About New Hope Dog Training LLC

Force-free, choice-based training with a shelter background

New Hope Dog Training publishes its mission as empowering "dog owners to build strong, lasting bonds with their dog companions through classes that cater to dogs of all levels," and states: "We use choice based, force free training methods to teach dogs how to make good choices. Choice-based dog training is a training method that gives dogs choices during training sessions and allows them to learn from their choices."

The trainer

Cindy Blair writes: "I started working with dogs of various breeds, ages and temperaments in a shelter setting as a volunteer in 2011… I started working full time in 2013 in the kennel and then moved into Adoptions." Her reason for becoming a trainer is published plainly: "I decided to become a trainer because I wanted to help dogs before their owners became frustrated and made the hard decision to surrender their dog to a shelter." She lists "over 10 years experience working to train both puppies and adult dogs for good manners in addition to behavior modification for resource guarding, dog reactivity, fear of people or other dogs, touch sensitivity for grooming and veterinary care and dogs with high prey drive."

Classes and published prices

The class ladder is Star Wars themed and priced at "$180 for the six week course" per level: Younglings/Puppies (8-16 weeks, ending in the STAR puppy test), Padawan/Advanced Puppy (4-7 months), Knight/Intermediate (7-12 months, preparing for the Canine Good Citizen test) and Master Jedi/Advanced for intermediate graduates. Grand Master Tricks/Fit Dog covers AKC Trick titles and AKC FIT DOG at "$180 for the six week course OR $340 for the six week FIT DOG course (which includes a KLIMB platform)."

One-to-one and specialist work

1-to-1 training is "$80 per session." A one-hour phone consultation for "Adding a New Puppy or Adult Dog to Household" is "$20." AKC Virtual Home Manners is "$30." Two behavior-modification programs are published at "$120 session" each: Predation Substitute Training – "developed by Simone Mueller," covering "Management and Prevention, Predation Substitute Tools, Predation Substitute Games, and the Interruption of Predatory Behavior" – and Care with Consent Training, "teaching dogs to be comfortable with the handling necessary for veterinary visits and grooming appointments."

Home School and walks

A "HOME SCHOOL" option runs "3 individual 1 hour training sessions with your dog at your home each week" plus a weekly coaching session, as a 3- or 5-week program at "$80 per training session with a 10% discount when purchasing a package." Enrichment walks are "60 minutes $40, 30 minutes $20."

Class venue

The class listing places a Lowell puppy class at "Arrow Veterinary Clinic, 11250 Fulton St E, Lowell, MI 49331."

The demo dog

Luke ("Cherryacre's Master Skywalker"), born 19 October 2021, "passed the Canine Good Citizen evaluation along with his AKC Novice Trick title in December 2023."