Philosophy


He is your friend,
your partner,
your defender,
your dog.

You are his life,
his love,
his leader.

He will be yours,
faithful and true,
to the last beat of his heart.

You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

Beliefs

All training at Fala Woods, be it boarding and training, private lessons, or classes, is always conducted in the same manner. Our methods are based on consistency and repetition with corrections given when appropriate. We believe that a consequence must be given for misbehavior. Before undesirable behavior is corrected we must first be certain that it does not stem from confusion of what is being asked. Each new command is physically shown to the dog repetitively and consistently. When the dog starts to anticipate the commands, he or she is showing their understanding of what is being asked, and at that point you can expect the dog to execute the command on the first verbal request. We believe that when the training is being conducted the whole family should work together with the dog or dogs. This will ensure that the dog is receiving the same signals from everyone in the family. If the dog is receiving different signals from each family member, the dog will not respond in a proper manner. So, one of the most important goals of the Fala Woods training staff is to have the dog and family work together in a sure and positive manner, which will produce a relaxed and enjoyable dog for the family.

We at Fala Woods do not believe in using food to make a dog respond to training. We would like the dog to respond to the owner for who he or she is, not for what he or she has. Once the dog is working for the owner for this reason, you will see a very consistent, happy working dog.

We at Fala Woods also believe in starting dogs at a young age, usually at 3 1/2 to 4 months of age. When starting training with a dog at a young age, you are starting with a dog that has hardly had any time to develop bad habits. This makes it easier for the dog and owner to work together. When starting a young dog in training, we believe in using the hands and the leash working together to place the dog into the command given. Once the dog has full understanding of what we are trying to do, then and only then will we begin to use only the leash for the training of the dog. At this point, the hands can become an instrument of praise. This gives the dog a reason to respond in a positive manner". Starting training with a dog at a young age of 3 1/2 to 4 months old cuts your working time down by half, if not even more, compared to starting with a dog at the age of 8 months to 1 year. Therefore, we believe in starting a dog at a very young age for best results.

One of the most important beliefs to us at Fala Woods is that while training a dog, the leash should always be loose. This is a very important point to remember. The reason for having the leash loose is to give the feeling to the dog of being off leash. When you get to the later stages of training, which will be off the leash, you will see the positive results you will have from always having worked the dog with a loose leash. So remember, the leash is used for correction, not control.

It is important to remember that obedience is the key to all training. Obedience is not just a way to make your dog respond to the commands being given. Obedience is a way to communicate with your dog. Through proper obedience training, you will develop respect, thus giving you control. That control will enable you to do things with your dog that in most cases, the dog would not have enough trust in you to attempt. Without respect, trust and control, it is impossible to have a true bond between you and your canine partner. Complete unity is very, very important, not only in a service / working dog, but it makes for a much better family pet! companion.