Training process / Owner involvement
How many sessions will fix my dog? The honest answer is less exciting
The dog's history, the cause of the behaviour and the owner's work between sessions all change the timeline.
“How many sessions will it take to fix my dog?”
I get why people want a number. They want to know the cost, the time, and whether life gets easier at the end of it. But giving a confident number before I’ve even met the dog would be marketing, not assessment.
Two dogs can show the exact same behaviour for completely different reasons. One barks out of fear. Another barks because it’s learned that barking creates distance. One has never felt leash pressure before. Another has spent three years reaching every destination by pulling. On video they can look almost identical — the work behind them isn’t.
Progress doesn’t happen only in the lesson
I can create a clear shift during a session, but the dog’s normal life carries on for the rest of the week regardless. If the same pattern gets rehearsed at home every day, one lesson a week can’t outcompete that.
That’s why I bring owners into the process directly. You need to know what to do right before the reaction starts, how to hold the leash, when to reward, and how much difficulty your dog can actually handle on a given day.
A useful plan beats a dramatic promise
After the first assessment, I can tell you exactly what I’m seeing, what to prioritise first, and how we’ll measure progress. I can be specific about what needs to change.
What I won’t promise is an identical result in an identical number of sessions for every dog. Age, history, character and the repetition happening at home all move that timeline — sometimes by a lot.
Why I stay away from the word “guarantee”
I’ve seen trainers advertise a fixed number of sessions with a guaranteed result. For a few simple behaviours that might hold up. For fear, trauma, or a habit that’s been rehearsed for years, it usually doesn’t.
A guarantee given before ever seeing the dog is really serving the sale, not the owner. After watching the dog and hearing its history, I can give you an honest estimate — not a fixed date.
Dogs aren’t machines, and owners aren’t spectators. This process belongs to both of you.