Beyond the Aversives
R+ K9 Training
Proud Member of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers
Proud Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
Who We Are.
B.A.R.K. Training was founded, in 2021, to share our expertise and create a company dedicated to helping canines develop stronger bonds with their guardians to facilitate training in a way that is fun, motivating, and fulfilling for everyone.
We saw a need for more personalized training programs that prioritize the development of the human-canine relationship that promotes compassionate teaching and enthusiastic learning while ensuring everyone’s needs are being met appropriately. We utilize an R+/LIFE approach in a way that is conducive to a motivated and successful learning experience. We tailor training plans to address and accommodate the needs, preferences, and goals of both you and your dog.
At B.A.R.K. Training we not only work with companion dogs, but we also work with service dogs and the handlers that are taking on the challenging, but rewarding task that is ‘owner-training’ a service dog. We understand some of the personal and not often well understood nuances behind training a service dog for yourself whilst disabled and can lend that insight and experience to other handlers on their service dog training journey with professional and gentle guidance and support.
We work with and coach both handler and dog to understand the unique needs and preferences of each and strive to help them feel confident, comfortable, and ready to take on the world together as a team.
Our head trainer and owner, Sierra, is an accredited dog trainer through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC-ADT) as well as a certified training partner through the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA-CTP) and a certified professional dog trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA) and has years of professional hands-on experience working with a multitude of animals, undergoing undergraduate studies in biology & psychology, attending professional lectures, seminars, and workshops in animal behavior and training as well as interning/working directly under other professional trainers - and of course never ending continuing-education.
We are here for those that want to learn how to communicate, interact and exist harmoniously with their dogs while experiencing all of the wholesomeness that our four-legged friends have to offer.
Whether they’re a loyal life-saving teammate or just a loving seat-saving companion, we offer a large variety of services in the form of private lessons (in-person/virtual) and boarding school. Training plans utilize an enrichment framework and customized games, protocols, and more that meet the specific needs, goals, and preferences of everyone.
Our Mission
To help guardians move beyond aversive training tools and methods while advocating for force free/ R+ training to help dogs and their humans live their best lives together.
We believe the true ‘balance’ in dog training lies within a healthy relationship that promotes equality, trust, fairness, and kindness. It is our mission to help dog guardians develop a relationship built on compassion and free from aversive tools and methods and free from force or coercion. We strive to teach pet parents how to create a safe and fun learning environment conducive to fulfilling their dog’s innate needs & desires while reaching their goals and providing their dog with the freedom to be a dog.
Contact Us
Serving East Orlando & Winter Park
(407) 513-2570
inquiries@barktraining.net
What We Do
Puppy Kindergarten/College
Our two-part foundational program is designed for puppies under 8 months* is encouraged for owners that are looking to add a new puppy to the family or have just welcomed one home! Part one focuses on concepts of socialization, relationship-building, enrichment, handling, potty training, etc. Part two builds on concepts and skills learned in part one to expand on mechanical skills needed for teaching important life skills, instilling healthy habits, introducing the goals you have for training and more.
Life Skills
Our life skills programs focus on the specific training goals you have for your dog and are uniquely tailored to accommodate a wide variety of schedules, skills/experience, and preferences for training. These programs are designed to help clients learn the mechanics of relationship-building; enrichment, training, and building healthy habits to then work on goals you may have including, but not limited to loose leash walking, cues such as ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘wait’, mat work/stationing, trick training, recall, and more.
Service Dog Training
We offer training plans explicitly for service dogs that are similarly structured to our puppy & life skills programs with the addition of public access, task training, and other service dog specific skills. Training plans for service dogs are designed following an initial evaluation of the client’s pre-selected dog and discussion of goals. Due to the complexity of the curriculum and the nature of service work itself - training plans and progress are reviewed at regular intervals and revised as needed; regular progress reports are utilized to ensure students are moving forward successfully.
These programs include foundations, obedience, introduction and proofing of public access and navigation skills as well as specific tasks requested, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Tasks include, but are not limited to medical/psychiatric alerts**, medical/psychiatric responses, and non-weight bearing mobility tasks.
Behavior Modification
Utilizing the “Hierarchy of Procedures for Humane and Effective Practice” and an enrichment framework we strive to help guardians develop and implement training and behavior intervention plans, following a functional assessment of the presenting issues; programs are designed to help learners replace undesirable behaviors and certain emotions with healthy alternatives through the use of force-free/LIFE methods. Behavior Modification plans are custom tailored to each individual and are designed to protect the welfare of the learners, handlers and the public in all circumstances.
*Puppy Kindergarten - for puppies 16 weeks of age or under at start of program
**Alerts are a wide variety of behaviors a dog can be trained to perform to signal to their handler there has been/will be a change in the handler’s emotional, mental, or physical state that could indicate an oncoming attack/episode. Anecdotal evidence and peer reviewed case studies suggest that many different kinds of medical episodes are preceded by a pathological change in scent that can be detected by dogs, however, there is not currently enough scientific evidence to guarantee that all medical episodes, of any health condition, are preceded by undetectable (by human) fluctuations in odor that a dog will have the ability to detect. Scent based alerts are not available for training at this time.