Iron Oak Dog Training

Dog and puppy gundog, hunting dog, pointer, retriever, obedience training, behavior modification, & aggression rehab in central Maryland and south central Pennsylvania  including York, Gettysburg, Hanover, Timonium, Baltimore, Catonsville, Ellicott City, Glen Burnie, Columbia, Elkridge, Westminster, Mt. Airy, Frederick, Damascus, Poolesville, Bethesda 

We appreciate you taking the time to learn more about our training mission, methods, and standards. We feel that as professional trainers it is important that we help prospective clients make informed choices about dog training and that we are able to accurately qualify our abilities by training dogs (your dog and our own) to an objective third-party standard.

Mission

To educate dog owners on how their dogs learn in order to improve their inter-species relationship. To resolve problem behaviors in a timely fashion so that dogs and owners can spend their time engaging in more productive and enjoyable activities together. To inspire dog owners to find activities that cultivate a working partnership with their dogs that leave them both fulfilled. To increase the level of social responsibility dog owners have towards their community at large as it relates to their dog being a member of society. To promote public knowledge and acceptance of learning theory, training using all quadrants, and the tactful implementation of training tools. To help dogs learn how to keep their homes and help homes learn how to keep their dogs.

“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”

— Harrington Emerson

Methods

Our training blends modern and traditional techniques that utilize the dog’s natural drives and instincts. Our methods are supported by scientific literature, but we also know that true science reveals/supports nature, it does not contradict it. For this reason, we are not a “positive only” or “reward only” training provider.

We prefer whenever possible to help the dog to do the right thing, and reward them for doing so. But we do not shy away from the limited use of tactful, intelligent, and non-injurious aversive consequences for dangerous and anti-social behaviors.

We focus on teaching our clients principles, so that they can really understand their dogs and select the most effective training tools and techniques for their dog. Think of this as learning to cook rather than simply following a recipe. We challenge owners to be problem solvers, to address issues rather than avoid them, and to use trained skills to help their dog and themselves to be more agreeable companions to one another. We feel that conceptual understanding, and skillful application of training is empowering, and allows the dog to be included is as much of the owner’s life as possible.

We utilize a wide variety of training tools including leashes, chain slip collars, prong collars, martingale collars, electronic collars, food, toys, praise, petting, etc. We do not limit ourselves based on ideology, but instead use whatever tools provide us with the most effective way of controlling the dog, or effectively delivering information to them, depending on where we are in the training process.

The main goal of our training system is to produce reliable, enthusiastic companions through training that is enjoyable for both ends of the leash.

“Reliability off lead should always be the most significant criterion when evaluating and comparing training methods.”

— William Koehler

Standards

The dog training industry is largely unregulated for now. Anyone can say they are a dog trainer. Services with unclear language mislead you on what to expect for your time, effort, and money. Trainers can "make up" whatever standards they want, or have none at all. Current dog training certifications test conceptual knowledge but do not prove that a trainer can apply that knowledge to create meaningful results for clients. They are pieces of paper that confirm you can read and regurgitate well enough to pass a multiple choice test.

So rather than saying “we passed a multiple choice test,” we prove our dogs’ training (and therefore our ability to train them) against independently verified standards of behavior. This leaves no room for interpretation about the goals of our training, the results you can expect to achieve, and provide the most valid proof that we know what we are doing.

Our own dogs, and many of the gun dogs we work with are trained/tested to objective standards through NAVHDA and JGHV. While we find great value in these organizations, we feel there is no substitute for proving your gun dog’s skills than hunting wild game on public land.

Our companion dog training programs, in addition to resolving behavior problems and teaching manners, assist clients in achieving the objective standards for training defined in the AKC Family Dog Program.

Training Programs

  • Companion Dog Training

    Reliable training and resilient behavior solutions for all breeds, sizes, and temperaments.

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  • Companion Gundog Training

    Blending modern and traditional training to build monsters on the hunt with manners in the home.

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