Dog Training: Personalized to Your Needs

Our certified training expert Andy Defayette excels at helping you with specific goals for your life with your dog. He has spent over 22,000 hours of his career handling puppies and dogs, has an additional 5+ years of Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) experience, and uses that depth of experience to tailor training and reward-based techniques to your needs.

We believe there is no single rigid structure for a “good dog,” and Andy will personalize a training curriculum to meet each client’s house rules and requests.

Our training style and philosophy are easily adaptable for humans and dogs of all ages and temperaments, based in Karen Pryor’s clicker-training techniques and her marker-training successes in human-animal communication.

We do not use pain, fear, annoyance or intimidation to train.   As a result, we do not use – and we discourage all dog owners from using –  shock collars, prong training collars, choke chains, leash communication,  “leash pop” corrections, or body blocking.

After understanding and applying the fundamentals we teach, you’ll be well-equipped to be your dog’s guide for life.

Read more about Andy 

Become your dog’s guide and trainer for life.

You work best when you’re in a good mood, your efforts are appreciated, and results are rewarded, right? Your dog is no different!

Reach your goals with our expert training, whether you have a puppy, or a new rescue entering your family, or an adult with less-than-polite behavior issues to work through, or need to work on any aspect of socialization, home rules, leash walking, or behaviors. Get started today.

Get help with in-your-home puppy training, adult dog obedience, or behavior modification.

We work with you and your dog together in effective communication, confidence-building, and reaching your goals for a happy life with your pup.

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Simply need advice or observation?

Request a starter one-hour consultation & assessment visit at your home (apply that cost to any in-home training package, if you choose a package of training sessions).  We’ll schedule a single meeting with our dog trainer, with no-obligation to continue.

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PRIVATE TRAINING PACKAGES

Get help with in-your-home puppy training, dog obedience, and behavioral consulting. We work on specific tactics and techniques in private lessons with you and your dog together as you communicate, gain confidence, and reach your goals for a happy life with your pup.

Puppy Packages

Adult Dog Private Training

Request private dog training or sign up for a package today

Yes, Let’s Get Started!

BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT OR  CONSULTATION

 Schedule a single private training session either as a first meeting or as a refresher session long after training.  Andy works to understand your issues and wishes, then works with you on specific goals, identifies areas of miscommunication between you and your dog, and leads you through a tailored plan.   A starter one-hour assessment & evaluation visit alone is $120.00, if you simply want to see if we are a good fit for your dog!  Refresher sessions are really helpful and most welcome, anytime after a training package!

Request a first session in-home assessment or an add-on refresher

Yes, Let’s Get Started!

GROUP TRAINING CLASSES

If you want to gather neighbors and friends to have one or more “group” sessions with play dynamics or socialization, let us know.   We don’t offer ongoing group training classes, but we’re happy to work with you and your dog in group environments, at the dog park, or with other dog owners you know.

Request group class registration information

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Andy, Our Trainer and Behavior Specialist

We’d love for you to meet Andy Defayette, our certified dog trainer and behavior specialist here at Alexandria Pet Care!   Whether you have a new puppy ready for a foundation of good habits, or a rescue new to your family, or an adult dog who needs some new positive training, we’ll help you meet your goals for a happy life with your dog.

Our approach is personalized to help you, your pet, and your household work together in harmony. Andy works to understand your issues and wishes, then works with you toward those specific goals while improving communication between you and your dog.

  • Andy is a CPDT-KA certified dog trainer, which means he was referred by a veterinarian for certification, has 350 verified training hours and has passed an extensive certification exam. In total, Andy has handled over 22,000 puppies and dogs since 2012 and has loved every minute.
  • He uses reward-based training techniques customized to fit many different kinds of dogs (and owners).  Our training involves you and your dog together, working together toward your goals for a happy life.
  • Andy’s training methods draw from marker training methods such as clicker techniques advanced by Karen Pryor, and other techniques referenced by Sirius Dog Training created by Dr Ian Dunbar, BAT by Grisha Stewart, and successes of his close colleague The Glasgow Behaviour Consultant in the UK.

Typical work sessions include opening communication so your dog understands what is expected of them behaviorally, and helping you understand precisely how to teach and how to reinforce those expectations for your dog’s lifetime  — in a positive, practical and consistent way.

Certifications:

CPDT-KA
​Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (includes 350 hours of training experience and professional certification exam. )