About Ruff Start Dog Training

Who they are

Ruff Start Dog Training is run by Amy Dunlap out of Weston, West Virginia, and serves dog owners

in Weston, Jane Lew, Clarksburg, Buckhannon and the surrounding area. Her own site describes her

as "a certified dog trainer through Animal Behavior College and an AKC Evaluator" who has "been

successfully training dogs since 2014." Before West Virginia she trained working wildlife

management dogs in the Chicagoland area, studied dog fitness as taught at the Penn Vet Working Dog

Center, and volunteered with a Pets for Vets chapter pairing companion dogs with veterans. She

also states two years of mentored experience with fear and anxiety cases.

How they train

The method is reward-based and relationship-focused. Amy describes her goal as using "proven,

science-backed methods to train PEOPLE to train their own dogs, so they don't need a trainer

anymore" – the emphasis is on handler skill rather than on the trainer keeping the dog dependent.

Family fit is treated as part of the brief: the site notes that whether a dog is a new puppy, a

rescue or a long-established family member, safety and comfort matter for the dogs and the

children both.

What is on offer

Four formats are published. In-home private lessons, where she comes to the house and builds a

plan around the specific problems. Group classes, capped so that you and four other clients share

the instructor's attention, held at The All Occasions Hall in Jane Lew by the entrance to Jane Lew

Park. A board-and-train program called The Ruff Start Retreat, covering everything from puppy

obedience through behavior modification for reactivity or unruly behavior. And combined "Ruff and

Ready" packages that blend group classes with private lessons.

The problem list she names is concrete: pulling on a leash, barking at other animals, jumping on

guests, not coming when called, chewing furniture, fearfulness, resource guarding, and

mouthing or nipping. Group-class skills listed include engagement work, sit, down, stay, recall

and loose-leash walking.

Setting

Training is based on eleven acres of mountainside outside Weston. Classes usually run in the

driveway, and move into the basement in bad weather. Private lessons range across the property

depending on what the dog needs.

Before you book

The Animal Behavior College credential and the AKC Evaluator role are the owner's own published

statements; ask about them if credentials matter to you.