Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to Contact Us

The best way to communicate with us is through email at info@kissdogtraining.com. We will respond as quickly as we can but responses during busy times can take up to a day or two (excluding weekends/holidays).

Texting is not a good form of communication as Angela does not have access to text messages – texting is only for emergencies such as when you are running late for a session or need to cancel the day of your session as the trainers do not respond to general inquiries via text.

If you choose to call the office, please take note of our office hours below (we close at 3 pm on Fridays and do not open until 9 am on Mondays).

Please be aware we do not return missed calls without a voicemail message, so if you would like a return call you must leave a message with details and your call back info.

HOURS:

2. Will you send homework after each session? YES!!! We will add notes, videos, and even blogs for you to read. The notes will be added to each and every Outlook Calendar Event (in the notes section of the event) Just click on the email notification and you will find them. If you do not see them, they have gone to junk or spam and you need to look for them or call us ASAP so you can review the things to work on. If you choose not to, you will fall behind and will not get the full value of the sessions. Let’s face it if you are not going to practice the work, why hire a trainer???

Cases of Fear, Reactivity, Aggression, or Separation Anxiety will be considered Complex Cases and they are more expensive than regular training. Complex Cases are described at the following link.  CLICK HERE FOR SPECIFICS OF COMPLEX CASES.

3. Am I really responsible for communication with the trainer to keep him/her informed of my progress between sessions? And does this really include me sending videos?

YES, yes you are! You are the key to success in this process. It is our job to point you in the right direction, show you how to do the exercises, and send you video examples in many cases to review. If you are having issues, we need to see the issues instead of waiting for the next session. We want and expect you to send us small 30-second videos of your progress so we can help! If this seems like it might be too much work or something you are not willing to do, please consider this when you are deciding if we are the right fit for you as a trainer.

4. How long does it take to train my dog?

Training a dog is really more about training the owner, so it really depends on how long it will take to train you! If you are frequent and consistent in working on the techniques and homework we leave for you, dog training becomes very easy. So, to answer your question with a question: How frequent and consistent are you willing to be?

5. How long are the sessions?

Our sessions are 45 minutes, that is the time we have seen that fits both the dogs and owners best from a focus and attention standpoint.

6. Why do you train owners, not dogs?

You want your dog to listen and pay attention to you, not us. Our job is to teach you DASL, or “Dog as A Second Language”.

7. Why do you charge a $100 Non-Refundable Deposit, require a signed agreement to the Fine Print & FAQs, and a Behavior History Questionnaire to schedule sessions or classes?

It takes the time and resources of both the trainer and office staff to call, discusses, answer questions, and get folks set up in the calendar or to reserve spots on class rosters. This non-refundable deposit will cover that time in the case of cancellations. So, it is critical that, if you choose to work with KISS Dog Training, you are as committed as we are to follow through with the training. If you have any questions, please call the office before scheduling your appointments.  The balance of your training package is still due at the time of our first session but will be reduced by the amount of the $50 non-refundable deposit.

Your electronic signature agreement to our Fine Print & FAQs (sent via DocuSign) is required before training can be scheduled. We want to make sure everyone reads these documents in their entirety to know all of our policies before they choose to begin training with K.I.S.S. Dog Training.

The Behavior History Questionnaire is required for EVERYTHING (training sessions, even consults and phone calls).  It helps us plan and knows what issues the owner is having, as well as gives us insights into what things have been tried and where we will be heading in training. It is also part of our legal and insurance protocols to ensure we are prepared and ready to meet you and your dog! We greatly appreciate your cooperation. 🙂

Once we have scheduled your session(s), we will them on your trainer’s calendar for the next 48-hours until your Behavior History Questionnaire is received. After that, your scheduled session(s) will be re-opened and made available to our other clients and you will be rescheduled after we receive the completed questionnaire.

8. Why do you charge a “Rescheduling” and a “Day of Appointment Cancellation”? What happens if you choose not to pay them?

The cancellation/rescheduling fees are to pay our staff to call, set up, and do the back office calendar work to accommodate your rescheduling needs. We also in many cases lose the ability to fill the original calendar slot by moving your appointment to a new slot on the calendar that could be used for another client. Many months of the year we have up to a month’s wait time to get started with clients so being able to handle the homework and appointment times chosen are critical to success.

Day of Schedule cancellation has a $60.00 fee and any other rescheduling fee will have a fee of $40.00… We encourage you to talk to the office staff if you have extenuating circumstances…

RESCHEDULING FEES ARE DUE AT THE TIME OF CANCELLATION NOT WHEN YOU WANT TO RESCHEDULE… PAYMENT OF THESE FEES WILL BE REQUIRED TO RESCHEDULE!

If you choose to not pay the fees, you simply forfeit that particular session and it will not affect any of your other/future sessions.

P.S. We also value your time, and if we have to reschedule on you last minute… We will add an additional in-home session for free to make it up to you! Fair is Fair

9. Why do you charge more for Aggressive Dogs?

Please see our website and information on complex cases (CLICK HERE)

If you should choose to train a dog that falls into this category, or one that has a bite history, you accept all responsibility for the actions of this dog. Be sure you are willing to put in the time, attention, and practice with the dog, not to mention the civil and legal responsibilities.

10. Why do you charge more for Private Sessions on Saturdays or Evenings?

These sessions are outside the normal workweek and are priced as such.

11. Are you a certified dog trainer?

Yes!

Mike Deathe is certified through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, and his credentials are “CPDT-KA” (“Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed”).

Currently, there are no restrictions on folks becoming dog trainers or what they need to do beforehand. We feel strongly that if you are going to hire a trainer, that person should have taken the time and pride to educate themselves, certify themselves with a governing body, and be required to get yearly continuing education.

Follow this link to see my Continuing Education and Specialty Training Topics https://kissdogtraining.com/achievements-affiliations/

12. Are you insured?

Yes, we carry full dog training insurance for our trainers and the company through The Hartford Group. This is not only to protect our trainers and the company but you and your dog(s) as well. Again, if you are going to hire a dog trainer, they should be professional enough to protect not only themselves but their clients, with insurance.

13. What is the most important thing in picking a dog trainer?

You and the trainer must connect not only on a personal basis but also on a technique/philosophy basis. We will not be the right trainer for every person out there. In the end, you want a trainer that can help you and your furry friend get back on speaking terms. Here is an article that our owner/trainer, Mike Deathe, wrote several years ago on picking the right trainer for you.

14. Is it true that from time to time you will “fire” a client?

Yes, from time to time I find that the owner is not capable or willing to do the work. I do not want to waste your time or mine. I make every effort to let you know my training philosophies and expectations and hope that you will learn about my personality through reading through the Fine Print & FAQs and watching the videos I have made publicly available on YouTube. However, there are some times when personalities just do not mesh, and it is in the dog’s best interest to terminate the sessions so you can move on to another trainer that is a better fit for you and you do mesh. But in most cases, when I do actually “fire” a client it is because the client is consistently not prepared, doesn’t have the time, or is just simply not doing the homework. I hate to even put this on the website, but as we always strive to be as transparent as possible, I want you to see this here before deciding to hire us to work with you to learn how to train your dog.

15.  Is it necessary to use technology as a part of the training process?

YES, it is! We communicate with clients via email and Outlook calendar invites, and send both notes and homework to you after each session from each session scheduled on our Outlook calendar that will come to you via email.  Your homework might require downloading a book (eBook or audiobook), watching videos on our YouTube channel to see the homework firsthand, and finally, sending us videos of progress or issues you are having so we can help address them between sessions. We also require filling out forms from time to time about how things are going via email if training stalls.  You must be capable/comfortable with all of this in order for your training to be effective.

16.  Angela asked me to put this little message here at the bottom of each section of the Start Here Tab…

This information is to help you, the client, decide if KISS Dog Training is a good fit for you and your pooch. We will not ask for your electronic signature agreeing with these three items till you call the office and sign up for training. At that point, the office will send you a DocuSign Envelop to sign and initial parts of all three documents…

Hopefully, that clears up any confusion about the signup process and how the electronic signatures will work, Mike.

Good luck and please call us with any questions!

Mike Deathe, CPDT-KA
(913)269-7595