Dog Training

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Services Offered

Please contact for pricing! 9148158088 ebertser@gmail.com

Dog Training

I offer structured, results-driven training programs that help dogs of all ages and behaviors. Each program is designed to strengthen the bond between you and your dog while providing the skills they need to thrive. Training is offered in three levels:

-Meet and Greet, Assessment, and Game Plan- 75$

We will start with a meet and greet with you to discuss your goals, challenges, and lifestyle. Depending on the situation, I like to meet at your home so that I can observe you and the dog in its home environment, and so that your dog can see and feel you welcoming me. We may then take a walk and I will observe how you and your dog interact in a mildly distracting environment like neighborhood street or park. During this walk, I will offer some basic tips and explanations to help with the most glaring issues. Finally, we will recap and work out a plan of action to achieve your goals!

-Basic Training
Ideal for puppies or dogs with basic behavior challenges. We cover foundational skills like loose-leash walking, sit, stay, come, and impulse control.

-Intermediate Training
Perfect for dogs who have mastered the basics but need help with distractions, leash reactivity, and overall focus. We’ll work on walking through more complex environments and refining obedience.

-Advanced Training
For dogs that are ready for more advanced work, including off-leash control, mastering new tricks, and working through behavioral challenges like anxiety, aggression, or fear. Specialty courses, including service dog training, are also available.

Dog Walking

I provide one-on-one dog walks, tailored to your dog’s individual needs. Each walk is more than just a stroll—it's a walk and train experience. Whether it’s leash manners, recall, or reinforcing good behavior, everything I do with your dog is training them to be the best version of themselves.

Drop-In Visits
Need someone to check in on your dog while you're away? I offer drop-in visits for potty breaks, playtime, and basic training reinforcement. Your dog gets the attention and care they need while you're gone.

House Sitting

I offer in-home care for your pets, giving them the comfort of staying in their own environment while you’re away. I provide a safe, secure, and familiar setting for your dogs, including medication administration if needed. I also offer plant watering, care for other pets, and home security checks, ensuring everything is taken care of while you’re gone.
Additional dog? 50% off the second dog.

Body Work (massage)

I provide gentle, hands-on body work to help your dog feel their best. Through techniques that improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension, body work supports mobility and comfort for dogs of all ages. Whether your dog is active or needs extra care, this is a great way to promote overall well-being.

I am happy to offer FREE NAIL CHECKS AND TRIMMING!

1% of all proceeds will go to Blackhat Humane Society, a Navajo Nation rescue/ foster organization where I adopted my dog Louie from!

About me

Though I do not yet have formal dog training credentials, I have studied animal behavior for over 10 years, and have always had an intuitive connection and understanding with dogs. I am constantly absorbing dog training podcasts, books, and instructional videos. I aim to gain more experience working with dogs and to help people who struggle with having the time, ability, or skills to properly exercise and educate their dogs.

Since October 2024, I have worked with 16 (and counting) dogs including Labs, Belgian Malinois, French Bulldogs, Huskies, Rottweiler/ Bully mixes, Australian Cattle Dogs, Labradoodles, German Shepards, etc. Each dog has learned to loose leash walk, frequently check-in with the handler, and drastically increase impulse control within the first couple sessions. Most notably, I have trained my 2 yo Cattle dog/ Pitbull/ Tasmanian Devil/ Rez mutt as my service dog within just a few months after adopting him.

More generally, I have cared for family pets (cats, dogs, fish, rodents, rabbits, etc) throughout my life, and I have performed extensive animal husbandry during my PhD in Animal Behavior and Ecology (I have even trained and rehabbed hummingbirds!).

My Dog Training Philosophy

I use a balanced training approach that is individually tailored to each dog and their humans. I use positive reinforcement to teach the dog what TO DO and aversive techniques to teach the dog NOT TO DO.

When the dog does something I want it TO DO, it gets MARKED with a “good” or “yes”, and REWARDED with a treat or toy.

As a dog is learning a new good behavior, I teach with 99% positive reinforcement, usually with high value treats like chicken breast. When the cue is given and the behavior performed successfully, the dog gets a “good” or “yes” and a treat. That food reward/ lure is faded out as soon as the dog demonstrates that they understand the behavior and cue. As the dog becomes proficient in the behavior, I ENFORCE the cue/ behavior with corrections with sparsed out treats and lots of CALM praise. I DON’T often recommend excessively petting dogs for a reward, as this is often overstimulating and distracting to the dog. I almost always treat reward calming signals like yawns, shakes, spontaneous lie downs and head rests. I also almost always treat reward for drop its and recalls.

When the dog does something I want it NOT TO DO, it gets MARKED with a “no” or “eh-eh”, and PUNISHED with a collar grab and sit or leash pop.

When a dog needs to reduce a bad behavior, I teach with a “mark and punish” approach. Importantly, the “punishment” is NOT PAINFUL OR HARMFUL. The first step is to express a unique and sharp sound (like “HEY” or a clap) to shock the dog out of its crazed/ hyperfocused state of mind and mark that specific behavior you are referring to. Then, the dog is placed in a brief uncomfortable state to calm down or redirect before it is explicitly released with a verbal cue. This correction could be a leash pop and directional change, a collar grab and sit/ lay down, or a solitude timeout in a dark room. Along with timing, perhaps the most important aspect I focus on when giving any type of correction is to be emotionally neutral.

Tools

I aim to use the most simple and cost effective tools that work for the owner. I have found great success with a simple 6ft nylon leash arranged as a sliplead. I have also found headhalters to be incredibly helpful at reducing the strength needed to control and direct a large dog.

I DO NOT use prong collars (but would use a plastic pinch collar if necessary) or chain collars. I highly recommend against using any type of harness for a pulling dog, as harnesses are literally designed to allow a dog to pull. I do not typically use e-collars mainly because I do not have the experience to confidently utilize this tool; that said, I have trained my own dog to recall on the tone with our Garmin collar that I use mainly for tracking purposes and have nothing against proper use of e-collars.

Testimonials (more coming soon!)

Arthur L.

Mar 02, 2025

Erich is an excellent dog trainer. I have watched the transformation of his own pup (Louie) go from undisciplined, bad mannered, over excited, and easily frightened to almost service dog level in just a few months. Erich is also great with my dog (Kaya), and has taught me how to correct a few bad habits we have, which cleared up fairly quickly. I know Erich loves spending time with both his own and other peoples four-legged friends, whether it’s walking, training, playing, or just relaxing. I definitely recommend him.

Hannon E.

Mar 02, 2025

We have a 2.5 year old Husky-Australian Cattle Dog mix with more energy than she knows what to do with. While she is a smart, gentle, happy, and kind pup, she definitely has a hard time on walks… she goes into sled pulling mode. We’ve struggled with it for about a year and a half and kid you not - in 2 sessions with Erich, she suddenly knew how to stick by our side. He was patient with our dog and he taught us the skills and tactics to keep her by our side on walks so that she listens and obeys us, even when Erich isn’t there. We’re very grateful for Erich’s help and have talked about how we think he might be a dog whisperer!! Highly recommend working with Erich!

Cameron K.

Mar 02, 2025

I’ve been working with Erich for the past week, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience! He has been a huge help in improving my dog Cosmo's behavior on walks. Erich has gone above and beyond in not only walking Cosmo but also helping with little training moments that have already made a noticeable difference. He’s incredibly communicative and always keeps me updated, which I really appreciate. It’s clear he genuinely cares about Cosmo’s well-being. I’ve loved working with him and will definitely continue scheduling with Erich moving forward!

Laura S.

Feb 17, 2025

If I could give more stars, I would. Erich was fantastic with Charlie. She's a bit shy and he charmed her within a few minutes. He brought her back happy and content. Thank you Erich and Rover!!!

Client Agreement

Customer Relations Policy

1. Deposit & Payment Policy:

Full payment is due upon completion for walk-in visits, drop-in visits, and house sitting.
For training courses, payment will be made per session or weekly, with payment due at the start of each session.

2. Cancellation Policy:

Walks, Drop-ins, & House Sitting:
- Full refund if canceled more than 24 hours in advance.
- 50% refund if canceled 0-24 hours before the service start.

3. Health & Vaccination Requirements:

Dogs must be up-to-date on vaccinations, including distemper, parvovirus, rabies, and bordetella.
I do not review vaccination documents, but it is your responsibility to ensure your dog is vaccinated.
I am not liable for sickness or injury, including exposure to illness.
If your dog is sick, please notify me before booking. I reserve the right to refuse service to an unwell dog.

4. Social Media Use Authorization:

By booking services, you grant permission for photos or videos of your dog to be used on my website, social media, or other marketing materials. You may opt-out by notifying me in writing.

5. Liability & Insurance:

I treat all my clients and dogs with the utmost respect and prioritize saftey above all, however, I am not currently insured. If insurance is required, please book through a service that provides it, such as Rover.

6. Communication & Scheduling:

Clear communication is key to a successful training experience (with me and more importantly your dog!). Please reach out with any concerns, questions, or updates about your dog.
For training sessions, please arrive on time. Notify me as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule.
If you’re running late, contact me to adjust the schedule as best as possible.

7. Dog Behavior Policy:

Please provide full details of any behavioral concerns, triggers, or special needs your dog may have.
I reserve the right to refuse services for dogs deemed too aggressive to train or walk.

8. Owner Responsibilities:

Owners are responsible for disclosing medical conditions, behavioral issues, and other factors that may affect their dog's training.
Ensure your dog has proper identification (tags and/or microchip) and is up-to-date on vaccinations.
Keep dogs on a leash or under control during services, unless otherwise specified for training purposes.

9. Dog Training Policy:

Behavior change takes time and consistency. Your active participation is required for effective results.
If progress stalls, I may suggest a re-evaluation or an alternative training plan.

10. Emergency Contact & Medical Information:

Provide up-to-date emergency contact info and details of any medical conditions or medication your dog requires.
I can administer medication only if prior arrangements are made.

11. Client Agreement:

By booking services, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to these policies and that all information provided about your dog is accurate.

Client Intake Form

A downloadable and electronic form will be available soon. Until then, please send the basic info and any relevant information in person or via email.

Dog Information:

Dog’s Name: _______________________
Breed: ____________________________
Age: _____________________________
Gender:
☐ Male
☐ Female
☐ Spayed
☐ Neutered
Weight: ___________________________
Color/Markings: ___________________________
Microchipped?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Any Medical Conditions or Concerns?
☐ Yes
☐ No
If Yes, please describe: ___________________________

Current Medications (if any):

Vaccine History:
Rabies: ☐ Yes ☐ No
DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo, Parainfluenza): ☐ Yes ☐ No
Bordetella (Kennel Cough): ☐ Yes ☐ No
Other: ___________________________

Behavior and Training Information:

Current Behavior Issues:
☐ Anxiety
☐ Aggression (toward people)
☐ Aggression (toward other dogs)
☐ Leash Pulling
☐ Separation Anxiety
☐ Excessive Barking
☐ Fear-based Issues
☐ Other: ___________________________

Additional Notes: ___________________________

Previous Training Experience:
☐ Yes
☐ No
If Yes, what kind of training (e.g., group, private, online)? ___________________________
What was the outcome? ___________________________
Commands Your Dog Knows:
☐ Sit
☐ Stay
☐ Come
☐ Down
☐ Off
☐ Leave It
☐ Watch Me
☐ Heel
☐ Focus
☐ Wait
☐ Paw
☐ Shake
☐ Spin
☐ Speak
☐ Quiet
☐ Crate
☐ Place
☐ Bed
☐ Fetch
☐ Roll Over
☐ Back Up
☐ Stand
☐ Other: ___________________________
What are your training goals for your dog?
☐ Loose Leash Walking
☐ Obedience and Core Commands
☐ Behavior Modification (e.g., anxiety, aggression)
☐ Socialization (with other dogs, people)
☐ Impulse Control
☐ Other: ___________________________
How does your dog behave around other dogs?
☐ Friendly
☐ Neutral
☐ Reactive (barks, lunges, etc.)
☐ Aggressive
☐ Avoids other dogs

Additional Notes: ___________________________

How does your dog behave around people (familiar and strangers)?
☐ Friendly
☐ Neutral
☐ Fearful
☐ Aggressive
☐ Shy / Submissive

Additional Notes: ___________________________

Does your dog have any fears or triggers?
☐ Loud Noises
☐ Certain Objects
☐ Other Animals
☐ Thunder/Fireworks
☐ Other: ___________________________

Additional Notes: ___________________________

Is your dog crate-trained?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Does your dog have any past trauma or experiences that may affect behavior?
☐ Yes
☐ No
If Yes, please describe: ___________________________

Health and Care Information:

Does your dog have any allergies (food, environmental, etc.)?
☐ Yes
☐ No
If Yes, please describe: ___________________________

Any specific feeding instructions or preferences?

Any other relevant medical, health, or care information?

Emergency Contact Information:

Primary Contact Name:

Primary Contact Phone Number:

Primary Contact Email:

Secondary Emergency Contact Name:

Secondary Emergency Contact Phone Number:

Additional Information:

Does your dog have any history of aggression?
☐ Yes
☐ No
If Yes, please describe: ___________________________

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about your dog?

Terms & Conditions:

I understand that the information I provide will be used to ensure my dog receives the best care possible.
I agree to the training policies outlined by Kittle Dog Ranch and acknowledge that I am responsible for providing accurate and honest information about my dog’s health and behavior.
I understand that Kittle Dog Ranch is not liable for any injury or illness that may occur during training or services.
I agree that all veterinary costs are my responsibility should any issue arise.

Signature: ___________________________

Date: ___________________________