About Black Dog Training LLC

What it teaches

Black Dog Training states its scope in one line on the home page – "We train puppies, dogs, and their people" – and builds everything on one footing: "Whether you decide that you want to hang out, go for walks, snuggle, or get involved in doing canine sports such as Agility or Fast CAT, basic on-leash dog training is the foundation for everything you want to do." The obedience skills the site lists are stopping leash pulling, sit, down and stay, waiting at the door, coming when called, bonding exercises and impulse control – the last illustrated with "a tempting beef roast on the kitchen counter."

How classes run

Classes are small by design. The home page says there are "Small classes, 6 – 7 dogs in most classes," a "Daytime & evening schedule," and that "each class lasts one full hour." The classes page repeats it: "Our group classes are small, most classes have 6 dogs per class. Puppy classes may allow 7 – 9 puppies per class." Privates are available too – "On-Site privates at Jackson location are also available. Call to discuss and schedule an appointment" – and the home page lists in-home training among the options. The site gives the address as N168 W20069 Main St., Jackson, "conveniently located 1-1/2 miles off U.S. Highway 45 on Highway 60," and notes that "classes are now held on-site in a large separate room. Privates are held in the front section."

The puppy course

The STAR Puppy Obedience Class runs six one-hour classes at $150.00, held Wednesday 6:00 – 7:00 pm or Thursday 4:45 – 5:45 pm. Puppies must be "between 8 and 22 weeks old," must have started "Parvovirus, Distemper, and Bordetella" vaccinations with a veterinary certificate checked on the first day, and the site notes that puppies older than six months "will not be permitted in a puppy class, especially large breeds." The course covers "socialization with people and other puppies, crate training, household manners, acclimating your puppy to being gently handled all over his body, and the fundamentals of obedience behaviors such as sit, down, stay, come, greeting people nicely, and the start of walking nicely on a leash," and the site states its purpose bluntly: "A key purpose of the class is to offer the STAR puppy evaluation at the end of the series." Owners "must attend all 6 classes at Black Dog Training to be eligible to take the official AKC STAR Puppy evaluation."

Who runs it

The about page introduces the owner in her own voice: "Hi! I'm Cindy Hanisch, owner and lead trainer at Black Dog Training, LLC. I began training dogs at age 11 with my family dog, a Samoyed. I earned my first AKC obedience (CD) title with that dog." It credits her with AKC titles "in competition obedience, rally obedience and agility," and says "for the past 13 years, I have coached many dogs and their owners in canine obedience and agility," working with dogs "ranging in ages from 7 weeks to 13 years." She is described as "a registered American Kennel Club (AKC) evaluator for Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and STAR Puppy" who attends "several workshops per year." The business is named after her cockapoo Chester, whose titles the page lists.

Method

The philosophy statement is short and unhedged: "I use a positive reward-based training method. My training philosophy centers on the belief that both humans and canines should enjoy the process and that training is a lifelong commitment between owner and dog."