The Dog Wizard can help set the stage for success with your new pup

By Patricia Nugent

Over the past couple months, local animal shelters have experienced a record high number of adoptions.

While it’s wonderful these dogs are finding homes and families, it would be heartbreaking to see them returned to the shelters down the line because the new families couldn’t handle their behavioral issues.

“Dog ownership is one of the many instances in life where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” says Aurelia Ford, who, along with her husband, Steve, owns The Dog Wizard mobile training service.

“We’d like to help any way we can to nip any behavioral issues in the bud so these families can thrive. When people start returning to work as quarantine is lifted and the new dogs suffer from separation anxiety, we don’t want to see them act out.”

The Dog Wizard offers three levels of training: online virtual classes, private programs (in the outdoors, with social distancing practices followed), day training and board and train options (with no-contact pick-up and drop-off).

With day training, a trainer shows up to your home in a whimsically decorated van to pick up your pooch for the day, training it intensely and making sure it has breaks. Then, your trainer returns your dog home in the evening.

For a higher level of intensity, and perfect for people going on vacation this summer, they can also board and train your pet at the same time.

Following a training package, refresher lessons are included in the package cost for the lifetime of the trained dog. It is also welcome to join Steve and Aurelia on free drills and group walks at area parks each Saturday, the perfect practice for socialization and behavioral reinforcement.

Debuting a Virtual Puppy Class Program
While you can definitely teach an old dog new tricks, it’s been shown that puppies learn more in the first 16 weeks of life than they do during the rest of their lives. But puppy training takes time and effort.

That’s why Steve and Aurelia have just introduced an online training program tailor-made for puppy owners. “Students” are puppies that are eight weeks to six months old.

Via a private group on Facebook Live, each weekly one-hour class will cover an obedience topic, such as “sit” or “come,” a socialization topic, including how to react to strangers or other dogs, and behavioral problems, from housebreaking and crate-training to barking or getting up on the furniture. At the end of every class there will be a question and answer portion. Folks who have gone through the program say they’ve gotten to know others in the class and found their own puppy community.

“This class is not necessarily for ‘bad’ puppies,” says Steve. “Our goal is to prevent unwanted behaviors from starting. Using positive reinforcement—never punishment—we give puppies the chance to make their own decisions, and the guidance to make good ones.”

For a flat fee, participants in the program will enjoy the weekly classes, as well as follow-up videos online.

Enjoying the Fringe Benefits
Despite people being quarantined the last two months, the good news is that walking your dog outside has always been allowed.

“In addition to the extra exercise for owner and dog, it’s proven that just being with your dog also comes with fringe benefits, like reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure and even easing depression,” says Aurelia.

The Dog Wizard is centrally located in Strongsville. Trainers go to homes all over Northeast Ohio. For more information, call 330-461-9287, check Facebook @TheDogWizardMedina or visit TheDogWizard.com/Medina.