About Hampton Roads Dog Training

Hampton Roads Dog Training is a one-trainer, in-home practice covering Virginia Beach and the surrounding communities, and the choice of format is deliberate rather than incidental.

The trainer

The about section is unusually concrete: "Clair grew up in Henrico, Virginia. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a major in Animal and Poultry Sciences and an emphasis on companion animals." Her professional credential follows – "Clair completed the Canine Trade Group certification course, which focuses on the training philosophy of Decisions, not Dominance." – and so does her reason for working the way she does: "Clair believes in-home training is the most effective way to communicate with dogs, as it allows the owner to stay involved in the training process and work on specific family needs."

The method, named

Where most sites say positive or balanced, this one uses the industry term and then defines it: "LIMA stands for L east I ntrusive, M inimally A versive dog training. This training strategy involves tactics that are both humane and effective while offering the highest chance of training success." Training deliberately moves out of the living room: "When you train your dog with us, we make sure you experience real-life scenarios. We'll have you practice your newfound training knowledge in distracting situations. If your confidence and dog's focus hold up at the park, vet, restaurant, etc., you're well on the way to training success."

What it covers

The program list is behavior-heavy: "We address severe behavior problems, like aggression, anxiety, and leash control and reactivity, as well as basic obedience training and puppy training." Puppy work covers "basic obedience skills, socialization, leash walking, basic manners, potty training, and more". Separation anxiety has its own lane – "We'll provide training that will build confidence in your dog to help them remain calm and relaxed even when you aren't present." The aggression pitch is aimed squarely at the owners who need it: "Safety and liability are concerns that keep many of our new clients up at night, but it doesn't have to be that way."

How you pay

This is the one pricing structure in the metro that is stated as a principle: "Unlike most private trainers, we charge one flat fee for the entire program, beginning to end, so you'll never wonder how much training will cost you."

One thing not to book yet

Service dog work is advertised as pending, not available – the site says it is "COMING SOON! Hampton Roads Dog Training is proud to provide service dog training for dog owners in need of mobility assistance and psychiatric training." We have not listed it as a service for that reason.