And if they’re well behaved, you’ll love coexisting with them even more!
A dog without good manners can wreak havoc on your home and family life. But rest assured, it IS possible to train good behavior into just about any dog.
That’s where proper leadership and obedience training comes in.
If your furry friend needs to learn to control their impulses, walk on a leash, come when you call them, improve reactions to a trigger, or even work on the basics like sitting and staying. Then, you’ve found the right dog trainer!
We provide 5-star dog training in the Greater Grand Rapids, MI area.
Casey, an ABC-Certified dog trainer, will come to your home and teach you and your dog how to live together in peace and tranquility for many years to come.
Basic training and beyond! We offer several packages and options for dog training in your Grand Rapids area home or at Riverside Park!
One-on-one training, group classes and more flexibility to get the training you and your pup need for a lifetime of happy co-existence.
6 Weekly dog training sessions in your home or at Riverside Park to build basic obedience and leadership, plus target any problem behaviors.
If your dog has completed basic training, they’re ready for advanced maneuvers! We’ll cover several areas with 3 in-home sessions and 3 at Riverside park.
Does your dog suffer from anxiety, leading you to believe that they would struggle with professional training? This package is for you.
Join us at Riverside Park for group classes with the same curriculum as the Basic package. Great for extra socialization with personalized attention.
Need help in specific areas or with commands focused for your dog’s personality? We can build a training plan just for you in your home, or at Riverside Park.
Shape the way your dog reacts to a certain trigger with impulse control training, redirection and targeted conditioning in 2 sessions. (not for bite cases)
Bringing home a new baby can cause anxiety in your dog. Get 2 specialized sessions for leadership, jumping, impulse control, and safe interactions.
There are so many benefits to in-home training for your dog!
With over 10 years of experience and top-of-the-class certifications, Playing Fur Keeps has a proven record of successfully training almost any dog, ensuring they come out of training the best they can be.
We use safe, effective, gentle training techniques that are suitable for any breed of dog, from young puppies to older dogs too.
Our methods are based on positive reinforcement and proper leadership and meant to last a lifetime.
Faster Results
One-on-one training with your dog gives us the ability to focus solely on your pup and individually address any quirks they may have.
Problem behaviors are addressed more easily and with more success because they are corrected right in the environments that they take place in, your home.
Convenience
In-home dog training gives you greater convenience and flexibility. Casey will come to you in the Greater Grand Rapids area so you aren’t having to travel across town after packing up your dogs and family to join the session.
Plus, your dog gets to learn in its most comfortable environment, their own home!
Longer-Lasting Results
Proper leadership and consistency in training from everyone in your household are crucial factors for long-term, successful training.
Our in-home classes focus on getting the whole family involved, and setting everyone up for a lifetime of successful coexistence.
Confidence Building for Kids
Normal dog behaviors like jumping can cause extreme anxiety in children, causing them to be hesitant in interacting with your dog, or any dog for that matter.
Our in-home training programs get the kids involved too, helping them not only learn how to effectively lead their pup, but also build confidence in their skills and get them excited about spending time with their furry friend.
Working together with your dog, in your own home, is absolutely invaluable to successful, long-term good behavior!
Get the family together once-a-week for 6 weeks so you can all learn how to properly train your dog on the basics and maintain their new learned behaviors together.
Consistency in dog training techniques is key to success, so we like to get everyone in your household involved and using the same strategies.
You’ll learn how to be a better dog parent (or sibling) and your dog will learn so much about how to be the best doggo for you!
We’ll focus on a different material each week, as we weave in lessons and strategies to create better leadership from you, and obedience from your dog.
General Obedience Training
Each week, you’ll learn valuable strategies and techniques to help you become a great dog parent, and help your dog be the best pup it can be!
Leadership – contrary to past beliefs, you do NOT need to be louder and stronger to gain “control” of your dog. There are endless ways to earn your dog’s respect without utilizing fear or pain. Let’s boost your dog’s confidence, not break it!
Impulse Control – waiting for a guidance before acting on impulses and knowing when it’s ok to let loose.
Loose Leash Walking – a walk should be enjoyable for you too – learn how to walk comfortably, without being pulled to your limit.
Basic Commands – sit, stand, focus, down, stay, drop it and leave it are basic instructions that every dog should know.
Training to Eliminate Problem Behaviors
For an additional $5 per behavior, learn how to address specific issues with your dog, with a personalized approach ensuring your success!
Nipping – stop your dog from mouthing or nipping at your hands, feet and anything else that moves.
Jumping – keep your dog from jumping up on you or visitors to your home.
Chewing – show your dog the appropriate toys to chew on, and what isn’t a toy.
Potty Training – learn proven strategies for proper house training (add a personalized plan for $5).
Kennel Training – how to make your dog feel at home in their crate.
Barking – help your dog understand when barking is not allowed.
Begging – teach your dog not to beg for food when you’re eating.
Counter Surfing – teach your dog not to sneak food off the counter.
Schedule weekly sessions, in your home, on the same day and time each week for consistency.
Casey will come to your home in the Greater Grand Rapids area and each training session lasts around 60 minutes. The first session is typically the longest as we all get to know each other.
We encourage you to have the whole family join! Ensuring that everyone who will interact with the dog on a daily basis knows the same commands and strategies is vital to ongoing success.
Prefer to do online dog training courses? Playing Fur Keeps has that covered too!
Feel free to visit the “online training page” for online training options.
The full, 6-week, in-home basic dog training class is $300 plus mileage of $0.60/mile.
Additional dogs can be added to any 6-week package for $50 per dog. The only catch is that each dog needs a handler present. Additional dogs do not need to be from the same family, so feel free to invite a friend to join you!
Do you have a rescue dog?
Take $30 off the in-home package!
*Adoption contract from a non-profit animal shelter or rescue organization is required to receive a rescue discount.
Let’s take things to the next level with advanced dog training!
If your dog has completed the Basic Training or Puppy Training class and passed their final test with 2 or less markdowns, you can move forward with more advanced training.
3 Sessions take place in your home, and 3 are at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids.
You’ll learn a higher, more refined level of training focused on building on the skills your dog learned in the basic or puppy classes, and expanding them to more advanced behaviors.
We’ll work together for 6 weeks total on a new set of skills that will help your dog to become the best behaved dog in the land!
Advanced Training
Each week, we’ll take the basic skills you already know and keep building behaviors that will help them continue leaning, growing and taking command of their actions at home and out in the world.
By Me – take basic recall to the next level with unwavering connection to your side.
Heel – this valuable command is the next step to loose leash training.
Greetings – teach your dog how to sit politely when meeting a visitor.
Public Manners – keep cool out in the world using basic cues in new and high-traffic environments.
Go To – let your dog know when its time to relax on their mat and stay there automatically.
Touch / Target – teach your dog to touch a target with their nose, which can lead to a variety of new behaviors and tricks.
The Advanced Package is only available to dogs that have successfully tested out of PFK’s Basic or Puppy Package courses.
We’ll schedule 6 weekly sessions, on the same day and time each week for consistency.
Casey will come to your home in the Greater Grand Rapids area 3 times, and you’ll meet at Riverside Park for 3 sessions. Each training session lasts 45-60 minutes.
As with basic dog training, we encourage you to have the whole family join! Help everyone advance their skills and keep leaning, growing and playing together!
The full, 6-week advanced dog training class is $300 plus mileage of $0.60/mile.
Do you have a rescue dog?
Take $30 off the package!
*Adoption contract from a non-profit animal shelter or rescue organization is required to receive a rescue discount.
Does your dog suffer from anxiety, leaving you worried that they would struggle to succeed in professional training?
Is your dog fearful of hand and body movements, sounds, strangers, and/or new places?
If you answered yes, this is the package for you! Let’s build your dog’s confidence up, and yours too, right in the comfort of your own home.
This 7-week package will not only address basic commands, but it will also help to boost confidence levels and create a relationship structure designed to keep future anxieties at bay. The first session will focus on helping you establish fear-free communication, set gentle expectations, and begin conditioning your dog’s unique fear responses before diving into 6 weeks of building the basics. This is a great package for new rescues and will focus on decompression if needed, too! 2-6 weeks will be given between the 1st session and 6 consecutive sessions, giving you the ability to get your dog ready to succeed!
Conditioning Fear Responses
We’ll start with 1 personalized training session to help your dog learn how to be less fearful, anxious and reactionary in their daily life at home.
Fear-Free Communication – learn how to communicate with your dog in a way that eases their fear response and sets them up for a timely decompression process.
Boost Confidence – help your dog learn to be confident in themselves, and in the people who love them!
Setting Gentle Expectations – we’ll help your pup to understand what’s expected of them in gentle ways that will not increase fear responses.
Decompression Tips – many dogs, especially new rescues, have a hard time decompressing and settling into their new homes. Let’s make the process easier on BOTH of you!
Basic Training
After your designated number of weeks focusing on your dog’s unique emotions has passed, we will continue to boost your dog’s confidence and strengthen your bond through basic obedience.
Leadership – contrary to past beliefs, you do NOT need to be louder and stronger to gain “control” of your dog. There are endless ways to earn your dog’s respect without utilizing fear or pain. Let’s boost your dog’s confidence, not break it!
Impulse Control – waiting for a guidance before acting on impulses and knowing when it’s ok to let loose.
Loose Leash Walking – a walk should be enjoyable for you too – learn how to walk comfortably, without being pulled to your limit.
Basic Commands – sit, stand, focus, down, stay, drop it and leave it are basic instructions that every dog should know.
Add the following problem behaviors for a small fee of $5/behavior:
Kennel Training – how to make your dog feel at home in their crate.
Barking – help your dog understand when barking is not allowed.
Begging/Counter surfing – teach your dog not to beg for or steal your food.
Nipping/Mouthing- stop your dog from mouthing or nipping at your hands, feet and anything else that moves.
Jumping – keep your dog from jumping up on you or visitors to your home.
Chewing – show your dog the appropriate toys to chew on, and what isn’t a toy.
Potty Training – learn proven strategies for proper house training.
For the first session, we’ll focus on conditioning the fear responses that can hinder basic training.
Then, you’ll get a 2-6 week ‘break’ from training sessions (depending on the severity of the dog’s fear responses) to work on what you’ve learned.
Then, we’ll start the basic training package for 6 weeks on a set day and time each week.
Casey will come to your home in the Greater Grand Rapids area and each training session lasts around 60 minutes. The first session is typically the longest as we all get to know each other.
We encourage you to have the whole family join! Ensuring that everyone who will interact with the dog on a daily basis knows the same commands and strategies is vital to ongoing success.
The full, 7-week, in-home anxious dog training package is $350 plus mileage of $0.60/mile.
This package is for one dog only, in your home, so we can give our full attention to helping your pup decompress, relax and be more successful overall.
Do you have a rescue dog?
Take $30 off the in-home package!
*Adoption contract from a non-profit animal shelter or rescue organization is required to receive a rescue discount.
We’ll meet at Riverside Park and all learn together!
During the Spring and Summer months, our 6-week group dog training classes give you and your dog the opportunity to learn together, socialize and acquire basic skills.
Only 3 dogs are in each session to keep things social, yet give everyone the individual attention they need to succeed.
Together, we’ll learn the basics and work on leadership, impulse control, loose leash walking and more.
Only 3 dogs are allowed per session to keep things personal, yet social while we begin to take command of obedience in public.
Group Training
Each week, we’ll follow the same general schedule as the Basic In-Home Classes, just as a group with up to 3 dogs and their families.
Leadership – establish yourself as the confident and consistent leader that your dog gratefully looks to for guidance.
Impulse Control – help your dog keep their cool in otherwise impulsive scenarios.
Leash Walking – learn how to make a walk enjoyable for BOTH ends of the leash.
Recall – teach your dog to come to you when they are called, despite distractions.
Basics – begin mastering the basics every dog should know: sit, stand-up, focus, lay down, stay, drop it and leave it.
Socialization – classes start in a low traffic area of the park. As the group progresses, classes will begin meeting in high traffic areas of the park, hitting the trails in the final week! 🙂
Group classes run spring and summer, on the same day and time each week for consistency.
We’ll meet at Riverside Park for 6 weeks. Each session lasts 45 minutes with an additional 15 minutes at the end to ask questions.
Classes will not exceed 3 dogs to assure that each of you gets adequate one-on-one time.
If your dog has any history of reactivity or aggressions to dogs or humans, please refrain from registering for group classes. In-home training is a more suitable place to start for reactive/anxious dogs.
The full, 6-week group dog training class is $150.
A $50 non-refundable deposit is required, which will be deducted from the total fee when the class starts.
Proof of up-to-date vaccinations is required.
If you need training that’s more specific, more targeted and better suited to your dog, we can help!
From addressing trigger-based reactions to preparing your dog for a new baby, or personalized training plans for any specific, problematic behaviors, rely on Playing Fur Keeps
I can create training plans just for you, and work with your dog in your home, at the park or anywhere that’s appropriate and relevant in the Greater Grand Rapids area.
Personalized Training
$75- $100 per session + Mileage
Personalized training plans are tailored to the specific problem behaviors or commands that you would like to address.
Personalized Training is a great way to target socialization and other, more advanced or specific training areas.
Personalized Training fees vary by targeted areas. Sessions focused on basic commands and common problem behaviors are $75/session, while sessions focused on more severe behavioral issues may see fees as high as $100/session. The range is ultimately dependent on how much time will be needed outside of sessions to create detailed session documents.
Personalized Training can include public sessions, sessions within the comfort of your own, or a variety of environment.
Get personalized training classes online too! Learn More >
Playing Fur Keeps does not take on bite cases and recommends seeking the aid of a specialized behaviorist or vet behaviorist for true aggression cases.
If your personalized session must be cancelled, a 72-hour notice is required. If proper notice is not given, a $50 fee must be paid in order to reschedule.
Trigger-Based Reactivity
$150 + Mileage
Does your dog react negatively to certain triggers? Casey can help!
This 2-session package includes leadership building, impulse control, redirection tools and conditioning to engage or disengage, designed to shape the way your dog feels about a certain trigger. This little package is great for low-intermediate levels of leash reactivity. More severe cases, or reactivity not related to the frustration of restraint, would be best considering a more Personalized Training route.
Please note that this is NOT for bite cases! Those are best handled by a certified dog behaviorist.
Preparing for a New Baby
$150 + Mileage
Are you getting ready to welcome a new baby into your home and want to be sure your dog is ready? Casey can help!
This 2 session package includes leadership building, avoiding jumping, impulse control, leave it and go to your spot commands to build positive associations and safe interactions.
In addition to all of the dog training packages, Playing Fur Keeps offers many ways to keep your dog learning, growing and becoming the best dog ever!
We invite you to explore all that we have to offer:
“Casey was great and so helpful training my pit mix, Ivy. We joined her small group class at Riverside Park, and I appreciated that there were only three dogs there total. I had attended other dog trainings, but Casey’s far exceeded the other. In the other class we moved so quickly, my dog and I forgot many things. Casey does a good job teaching commands in stages so the dog and owner can work successfully to practice each week. We worked to then “proof” the commands in busier sections of the park and with distractions. I kept the training handouts and plan to go over them again as a refresher. Casey got us started, but it’s up to me to make sure the training sticks!
Also, my dog is anxious and timid. Casey did a great job making both me and Ivy feel comfortable and teaching us some specific tools to help develop her confidence. I’ll be reaching out for one on one training if we need more guidance, but for now we are doing great!! We ran into Casey at the dog park, and my shy pup ran up to her to give kisses and say hi. HIGHLY RECOMMEND” – Stephanie K.
In-home dog and puppy training in your home in the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area, including…
Ada, Allendale, Caledonia, Cascade, Coopersville, Grand Rapids, Hudsonville, Jenison, Kentwood, Rockford, Sparta, Walker, Wyoming and everywhere in between!
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