plan and changes the approach or equipment rather than pushing through it.

New students begin with an initial evaluation to assess the dog’s needs and set the training plan before a program starts. All training is delivered through private sessions, and any family member who wants to take part in lessons is welcome to join.

The Polite Dog is a private, in-home dog training practice based in Falls Church, Virginia, serving dog owners across Northern Virginia. Owner and head trainer Mark Platenberg is a CPDT-KA certified professional dog trainer with more than 15 years of experience working with dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes.

Every client works directly with Mark. There are no group classes and no one-size-fits-all curriculum: each program starts with an evaluation of your dog, then follows a plan built around your dog’s temperament, your household, and the goals that matter to you.

Training happens where life actually happens. Sessions take place in your home, your neighborhood, and nearby parks, so the skills your dog learns transfer to real situations instead of staying behind in a classroom.

Mark’s methods are positive, reward-based, and grounded in modern behavioral science. As a CPDT-KA trainer he follows LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive), monitoring dogs for signs of distress and adjusting the plan rather than pushing through it. Dogs are taught what to do, without fear, force, or intimidation.

Common goals include polite leash walking, reliable recall, calm greetings, house and crate training, puppy biting, and behavior support for dogs who are anxious, fearful, or reactive. Mark works with puppies from around eight weeks through adolescent, adult, and senior dogs, including newly adopted rescues settling into a new home.

Complimentary pick-up and drop-off is included with every program, and scheduling is flexible rather than tied to a fixed class calendar.

Accomplishments

Voted Washington Family 2025 “Best Pet Trainer.”

Mark Platenberg is a CPDT-KA certified professional dog trainer, a credential that requires a minimum of 500 hours of hands-on lead-trainer experience, additional hours working alongside a certified trainer, a comprehensive examination on dog behavior and learning, and ongoing continuing education.

Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Mark graduated from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington in 2008 and began his career as a dog walker before moving into full-time training. He has since spent more than 15 years working with dogs of every breed, age, and size, and has helped hundreds of Northern Virginia families.

The Polite Dog holds a 5.0-star average from 35 Google reviews.

How to Get Started!

Start with the contact form at polite.dog/contact, or call or text (703) 963-7990. Phone consultations are complimentary.

From there you and Mark will talk through your goals and pick the right next step, whether that is a single in-person consultation, a package of private lessons, or one of the puppy or day school programs. New students begin with an initial evaluation so the training plan fits your dog before the program starts.