About High Hopes Dog Training

High Hopes Dog Training is Hope Sisitsky's practice in Roanoke, and it is one of the longest-running in the valley: "As she started her own dog training business in 2000". The site says the business has been "voted the BEST DOG TRAINER for 12 consecutive years by the readers of The Roanoker Magazine".

How the training is delivered

The homepage sums the offering up as "Offering Private and Virtual Training Programs for Dogs and Their Humans", alongside self-paced online courses and gift cards. A second team member, Sandy Evans, works virtually from North Carolina and has been with the business since 2016; her own route in was through the beginner, intermediate and advanced obedience classes.

Method

The philosophy pages are explicit about the approach: "we recognize and reward our dogs' positive behaviors, rather than focusing solely on correcting undesirable ones." The site puts as much weight on teaching the owner as the dog – "We believe in educating both human family members and their beloved dogs together."

Credentials

The site states that "Hope is an AKC (American Kennel Club) Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and a long-time member of APDT (Association of Professional Dog Trainers)." Her background before dog training was teaching – a degree in elementary education and a spell as an elementary school teacher in Florida.

What to ask

Ask about prices, the class schedule and where sessions take place; business hours are given as "Please call ahead". The site also sells a pet CBD product line, which is retail rather than training.