Clients tell me that working with me can be demanding. We cover a lot of ground, and we have an agreed-upon accountability program.
They also tell me (please see the testimonials on my website) that their efforts and our working together 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 lead clients by the hand and give them all the support and attention they need. Clients that are too busy or lack the motivation to implement the changes needed or the training plans that we are working with are not a good fit for training with me.
As my past clients have attested, committing to working together implies that you, too, are invested in seeing the program through. Actively participating in our working together and remaining open to learning and exploring new possibilities will constitute the beginning of a remarkable transformation.
The 90 minutes Initial Consult
I like to meet with potential clients for a 90 minutes consultation at their homes. During that consultation:
- We will discuss your goals for our training together.
- I will give you my best estimate regarding how many training sessions you will need to reach your goals (or some of your goals).
- I will do preliminary training with your dog (s) as time allows.
Before we meet:
Once we have an appointment for the Initial Consult scheduled, I will email you an extensive questionnaire. You will fill it in and email it back to me at least two (2) working days and no later than 5 pm before the date of our Initial Consultation. We will have to reschedule our appointment if I do not receive the questionnaire on time.
Reading through your questionnaire ahead of time will allow me to think about your specific situation and prepare additional questions if needed. I will also bring valuable handouts for your circumstance and make better use of our time during the Initial Consult.
During this consult, I will give you 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.
- Give you my best recommendations for the number of training sessions needed to reach your goals or most of your goals.
- Should we move forward with private training, I will write training plans relevant to your dog’s training.
- 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 checking-ins between sessions and training plans as needed for your 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
Location of Training:
For the Initial Consult and future trainings, 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 Consult and follow-up training, should we decide to work together.
Fees, Payments, and Policies:
Initial Consult: 90 minutes $187.46 (Santa Fe county tax included). If the meeting goes beyond 90 minutes, the charge is $267.81 (Santa Fe County tax included). (I do not carry cash on me so an exact amount for Initial Consult plus tax is needed if paying cash).
Training Sessions:
Training sessions are 1hr. Long. My hourly fee is $158.00 plus tax. However, there is a price drop per session, depending on the number of sessions needed to reach your goals. Visit this link to learn more about my training options.
Payments:
Since I can only work with a set number of clients and their dogs at a time, I ask that people commit to the agreed-upon number of sessions discussed during the initial consult by paying in full before the training.
Clients can pay with a check, cash, or credit card. Please note that there is a 2.9% fee per credit card charge.
Additional Fees:
IF there is a need to have a third party help with the training, the client will directly pay the helper $40.00 per session. Alternatively, the client can find a qualified* third-party helper – as needed to help with the training without the need for compensation.
*All helpers need to 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.
Cancellation of Initial Consult:
There is a $45 charge for cancelation of the Initial Consult once we have made an appointment if not canceled within 48 hrs. of the appt. date.
“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.