“Don’t shoot the dog!” This is the title of a very popular and entertaining book by Karen Pryor about dog behavior and training methods.

While the title is a bit over-the-top, it humorously encapsulates many people’s frustration with their dog’s behavior.

Ultimately, many pet owners come to the realization they are over their head and seek the help of a professional. Step one, Google something along the lines of ‘dog trainers near me’ and immediately become overwhelmed. Quickly, they will realize that there are many more choices and types of dog training than they ever imagined.

Wading through all the options is certainly daunting. Depending on the where you live or market you are in, you can choose from group classes, private lessons, in-home lessons, day training, online training, zoom classes, board and train, meeting the trainer at an outside location and the list goes on. The philosophy, methodology and skill-sets of each individual trainer will vary as much as the options themselves.

Finally, comes the sticker shock. Most people have no idea how much dog training costs. We all want the best bang for our buck. The best results for the least amount invested.

“After all my dog really isn’t that bad and they are pretty smart to boot!”

After almost three decades as a professional dog-trainer, I have done almost every iteration of dog training there is. Early in my career, at one time or another, I offered every one of the training examples mentioned above. I now only offer board and train.

We get calls almost daily with requests for training outside of our 4-week Ultimate Canine Companion Program. Typically, the family is going on vacation and since the dog will need to be boarded during that time it seems like a good idea to throw some training in as well.

Unfortunately, we have to turn them down. As a small business owner in rural Northern Michigan, those are very tempting offers and sometimes difficult to turn down. Great people, great dogs, and easy money.

Why would we turn the opportunity down?

The long and the short answer is: Results.

SongDog’s reputation is not just for well trained dogs but a revolutionary change in the dog’s behavior following the 4 week stay here at our farm. These results cannot be achieved in a 7, 10, or even 14 day stay.

Does that mean the other types of training are bad? Definitely not!

However, they all have limitations in scope. If your dog may be aggressive towards other dogs, group classes will be very stressful for you, for your dog, and for the others in class. On-line training, zoom classes, private or in-home lessons will all demand the family’s time and dedication to implement. A vast majority of people who seek our help are in the predicament they are in simply due to a lack of time, adding more work and responsibility is usually not the answer.

Lastly, the most important reason we refuse to do abbreviated programs is we have a system

The SongDog System

The SongDog system allows for replicable results across the board. We routinely have sessions with Yorkies and Rat Terriers on up to Newfies and Great Pyrenees, as well as everything in between. Our success – across all sizes, breeds, ages and issues – would not be achievable without our system.

SongDog’s signature Ultimate Canine Companion Program is the result of almost 30 years of dog training experience. Thousands of dogs have gone through our program in this time. We have developed our system based on experience. Every single day is planned, we use each day as a building block for the next. We make sure every dog is learning at a pace that’s appropriate for them and they graduate every step of the system confidently.

Going through the entire process is critical to the final outcome. The system works, and we pride ourselves on the results.

If you want the best results and – most importantly – a happy, eager-to-please pup, then SongDog and the SongDog System is the answer.