OTBDT offers an individualized, personal training experience. We work one-on-one with you and your dog. During our training you will receive attention that is not possible to get in a group class setting. Our training method allows us to treat your dog as an individual and helps us tailor our training to your dog's specific needs.

OTBDT utilizes a balanced approach to dog training. This method uses motivation to balance praise and correction. The balanced approach allows us to tailor our training to each dog's specific personality and learning needs, and can be adjusted based on the dog's progress.

Some trainers claim that they can train your dog with a stress free approach. The simple fact is that all living creatures experience stress every day of their lives. All forms of training cause stress, which in turn helps the dog to learn. Stress is a natural part of life and it would be impossible and unnatural to shield any living creature from stress all the time.

Yes. When we apply the balanced method of training we utilize training collars. We primarily use the standard training collar (slip collar) during our training. We can also use prong collars or electronic collars, if you would like. You will ultimately have the final say in the equipment we use. Many people have misconceptions about training collars. Most of these misconceptions arise from the simple fact that people do not understand how to properly use the collars. When used correctly these collars will never harm a dog. OTBDT would never use any equipment or technique that would intentionally harm a dog.

When used correctly the training collar will never choke your dog. Corrections are given in a snap-and-release manner. The collar is simply meant to get the dog's attention. These collars should never be used to string the dog up.

Much like the standard training collar, corrections with the prong collar should be given in a snap-and-release manner. The prongs are designed to apply a pinching feeling to the dogs neck. This collar simulates the type of correction a dog would receive from an Alpha dog (pack leader), or that a puppy would receive from its mother.

No. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about the electronic collar. These collars do not pump electricity through your dog and will not burn them. The stimulus from an e-collar is similar to that of a static poke you would receive from shuffling your feet on carpet and then touching a door handle. When used properly the stimulus from the collar acts much in the same way as the correction from a training collar. These collars actually make it easier to increase or decrease the level of correction given to the dog.

Absolutely not. Actually, when performed correctly, a correction can help strengthen the bond you have with your dog. In the wild an Alpha dog maintains order by correcting his pack when they display undesired behavior; by doing so he earns the packs respect and they trust him to keep them safe. In order to be your dog's pack leader you must earn your dogs respect and trust. Maintaining rules and boundaries for your dog and giving corrections when the dog is disobedient helps to establish this type of relationship. It is, however, crucial that you understand how to give a correction. Corrections need to be fair, they need to release immediately, and you should never hold a grudge with your dog. Corrections should never cause physical harm to the dog and should never be given out of anger.

Yes, OTBDT carries insurance specific to dog training. Proof of insurance is available upon request.

We require payment in full at the end of each training session. No further training sessions will be scheduled until previous training has been paid in full. We currently accept cash and personal checks. Please see our payment and cancelation policy page for more information.

We do require that your dog is current on the following vaccinations prior to training: DHLP, Parvo, and Rabies. We also recommend keeping your dog current on his/her Corona and Bordatella vaccinations. Keeping your dog vaccinated against these diseases will help protect our trainer, our dogs, and your community, as well as yourself and your dog. OTBDT reserves the right to refuse training to any dog that is not current on these vaccinations.

We understand that life can be unpredictable. If you need to cancel a lesson we ask that you give us as much notice as possible. You can contact us via email or phone to cancel your lesson and/or to reschedule a lesson. In the event that OTBDT will need to cancel a lesson we will contact you by phone (if a number has been provided). We will do everything we can to give you as much notice as possible. For more information please see our payment and cancellation policy page.

OTBDT is located in Perrysburg, Ohio. We service the Perrysburg, Bowling Green, and Greater Toledo areas. We will travel outside of our standard service area by special request. For more information on our service area please see our service area page.

OTBDT does not currently offer any group classes. We are looking into puppy socialization classes and other group oriented classes, so check back often for updates.

Early socialization is extremely important in your puppy's development. The level of socialization your puppy experiences will help mold the dog's personality. The lack of socialization can lead to future behavior issues that include (but are not limited to): shyness, fear, aggression, dominance, mouthing/biting, chewing, housing training issues, etc. Early socialization will also help your prepare your puppy for future obedience training.

When you are ready for training contact us to schedule your free evaluation. After the evaluation we can schedule your first lesson at your convenience.

Yes, advanced training is available upon request. Before any advanced training is given we will need to evaluate your dog and determine if he/she is ready for the training. All advanced training requires a solid foundation in obedience. Clients interested in advanced training must be dedicated to the high demands of advanced training and must demonstrate that they are able to handle their dog responsibly. OTBDT reserves the right to refuse advanced training to any client/dog that we feel is not ready for the training. Advanced training offered by OTBDT currently includes: off-leash training, retrieval, and scent detection/tracking.

Yes. Solving behavior issues is a very important part of having a well behaved, balanced dog. We offer behavior modification sessions for clients who want to rid their dog of unwanted behavior. We will start with a free behavior evaluation with your dog and discuss the best approach to solving your dog's behavior issues. Clients that are already using OTBDT may substitute a behavior modification session in place of a training lesson after some basic obedience has been established. If your dog has never had any obedience training we recommend that you consider scheduling a free training evaluation. Almost 70% of all behavior issues can be solved through obedience training.

We approach each dog as an individual. We will conduct a mini-interview with you over the phone or via email prior to scheduling an evaluation. If your dog is determined to be aggressive then we will need to take the appropriate precautions to protect our trainer as well as you and your dog. All evaluations of potentially aggressive dogs will be required to occur in a neutral location; we also require the dog to be on a leash and collar at all times. If you cannot physically handle your dog we will require that you have someone with you that can control the dog. Although we feel that most cases of aggression can be worked out during the training process, we do recognize that some aggressive dogs may be beyond our ability to help. We do reserve the right to refuse training to any dog due to aggression. If this is the case we will attempt to help you find a trainer that can help your dog.