Relationship-based behavioral dog training
Building better bonds through behavior. Remote and in-person training for families in and around Reston, Virginia (now coming to NYC!).
- Reactivity, anxiety, inter-dog conflict, bite history
- Rescue adjustment and life-stage support from puppy to senior
- Compassionate, relationship-first philosophy
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Training Philosophy
My goal is to help families build calmer, safer, and more connected lives with their dogs. Training is not just about commands—it's about understanding who your dog is, what they need, and how you can work together.
- Behavior-first, relationship-based: We look at the full picture of your dog's emotions, environment, history, and needs—not just the “problem behavior”. Every visit begins with a full assessment of your dog, your dog's behaviors, likes and dislikes, what is going well, what isn't, how you typically interact, and a review of your current schedule.
- Science-informed and compassionate: I draw from modern behavior science and real-world experience to create humane, effective plans tailored to each dog, which considers your capabilities and your schedule.
- Skills that fit real life: We focus on skills your dog can use every day—calmness, focus, recall, impulse control, and safe interactions with people and other animals. We also work on increasing novel experiences for you and your dog, so that your relationship strengthens, and your dog gains confidence.
- Teamwork with the family: You're a core part of the process. I coach you as much as I train your dog so that the progress sticks.
FAQs
What do I need for training?
Please have a collar or harness on your dog for when I arrive. I recommend you save 1/2 of your dog's kibble to use for training purposes. Why kibble? As we are working on your dog's behavior, we will be marking good behaviors often. By using your dog's kibble, we can reward frequently without worrying about GI upset, or your dog getting fat! If your dog will not work for their kibble, only then should we introduce other treats. Adjust your dog's meals accordingly to match their required caloric intake.
Where do you train?
I drive up to 40 minutes away from my home base at the Avalon at Reston Landing. Typically we will meet at your home to train, although sometimes I will recommend that we travel to areas with more frequent exposure to your dog's triggers.
What are your thoughts on training tools (head halter, prong collar, e-collar, etc)?
Tools have their places, but are not typically used for daily training purposes. It is my belief that practice, and correct communication with your dog can fix nearly all issues. If you prefer to use tools, then we will discuss the appropriate way to use them in training sessions so that everybody stays happy and healthy.
Why is play so important to training?
It is important to acknowledge your dog's individuality as we work on difficult skills tied to obedience. Play allows us to recognize all the things that makes your dog, your dog. Recall, stay, sit, down, impulse control are all counter-intuitive to your dog's nature. While training can be fun, it also can be frustrating for your dog. Play allows us to tell a dog when it is okay to be impulsive, race around, and overall be a goof! By incorporating play with training, we can make progress much faster than without it. It also can prevent redirection behaviors that can come about with obedience training only such as biting, barking, wining, and failing to listen.
Have a different question? Email me and I’ll be happy to talk about your dog’s situation.
Meet Jessica, Your Trainer
Get in Touch
Contact Jessica:
📞 Phone: 571-283-1680
✉️ Email: thefamilydogva@gmail.com