SEMI-PRIVATE TRAINING
Practice with a real dog, at a distance that works
There's a point in reactivity work where your dog has the pieces but has never rehearsed them with another dog in view. Semi-private lessons pair you with one other dog and handler, far enough apart that both dogs can think, close enough that the practice counts.
Sound familiar?
➜ Your dog does beautifully at home, then falls apart the moment a dog appears
➜ You can't practice reactivity work alone, because you can't schedule another dog
➜ Every dog you meet on a walk is either too close or gone before you can work
➜ You've done private lessons and want somewhere to test what you built
➜ You want lessons to keep going, and the per-lesson cost is the reason they might not
Why a second dog helps
Reactivity is hard to practice on purpose. On a normal walk the other dog arrives too fast, too close, or not at all, and you're left managing instead of training. Nothing your dog has learned gets rehearsed under the conditions that actually matter.
A paired lesson removes the guesswork. I control the distance, the angle, the length of each look, and how quickly we stop. Your dog gets to notice another dog and then discover that nothing happens next, over and over, at a level they can handle.
The other handler is doing the same work, which changes the mood as much as the mechanics. Most people are surprised by how much easier it is to practice next to someone whose dog also barks.
What we work on together
Semi-private lessons are reactivity work specifically. Here's what that looks like in practice.
Together we'll work on:
Finding your dog's working distance
The range where your dog can see another dog and still hear you. It's usually farther than people expect, and it moves as the work goes on.
Disengaging on cue
Looking at the other dog, then choosing to look back at you, without being called off or pulled away.
Moving past, not just standing still
Passes, angles, and turns, because the hard part of a walk is rarely a stationary dog.
Reading your own dog earlier
Catching the stillness, the hard stare, the closed mouth, before the barking, when you still have options.
Recovering after a hard moment
What to do in the thirty seconds after your dog goes over. The recovery is the skill that changes walks.
Handling near misses
The off-leash dog, the blind corner, the neighbor who won't stop approaching. Practised deliberately, with a partner who understands.
Kind words from owners:
How pairing works
You don't need to bring your own partner. Finding the right one is my job.
Your consultation
Ninety minutes in your home, booked separately at $225. I take full history, watch your dog, and decide honestly whether paired work suits them yet. Some dogs need private lessons first, and I'll tell you if yours does.
Step 1
I find your match
I pair dogs myself, based on working distance, triggers, and how each dog recovers. Two reactive dogs who set each other off are not a pair. If nothing suitable is open, you go on the pairing list, and private lessons stay available in the meantime.
Step 2
Sessions with both teams
Sixty minutes at a location we agree on, with real distance between you and coaching for both handlers throughout. Written notes go to each household after every session.
Step 3
What's included?
Every semi-private package includes:
✔︎ Sixty-minute sessions at a location chosen for the distance it allows
✔︎ Pairing coordinated by me, matched on triggers and working distance
✔︎ Notes after every lesson so practice doesn't depend on memory
✔︎ Coaching for both handlers, not just demonstrations
✔︎ Written notes to your household after every session
✔︎ Text support between sessions
Investment
Choose the number of lessons that suits your case
All packages require a completed Initial Behavior Consultation ($225, booked
separately).
This includes:
✔︎ 3 in-home 60-minute lessons
✔︎ Written notes after each lesson
✔︎ Text support between lessons
✘ Mid-package plan rewrite
✘ Written maintenance plan at completion
$450
3 LESSONS · $150/lesson
For: one focused issue, or a household that needs a solid start and can run with it.
This includes:
✔︎ 6 in-home 60-minute lessons
✔︎ Written notes after each lesson
✔︎ Email support between lessons
✔︎ Mid-package plan rewrite
✘ Written maintenance plan at completion
$840
6 LESSONS · $140/lesson (most common)
For: most reactivity and guarding cases. Enough runway to change the pattern, not just interrupt it.
This includes:
✔︎ 9 in-home 60-minute lessons
✔︎ Written notes after each lesson
✔︎ Email support between lessons
✔︎ Mid-package plan rewrite
✔︎ Written maintenance plan at completion, shareable with your vet or groomer
$1215
9 LESSONS · $135/lesson
For: longer histories, more than one behavior in play, or households with a lot of moving parts.
Lessons take place in your home or a location we agree on, within 20 miles of Bellingham. Travel beyond that is possible for an added fee, just ask. Packages are non-refundable once lessons begin, but unused lessons can be transferred to another service. Please give 24 hours’ notice to reschedule.
“For the first time in years, I feel like we're actually a team”
Lana & Peggy
Who private lessons suit:
This is for you if:
✔︎ Your dog needs the environment controlled, not just the curriculum
✔︎ You want to understand what's driving the behavior, not just suppress it
✔︎ You're willing to practice between lessons, even ten minutes at a time
✔︎ Your situation is specific to your household, your street, your family
✔︎ You'd rather be told the truth than told what you want to hear
This isn't for you if:
✘ You want your dog trained without changing anything about your own routine
✘ You're looking for obedience titles or off-leash sport work
✘ You need this resolved by next weekend
✘ You want to keep using a prong, choke, or e-collar
✘ You'd rather board your dog and have them come home fixed
Answers to your questions
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Yes. I don't sell lesson packages for dogs I haven't met. The consultation is how I know what the lessons should be, and it's $225 separate from any package.
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I'll tell you at the end of the consultation, once I've seen your dog. Most reactivity cases land on six. If three is genuinely enough, I'll say so.
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Management changes often help within days, because they stop your dog rehearsing the problem. Behavior change takes longer and shows up first as faster recovery: your dog still notices the trigger but comes back to you sooner.
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Often, yes. Tell me on the intake form so I can plan a safe first meeting. Bite history rules out group classes, not private lessons.
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No. No prong collars, choke chains, or e-collars, ever. If someone has told you your dog needs pain to learn, they were wrong.
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Your home, your walking routes, or wherever the behavior lives. Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, and surrounding Whatcom County. Ask if you're farther out.
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That's your veterinarian's call, and sometimes it's the missing piece. I'll say so if I think it's worth a conversation with them, and I'll write up what I'm seeing so you're not relaying it from memory.
