Jeff Stallings, dog trainer and certified behavior consultant

I’m dog trainer and behavior consultant Jeff Stallings, accredited by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and with experience addressing a wide-range of training and behavior issues.

I use my accumulated knowledge to train dogs and puppies using positive reinforcement and other humane methods of behavior modification. My science-based approach takes into account each dog's situation, including background, temperament and household environment, to guide clients towards more gratifyingly healthy human/canine relationships.

In the privacy of your home, we’ll explore how your dog perceives the world and communicates, allowing you to build upon and enhance desired behaviors. After each appointment, I email a customized training plan and then remain available via phone, email and text to answer any questions.

Dog trainer and behavior consultant
Jeff Stallings (with his awesome dog Otis)

Together, we'll focus on positive communication and calm leadership to address:

• Leash pulling

• Jumping on people

• Housebreaking / potty training issues

• Excessive barking

• Aggression and reactivity issues

• Separation issues

• Biting, chewing and digging

• Puppy 101: Sit / Down / Stay / Come

Dog training via clear communication with your best friend

Dogs are spectacular communicators, their “words” formed by rumps, heads, legs and, most notably, tails and ears. Observe any two dogs (or a park full of dogs) greeting and interacting, and you’re watching precise and complex conversations regarding social order, invitations to play, instructions to stay away, etc.

By factoring in current scientific understanding of dog behavior, you can take advantage of this dog language (and the dog’s capacity to sense human emotions and body language) to clearly tell your dog what you want her to do and know. I draw on a number of different methods, depending on the issue at hand:

My dog and co-worker Otis, recipient of
the AKC Canine Good Citizen award.

• General obedience training—such as the sit, lay down and stay commands—is most effectively accomplished via classic “operant conditioning”, positive reinforcement and (often) clicker training.

• Potty training is fast and effective when you set your home up for success and then consistently follow “no mistake” guidelines.

• To teach more advanced commands such as loose-leash walking, off (not jumping on people) and recalls, we’ll combine simple tools—head collars, short leashes and long lines—with specific behavior modification exercises.

• Serious behavioral problems, such as aggression, fearfulness and separation anxiety, require more intensive work. A specific training plan depends on each dog’s particular circumstance; in some cases I'll refer out to a veterinary behaviorist.

Teaching you to train your dog

My training style takes advantage of many aspects of dog behavior—the way they think, learn and communicate; their ability to read our emotions; social behavior; and so forth—to train dogs and modify behavior.

This Brazilian oil painting is my constant reminder of the importance of dog rituals. Read more about why you should encourage this important canine greeting.

During a free in-depth phone consultation, we will together determine if I am the best trainer for your particular situation. If we do work together, my focus is on helping you to more effectively interact with and train your dog. After appointments, I am available to answer questions about shaping and molding the relationship between you and your dog into a more perfect union.   

Please contact me for more information or to set up a phone consultation, then perhaps an appointment. For more information about my dog training methods, please read through the training philosophy section of this site and check out my training articles on my Dog Blog.