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The consult
What is a training consult?
The consult is where a goal such as a dog that no longer pulls becomes a program, a length and a quote. This page explains what is assessed, a decision table showing how answers tend to map to programs, how to prepare and how the consult differs from the evaluation.
The first conversation
A consult turns what you want into a program, a length and a quote
Every Dogtown training program starts the same way. You send the training form with a short description of your dog and your goal, and a reply comes back within an hour on business days. Then comes the consult, a short assessment with Gabriella Pope, our Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist, which chooses the program and level for your dog. Programs are quoted after it, because the plan depends on the dog in front of her.
Whether the consult itself carries a fee, how long it runs and whether your dog attends are details to ask about on the form; we do not publish them here. What we can say is what it is for. Gabby focuses on the reason behind a behavior, whether fear, frustration, reactivity or sensitivity, rather than the behavior alone, so expect questions about why your dog does things, not just what it does.
- Starts with the training form
- A short assessment with Gabriella Pope
- Ends with a recommended program and a quote
- A separate step from the free evaluation
What we assess
What the consult looks at: five areas, and what to have ready for each
Goals come first: what you want your dog to do, or stop doing, and how you will know it worked. History follows: age, where the dog came from, past training and anything that has happened since, including any bite or snap, described in full. Health matters because pain and illness drive behavior; the ASPCA notes that some behavior problems are caused or made worse by physical problems, and only a veterinarian can diagnose those.
Then context: where and when the problem happens, what comes just before it and what you do next, which is often most of the answer. Last is the household: who walks the dog, who feeds it, how much time there is for practice and what the coming months hold, such as a move, a baby or a long trip. A program that ignores your calendar will struggle however good it is on paper.
- Goals: what success looks like to you
- History: age, origin, past training, any bite or snap
- Health: your vet's name, recent notes, current medications
- Context: where, when and what happens just before
- Household: who handles the dog and how much time there is
From answers to a program
A decision table: how the answers usually point to a program
The table shows the usual direction, not a rule. Two dogs with the same problem can need different programs because of age, nerves or a household's time, which is the whole reason for a consult. Use it to understand the recommendation you hear, and to ask why if it surprises you. A good trainer is glad to explain the reasoning behind a recommendation, including why a stay is not on the list.
One pattern runs through it: the more a problem is about feelings, the more the recommendation keeps you on the leash. Fear, reactivity and guarding tend to point toward owner-present programs that run for weeks, while missing manners in a busy household tend to point toward a stay. If you arrive set on board and train, be ready to hear a different answer, and to hear why.
| What you describe | Usually points toward | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An outgoing young dog missing manners, in a busy household | Foundation board and train, 1 week | Concentrated practice on the basics |
| An adolescent that knows its cues at home and loses them outside | Advanced board and train, 2 weeks | Distraction proofing and real-world outings |
| A puppy of 8 to 16 weeks | Tiny Tails Puppy School | Learning with you through the socialization window |
| Fear, leash reactivity or big feelings | React Less, Relax More, Focus & Flow or Polished Pup | Emotional change happens with you present |
| A dog-selective dog hoping to join daycare | Adventure Academy | Matched introductions over several weeks |
| Day training, but home every night | Canine Campus | 2, 4 or 6 weeks with pick-up and drop-off |
| One specific problem | Private sessions from $94 | Focused coaching on that problem |
| A Canine Good Citizen goal | Canine Citizen Academy or the 1:1 Private CGC Fast Track | Preparation for the AKC's 10-step test |
Prepare
Prepare for the consult in six steps, and know how it differs from the evaluation
The consult and the evaluation are easy to confuse. The consult is about training: the program, the goals and the quote. The evaluation is about the stay or the group: a free temperament test and a few supervised hours in a playgroup, held on weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and a current dog license on file. Board and train dogs take both.
Preparation takes an evening and makes the consult far more useful. The steps below gather what Gabby needs to understand your dog, roughly in the order she is likely to ask for it. If your dog has a vet appointment coming up, ask the vet about anything behavioral at the same time and bring the notes, since a health answer can change the whole training plan.
- 01
Send the training form with your goal in one or two sentences
- 02
Gather vaccine records, your dog license and your vet's name
- 03
Write down your three biggest problems, most serious first
- 04
For each, note where, when and what happens just before
- 05
List everyone who handles the dog and how much time each has
- 06
Add any dates that matter, such as a move, a trip or a new baby
For your dog
When the consult says a stay is not the answer, that is still an answer
Some consults end with a different first step altogether. A sudden change in an adult dog's behavior can mean pain, and the ASPCA's advice is to contact your veterinarian first whenever illness or injury is possible. For serious problems, it suggests looking for a professional with advanced academic training in behavior as well as practical experience, such as a veterinary behaviorist, who can also prescribe medication when it is needed.
More often, the consult simply redirects: a puppy class before a stay, an owner-present program for reactivity, Canine Campus for a dog that needs to sleep at home. Families sometimes hear that as a no. It is a plan, and it often saves money and a week of upheaval. If a stay does fit, the evaluation, the dates and the packing list follow, and your dog arrives with a program built around it.
At Dogtown
Where a consult can lead
Board and train, Canine Campus, puppy school and private sessions all start with the same short assessment.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Does my dog come to the training consult?
Is a training consult the same as a behavior consultation?
Is the consult the same as the free evaluation?
What if I disagree with the recommendation?
How quickly can I get a consult?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Start with the form
Describe your dog and your goal in a few lines. The consult takes it from there.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
