"Life is good when your dog is good." - DRC
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Gaia Richards, 505-310-5438
How can I help YOU?
Your dog may be one of the most important emotional investment in your life. Perhaps I can help you get off on the right foot!
The picture to the right is Chivo, who was adopted from a home where he experienced severe neglect and random and chaotic discipline and rewards. He was entirely shut down from being left under the front portal sometimes for a few days at a time and during rainy season.
Here, he has just found the "lost" human he was searching for. He also finds cash, loves long walks and spends his days among six other smaller dogs and three cats, content & happy.
I worked with him every weekday for about four months before he learned to be unafraid in certain situations. THEN we began training. With shelter dogs and other certain dogs, this is what it takes.
With otherwise healthy dogs who have come from a litter to you, it won't take that long to get a happy & healthy new companion. In this cases, I would refer your Lucky Dawg or ZPet or the Shelter to learn basic skills to make your dog feel good and do good.
For dogs like Chivo, trainers like myself who are dedicated can help you learn how to interact with dogs to help them feel safe in ways that THEY understand.
Dog are canids and we are primates; things that make them feel safe, happy and nourished are different than things that make us feel good. It is important to be able to communicate with our dogs in ways that THEY understand.
For more than three years I worked one-on-one with dog trainer David Crosby learning how to teach folks how to have a great relationship with their dogs. We spent hours at local parks with clients and their pups, days out in the field in scent detection work, and lots of time and energy planning courses and mentoring high school students in canine behavior and scent detection and Search & Rescue. We also gave 30 free lectures to the community about dog behavior & relationships.
My skill is in my sensitivity. Too tender for tenure in the military, I found a path in teaching yoga, doing Reiki on dogs & humans, and now working with people to help them enjoy their dog(s)!
Our work together requires commitment and willingness to do what it takes. If you are willing to commit, to listen, to try old things in a new way, I may be the right trainer for you.
Dogs work best with structure, consistency, repetition, and familiarity. They work well with appropriate rewards and predictable outcomes. My gift is being able to meet you where you are with your dog and then listen and help you see your goals. I am a strong and sturdy coach for you along the way.
I like to work with the whole dog, not just behaviors. We investigate and find out what factors will make for the best relationship with you. My job is to help you to be clear, present, and consistent for your animal.
Services & Descriptions - All prices include tax
One Session for $110 or Five Session for $395
One Session for $110 or Five Session for $395
One Session for $110 or Five Session for $395
I will come to your home or we can meet at the park. Each session is a little less than an hour. We always start right where we are -- and we delve into the process of how your dog learns. They are not computers so sometimes there is forward movement and sometimes we go forward and back a bit and then make great progress. Meeting you and your dog where you are and coaching you on is my speciality.
Zoom or Telephone Session
One Session for $110 or Five Session for $395
One Session for $110 or Five Session for $395
This option is offered for current clients as an occasional or ongoing follow-up. We can talk on the phone or use Zoom. The fee is $80.
Donate - Help Our Cause
We currently have five strays that require vet visits, dental work, and neutering. Donations of any amount are appreciated, and donations of $25-$150 are extra helpful, too. Thank you --
