About Dog Days Pet Services LLC

What they do

Dog Days is a pet-care provider for the Greater Lynchburg and Bedford area whose published menu runs wider than training alone.

On the training side: **Training & Behavior**, framed around housebreaking and walking problems, social interaction problems and anxiety; **Puppy Starter Training**, covering housebreaking, crate training, name recognition and biting, explicitly positioned as preparation for basic obedience training later; **Day Training**; and **Board & Train**.

Alongside that: drop-in visits in the pet's own home as an alternative to the stress of boarding, day care, private dog walking, extended play time at the dog park with travel from and to the home, puppy care with potty breaks and socialization, senior pet care including medications, transportation to and from vet visits, and a wedding pet attendant.

How it is structured

The business is precise about intake. New clients complete a request form and receive a reply within 24 hours; last-minute or emergency service is not offered to new clients, with a stated minimum of 72 hours from first contact. All new clients attend a consultation or meet and greet – walking and park meet-and-greets at a neutral location, sitting and drop-in meet-and-greets in the home, day care meet-and-greets at their location. For training and behavior work specifically, a 90-minute consultation is scheduled to set up a training program fit exactly to the dog's needs; the consultation fee is $115. Proof of vaccinations including rabies is required at the meet and greet, along with veterinary information.

Visit pricing is published: 30 minutes starting at $20, 60 minutes starting at $30, extended visits starting at $45, with a possible $5 additional-pet fee and a $5 holiday surcharge. Drop-in clients must book at least one 30-minute visit per day away; every-other-day visits are not allowed, and two visits a day are suggested for puppies and kittens. There is a 24-hour cancellation policy and no refunds after payment.

Training is taught one-to-one only: "we only work in a 1-on-1 environment class, with, first, your dog, and them with you and your dog," with each session ending with the owner brought into the learning so it can continue at home.

Method

The training page walks through four named approaches the business uses – positive reinforcement, scientific training, clicker training and relationship-based training – and says relationship-based training is what it mainly focuses on, controlling the dog's environment to limit distraction and then gradually making lessons harder with more distraction. It is equally explicit about what it declines: "We recognize that there are other forms of 'training' available, such as eCollar, Prong Collar and Alpha, but we choose to avoid those forms of training, as they rely on punishing the dog for unwanted behaviors."

Who runs it

Ron. His own account describes three decades of rescuing and working with animals, an early refusal to use shock collars and other aversive tools even while following contemporary practice, and a switch to one hundred per cent positive reinforcement training in recent years. He names a particular interest in dogs with social problems such as fear and anxiety. A second trainer, Alliyah, is introduced as a positive reinforcement trainer on the team.

Credentials

The site describes Ron as a student of the CATCH Canine Trainer's Academy Master Program and Alliyah as a student of the Penn Foster program for training and behavior studies; both are courses in progress rather than completed certifications, so ask what certifications they hold. The site header states the business is licensed, insured and bonded.

Practical detail

The stated service area is "Lynchburg, Timberlake, Forest, New London, Bedford, Evington, and areas in between and beyond." Locations outside a 15-mile range carry a $5 fee for every further 10 miles. Clients get real-time updates and photos during visits through a booking portal and app.