Dog Training For Owners

As you mentioned in your review (thank you for the nice review, by the way), we recommended that you expose Ripley to children when we was still very young. You also mentioned in your review that you didn't "pay enough attention" to that area of training, and Ripley is now afraid of children. The reason he is afraid is because he is not used to them. There are several techniques we use to help dogs get over fears, some of which are too complicated to describe in the limited space allowed here. That said, you should first employ some desensitizing techniques to help him get used to the simple presence of children. Do you remember how we used the Heel drill to teach him to stay focused on a task in the face of distraction? Apply that same concept, initially at a distance at which he notices them, but is not reacting to them. Move gradually closer over time as you see him getting used them as indicated by him paying less attention to their presence. Call us so we can chat directly.

Thank you for your inquiry. Although we do hold Socialization Sessions from time to time, our focus is on teaching, so these sessions are positioned in the context of helping dogs learn how to be social with other dogs. It sounds like your dog is already social. Perhaps you should consider going to a dog park or, if you're not comfortable with that, contacting a company that does boarding, as boarding facilities often provide play-date type services. If you have any other questions, please contact us directly.