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Woofie’s® of Reston-Herndon-Sterling Change Location
Woofie’s® of Reston-Herndon-Sterling Change Location
Leading the Pack Since 2004
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Private Dog Training in Reston and Herndon, VA

Improve the Pet/Owner Relationship with Dog Obedience Training

A well-behaved dog makes life easier for pet parents. Whether you are taking your dog for a walk, letting them run and play in a park, or trying to keep them off your living room furniture, having a dog who listens and responds to commands will make life a bit less stressful and help you avoid problems. All dogs require training and will not learn obedience or how to behave around people and other pets if they aren’t taught. An untrained dog can make it difficult for pet parents to take their pet out in public and can lead to headaches at home. Woofie's® offers a variety of professional dog training classes and private dog training for pups of all ages.

Woofie's® also offers the following private dog obedience training classes in the Reston, Herdon and Sterling area:

  • Private Training for You & Your Dog-  In these private dog training classes the trainer works with you to provide coaching on how to develop a relationship and communication with your dog that mitigates unwanted behaviors and to develops desired behaviors. The Trainer meets with you and your dog to perform an Initial Assessment and then provides a plan to accomplish your desired goals, including a recommendation for the number of sessions. During the term of sessions, in addition to the Training sessions, you would also have access to the Trainer for questions and support as you are practicing the learned skills and developing a positive relationship and habits with your pup.
  • Private Training for Your Dog- In these private training sessions just for your dog, the trainer works directly with your dog to assess their mindset and temperament and works directly with them  to develop skills based on goals that you establish. After each session, the Trainer will update you on the skills that were worked on and advise you on how to work with your pup on your own time to turn those skills into habits that you can reinforce. During the term of the sessions, you  have access to the Trainer for questions and support as you practice the learned skills.
  • Bed & Biscuit (Boarding) & Train- For Bed & Biscuit (Boarding) with Training your pup  stays in the Trainer’s home and receives three (3) 1-hour one-on-one training sessions per day while you are away. Instead of staying in a kennel, your pup stays in the comfort of a home setting and receives training throughout their stay. This service is for a minimum of 14 days (2 weeks) and a maximum of 28 days. The Trainer meets with you to discuss your goals, and then meets with you at the end of the stay to coach you on the skills your dog has learned! Package includes any needed training equipment, a training video of your dog during his stay at the Trainer’s home, and 1 session at client’s home to train the client on the commands and techniques. 

Woofie's® also offers the following small group dog training classes:

  • Puppy Pre-K
    • Semi-private (max 4 dogs)
    • Ages 9 – 15 weeks
    • Once weekly 90-minute sessions for 4 weeks
  • Puppy Kindergarten Class
    • Semi-private (max 4 dogs)
    • Ages 15 weeks – 6 months
    • Once weekly 90-minute sessions for 4 weeks
  • Adult Basic Obedience
    • Semi-private (max 4 dogs)
    • Ages 6 months and up
    • Once weekly 90-minute sessions for 4 weeks
  • Intermediate Obedience
    • Semi-private (max 4 dogs)
    • Ages 6 months and up
    • Once weekly 90-minute sessions for 4 weeks
    • Prerequisite: Puppy Kindergarten, Adult Basic Obedience, or Test-In Option

Contact Woofie’s® of Reston-Herndon-Sterling today at (703) 827-1665 to learn more about our private and small group dog obedience training classes! Proudly serving Reston, Sterling, Herndon, Vienna, Great Falls and surrounding areas!

Meet Our Dog Trainers

Michele Khol, Certified Dog Trainer (IACP)

Michele Khol
 

Michele Khol is a certified dog trainer with over 19 years of experience in the dog training industry. She is extremely passionate about exceeding your expectations with dog training and education, giving you quality results and superior customer service! Michele has applied her skills and experience to helping individuals develop and nurture good canine behaviors with a relationship-centered approach. Through positive reinforcement, you can create mutual respect and harmony between you and your dog and teach them to be successful in any situation! Building a strong bond between a dog and their human allows them to work together with loose leash guidance and without negative restraints.

Michele emphasizes the importance of knowing that the human/canine relationship is a two-way street: that pet dogs need great training, obedience and communication skills and their owners need training, patience and education to achieve that relationship. She will help you with proper “tool” selection and education, making sure the tools you are using are right for your dog and right for you!  

One of the most important aspects of dog training is FUN! Training your dog should be a fun experience for both the human and the dog. Seeing that spark of recognition in a dog’s eye when they “get” what their human is asking is one of the most exciting times in dog training.  Michele’s training approach is to always help the owner remember the FUN in training while we teach our dogs the skills they need to be happy members of our families.

Michele’s certification is through the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP), an internationally recognized dog training organization.  She hones her skills daily as owner of MK9s LLC dog training and the Director of Operations and K9s Programs of MK9s Service Dogs. MK9s Service Dogs is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 public charity placing service dogs with veterans with physical and mental disabilities.  Michele is an active professional member of IACP, a Certified Canine Athlete Specialist, a Certified Service Dog Trainer and is certified with AKC to perform S.T.A.R Puppy, CGC, CGCA and UCGC tests for the public.

As a Certified Canine Athlete Specialist, Michele understands the importance of having a safe exercise program for a canine. Michele has been trained and certified in creating conditioning programs to prevent injury or re-injury in canines.


Eliza Jamison CPDT-KA and AKC Evaluator

Trainer walking dogs

Eliza Jamison has worked with pets and animals of all kinds. Her experience has allowed her to hone into specialties like canine behavior modification, basic to advanced obedience training, and puppy socialization. She has worked under some of the best canine instructors Northern Virginia has to offer, such as Chris Baity, a Marine Corps MWD Kennel Master, with whom she trained with for 6 years. Under his direction, she learned positive reinforcement, instrumental and Pavlovian conditioning.

Not only is Eliza incredible with dogs but she is also great with humans! For the past 3 years, Eliza has taught group classes and conducted one-on-one private dog training lessons. She has a remarkable ability to assess your goals for your dog and determine the best training method - all while delivering a hands-on experience and teaching you along the way!

Eliza is currently working as the lead trainer for a non-profit organization called Semper K9, a distinguished organization known for providing custom-trained service dogs for disabled US Veterans. Eliza has worked with Semper K9 for 6 years and has graduated over 15 service dogs in that time.

Eliza is certified with AKC to perform S.T.A.R Puppy, CGC, CGCA and UCGC tests for the public, and AKC trick training. She is also certified for feline and canine First Aid. She currently is studying to become a CCDPT member.

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