What to Expect from a Pet Lover's Passion
In-Home Training Session
Everything you need to know to make the most of yours!
Table of Contents
In-Home Session Procedures
In-Home Dog and Cat Training Prices
In-Home Training Request Form
Board-and-Train Prices
Board-and-Train Request Form
In-Home Session Procedures
Upon scheduling a session with the trainer, she will ask you questions regarding your pet's history and behavior; the purpose of which is to better understand your pet's motive for the behaviors. Answering these questions ahead of time via phone call, email or online questionnaire ensures you get the most out of your paid in-home session.
Payment must be received before commencement of the training session. Cash or check will be accepted upon trainer's arrival. Digital payments must be made prior to trainer's arrival.
All instructions given by the trainer prior to the session must be followed. For example, if the trainer asks that the dog be on-leash when she arrives, then the dog must be on-leash and under control.
After (in some cases before) the trainer has had a chance to introduce herself to your pet, she will ask that you review and sign the Pet Training Terms & Conditions document.
Once payment and Terms have been settled, training can commence!
"I look forward to helping you achieve your training goals!" ~Heather ♥
To read the Pet Lover's Passion Training Terms and Conditions, visit petloverspassion.com/training-terms.
In-Home Dog and Cat Training Prices
The trainer is located around the Central PA area.
$60 per hour plus $1.00 per mile (one-way) that the trainer has to travel to you for in-home training.
Note: All pricing is based on the distance (in miles) that the trainer must drive to you. Trainer will name your price once she knows where you are located. All in-home training prices are based per hour.
Please Note: All prices are subject to change without notice. Updated February 2023.
Heather highly recommends online sessions, as they accomplish the same result and are more cost-effective for you! The value for price you get with the Calm Dog Happy Life Blueprint program is priceless! Check it out!
Contact Heather about in-home training or about her dog training program.
Board-and-Train Prices
Note: Board-and-Train service is available upon special request only, and Trainer reserves the right to deny this service at any time, for any reason. Clients are subject to agreement to the Terms. If you do not agree with any part of Trainer's Terms, DO NOT use this service.
$70 per day for a cat, add $10 per day per additional cat
$170 per day for small/medium dogs and/or puppies (5 to 59lbs), add $20 per day per additional dog/puppy
$180 per day for large dogs (60lbs+), add $25 per day per additional large-size dog
Client may drop off/pick up Pet for no additional fee. Add $1.00 per mile if Trainer must pick up/drop off Pet. (Senior Discount does not apply to mileage fee.)
Client understands that fees paid to Trainer are nonrefundable and are due prior to commencement of Board-and-Train services. Half-day rates may be calculated as a reasonable cost to Client. For board-and-train purposes, a day is defined as 10 to 24 hours; a half-day is anything less than 10 hours.
Pet Sitting and Dog Walking, shall the need arise, costs the same hourly rate as in-home training, so long as it is in the client’s home; otherwise, board-and-train rates apply.
Please Note: All prices are subject to change without notice. Updated February 2023
Commonly Asked Questions & Answers
You may contact Heather directly at [email protected] if you have questions that are not answered here.
If you would like to schedule a training session, please use the contact page so that you can fill out the detailed assessment.
What type of payment do you accept?
I accept cash or check written out to "Heather Smith" or "Pet Lover's Passion" as payment. If you wish to pay via my paypal.me link, you must do so in advance. Be aware that there are additional fees for paying via credit card. My link is https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/petloverspassion?locale.x=en_US. Be sure that I know to look out for your payment, so I can mark your session as paid.
Do you issue refunds?
No. The reason being that I come provide my time and knowledge to give you the best advice in training your pet. If the training advice I give is not followed to the fullest, desirable results cannot be expected. Furthermore, due to the nature of animals, I cannot guarantee results from any training regimen. Please see the Pet Lover's Passion Training Terms and Conditions for more details.
Do you offer a Senior Discount?
No.
Do you provide training services online?
Absolutely! Visit the store to see all of the online services we provide!☺
Do you use a clicker?
I sometimes use clickers in my training; it is completely up to you, as the pet owner. I train based on owner preference, though I highly recommend it! You may purchase a clicker for $4 and a coiled wristband for $1 - just ask!
What are the benefits of clicker training?
Clickers produce a distinct sound that animals are trained to associate with a reward. Eventually the sound itself becomes rewarding! The concept is the same as using "Good boy", just more uniform in tone and pitch.
What training methods do you use?
I use relationship-based training, positive reinforcement techniques, and negative punishment (the removal of something desirable). To learn more about me and my methods, visit https://www.petloverspassion.com/about.
What is Negative Punishment vs Positive Punishment?
Negative Punishment techniques involve removing something the dog or cat finds desirable, such as your attention, the opportunity to earn rewards, or freedom to roam the house (the use of time-outs). Positive Punishment uses more aversive techniques such as leash corrections, choke or prong collars, shock collars, citronella sprays, etc. If not used properly, these methods can cause more behavior issues and negative associations. I don't tend to use these methods because I find they're just unnecessary and cause damage to the human-animal relationship.
Do you provide treats or must I use my own?
It is advised that you have your pet's favorite treats ready for the training session. I usually bring soft, training-sized treats with me, just so I have something to offer your dog. I may also bring Fig & Tyler raw freeze-dried treats (I ask your permission before feeding). You can get 10% off your first purchase with Fig & Tyler when using this link (affiliate link) or by entering the code HS1089 at checkout.
Do you use any peanut products in your training?
No. I am aware of peanuts being a common allergen, therefore I do not feed peanut products as treats, nor do I typically eat peanut products. Furthermore, it's best not to feed peanut products to dogs (always read the peanut butter jar to make sure it does not contain xylitol before feeding it to your pets!). If you have peanut butter treats you would like to use for training, it is ok to use them in my presence. Peanuts don't bother me.
What is Day Training?
Day Training is where the trainer comes to your home and trains your dog with you or for you (in your absence) for a portion of the day.
Do you offer Package Discounts?
Yes, my online dog training program offers everything you need to get your dog or puppy on the right track! My program is called the Calm Dog, Happy Life Blueprint. Look for it on my homepage.
Do you offer Pet-Sitting Services?
I do, upon special request! Pet Sitting costs the same hourly rate as in-home training, so long as it is in the client’s home; otherwise, board-and-train rates apply.
Do You Offer Consultations?
A consultation is where the trainer comes to observe your pet's behavior and give you an assessment of how training is expected to proceed. Typically, a consultation becomes a paid session once the trainer gives training advice.
Pet Lover's Passion no longer performs in-home consultations/observations, since phone consultations and forms filled out ahead of time save everyone time.
I picked up a paper training form; where do I mail it?
You may scan or take photos of your training request form and email them to [email protected], or mail your paper form to:
Pet Lover's Passion
Attn: Heather Smith
19 Colonnade Way Ste 117 #132
State College, PA 16803
Schedule a training session on the contact page.