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One of the most difficult, necessary, and rewarding behaviors to correct in a dog is anxiety and aggression. Anxiety and aggression are behaviors that can be learned, genetic, or innate. When a dog feels threatened, the two natural responses will be fight or flight. Most dogs will attempt to put as much distance between themselves and the threat; if the threat remains they will then turn to aggression or submit. Other dogs are overly confident pack leaders and will turn first to aggression. Both of these reactions stem from anxiety and can be fixed with a balanced, positive aggressive dog training in Wilmington.
Dog Training Elite Wilmington behavior modification process is highly personalized. We work to empower owners as they work alongside our professional dog trainers in Wilmington to build confidence and understanding in their dogs. We work with owners in their home to slowly retrain a dog’s reactions to stressful situations and then work to integrate them back into the community.
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Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Wilmington location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Our Aggressive Dog Behavior Training Process
We will first meet the dog in a free in-home assessment to gain an understanding of the reasons for the aggression, anxiety, or fears. We will assess triggers and build a personalized training program for each unique dog and targeting their specific behavior. For fearful and anxious dogs, our trainers will work alongside owners to build confidence.
For overly aggressive dogs, training will help owners establish a pack leader position in the home. We will work to desensitize a dog to their biggest triggers and anxiety and when the dog has reached a safe baseline obedience level in these situations we then introduce them to our class settings. A muzzle is required for class settings to ensure the safety of all dogs as these classroom settings are designed to integrate the dog back into social settings successfully.
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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!
My name is Shirley and my dog Brandy. We live in a suburb of Wilmington, N.C. 4 years ago, I rescued Brandy from a shelter. She was 10 months old. She has from day one, been a very energetic and friendly, loving dog. However, she displayed the following behavioral issues: 1) pulling on the leash (I had to stop walking her, 2) jumping on people, 3) not coming when called 4) Very aggressive when seeing other dogs. She now is 5yrs old and continues to be sweet and loving. But she had been far from obedient. I had enrolled her in a number of dog training classes including a 3week stay at a boot camp obedience program that all proved to be unsuccessful. At the boot camp. I was informed that she did well there. On her last day of training, I was given a demonstration of how obedient she was with the trainers. However, as the dog owner, I was provided with less than 2 hours of training instructions. After the amount of money that I had paid for what I thought would be “good training” turned out to be extremely disappointed. I had resigned myself to never having Brandy becoming an obedient pup. It was disheartening. And then I discovered while browsing the WEB, “ELITE AWARD WIINNING DOG TRAINING***** in Wilmington. After reading their positive reviews, their mission statements, and meeting with the Owner, I enrolled Brandy in their training program. Darren and Katy who I now refer to as “my Angels” provided the training and so much support. All training was done at my home where Brandy was the most comfortable. The results far exceeded my expectations for both Brandy and myself. Darren and Katy are phenomenal trainers. Their philosophy in training dogs is unique and uses gentle guidance. The training session were always fun and engaging for both Brandy and me. Every training session began with playing with Brandy and ending the session with play time again. She always looked forward to their visits. Katy and Darren were always patient and supportive, answering all my questions and addressing all concerns. Their support included checking in with me between training sessions and addressing any questions/concerns I had and providing recommendations as needed. This never occurred with any of the prior training programs. I was also given homework assignments and tips to practice at home and reinforce what was learned during each training session. After only a few weeks of training, Brandy is a completely different dog. She... • No longer pulls on her leash nor gets distracted. Our walks are longer and enjoyable. • Comes immediately when I call her. • Greets people without jumping on them. • Does not try to “escape” when someone comes to the door. • Has become sweeter and more loving. • Is a happier dog and I am a happier human. Darren and Katy helped me achieve all my goals. I am so very grateful for all their work and all their support.— Shirley Tedesco
Posted February 1st 2024
Loved the service came out to my home and trained my 13 week old shi tzu zak the trainer was lovely and very helpful definitely recommend— Cedric Green
Posted January 3rd 2024
I got a new puppy recently and Hayley came and helped me set her up for success! She provided awesome tips and was super friendly, I'm very satisfied and can't wait for another session in the future!— Kathleen Gilliam
Posted December 31st 2023
I was having trouble walking my strong black lab who likes to take the lead and pull me down the street. He often gets distracted, and wants to follow a scent and would end up dragging me into bushes or the grass. It was painful to say the least. I tried using treats, a gentle leader leash and a pinch collar to keep him next to me without success. I called Dog Training Elite because I couldn’t take it anymore. Caden came to my house for a free consultation. After testing my dog’s ability to obey commands, Caden assured me the technique they use would train him to walk beside me on our walks. I CANNOT believe the difference the training has made! It took 3 sessions, with daily training from me in between. The trainer, Mark was very detailed and thorough as to what I needed to do to get the behavior I needed from my dog. He was patient with me and spelled out everything I need to know. I am beyond thankful! I now have a dog who walks beside me. I would give this company a 10 star review if I could!— Leanne Young
Posted December 20th 2023
We had an amazing experience with the team and 2 of our pups we currently have under rescue. In the short time they worked with them, the difference was truly impressive. Thank you! #freedombridgeanimalrescuenc— diana topjian
Posted December 20th 2023
We loved working with the Dog Training Elite team! We did their puppy training with our 3 month old Labrador Retriever. They gave us the tools to teach our puppy basic commands and laid the foundation for a well-behaved pup. It was super helpful to have access to the trainers via text or call if we had any questions or needed advice (even over a holiday weekend!). We can't wait to work with them more!— Abby Ramsey
Posted December 6th 2023
Katy is the best and I cannot recommend her enough!! I loved working with her and my pups love her even more!!— Alexandria Price
Posted November 10th 2023
Darren and Kati joined us and our pup this afternoon. It was a great experience with educational tips and tricks to help our dog listen and love to learn. 5 out of 5 stars! We will be booking more sessions.— Averee Gerold
Posted November 5th 2023
What a great experience this has been. We had a good dog and he’s only gotten better. The knowledge from the trainers goes beyond teaching our dog to be better, but has helped us be better owners for our dog. The difference in a few short weeks is nothing short of life changing for our family.— Kiernan Berger
Posted October 31st 2023
I’d highly recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone. The dog trainers are fantastic and in just a couple of weeks we saw drastic improvements in our dog. We are so thankful for Dog Training Elite!— Madison Tyson
Posted October 30th 2023
Great attention to detail. Would highly recommend to friends and family.— JAKE MOORE
Posted October 19th 2023
Very professional and knowledgeable in dog training. Their trainers were able to assist with training our Irish Setter with ease and ensure that we understood what was needed to be good dog parents and have a successful program. Highly recommended for anyone looking for top quality dog training and professional services! 🦮🐾— Ramiro Rodriguez
Posted October 18th 2023
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite Wilmington, 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 Wilmington works with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.