If there is one thing every dog parent would universally agree with, it is this - All your dog needs is a little help, a little hope, and somebody who believes in them. A little help can really go a long way! With the amount of information we have available at the click of a button, every dog parent out there knows a thing or two about training their dog. How far you're willing to go to do it right is what makes all the difference. On your journey to transform your dog's life, virtual dog training or online service dog training can be a game changer!

What is Virtual dog training?

Virtual dog training, as the name suggests, is the kind of online service dog training that allows you to train your dog in the comforts of your home with the help of an expert dog trainer who guides you along every step through their virtual presence. This presence could be through various communication platforms like zoom, skype, Google meet, etc that allow users to connect with video, audio, phone and/or chat.

Virtual training sessions typically involve one or more of the following as a part of a holistic course-

• Live training sessions with a certified trainer
• Pre-recorded training sessions
• Resources such as videos, articles, e-books, etc
• On ongoing chat support with an expert trainer
• Online communities of other pet parents and trainers
• Homework and progress tracking

How does virtual dog training work?

Virtual dog training typically starts with an assessment where information regarding dog behavioral issues, trainer expertise, pet parent training abilities, and training goals are exchanged. A online service dog training plan with a training schedule to tackle the issues at hand is also discussed in this session.

The assessment session is followed by regular on-going sessions that happen virtually with the expert trainer. These sessions could last anywhere between 30-90 minutes depending on the attention span of the dog and dog parent.

Every session is commonly broken down to include the following aspects -

• understanding the root cause of the dog's behavioral issue
• understanding dog body language
• improving communication between the dog and pet parent
• tips to prevent undesirable behaviors
• tips on teaching the dog alternative desirable behaviors

3 Signs you and your dog need virtual training

As pet parents, it can often be tricky to point out exactly when you and your dog may need professional guidance. Often, dog trainers are reached out to as the last resort when things have gone south with the dog. In reality, a dog trainer should step in right at the start to ensure nothing goes wrong. Here are some telltale signs that it may be the right time to sign up for some virtual training sessions -

1. You are struggling to understand your dog's body language

Dogs are excellent communicators. They exhibit crystal clear signs of comfort or discomfort through their body language. However, comprehending every flicker of their ears combined with tail wags can be a little overwhelming for pet parents.

This is where an expert can step in. Through virtual dog training sessions, they can help you observe and understand your dog's body language better, teach you to respond favorably to it and help you build trust in the process.

2. Your dog is exhibiting behavioral issues and you don't know what to do

You may often wonder what to do when your dog has started to bark at every passerby outside the window or jump up at every person who walks in through the door.

It is true that there is more than information out there on the internet when it comes to tackling dog behavior problems. However, what you will not find is answers catered to your situation and your dog.

A trainer assigned to you in your virtual training course would help you with solutions that are customized to your needs and your dog's behavior.

3. Your dog is most comfortable being trained by you at home

Not all dogs have the confidence of a social butterfly, and that's perfectly fine! Some dogs are more selective about their environment and the people they choose to be comfortable around.

If your dog is one of them, virtual training is the answer to your training needs. Dogs respond better and faster when they feel safe in an environment and can trust the handler.

Through virtual training, you can ensure quality education trickling down to your dog through you directly from a qualified expert. It makes an ideal scenario for teaching as well as learning in the comfort of your own home.

Dogs and dog parents that benefit from virtual dog training

Virtual dog training eliminates several tick boxes that would have otherwise been necessary for in-person training. The beauty of online training is that it transcends geographies, age, certain health issues and several logistical problems. Following are some dogs and dog parents that would perfectly fit inside the virtual training umbrella -

• non-vaccinated puppies and dogs
• dogs with mobility issues
• dogs that get severely car-sick
• dogs that are highly uncomfortable in outdoor environments
• dogs that are not comfortable in the presence of other humans
• Humans with mobility issues
• Humans with busy schedules
• Humans that are looking for location-specific training
• humans that live in remote areas
• Parents with young children
• People looking for an emergency consultation
• People looking for cost-effective options

Is virtual dog training worth it?

If I were to answer this question in one word, absolutely!

However, whether you'd get your money's worth through online training sessions would also depend on several other aspects such as the expertise of the trainer to comprehend your dog's behavioral issues, their ability to articulate it for you, the quality of the training they provide virtually, your ability to follow the training consistently, your dog's ability to learn and generalize the training and last but not the least, the progress your dog makes over time.

10 ways Virtual training could transform your dog's behavior

1. Virtual dog training ensures your involvement as much as the trainer's

Dog training is equal parts of training the dog and the human. If the dog behaves well when handled by the trainer but not when handled by you, the dog is not the problem!

Virtual dog training will be guided and monitored closely by the trainer while you do the work with your dog. This ensures your involvement in the training, which is imperative to get positive results.

When you are personally involved in your dog's training, it will give you better insights into your dog's behavior, make you a better trainer, and help improve your relationship with your dog in the process.

2. It helps you understand your dog better

Some of the reasons we fail to understand our dog better are lack of observation, using a corrective approach rather than a proactive one, not getting to the root cause of the issue and lack of patience and consistency when training.

When training with a virtual trainer, they would help you get to the root cause of your dog's issues, be more proactive in observing and preventing undesirable behaviors and encourage you to be more consistent with your training.

Taking care of these smaller nuances in dog training will help you foster a more trusting, understanding and nurturing relationship with your dog.

3. It enables you to take things at your own pace, at your own time

One of the biggest advantages of virtual training is the flexibility to operate at your own schedule, at your own pace, and in the comforts of your own home.

Different dogs learn at various paces. Group training sessions may never be able to cater to individual dogs' learning paces.

On the other hand, with virtual training, you have the luxury to progress at your dog's pace and ensure quality learning. You get to decide how often you want to train, as well as the length and intensity of each session.

4. Virtual dog training is the ideal solution for fearful and anxious dogs

Training can be tricky when it comes to fearful and anxious dogs. The world is not a very nice place for them as it is. Thus, as pet parents, it is crucial to ensure they are at ease when trying to change their perception of the world around them.

Fearful dogs learn best in environments they are comfortable in and with people they trust. Both of these criteria are met in the case of virtual dog training. Furthermore, the involvement of a qualified trainer only ensures a smoother learning curve and accelerated results.

5. It is more cost-effective and time-saving than in-person training

Virtual dog training sessions are cost-effective because neither you nor the trainer have to make the effort to drive down to another location. Additionally, the time you might have been stuck in traffic is also saved.

Other reasons such as reduced overhead costs, elimination of facility expenditures, improved scalability and flexibility, simplified booking and payments, etc have enabled trainers around the world to promote their virtual dog training services at competitive rates.

6. It is highly customized to suit you and your dog's training requirements

The beauty of virtual training is that you sign up for a program based on your needs and your dog's behavioral requirements. Furthermore, if you sign up for private one-on-one sessions with a trainer, you get to decide and plan your sessions based on your training goals.

The personalized attention that virtual training offers allows for highly customized advice and feedback that caters specifically to the dog and the dog parent's needs. This is important for achieving training goals and tackling targeted behavioral problems that are otherwise not possible in group classes.

7. Enables real-time problem-solving

Many a time, dogs behave differently in different situations. Eg- they may bark at certain triggers when they are at home but may be absolutely calm on walks towards the same triggers. This may be tricky for a pet parent to explain when they are training with a trainer in an outdoor environment. Furthermore, the dog may or may not exhibit the same behavior in the presence of a trainer at home.

Virtual training sessions enable pet parents to demonstrate the exact problem in the problematic situation. It also allows the trainer to observe the dog's behavior from a neutral perspective without actually being there and potentially manipulating the dog's reaction.

Thus, pet parents are able to get real-time solutions and test their effectiveness in the presence of an expert.

8. It enables you to make progress that you can track

Ivan Balabanov once said, "Accumulation of information does not mean you actually know." Knowing a theory and applying it in real life are two very different things.

You may read a detailed thesis on dog reactivity and accumulate as much credible information as possible. However, when you actually apply it to a reactive dog, you may realize that it is a lot harder than it seems.

The virtual presence of an expert helps prevent mistakes and helps us observe the smallest nuances in training which we, as pet parents, may miss out on.

Furthermore, living with the dog in the same house, we may overlook small wins and progress that they keep making. A trainer who sees the dog every week may be able to help you keep track of progress, which can be very encouraging in the long run.

9. A great confidence booster for both dog and dog parent

With the amount of information (and misinformation) available on the internet, every dog parent has access to the information of their choice at the click of a button. And yet, we see so many dogs that are in dire need of training and rehabilitation.

This is because without an expert to vet the information you have at hand, training your dog can be a risky affair. A single wrong move can end up jeopardizing your dog's mental well-being and personality.

Even if you think you know everything there is to know in dog training, go ahead and sign up for virtual training because everybody needs reinforcement. A trainer letting you know that you're doing a great job at training your dog is a real confidence booster!

10. A great way to learn and teach new things under the guidance of experts

When teaching your dog to Stay, you may test your dog by building duration and adding distractions. If your dog does well, you may then release your dog and reward them for a well-done Stay.

However, when performing this entire exercise in front of a virtual trainer, they may tell you that by rewarding the dog after releasing them, you have actually rewarded the release and not the Stay.

This is the difference that virtual training makes. It helps you learn the essence of timing and other subtle but crucial nuances of training your dog.

What kind of behaviors can be taught through virtual training?

A wide array of tricks and behaviors can be taught, modified, and prevented through the right kinds of virtual training programs. These programs are highly customizable to suit your needs. Some of the most frequently addressed concerns through virtual dog training are -

• Potty training
• Puppy 101
• Basic obedience training
• Impulse control training
• Leash manners
• Resource guarding
• Excessive vocalization
• Fixation
• Hyperactivity
• Reactivity
• Breed-related issues such as herding, digging, high prey drive, etc

Apart from addressing concerns, people also sign up for virtual dog training to learn and teach new tricks to their dogs such as -

• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Come
• Drop it
• Leave it
• Agility commands such as jump, weave, through etc
• Trick training commands like Spin, Play dead, Sit Pretty etc
• Commands to help around the house such as Hold it, fetch, open and close door etc

Furthermore, these training sessions are a great way to learn to fulfil your dog's needs through physical and mental stimulation as well as breed-related activities.

Why Homeschool by LAY LO® stands out

Homeschool by LAY LO provides a holistic approach to improving life at home with your dog. From 1:1 training, to nutrition and grooming, you'll get the support you need with guaranteed results.

From new puppies to specific behavioral challenges, our certified team will build a custom program to help you and your pup succeed. Our methods are entirely force-free and are highly customized to suit your dog's behavioral and training needs.

Here's what forms our core - 

• Online training at home or on the go
• Message-an-expert and get solutions real-time
• Custom plans made for your dog's needs
• Expert video courses at your paws and fingertips
• Guaranteed results you can feel really good about

With Homeschool's "better pup" guarantee, you'll rest easy knowing that there is no better place to train than at home with the person your dog trusts the most, you.

All you need to do is -

• Schedule a free dog evaluation
• Receive your personalized plan
• Learn from the best of the best

BOOK A FREE EVALUATION

Is Virtual dog training for everyone?

No. Virtual training is not for everyone. While online dog training may be a great, even an ideal option for several pat parents, it may not be suitable for a variety of dogs and pet parents.

One of the primary examples that comes to mind is an aggressive dog owned by an inexperienced owner. Training and rehabilitating an aggressive dog requires professional expertise, handling and know-how apart from an incredible amount of patience, timing and consistency in training.

An average pet parent may not be equipped with the requirements to manage and train an aggressive dog. Most importantly, everyone's safety would be at risk. Signing up for virtual lessons in such cases would be like setting the dog and the dog parent up for failure.

Enough cannot be said about the plethora of benefits of Virtual dog training. The flexibility, accessibility, and effectiveness they provide for a diverse range of dog owners, accommodating various lifestyles, needs, and circumstances are unmatched!

 Author Bio: Siddhika is a certified dog trainer, behaviorist, and professional pet writer. She has the qualifications and experience in the theoretical as well as real-life applications of science-based dog training techniques.

With the expertise to write about a plethora of dog-related topics and a personal interest in dog cognition and behavior, Siddhika is an out-and-out canine nerd.