Finally, have well-behaved family dog with
humane, fun, positive, structured training
Now accepting new clients in late March and April 2024
(Updated March 11, 2024)
“I want to be able to take my dog to a coffee shop”
“I’m embarrassed walking my dog down the street”
“I’m worried about what will happen”
If you’ve found yourself saying these things (and others!), I can help! I have over 25 years of experience solving dog behavior problems with personalized, science-based positive training.
You’ll love your well-trained dog!
All new clients start via virtual online behavior consultations. Both in-person Personal Trainer, Expert Puppy Socialization, and Private Lessons programs, as well as Virtual Training (coaching) are options for local clients when openings are available, in central Silicon Valley/Santa Clara County: San Jose, Campbell, Willow Glen, Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Milpitas.
Here are our different services:
| Personal Training | Expert Puppy Socialization | Private Lessons | Virtual Training | Maintenance | Pre-Puppy Consult | Group Classes|
Note: Check your pet insurance for coverage.
Online Behavior Consultation/Evaluation Meeting
All of our training packages start with a convenient online Evaluation/Behavior Consultation, offered via secured Zoom virtual video meetings with Stacy. Expert Personal Training programs and Private Lessons programs also have virtual follow-up sessions that are conducted via Zoom. Ongoing consultation packages are also available for clients seeking greater convenience, or who are outside of the Silicon Valley area, through the Virtual Training program. The Behavior Consultation/Evaluation is about an hour long, costs $190, and is included in any package.
Expert Personal Training
Our in-person day-training “personal trainer” program is perfect for the busy professional or family who would prefer expert training over instruction, producing a well-trained dog quickly and without interrupting your busy schedule. Expert Personal Training starts with an Evaluation session (via secured Zoom meeting) in which we discuss your training goals for your dog, which I can then use to determine the number of weeks needed to achieve those goals. I will demonstrate some of the methods I will use and recommend management techniques that you can implement at home for immediate relief and improvement. I will then work with your dog one-on-one for three to four sessions a week. After each meeting with your dog I leave you a report explaining your dog’s progress, and I will meet with you regularly to show you your dog’s progress and teach you how to maintain it. I only take a few clients at a time so that I devote my time and considerable experience, knowledge and skills to you.
This is ideal for rowdy adolescent dogs who desperately need more exercise but have no leash manners, for “pandemic pups” who missed out on some socialization or opportunities for group classes, for young puppies who need prompt instruction during their formative weeks, for dogs with behavior issues that make it difficult to work with them in public, and for anyone who wants exceptional professional training. By working independently with your dog, I can utilize my years of experience to analyze, evaluate and implement a training program that is right for your pet. Then all you need to learn is how to maintain the training once your dog already knows his part. This is like board-and-train without sending your dog away. You get expert training and a well-behaved dog, and your dog will enjoy it, too!
This is excellent for dogs who need leash manners and a new attitude towards people, dogs, cars, squirrels and more that they encounter in the world; we can also work on recalls and relax on a mat. This is not appropriate (at this time) for reactivity to guests or members in your home, manners during meals, inappropriate behavior to other pets in your house, and other in-home behavior issues.
Behavior Modification Personal Trainer Package – $4150
Includes: An evaluation session, three one-hour in-person Personal Trainer sessions (Stacy trains your dog) each week for 4 weeks (12 sessions); one one-hour midway Transfer session (Stacy shows you how your dog is being trained and gives you tools and exercises to build from there) after each two weeks; one one-hour Personal Trainer session per week for 6 additional weeks (six more sessions), and one final Transfer session. This is package is twenty-two (22) sessions in total.
Basic “Kickstart” Personal Trainer Package – $1180
Includes: Evaluation, four in-person Personal Trainer sessions (Stacy trains your dog), and one in-person Transfer Session (Stacy shows you how your dog was trained and gives you tools and exercises to build from there). This package is six (6) sessions total.
Do you want a well-behaved, dependable, confident, happy dog? Why live with bad manners any longer?
Available in central Silicon Valley/Santa Clara County: San Jose, Campbell, Willow Glen, Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Mountain View, Milpitas. Due to high demand, Expert Personal Training sessions are often booked 2-3 weeks in advance.
Register for the “Personal Trainer” initial evaluation
Expert Personal Puppy Socialization
Puppies have a critical socialization period which starts around 8 weeks and ends at about 16 weeks. During this “window of opportunity” it’s important to introduce your puppy to a variety of people, animals, sounds, smells, sights, and situations – in a way that will leave a lasting, positive impression. Socialization is not about having your pup meet and play with humans and dogs, it’s about learning that the world is varied and often strange, but safe. If your busy schedule makes focusing on your young puppy’s needs difficult, or you’re just not sure you know what to cover, let me do it for you!
Basic Puppy Socialization – $1100
This is a special one-week version of the “Personal Trainer” program which includes a virtual evaluation session, four one-hour in-person socialization “culture walk” and training sessions in which Stacy trains your puppy, and one Transfer Session (six one-hour sessions in total).
Puppy Socialization Plus – $2280
This is the one-week Basic Puppy Socialization package plus ongoing follow-up training to get you past the “baby puppy” stage and through puppy adolescence! This includes the Basic Puppy Socialization package (as above: one virtual evaluation session, four socialization “culture walk” and training sessions, and one Transfer Session), followed by two in-person Personal Trainer sessions per week for three additional weeks (six more sessions), and a final Transfer session – for a total of 12 one-hour appointments.
Available in central Silicon Valley/Santa Clara County: San Jose, Campbell, Willow Glen, Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Mountain View, Milpitas. Due to very high demand, Expert Personal Training are often booked 2-3 weeks in advance.
Register for the “Puppy Socialization” initial evaluation
Private Lessons
Private Lessons are offered in-person, in central Silicon Valley/Santa Clara County (when safe), and through Virtual Packages in any location. 
Private Lessons are great for any person or family who wants one-on-one attention when learning how to train your own dog. This is ideal for people who want to learn how to modify their dog’s behavior but for whom a group class is not the most appropriate, and for behavior modification issues which involve the owner. With Private Lessons, I teach you how to train your dog – “you train” (in contrast in the “I train” Personal Trainer Program, in which I train your dog for you and then show you how to maintain what I’ve done).
Private lesson (coaching) appointments are available on weekdays during the daytime (Pacific time).
Behavior Modification Foundation package -$2660
This package consists of 14 one-hour private lessons, starting with the virtual Evaluation session, followed by five one-hour virtual OR in-person coaching sessions every week, then eight more sessions every other week. This package is designed to set a really solid foundation for dogs with aggression issues, anxiety, fearfulness, leash-reactivity, barking, and other common (and not-so-common!) challenges. This package allows you to build on the foundation behaviors introduced in the initial “6-pack” and continue to more solid and reliable new responses and habits, while you – the dog owner – get thorough support and coaching!
Beginning Behavior Modification “6-pack” package – $1140
This package consists of six one-hour private lessons, starting with the virtual Evaluation session and five further one-hour virtual OR in-person coaching sessions. This package is good for puppies or new dogs to establish basic commands and strengthen them to greater reliability, and is also good for dogs with minor aggression issues or other serious issues, or multiple issues. This is also a good starter package for households with more than one dog with basic training needs! Sessions are usually scheduled 1-2 weeks apart.
Basic “4-pack” Package – $760
This package consists of four one-hour private lessons, starting with the virtual Evaluation session and three further one-hour virtual OR in-person coaching sessions. Sessions are usually scheduled 1-2 weeks apart. This package is good for basic training for puppies or new dogs without real behavior modification issues or needs.
Puppy Priorities package – $379
For very young puppies, or dogs new to your household, we also offer the special “Puppy Package” of two one-hour meetings. The first meeting is virtual and covers the basic Puppy Priorities of Housetraining, Play-Biting, Chewing, Socialization, and Alone-Training, as well as some foundational attention/focus exercises. The second meeting usually covers other basic commands, such as Sit, Down, Come, Wait, Leave It, and an introduction to Loose Leash Walking, and is tailored to your needs and priorities.
Due to very high demand, Private Lessons and Expert Personal Training are often booked 2-3 weeks in advance.
Register for the Private Lessons initial evaluation
Want to learn more about the advantages of in-home training? See this article from the Whole Dog Journal.
Virtual Training Packages – Private Online Training
All you need is a screen – and me!
Need help now even though you’re outside of my service area? Stuck at home with an unruly dog, interrupting your business calls, homeschooling, or work? Are walks more stressful than relaxing? Do you feel frustrated, annoyed, or guilty? I can help!
My expertise gained through years of experience and schooling are still available to you! A virtual consultation and coaching with an expert trainer may be all you need to solve your dog’s behavior problems. Through the Virtual Training Packages we can craft a training plan tailored to your dog based on your history and skills. With a combination of my video library, videos you send me, and live virtual “meetings”, we will address your dog’s behavior issues!
Topics that work well for the Virtual Training Package include:
- Every day good manners: settling quietly, even during meal times and conference calls; ignoring food left out; waiting at the door, and more!
- Basic commands: sit, down, stay, leave it, attention, come, walking on a loose leash, and more!
- Common behavior problems: housetraining, destructive behavior, jumping on guests, dashing through the door, stealing items, “counter surfing”, running away, chasing cats or squirrels, nipping the kids, excessive barking and more!
- Teaching cooperative care for grooming or medical care
- Pre- and post-adoption counseling
- Training for the dog you can take anywhere – once you’re allowed to leave the house!
In some cases, Virtual Training Packages can be used for more serious behavior issues like aggression to people in your home, resource guarding (possession aggression), handling issues, and on-leash aggression to other dogs or people – contact me to find out more.
For virtual sessions, all you need is a way to connect to the internet with a camera, microphone and speaker – such as a computer with a webcam, a smartphone or a tablet. We will use the Zoom app and I’ll send you all the instructions you need for a successful session. Hey you can even do them in your pajamas!
Details: Virtual training appointments are available on weekdays during the business hours (Pacific time). After our initial consultation, we’ll agree upon a package deal. Training packages include the initial consultation, and two weekly 30-minute video appointments, email/text support, and the opportunity for me to review up to 30 minutes of video you send me. Four-week packages work well for basic training, and six-week packages are great for starting to fix aggression, other serious issues, and multiple issues. Virtual lessons are $145/hr and are started as an initial discount package of four one-hour private lessons (for basic training – $580) or six one-hour private lessons (for aggression, other serious issues, and multiple issues – $870). For young puppies, or dogs new to your household, we also offer the special “Puppy Package” of two one-hour meetings for $290. Multiple dogs? Multiple issues? No problem – the package rate is the same!
Register for the”Virtual Training” initial evaluation
For in-person training, I serve central Silicon Valley/Santa Clara County: San Jose, Campbell, Willow Glen, Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Mountain View, Milpitas. Not in my local coverage area, or just seeking greater convenience? Virtual Training is available even when we’re able to be together again!
Maintenance Packages
Dog training is never really done – like physical fitness, if you don’t keep up the practice, the behavior can deteriorate. Sometimes just a quick reminder is all it takes. I can help keep up your dog’s progress with regular in-person Personal Trainer sessions. Maybe your dog’s garden of behaviors needs a little occasional weeding? Like a regular oil change, maintenance training can keep your dog’s behavior running smoothly! This is a “personal trainer” style service in which you, the owner, do not need to be present. Let me come in and “upgrade” your dog’s skills while you work, play, parent, or attend school! This service is for current or past clients of Stacy’s Wag’N’Train only.
- Package 1 – One one-hour appointment every week; $400/month or $1000 for 3 months (12 sessions – you save $200)
- Package 2 – One one-hour appointment every two weeks, for 6 months (12 sessions). $1000 for six months (you save $200) or $200/month
- Package 3 – One one-hour appointment every month, for 6 months (6 sessions). $500 for six months (you save $100) or $100/month
Ongoing Training Discount
Clients who have completed an initial training package are eligible for ongoing weekly or bi-weekly training sessions at 10% discount (if you sign up within one week of the final appointment of your initial package). Individual training sessions are $130 each (a 10% discount!).
Pre-Puppy Consult
Looking for a puppy to add to your family, but not sure where to look? Or maybe you have pup picked out, but want to be ready to “hit the ground running” when you bring this bundle of joy (and teeth) home? The Pre-Puppy Consultation is for you! If you’re looking for a dog, I can help you figure out how genetics and breed specific traits (and their mixes) might affect your dog’s personality, trainability, and health; how to screen breeders, shelters and rescue groups for best practices; and look past appealing balls of fluff and big puppy-dog eyes to pick the right individual. We can also craft a plan to introduce your future pup to your home, family, and lifestyle; how to plan for socialization and foundation training, and how to prepare yourself for the common challenges of young puppyhood (like house-soiling, chewing, biting, barking, and more!).
Pre-puppy consultation: $100. Can be virtual or in-person in Santa Clara county service area.
Project TRadeHow would you like to trade your old dog-training equipment for great discounts? We want to swap great discounts on our most popular services in exchange for your choke, prong or shock collars, or any other qualifying pet gear. By participating in “Project tRade” you can earn up to 10% off our most popular services simply by giving us old pet gear* you have laying around. It couldn’t be easier! What is “Project tRade”? Project tRade is the Pet Professional Guild’s (PPG) international advocacy program that promotes the use of force-free pet training equipment by asking pet guardians to swap choke, prong and shock collars (and any other devices that are designed to change behavior through pain or fear). Because we want all pets and their guardians to experience the huge advantages and long-lasting effectiveness of force-free training and pet care, we will give you great discounts on our most popular, effective, fun and pain-free training and pet care services in exchange for your old gear. Effective, humane animal training and pet care methods are the foundation of any animal’s healthy socialization and training and help prevent behavior problems. Since a wide variety of equipment and tools are commonly used when training pets, the pet-owning public needs to be aware of the potential problems and dangers some equipment may pose. Specifically, the use of collars and leads that are intended to apply constriction, pressure, pain or force around a dog’s neck (such as choke chains and prong collars) should be avoided. Distinguished veterinarians and behaviorists worldwide are joining the discussion and calling for the elimination of such devices from the training efforts of both pet owners and professionals. What do the experts say? Respected veterinarian and thyroid expert, Dr. Jean Dodds, recommends against choke or prong collars “as they can easily injure the delicate butterfly-shaped thyroid gland that sits just below the larynx and in front of the trachea. These collars can also injure the salivary glands and salivary lymph nodes on the side of the face underneath both ears.” According to veterinarian and veterinary behaviorist Dr. Soraya V. Juarbe-Diaz: “Using punishment to stop behaviors is not new. Notice I say ‘stop’ rather than ‘teach’ — I can stop any behavior, but I am more interested in teaching my students, animal or human, to choose the behavior I want them to perform because they can trust me, because I do not hurt them and they are safe with me, and because the outcome is something they enjoy.” PPG thus encourages all pet owners and pet professionals to embrace modern, scientifically-based training techniques and tools, especially the latest generation of no-pull harnesses which are free of the risks posed by traditional collars and offer far more benefits. So swap your gear and help create a kinder world for you and your pet! To learn more, just visit PetProfessionalGuild.com. *qualifying pet gear = prong collars, shock collars, pinch collars, choke chains, citronella collars and the like. The following discounts will be provided on Expert Personal Trainer, Expert Personal Puppy Socialization, and Private Lesson services, for trading in any one of these pieces of equipment:
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Pet Insurance for Behavior Modification
Note that some pet insurance companies will help cover the cost of behavior modification coaching if your vet writes a letter prescribing the training. I can send you an invoice showing your fees, along with a letter stating my credentials and certifications, and you send that and the vet’s letter to your insurance company for reimbursement. Please note that I do not handle any of the insurance claims or forms, and am not responsible if your insurance company does not accept your claim, but I will be happy to provide you with supporting documents.
Group Classes
We are not offering group classes at this time. Group classes are great for learning basic obedience in a social setting – but behavior problems, including “leash reactivity” or on-leash aggression, might be best addressed in Expert Personal Training or Private Lessons. For group classes in the San Jose area, see the Humane Society Silicon Valley.