Straight answers, no judgment.
FAQ
Sacramento Dog Training FAQ
The questions we get asked most — about cost, methods, service area, and whether we’re the right fit for your dog. Can’t find yours? Book a free intro call and just ask us.
First things first
Getting Started
How do I schedule a Behavior Consultation with Wholistic Canine?
Book a free intro call first. We’ll talk through what’s going on with your dog, answer your questions, and tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit. If we are, we’ll schedule an in-person Behavior Consultation where we assess your dog and map out a plan.
Do you come to my house? What areas do you serve?
Yes — we come to you, usually within about a 30-minute drive of Sacramento. The full answer is in our homepage FAQ, and every neighborhood we cover is on our service areas page.
Which program is right for my dog?
That’s what the Behavior Consultation is for. Broadly: puppies start with foundations, dogs who bark or lunge start with reactive and fearful training, busy households look at dog day training, and owners who need faster progress look at board and train. We’ll tell you which one your dog actually needs — even if it’s the cheaper one.
What dog training services do you offer?
Private in-home lessons, puppy training, reactive and fearful dog behavior work, dog day training, board and train immersion programs, group classes, and in-home boarding. Every program is built around your individual dog after an assessment — we don’t run a fixed curriculum.
When should I start training my puppy?
The day it comes home — or before. Best case, you call us before you pick up your puppy so we can help you set up your home, then a trainer meets your puppy the day it arrives and comes back a week later to build on it. You don’t have to do it that way, but earlier is always easier, and it’s the difference between preventing habits and undoing them. See our puppy training page.
How it works
What to Expect
How long does dog training take?
Honest answer: forever. You’re always training your dog, or your dog is training you. Working with us, though, has a shape to it. We start with a single session to assess your dog and figure out what’s actually going on. From there, most families do a four-session private package. For board and train, a complete, thorough program is about 30 days. It depends on what you purchase and what your dog needs.
How many sessions will my dog need?
It depends on how much practice happens between sessions. We explain exactly how that works in our homepage FAQ.
How long is each session?
Sessions are scheduled for one hour. Some run over — an hour and a half isn’t unusual depending on what’s going on. Occasionally your trainer will shorten a session if your dog has had enough, and we’ll make up that time another day.
Do I need to be home for training?
For private lessons, absolutely. This is about training you to train your dog — everything depends on the human. For dog day training, no — we train while you’re out, and you get same-day homework. For board and train, no. Your dog lives with the trainer, so you can take a whole vacation.
What do I need to have ready for the first session?
A full belly for you and an empty one for your dog — a hungry dog is a motivated dog. (A couple of snacks so they’re not miserable is fine. We won’t judge.) Bring a leash, collar, and treats. If we’re meeting somewhere other than your home, please be on time and let us know if you’re running late; arriving more than ten minutes late comes out of your session time.
What’s your cancellation policy?
Once training has begun, packages are non-refundable. The full details are on our policies page.
No mystery quotes
Cost
How much does dog training cost in Sacramento?
Our pricing is public — Behavior Consultations run $150–$200 and packages start at $650. See the full price list in our homepage FAQ.
Why is dog training so expensive?
You’re paying for a professional’s time, judgment, and years of experience — not a product. A good trainer is reading your dog in real time, adjusting the plan as they go, and teaching you to do the same after they leave. Cheaper training that doesn’t stick costs more in the end.
While you’re away
Boarding and Board & Train
What’s the difference between boarding and board and train?
A big one. Boarding is keeping your dog happy, healthy, and safe while you’re out of town. Board and train is keeping your dog happy, healthy, and safe while it learns new things — an immersion program where your dog lives with the trainer and comes home with new skills.
Do you offer dog training with boarding in Sacramento?
Yes. If your dog boards with Terra, training is part of the stay — every dog in her home is working on something. What that looks like depends on the dog: thirty days of training for a brand-new dog is a different thing from an alumni dog boarding for a week and brushing up on manners. If you want a full, structured training program, that’s board and train.
Where does my dog stay during boarding or board and train?
With the trainer, in their home. Talk with your trainer about their household before you book — that’s where your dog will be living. Sometimes we take boarding dogs along on adventures, like a camping weekend or a training seminar, and that’s always discussed and approved with you ahead of time.
How we train
Our Methods and Tools
Are you positive reinforcement or balanced?
Neither label. Our training is reward-based at its core, and we choose each dog’s approach after an assessment — not before. Picking a label means picking a method before meeting the dog. Read the full explanation on our training methods page.
Do you use e-collars or prong collars?
Sometimes — only when they’re appropriate for that individual dog and that owner’s goals, and never as a default. We start with a leash and a martingale collar. We won’t keep using any tool that’s causing unnecessary distress or getting in the way of learning. More on our training methods page.
Do you guarantee results?
No — and be cautious of anyone who does. We explain why in our homepage FAQ.
Are you certified?
Terra is a Licensed Family Dog Mediator® (LFDM), holds the IACP Dog Trainer Foundation Certification, and is a Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI). Worth knowing: dog training is unregulated in the United States, so certifications are private credentials, not government licenses. We wrote a full guide on what dog trainer certifications actually prove.
What’s the difference between a dog trainer and a behaviorist?
A veterinary behaviorist is a licensed veterinarian with a residency and board exam in behavior — a genuine medical credential, ideal for diagnosis and medication. Trainers and behavior consultants do the week-over-week, hands-on work in your home. We explain the distinction fully on our certifications page.
We’ve seen it before
Specific Problems
Do you work with reactive or aggressive dogs?
Yes — it’s a large part of what we do. Barking, lunging, and growling are usually fear wearing a loud costume, and we start by finding out why rather than silencing the symptom. See our reactive and fearful dog training page for how it works.
Can you help with a dog that’s aggressive toward other dogs?
Yes. True dog-to-dog aggression is usually a board and train situation — it needs immersion and a controlled setup. Reactivity toward other dogs is different: a dog that barks and lunges on leash but isn’t trying to do harm can absolutely be worked through in private lessons. The Behavior Consultation is where we tell you which one you’ve got.
Can you help with separation anxiety?
Yes. The first job is figuring out what’s actually going on. “Separation anxiety” has become a catch-all — what looks like it is often confinement anxiety or something else entirely, and each one gets handled differently. Call us and we’ll sort out which it is.
Do you help with leash pulling and walks?
Absolutely. Walking together is one of the hardest parts of dog training, and it’s rarely the dog that struggles to figure it out. A walk is a team exercise — constant, two-way communication. Walk your dog the way you’d have a conversation while checking your phone half the time, and your dog stops checking back in with you and does whatever it wants. We teach you both how to stay in the conversation.
My dog has bitten someone. Can you still help?
In most cases, yes — bite history doesn’t scare us, and you won’t be judged here. Start with a Behavior Consultation so we can assess safely and honestly. The one boundary: dogs must be safe enough to work with, and we’ll tell you truthfully if your dog needs a different kind of help.
Is my dog too old to train?
No. Dogs can learn at any age — more in our homepage FAQ.
Do you work with rescue dogs?
Constantly. Rescue dogs often arrive with unknown learning history, which is exactly what our whole-dog assessment is built to untangle — we look at learning, environment, genetics, and the individual dog in front of us. If you’ve just brought one home, earlier is always easier than waiting.
I’m not sure my dog is “bad enough” for training. Should I still reach out?
If walks are stressful, if you’re arranging your life around your dog’s behavior, if you’ve said “he’s fine, he just doesn’t like ___” more than once — that’s enough. Earlier is always easier. Book a free intro call and we’ll tell you honestly whether training makes sense yet.
Train with a crowd
Group Classes
What group classes do you offer and where?
Our weekly group classes include Manners Monday, a $35 drop-in at Loehmann’s Plaza on Fair Oaks Blvd. We occasionally mix up the venue, so the current schedule is always on our group classes page and training calendar, where you can book directly.
Still have a question? We’d rather you ask than guess.
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