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Positive Reinforcement vs. Punishment
Research shows that focusing on positive reinforcement when a desired behavior occurs and not worrying about correcting bad behavior in dogs is more effective and has longer-lasting results than training that incorporates punishment for bad behavior.
Positive dog training in Des Moines works because dogs are inherently eager to please. Rewarding your dog for good behavior helps create a deep, loving relationship with your dog built on trust, as opposed to one built on fear of punishment. The difference between a dog who has been trained to obey out of fear of being punished vs. a dog who learns to obey through a positive, loving bond with their owner is huge.
Dog Training Elite Des Moines trainers use treats as an initial reward for puppies and dogs learning commands. When the trainer is absent, or you’re in between obedience classes, you can continue to use treats as a reward for your dog when they exhibit a desired behavior. Dogs tend to be highly food-motivated, so this is an extremely useful tool. You can also reward your dog with a play session, take them to the dog park or anything else you know your dog enjoys. After all, you know your dog best!

Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Des Moines location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Silver
$850
- In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 4 Sessions
- Group Park Training Sessions 1 Month
- Come
- Heel(walk with you without pulling)
- Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Off(furniture if desired)
- Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
- Place(go to bed)
Gold
$1,595
- In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 6 Sessions
- Group Park Training Sessions 16 Sessions
- Come
- Heel(walk with you without pulling)
- Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Off(furniture if desired)
- Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
- Place(go to bed)
- Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Housebreaking / Potty Training
- Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
- Get into Car or Kennel
- STOP Running Away
- STOP Jumping on People
- STOP Puppy Biting
- STOP Chasing Animals
- STOP Chewing
- STOP Digging
Platinum
$2,095
Platinum offers advanced obedience/behavioral modification with a goal of off-leash control. Includes additional training options and offers more one-on-one and group sessions than Gold.
- In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 8 Sessions
- Group Park Training Sessions 24 Sessions
- Come
- Place(go to bed)
- Heel(walk with you without pulling)
- Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Off(furniture if desired)
- Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
- Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
- Housebreaking / Potty Training
- Build Confidence
- Get into Car or Kennel
- STOP Running Away
- STOP Jumping on People
- STOP Puppy Biting
- STOP Chasing Animals
- STOP Chewing
- STOP Digging
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Choose to Address Advanced Concerns:
- Calm Anxiety
- Control Aggression(dog & human) -
Or Choose One Tailored Skill Below: *Specialized training options based upon your dog's abilities.
- Therapy dog training
See Details
- Emotional Support Dog Training
- Ride on a Golf Cart, Skateboard, or Wagon
- Stay with You on Jog, Hike, or Bike Ride
- Other Custom Command Approved by Trainer




Positive Dog Training in Des Moines
As for not worrying about bad behavior – it may feel strange to act like everything is fine when your dog chews on your shoes, or goes to the bathroom inside your home. But focusing on rewarding good behavior and forgoing punishment for bad behavior is more successful in the long run.
Relying on punishment for errors and “low value” rewards, such as praise or petting are long held “traditional” methods for dog training. Punishments like flicking a dog’s nose, shocking them with a shock collar, or anything else that may cause a dog pain are unfortunately still in use today by many dog trainers.
Not only is it inhumane, but using punishment as a tool can actually backfire. For example: punishing a dog for going to the bathroom inside a house won’t teach them to go outside instead. Often, the dog only understands that the mess makes their owner mad. Instead of going outside, the dog is likely to continue to make messes indoors — where the owner can’t find them.
Punishment training also damages the relationship between dog and owner. Dogs do not understand right and wrong. Instead of associating punishment with a specific behavior they learn to avoid, as with the bathroom example, they instead learn to live in constant fear of punishment. This prevents owners from bonding with their dogs in a meaningful way.
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Our Balanced Theory
We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.
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Empowering Owners
We empower Owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times. -
Personalized
We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis. -
Environment Specific
We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
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Supportive
We support Owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session"). -
Involved
We work with all members of the household. -
Simplified & Customized
We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
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Continued Training
Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training. -
Lifetime Investment
We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term. -
Satisfaction Ratings
Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.
clas·si·cal con·di·tion·ing
PSYCHOLOGY
noun
A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus and is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!
They do an awesome job with training and explaining everything and teaching you as well how to do everything! They answer all of your questions and I would definitely recommend them!!! Well worth the money.—
Posted August 17th 2023
Dog Training Elite has been absolutely awesome for my German Shepherd Loki. He was dog reactive and lacked the confidence he needed. With the 6 weeks of training from Dog Training Elite he has improved drastically. Both trainers we worked with Jack and Kim were very professional and super knowledgeable. Working with Kim was great she absolutely adores German shepherds and had so much patience with Loki. I’m happy I have the tools now for Loki and I to have better communication and be able to do more fun things outside of the house. Thank you Dog Training Elite we will see you all in group!—
Posted August 11th 2023
Kim, and Jack are amazing trainers and even better people. Kim does amazing work with reactive dogs and really takes the time to listen to her clients and understand their specific needs. I would absolutly recommend them to anyone in need of training.—
Posted August 6th 2023
I highly recommend Dog Training Elite for all your dog training needs. I knew my dog had potential to become a Therapy Dog, however I needed some more knowledge in my training skills. DTE was able to work with me and help expand my training knowledge, and how to best communicate with my dog. We are have passed their Dog Therapy Test and absolutely love volunteering within the community. The best part about DTE is you become apart of a community, they are always willing to help in continuing your dog training knowledge after you have completed their program.—
Posted August 6th 2023
I tried to self train my dog, which went ok but we were not making the progress I wanted for her. Since we started training with DTE she has made exceptional progress after each season. Their entire group is dedicated to what is best for the dogs. Our experience has been wonderful!— Rae Beebe
Posted June 1st 2023
Training our service dog and cant believe how much progress we have seen in 3 months— Warren huggins
Posted April 23rd 2023
I have had the best experience training Milo from day one. I'm a first time pup owner and wanted a well behaved dog that I could take anywhere with no worries. We have gotten so much more than this from Dog Training Elite Des Moines! At the beginning, they gave Milo and I extra care coming to our home to work one-on-one. This helped make huge advances in his training. We switched to group classes where he's learned how to be a well behaved pup with other dogs and people around. Milo and I enjoyed our experience so much, I looked into Therapy Dog Training. About a year and a half later, Milo is getting ready to test to become certified. It is all thanks to the care, time, and continued personalized focus Jack, Cannady, and Morgan have provided us. I could not speak more highly! Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for dog training!!— Sarah Meyer
Posted October 2nd 2022
I have had the best experience training Milo from day one. I'm a first time pup owner and wanted a well behaved dog that I could take anywhere with no worries. We have gotten so much more than this from Dog Training Elite Des Moines! At the beginning, they gave Milo and I extra care coming to our home to work one-on-one. This helped make huge advances in his training. We switched to group classes where he's learned how to be a well behaved pup with other dogs and people around. Milo and I enjoyed our experience so much, I looked into Therapy Dog Training. About a year and a half later, Milo is getting ready to test to become certified. It is all thanks to the care, time, and continued personalized focus Jack, Cannady, and Morgan have provided us. I could not speak more highly! Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for dog training!!—
Posted October 2nd 2022
Morgan was amazing and very thorough with us. She made sure we felt comfortable with training before she left. Also they make themselves available anytime we need them.— April Page
Posted September 13th 2022
Jack has trained by dog since she was a puppy and made an incredible difference in her obedience and her overall demeanor. Jack is patient and a natural at what he does. He talks through the entire process and thoroughly explains the training technique, each step of the way. Jack and Cannady are both very professional and attentive to you and your animals needs. My puppy is now a certified therapy dog and I couldn't have done it without Jack and Cannady! They are the best!— Rebecca Schroeder
Posted September 6th 2022
Dog Training Elite has led us through the training process from basic obedience to Therapy Dog certification. They provided a great training environment for our puppy and convenient schedule that we could commit to in our busy life. It started with few individual lessons and when our dog was ready, he was invited to a group class and then to an advanced group class. The process took about 9 months from the start to certification. Dog Training Elite has an excellent team of trainers, that helped us learn many techniques for various commands. We are looking forward to start taking our certified dog to his job sites.—
Posted September 5th 2022
DTE has a compassionate, educated, and reliable staff who care about animals and their handlers. Because of the training with DTE I am able to love and care for my dog more responsibly and behaviors that were stress provoking are now eliminated. I highly recommend this service!—
Posted September 2nd 2022
Great trainers who are flexible in training. I am in a wheelchair and am training a service dog and Dog Training Elite was extremely helpful modifying the training and even had a trainer work one on one with my dog in group since I couldn’t train in the grass. Very happy with the training my service dog is getting.— Tom Ostwald
Posted August 24th 2022
I have enjoyed working with Dog Training Elite. They are very knowledgeable, and have given us the tools to best train our dog. We have seen huge improvements with our dog over the last 4 months.— Brittni Pierce
Posted August 24th 2022
They did a fantastic job with my baby bella during the day stay program. The transformation from crazy puppy to well-trained dog was incredible. Some behaviors that were difficult for us, like jumping on people, and walking on a leash. Pickup and drop off were seamless and they did a thorough job of explaining the process in the beginning and an excellent tutorial of how to keep up the training at the end of the training session, and we have a blast at the group sessions that you receive after, just a great atmosphere and great people— Rob Sirfus
Posted August 18th 2022
Awesome program and I highly recommend DTE. The results are well worth the investment! Must get the VA teamed with the program.— Brett Hora
Posted August 18th 2022
My pup, Fergus and I started with DTE Des Moines not quite a year ago. I had started on his basic obedience on my own, but unlike other dogs I’ve trained, I needed this one to be a cardiac alert service dog for myself. I was not willing to train with punishment rather than positive reinforcement and refused other trainers because of the use of inhumane shock collars as correction. DTE uses an e-collar that vibrates to get the dogs attention, but never to punish. Ever. I put the collar on myself more than once and adjusted the vibrations to know exactly how it feels. It does not hurt the dog in any way, so I moved forward. Fergus is a mix of 2 breeds that are not known for having good sniffers, as needed for cardiac alert training, but our trainer said, “I’ll never give up on a dog. Fergus might be able to do it , and we can try if you want to put in the time and move forward”. Wow! Complete honesty at the risk of losing a potential client! So, 10 months ago we started scent training while also teaching what he needs to know to be capable in any public setting. It turns out his nose is good enough! I’m so grateful that DTE Des Moines believes in all dogs and their potential, while giving us the knowledge to work with our dogs daily to build trust and the skills needed to help those of us who need them. They are knowledgeable, patient, kind, encouraging and put a lot of thought into which approaches to take with each unique team to be as successful as possible. Whether you need simple obedience or more advanced work, I can’t recommend them highly enough. You can tell they love what they do, and they do it well! DTE Des Moines, thank you for believing in me and Fergus. We are incredibly grateful!— Heidi Katzenbach
Posted July 29th 2022
DTE Des Moines has given us the tools to work with our now 8 month old Golden Doodle and enjoy walks, outings, visitors to the house, and other dogs with a well behaved pup. The trainers are extremely knowledgeable and very patient teaching pet owners the techniques. My husband and I signed our pup up for one week training in the office at DTE, Jack came to our home a few weeks later to help us fix some challenges we were having with the heel command, and now we are enjoying the group classes. All we’ve gained through their training has been more than I thought possible and well worth the investment. I recommend DTE Des Moines to everyone I know wanting to work on behaviors with their dog.— Nancy Walker
Posted June 25th 2022
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite Des Moines, we believe that Service Dogs save lives. It is our mission to make these life-saving companions available to our Veterans, First Responders, Women Survivors, and Children with Medical Needs. Whether it be for PTSD, Mobility Support, or Special Needs, Dog Training Elite Des Moines work's with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.
The Dog Training Elite Des Moines Difference
Dog Training Elite Des Moines uses modern training methods focused on positive dog training using reinforcement and bonding you and your dog. Dog Training Elite Des Moines trainers never resort to punishment to help dogs unlearn behaviors.
Through a combination of commands and an electronic collar, dogs learn to follow commands at once. The electronic collar is not a shock collar and never used to punish bad behavior. Instead, it produces a sensation like the gentle tug of a leash, and is used to help recapture the attention of a dog who gets distracted.
Dog Training Elite Des Moines’s method of focusing on positive behavior reinforcement nurtures a dog's loving and naturally obedient nature. The method is the same regardless of the situation, whether training a puppy, an older dog or a service dog.
The positive dog training method of Dog Training Elite Des Moines ensures training is a success no matter what your dog’s behavior. If you have a brand new puppy who is stubborn and smart, or an older dog who has slipped into bad habits – or perhaps never learned – after proper conditioning and working with Dog Training Elite Des Moines, when you say “sit,” your dog will automatically sit without thinking about it.
Dog Training Elite Des Moines offers specialized in-home training services so your dog gets the attention and training he or she needs, and you learn alongside them so training continues when the trainer leaves. Dog Training Elite Des Moines also offers group classes for dogs who are ready to take obedience training to the next level, and service training programs for a variety of needs.
If you’re looking to train a service dog, or just looking for a loyal four-legged companion, Dog Training Elite Des Moines will help you get there with our positive dog training. You can get started today.
Find a trainer near you and schedule a free in-home assessment!