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Good Manners Start Here
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by puppy chaos, frustrated on walks, or worried about behavior that’s escalating, you’re not alone. Our in-home and virtual programs are designed to meet you where you are—literally—and give you a clear, compassionate path forward.
We Specialize In
Heel’n Behavior & Service Dogs is a mission-driven training program that directly supports Heel’n Service Dogs, Inc., our 501(c)(3) nonprofit. With every enrollment, 20% of proceeds is reinvested into the raising, training, and placement of service dogs for individuals who need them most.
Your participation helps fund ethical, relationship-based training and the long-term support it takes to build calm, reliable service dog teams—so access, independence, and everyday life become more manageable for the people we serve.
About Us
Heel’n Behavior & Service Dogs is led by a degree-certified animal behaviorist with over 25 years of experience in training, behavior, and real-world handling.
Our trainers are certified, experienced dog trainers & Fear Free–certified, ensuring dogs are handled with care, awareness, and respect at every stage of training.
Our work is relationship-focused and grounded in behavioral science, with an emphasis on emotional regulation, calm decision-making, and safety. We specialize in helping dogs learn how to navigate everyday life with clarity and stability, rather than relying on force, suppression, or performance-based obedience.
While we offer professional training to the public, every program supports a larger mission: funding the ethical development and placement of service and therapy dogs for individuals with psychiatric, autistic, and mobility-related needs.
Why Heel'n?
How we're different from most trainers
Training For Real Life
We help dogs and their people build practical skills for calmer, easier everyday living. Our training focuses on the moments that matter most at home and in the world around you.
Fear Free Approach
Our approach is gentle, effective, and never relies on harsh tools or intimidation. Through thoughtful training and emotional conditioning, we help dogs feel safer, calmer, and more confident.
Relationship Focused
We believe lasting results come from trust, clear communication, and connection. Our training strengthens the bond between you and your dog every step of the way.
Service Dog Training
We offer specialized service dog training tailored to each individual’s needs. Our process builds reliable, confident dogs prepared for meaningful support in daily life.
Holistic Approach
We look at the whole dog, including temperament, health, lifestyle, and environment. This allows us to create training plans that are compassionate, thoughtful, and effective.
Full Circle Mission
Our support continues beyond training with guidance, follow-up, and education for life at home. Public training also helps fund service dogs for those who may not otherwise have access to them.
The Heart Behind Heel’n
The passion behind Heel’n lies in developing psychiatric and mobility service dogs and witnessing the impact these dogs can have on individuals who need comfort, stability, and support most.
That passion began early while working closely with children with disabilities, where the role of thoughtfully trained dogs in helping individuals feel safe, regulated, and supported became clear. Over time, training services naturally evolved to focus more intentionally on communities with complex and deeply personal needs.
For more than 20 years, this work has included developing dogs to support:
Individuals across the autism spectrum
Veterans
Survivors of abuse and trauma
Individuals living with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health disorders
Individuals requiring mobility-based assistance for daily living
Training dogs for these roles is not about teaching tasks alone. It is about preparing dogs to remain calm, present, and emotionally stable in moments when their handlers may be overwhelmed, vulnerable, or navigating significant challenges.
Two Ways to Work Together
In-Home Training
In-home sessions are ideal when you want hands-on support in the environment where your dog actually lives and learns.
Great for:
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New puppy routines and household manners
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Jumping, mouthing, barking, counter-surfing
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Doorway chaos, guest greetings, settling in the home
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Leash skills in your neighborhood
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Real-world coaching with your specific distractions
What you can expect:
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In-the-moment coaching in your home — we work through the exact situations you’re dealing with (door greetings, jumping, barking, settling, mealtimes, guests)
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Neighborhood walk support — hands-on leash coaching on your usual routes, with your real distractions
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Home setup + management plan — practical changes to routines, spaces, and tools that reduce stress and prevent problems right away
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Skills, manners, and cues that build calm behavior, confidence, and clarity
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Training for both ends of the leash — dedicated time each session to teach 2–3 cues or manners and coach you on exactly how to practice them between visits
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Virtual Training (Live, 1:1)
Virtual sessions are flexible, effective, and perfect for foundational training, coaching, and behavior support—no commute required.
Perfect if you:
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Want expert guidance with a busy schedule
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Need help troubleshooting what you’ve already tried
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Prefer coaching and a clear practice plan you can follow
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Want support between in-person sessions
You’ll leave with:
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A complete, holistic view of your dog — we discuss diet, exercise, breed traits, your household setup, and social habits
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Simple daily routines that make training consistent — household routines that promote safety, predictability, and calm
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Professional, customized 1:1 support — never cookie-cutter; we treat your dog as an individual with unique motivations, needs, and learning style
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Behavior & Training Guides to keep you clear and confident between sessions
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Progress Logs to track patterns, wins, and measurable change over time
Our Philosophy
We believe calm behavior is not obedience — it is the result of emotional regulation, clear communication, and thoughtful decision-making.
Training is only a small part of the solution to creating a balanced, harmonious relationship. Your dog's interaction habits, home life, walks, age, nutrition, exercise, health, breeding, and even grooming affect your pet's emotional well being.
At Heel'n Behavior & Service Dogs, we believe in fostering lasting connection and understanding rooted in a respectful habits.
We use body language, operant conditioning, clicker training, and behavior modification techniques to help pets learn new behaviors and unlearn existing ones.
Our holistic view of your pet's life and experiences enables us to gain insight into individual character traits as well as behavioral impacts.
Using this information, we can begin planning a better life balance and employ solutions that work for the entire family including exercise & dietary recommendations, trigger action plans, breed based enrichment, home layout planning, as well as creating boundaries and learning how to communicate with training to address unwanted behaviors.
Ultimately our goal is to find harmony in the relationship between people and their pets by providing the necessary tools and knowledge for both parties to successfully communicate and care for one another.
Our training philosophy is rooted in calm behavior, focused decision-making, and relationship-based learning. We prioritize emotional regulation and clear communication so dogs can perform reliably in real-world environments.
Focus Areas
Puppy Manners & Training
Puppyhood is short—but the habits last. We help you build a foundation that supports calm behavior now and sets you up for an easier adolescence.
Common goals we train:
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Potty training routines and consistency
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Nipping/mouthing and impulse control
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Jumping and overexcitement
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Calm greetings and polite household manners
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Cooperative handling and confidence building
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Real-life cues: sit, down, stay, come, leave it, place
Outcome:
A puppy who can settle, listen, and live politely in a human world.
Leash Walking
Walks should be decompression—not a tug-of-war. We teach loose-leash walking that prioritizes connection, clarity, and calm.
We help with:
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Pulling and zig-zagging
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Lunging toward dogs/people/squirrels
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Overexcitement when the leash comes out
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Focus and engagement around distractions
Outcome
Walks that feel safer, calmer, and more enjoyable.
Behavior Modification
Some behaviors aren’t “stubbornness”—they’re stress, fear, or big emotions. Our behavior modification work focuses on changing the underlying experience, not just suppressing the symptoms.
Common concerns:
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Reactivity (dogs, people, bikes, sounds)
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Fear/anxiety or sensitivity in new environments
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Barking, guarding, difficulty settling
Outcome
A dog who feels safer and steadier—and a household that feels more manageable.
Service Dog Training
Psychiatric and Mobility Tasks
Goal-driven training for individuals and families who want their own dog to provide reliable, task-trained support in daily life. We offer psychiatric and mobility-focused service dog training, building obedience, public-access skills, and tasks through a structured, progressive program while evaluating readiness as your dog matures.
Program highlights:
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Early start (8–12 weeks) to support socialization and temperament development
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Public-access skills and social manners needed to earn the vest, including a Public Access Training Test following on-site foundation training
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2 On-site task training sessions (6 weeks on-site M-F at ages 4mo and 9-12mo) based on readiness and the specific tasks being trained
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Customized tasks, cues, and trained responses tailored to the handler’s specific needs—built through structured, progressive training as your dog advances.
Important note:
Service-dog standards are high. While we provide professional guidance and a structured training plan, not all dogs are guaranteed to pass, and admission to advanced task work depends on temperament, health, and development (mobility dogs require full physical development prior to admittance).
What Sets Us Apart
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NO HARSH TOOLS, NO BRIBES
We’re committed to gentle, relationship-focused training—never relying on harsh tools, force, or constant treats as bribes. Our science-based approach builds trust and lasting results, ensuring your dog learns through positive experiences and genuine connection.
No Harsh Tools or Bribes
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COMPLETE EDUCATION
Whether you’re the proud parent of a new puppy or managing complex behavior challenges, our comprehensive dog training programs help dogs and puppies of all breeds and ages live their best lives by instilling:
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loose leash manners,
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calm household behavior,
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introduction skills,
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door etiquette,
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stress-free social interactions,
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manners in public,
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commands to improve communication skills.
We want every dog to be calm & confident through everyday life with all the tools needed to behave ideally in every situation.
Complete Education
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NO LONG SEPARATIONS
We know how important it is for your dog to stay connected with family. That’s why our programs run Monday through Friday, with weekends spent at home—giving your dog valuable time to practice new skills in their real-life environment! This balanced approach ensures your whole family understands how to reinforce polite behavior, so what they learn at “school” truly sticks.
No Long Separations
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WE ADDRESS ALL
PROBLEM BEHAVIORS
With over 20 years of training & behavior modification experience, advanced certifications, and a degree in animal behavior and human psychology, we understand not just how dogs learn, but why they behave the way they do.
We carefully assess your dog’s temperament, lifestyle, and specific needs, then design a path that helps them flourish. Our focus is on shaping good, independent decisions—teaching dogs to think, problem-solve, and make positive choices on their own.
We believe that true behavior change is about more than obedience—it’s about building confidence, emotional resilience, and real-world reliability that lasts a lifetime.
We're Behavior Specialists
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TRAINING FOR ALL BREEDS, AGES, AND CONCERNS
Training should never be one-size-fits-all—because dogs aren’t. We work with all breeds, all ages, and a wide range of concerns, from puppy foundations and basic manners to leash walking challenges and more complex behavior modification. Every plan is built around your dog as an individual—their breed traits, history, environment, and motivations—so the training is realistic, effective, and sustainable.
Whether you’re starting fresh with a new puppy or looking for support with long-standing behaviors, we’ll meet you where you are and help you build calm, reliable skills that carry into everyday life.
TRAINING FOR ALL BREEDS, AGES, AND CONCERNS
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WE CONDITION CALM RESPONSES
Our training is thoughtfully designed to help your dog develop calm, confident responses to the everyday situations and surprises that life throws their way. Whether it’s greeting visitors at the door, walking through busy public spaces, or handling unexpected noises and changes, we focus on teaching your dog to remain relaxed and attentive instead of reactive or anxious. Through consistent, progressive experiences and gentle guidance, we build your dog’s ability to self-regulate and recover quickly from excitement or stress. This means fewer outbursts, less anxiety, and more moments of peace—for both you and your dog. The result is a companion who’s not just obedient, but truly comfortable and resilient in the real world, making daily life together easier, more enjoyable, and full of harmony.
We Condition Calm Responses
Training Beyond The Basics:
Cues:
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Come
Heel
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Sit
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Potty
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Stay
Eyes
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Lay Down
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Drop
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Place
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Leave it
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BedTime
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Say Hi!
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Up!
Enough
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Explore
Manners:
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Door Manners
Greeting Manners
Mealtime Manners
At-Home
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Play Manners
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Handling Manners
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Manners in Public
Social Manners
We'll address:
Jumping
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Mouthing
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Nipping
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Barking
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Pulling
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Accidents
Indoors
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Reactive Impulses
& much more!
Addressing Problematic Behaviors
Heel’n’s programs are designed to address and resolve problematic behaviors, not simply manage them.
This includes challenges such as:
Behavioral change begins with understanding why a behavior is occurring. By addressing emotional regulation, communication, environment, and learning history, we work to replace unwanted behaviors with calm, appropriate alternatives.
Our approach does not rely on suppression or force. Instead, we focus on:
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Teaching dogs how to make better decisions
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Reducing stress and overstimulation
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Building clarity and predictability
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Supporting lasting behavior change
The goal is not temporary compliance, but a dog who understands expectations, feels secure, and can function calmly and safely in everyday life.
Training Tools & International Compliance
Because service dogs often travel internationally, many commonly used training tools—such as e-collars, shock collars, prong collars, pinch collars, and extended crating—are actually prohibited in other countries.
Beyond legal restrictions, studies have shown that these tools can increase fear, anxiety, and aggression in dogs, often making problematic behaviors worse rather than better.
For this reason, Heel’n does not utilize these tools in our programs.
Instead, we rely on humane, science-based methods that foster trust and long-term positive behavior.
SCIENCE BASED FEAR- FREE TECHNIQUES
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e-collars
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Pinch Collars
Forceful Tactics
What our customers say about us
Testimonials
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Training is SAFETY
A well-educated dog is safer — for themselves, their family, and the community.
By focusing on calm behavior and real-world skills, our training helps reduce reactivity, prevent misunderstandings, and support confident, reliable behavior.
Safety skills taught through our programs include:
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Doorway and threshold manners
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Household and furniture behavior
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Grooming and veterinary handling
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Appropriate social skills (no jumping or mouthing)
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Car manners and safe travel habits
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Loose-leash walking and calm movement in public
Start with a
FREE Behavior & Training Consultation
Whether you are:
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An individual seeking a service dog
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Interested in fostering or raising a puppy
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Looking to support service dog access through sponsorship
The first step is a conversation.
We invite you to reach out to learn more about availability, timelines, and involvement opportunities.
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Contact Us
While Heel’n offers advanced public training programs, these services serve a greater purpose. Training dogs for the public allows us to fund the rescue, ethical breeding, education, and placement of service and therapy dogs for individuals who may not otherwise have access.
This full-circle model supports sustainability, ethical placement, and long-term success — for dogs, handlers, and the communities they serve.