The best way to reach the Wag’N’Train office is by e-mail:
But for an even faster answer to your questions, please see the list below!
What is the office address?
Is there an office fax number?
Is there an office phone number?
What geographical areas do you serve?
Registration questions
I sent in a registration. Is our appointment scheduled?
What is the price of Private Lessons? How do I pay? Are there refunds?
My vet said I should not expose my puppy to other dogs until his vaccinations were complete. Is Puppy Socialization safe?
Classes questions
Do you cover housetraining, play biting, chewing, and other problem-solving?
Do you teach hand signals? What about voice commands?
Clicker training
If you train with a clicker, do you always need one to make your dog obey you?
Do dogs learn to respond to “regular” commands?
Where do I find a clicker?
How can I learn more about this “clicker training”?
What is the office address?
Email us for the office’s mailing address; this is a home business. Please note that there are no appointments or classes at this location.
Is there an office fax number?
We currently do not have a working fax system, sorry.
Is there an office phone number?
The best way to reach the office is by e-mail: stacy@wagntrain.com. The office is often only staffed at odd hours. Current clients are given Stacy’s personal cell phone number.
What geographical areas do you serve?
For in-person appointments, I serve central Silicon Valley/Santa Clara County: San Jose, Campbell, Willow Glen, Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Mountain View, Milpitas. I live on, work on, and respect the Tamien Ohlone lands. For virtual appointments, I can meet with clients anywhere!
Registration questions
I sent in a registration form. Is our appointment scheduled?
If I am taking new clients at the time, you will be sent a confirmation of your registration with a link to schedule your initial Evaluation appointment. Please note that appointments can fill quickly so to get your first choice, please respond as soon as possible.
What is the price of Private Lessons? How do I pay? Are there refunds?
The prices are listed on the Services page. All services start with a virtual Evaluation meeting, which is paid for in advance with a check, or PayPal. At the initial evaluation you will be asked to sign a waiver/contract, which includes the following: There will be no refund of monies after the first private consultation. Appointments that are canceled with less than 72 hours notice will be counted as a session that has been paid for, and a new session will be rescheduled with a full additional fee so that the entire training program can be followed. it is important that the sessions be scheduled on a consistent basis and in a timely manner. Repeated cancellations by the dog’s owner which result in failure to complete program within three months from date of initial consultation may be construed as a termination. If during this period two (2) months pass with no contact from client, Stacy’s Wag’N’Train is relieved from any further obligation and any fees paid shall remain non-refundable.
My vet said I should not expose my puppy to other dogs until his vaccinations were complete. Is Puppy Socialization safe?
Frankly, puppy owners are in a bind. Some vets will advise you to keep your puppy away from all other dogs until their shot series is complete – they are worried about the dog’s physical health. In particular, they are worried about the disease canine parvovirus, which can be fatal in small dogs or young puppies. Dog trainers and behaviorists, on the other hand, are worried about the dog’s behavioral health. In particular, we are worried about fear aggression, in which dogs who do not get comfortable with meeting new dogs (or people) can develop a type of fear towards them that can result in aggression. And the recent Position Statement by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) states that “puppies can start [socialization and training class] as early as 7-8 weeks of age. Puppies should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the first class and a first de-worming, and should be kept up-to-date on vaccines throughout the class.”
This fear or aggression from lack of socialization can be severe enough to keep the dog from enjoying a normal doggy life, and can even be severe enough to be fatal – more dogs are put to sleep in our country due to behavior issues than to health issues. So you puppy owners, you need to make a decision – should you risk exposing your puppy to a disease he may not have sufficient immunity towards yet, or should you risk missing your puppy’s critical periods of socialization while relying on his inborn friendly temperament?
Another concern is that your puppy might be learning bad habits now that will only get harder for you to change the longer you wait to be advised on it. Either way, puppy training class can help you set the best foundation for happy, comfortable, mentally-healthy dog who is welcomed around your “pack”.
We of course recommend that you take your puppy to class to get the socialization, but if you have concerns, you may wish to discuss with your vet how prevalent parvo is in our area right now, and how much risk your particular dog or breed generally has. If you got your dog from a breeder, you may want to discuss the breedline’s temperament and risk of fear and fear-aggression.
Please note that since our business started, we have never had a puppy or dog contract parvo from our classes. Our classes are in spaces that are kept clean, and all of our students are screened for disease.
See the Whole Dog Journal’s article on preventing Parvo for more information on how to keep your pup healthy and safe during their early weeks,”Myth #1″ from the behavior myths article from the journal Veterinary Medicine, and a roundtable-style discussion of the risks vs. benefits of puppy class, also from the journal Veterinary Medicine.
Do you cover housetraining, play biting, chewing, and other problem-solving?
Yes, absolutely if that is an issue for you. (For advice right now on how to deal with these issues, see Stacy’s Training Tips.)
Do you teach hand signals? What about voice commands?
Absolutely – dogs learn hand signals more easily than they do voice commands, so we teach both in our basic training – even though hand signals are often described as “advanced training”! We will teach the “standard” commands commonly used, but we encourage students to use whatever commands they are most comfortable with, whether it is in a language other than English or your own special hand signal.
Clicker Training Questions
If you train with a clicker, do you always need one to make your dog obey you?
No. The clicker is a tool to used to “install” the training; it is not something you need throughout the dog’s life to “make” the dog listen. The clicker tells the dog what he has done correctly, and that he is getting a reward. The clicker tells the dog why he’s getting the reward. It does not tell the dog what to do.
While in training we pair a clicker with a reward (usually a food treat), you also do not need to have a treat in order for the dog to obey you. In fact, we will teach you ways to train your dog to not rely on knowing you have a treat first!
Do dogs learn to respond to “regular” commands?
Absolutely. The clicker tells the dog what he has done correctly, and that he is getting a reward. The clicker tells the dog why he’s getting the reward. It does not tell the dog what to do. The thing that tells the dog what to do is the cue that you give, such as the command “sit” or a “sit” hand-signal (or a whistle, or any other cue you might choose). (This question is kind of like asking if the dog will respond to regular commands if you use a leash in training!)
Where do I find a clicker?
You will be given a clicker with your training package, and you can buy more from us. In addition, most pet stores carry them – you may have to ask, they’re small. If you want to order on online, try SitStay.com.
How can I learn more about this “clicker training”?
Please see our Clicker Training page.
Every dog owner deserves great training advice!
