I need help! How can you help me?
I like to meet with potential clients for a 90-minute consultation at their homes.
After making contact, and if I have availability, I will email you an extensive questionnaire. You will fill it in and email it back to me. Once I receive your questionnaire, I will share my availability for our Initial Consultation. NOTE: The questionnaire cannot be completed on a tablet.
Reading through your questionnaire ahead of time will enable me to consider your specific situation and prepare additional questions if necessary. I will also bring valuable handouts tailored to your circumstances and make better use of our time during the Initial consultation.
What takes place during the Initial Consultation?
During this consultation, I will provide you with information about your dog’s current behavior, based on my knowledge of learning theory (the science of how animals learn) and my observations of your dog, rather than relying on interpretation. For example, I might notice that the dog is barking and snarling at other dogs on a leash, but your dog plays nicely when he is off-leash. This observation suggests that the dog is leash-reactive, a specific type of aggression.
Based on your goals and my interaction with your dog, I will:
- Suggest management techniques to provide you with immediate relief from the situation and stop the dog from practicing (and perfecting) the response you want to change.
- I will provide you with my best recommendations for the number of training sessions needed to reach your goals, or most of your goals.
Please note,I do not offer single or à la carte sessions. They are too disruptive to the learning process, the training, and my schedule.
What happens after the Initial consultation, should we decide to work together?
- I will train your dog, so the new behavior(s) become its default.
- Lastly, I will teach you how to manage and continue to reinforce newly learned behaviors.
- I will support your progress with weekly check-ins between sessions and provide training plans as needed for your specific situation.
“Cayley and I were so impressed with your training methods- they are compassionate and effective. I am happy to report that thanks to your training yesterday Suki settled in her pen while we ate lunch at the dining table today without a peep! And she went into her crate a few times when she was done playing and wanted some alone time, we were amazed! Plus she has taken so well to the puzzle feeding instead of filling her bowl up for meals. You truly love dogs and it shows. We wouldn’t want to trust our sweet Suki with anyone else.” – Carly Murphy, Santa Fe, NM
Where do the Initial consultation and subsequent training take place?
For the Initial consultation and future training, I will come to your home if you live in Santa Fe and some areas of Santa Fe County. Since I do not travel for training outside my service area, interested parties will come to my training “hub” in Tesuque for the Initial consultation and follow-up training, should we decide to work together and you live outside my service area.
It is often the case that I am fully booked and not accepting new clients; however, I also offer remote (via Zoom) Initial consultations and training sessions, which may allow me to help you sooner than waiting for an in-person slot.
How much do you charge?
Initial Consult: 90 minutes, $250 (plus Santa Fe County tax). If the meeting exceeds 90 minutes, the charge is $350.00 (plus Santa Fe County tax).
Training sessions are 1 hour. Long. My hourly fee is $200.00 plus tax.
How can I pay you?
Clients can pay with a Credit card ONLY via Zelle, check, or cash. If paying by cash for the Initial consultation, please have the exact amount, as I do not carry cash.
When do I pay for services?
You pay in full for the Initial consultation at the end of our session. For subsequent training sessions, you pay in full once we decide to work together. This will guarantee you a spot in my training schedule.
Are there any additional fees I should be aware of?
If the behavior issues of your dog require that we work with a “helper”, such as in fear of strangers, the client will directly pay the helper $40.00 per session. Alternatively, the client can find a qualified third-party helper, as needed, to assist with the training without requiring compensation.
*All helpers must be willing and able to follow my directions precisely and sign a consent release form.
Mileage: Will be charged after 18 miles from Tesuque at the rate of $1.20 round trip per visit.
What is your cancellation Policy?
There is a $45 charge for canceling the Initial Consult once we have made an appointment, if it is not canceled within 48 hours of the appointment date.
For Private Training, please note that once we schedule our weekly training, that time is reserved for you. Therefore, please plan accordingly. There is a 48-hour grace period for the first incident with no charge. After the first incident, the client will be charged for the missed session at the set session fee rate. We will reschedule without penalty for circumstances such as the client or trainer being sick, the dog being sick, weather, and the like.
How much time and effort will it take from me?
Clients tell me that working with me can be demanding. We cover a lot of ground and have an agreed-upon accountability program. They also tell me (please see the testimonials on my website) that their efforts and our work together have paid off. Showing up to your training session every week and implementing training plans at home can be overwhelming for some people, but I do my best to guide clients and provide them with all the support and attention they need. Clients motivated to see changes in their dog’s behavior understand that they must put in the effort and time between our meetings and are willing to do so.
Working together to reach some or all of your goals requires a commitment of time from you to practice with your dog at least three times a week, five to fifteen minutes per session, between meetings with Almudena and to email Almudena before the next appointment about the progress made.
Do you also have reasonable availability in your schedule to meet for our weekly training sessions or transfer sessions for day training? If your current situation does not allow you to commit, please reach out at a later time when you can be fully involved in teaming up with me (and your dog) to work together and reach your goals.
As my past clients have attested, committing to working together implies that you are also invested in completing the program. Actively participating in our work together and remaining open to learning and exploring new possibilities will constitute the beginning of a remarkable transformation.
Do You Offer Any Warranties?
Yes and no. A code of Ethics binds me as part of my Professional Certification, which clearly states that we may not offer warranties on behavior. However, I do tell my clients that if they follow up with all my recommendations (instead of picking and choosing what they want to do) and practice in between sessions, they will see positive changes in their dog’s behavior.
“Our dog Ernie loves Almudena. She’s a terrific trainer; firm, fun, creative, positive, and a great problem solver. Oh, and according to him, she gives the very best treats!” – Peggy Klaus, Berkeley, CA.