Frequently Asked Questions

Behavior is a complex mix of genetics, environment, and choices. Some behavior problems are easy to change; others require long-term strategies. We cannot guarantee your dog’s behavior will be “fixed” any more than a personal trainer can guarantee you won’t gain 10 pounds or a therapist can guarantee you will never again bite your nails.

We guarantee we’ll be there for you with professional advice and support. We’ll teach your dog how to handle sticky situations using proven methods of behavior modification. As you learn to be your dog’s best advocate, we’ll be your coach and cheerleader.

Yes, kids are welcome in our regular classes, but not in Relaxing Rowdy Rovers. Kids 8 and up are often very good trainers, with a little help from their parents.

Younger kids sometimes find the classes a bit long, so they may prefer to stay at home. Children must remain beside their parents and may not interact with any dog other than their own.

Some teens want to do all of the training and don't need any help from their parents. That's fine with us. However, every minor who comes to class must be accompanied by an adult who remains in the classroom with the child.

No problem…we’ll help you in our Relaxing Rowdy Rovers and Calming Cautious Canines classes. Or we can do private lessons.

Relaxing Rowdy Rovers. Are you unable to walk your dog down the street? Got a bouncy, barky, revved-up dog? Is it hard for your dog to settle in new environments? Does your dog lunge at passing dogs, bark when stressed, or pull constantly when you are around other dogs? Then this class is for you! Learn handling skills and desensitization procedures to make your dog more manageable around other dogs. Training will focus on understanding anxious behavior, learning how to control the environment to desensitize your pet, and modifying your dog's behavior using counter conditioning and positive reinforcement methods.

All About Dogs has been proud to offer Relaxing Rowdy Rovers for over 10 years! We specialize in helping anxious dogs reach their goals.

NOTE: The Relaxing Rowdy Rovers class is a subset of our Levels Program in Woodbridge. You'll sign up for a regular orientation and then join our special Relaxing Rowdy Rovers classes. Our goal with most of our Rowdy Rovers is to provide you and your dog with the tools you'll need to eventually join a Level 1 training class. This class is by invitation only. If you'd like to learn more about it, send us an email to tell us more about your dog.

Calming Cautious Canines It's not easy having a shy dog. It's hard watching your dog when you know she is scared: worrying about new environments, trembling when friendly people approach, flinching at loud noises, or hiding behind you rather than running around checking things out. Having a shy dog can also be frustrating because the qualities you know and love so much about your dog sometimes seem to disappear when you take your dog outside. You want everyone to see the wonderful qualities about your dog, but all they see is nervous energy. This class will teach you the skills you need to help your dog develop confidence and to feel secure in new situations.

NOTE: Our Calming Cautious Canines class is included in our Levels Programs in Woodbridge

For this class, you'll register for one of our regular training memberships and attend a Levels Orientation. Then, you'll start attending Level 1 classes where we will provide you and your dog with some extra skills geared especially towards confidence building and relaxation. Our Cautious Canines often spend a little longer in Level 1 just to get acclimated to the class environment and learn some basic coping skills. Our goal is to then help you proceed through the rest of the program as your dog begins to relax more.

The first four and a half months of your puppy's life are a wonderful time to teach him or her about the world. Let's not waste a moment of it. We like to get started with puppy socialization classes for puppies as young as 8 weeks and then move right into regular training. To learn more about the vaccination requirements for puppies, click here.

Makeup lessons, refunds, or class credits are not issued for missed classes due to personal schedule conflicts or illness.

In our Woodbridge and Springfield locations, we offer a special kind of training program that offers maximum flexibility. You get a membership for a time period (rather like a gym membership) and come to the classes that fit your dog's skill level and your personal schedule. The levels program has four tiers, each with its own skills and priorities. All dogs start in level 1 and move up at their own pace. You can attend any class at or below your dog's assigned level. The benefits of levels training are numerous:

• You can get two (or even three) times as much training in the same time period since our classes are offered more than once a week.
• Orientation classes start approximately every two weeks so there is little wait to enroll your dog in a class.
• All the dogs in each level are at a similar stage in training. This allows instructors to better address the needs of each dog.
• You can work at your own skill level for as long as necessary. You’ll never fall behind since there is no requirement to move up.
• Students can revisit a lower level at any time to brush up on previous skills. You are encouraged to attend any class at or below your dog's level. The higher you move up, the greater flexibility you'll have.
• Dogs move in and out of each level throughout the training, which provides new dogs as distractions each week—and learning to focus on you in a distracting environment is a wonderful canine skill!
• Students can take time off if they have a very busy week or go out of town. Just return to class at the same level without fear of falling behind.
• Level 4 will continue to work on your dog's skills in a wide variety of areas such as off-leash training, public manners training, and distance commands around distractions.

At All About Dogs, we strongly believe there is a correlation between healthy eating and good behavior. While there is no single product that is perfect for all dogs, we can identify characteristics of a healthy diet. The Whole Dog Journal (which is like Consumer Reports for dog lovers) recommends changing foods regularly and prefers wet food over dry. See the Whole Dog Journal list here.

Due to the small and personalized nature of our classes, we do not offer make-up classes or the ability to transfer to other classes. We would be happy to send you homework from missed classes so you can keep up.