Our Dog Training Philosophy
Our ultimate goal is to strengthen your relationship with your dog. All dogs have natural pack instincts, even the tiny ones. Obedience training works with these instincts to build your relationship. Structured walks, controlling thresholds, and making a dog wait briefly before beginning to eat are some of the things that establish you as pack leader. When a dog waits for food it is using impulse control, and impulse control in a variety of settings is important to teach and enforce daily.
Getting dogs to understand commands is not that difficult. But your dog will only consistently obey commands — even when they don’t want to — if they view you as their leader. Being consistent with expectations is part of establishing your leadership position. This means setting firm boundaries and expectations with your dog, as well as advocating for them in all aspects of their lives. Owner commitment is crucial to long-term success. Without consistent leadership, dogs will eventually return to naughty habits. That’s why we say what we do is not “once-and-done” training.
–> We can teach your dog a new set of skills. It is crucial you are willing to continue with in-the-moment, real world training for the rest of your dog’s life. <–
We stay with you every step of the way to support your progress. We are available to answer new questions and also to assist with anything you may understand in theory, but are struggling to implement in your own home, workplace, public, etc. We understand what it’s like to feel hopeless, at your wit’s end, afraid that your pet could actually hurt someone, because we’ve been there too.
Together, we can change your dog. We’re committed to providing clients with real results in real world situations, because dogs shouldn’t be confined to a backyard. With greater control, comes greater freedom to bring your best friend with you, wherever life takes you.
Hannah Roddy
I am a Livermore native with a lifelong excitement for animals. From a young age, dogs specifically have been a large part of my life, from family dogs, to 4-H, to working multiple jobs involving pet care. In early 2016, my passion focused onto dog obedience training. Since then, I have traveled from coast to coast to work with and learn from some of the best dog trainers in North America, including Ted Efthymiadis of Mango Dogs, Enrique Marquez of DogWorx, Dawn Rennie of Enzo Acres, Sean O’Shea of The Good Dog, Victoria Smith of Take the Lead K9 Training, Jeff Gellman of Solid K9 Training, and more.
Purple Dog Training was officially launched in Livermore in September 2016 serving dog owners in the Bay area.
I help dogs learn new skills and unlearn unwanted behaviors, while helping families re-balance their relationship with their dog. I have trained very small (3 lbs) to very large (175 lbs) dogs with a variety of issues, including, incessant barking, dog-to-dog reactivity/aggression, crate shenanigans, pulling on-leash, basic bad manners, counter surfing for food, greeting guests inappropriately, food/toy/resource guarding, and many variations on these themes. I train dogs to do/not do behaviors and educate owners how to maintain that training by becoming strong leaders and practicing real life, in-the-moment training for the life of their dog.
I have worked with Rocket Dog Rescue in San Francisco training rescued dogs who were waiting for adoption. This both expanded my own experience and provided the dogs a better chance at adoption. I met with new owners after a dog she trained was adopted, offering advice about each dog’s needs, temperament, and how they can best integrate the dog’s new skills in their home.
In my free time, I enjoy traveling and camping, as well as continuing to study dog behavior and psychology. For example, in June 2017 I attended a dog psychology seminar in Ohio. This type of continued education, as well as working with other trainers whenever possible, is important to me. I currently live in Livermore with her pack of two, Mako the Blue Heeler and a Sia the Chihuahua mix.
While interacting with Purple Dog Training, you and your dog might also be in contact with Morgan, Karen and Rachel. They help me behind the scenes. Specifically, Morgan is learning dog training and helps with marketing, PR and boarding, while Karen performs administrative work and helps with boarding. Rachel helps with boarding, walking, and playing with dogs. All three assist me in training and caring for dogs. While I am the head trainer, board and train work is a 24-7 job, and Karen, Morgan, and Rachel’s participation ensures that every dog gets the attention required to make their stay enjoyable and maximize the benefit of time spent at Purple Dog.
I’d love to help you with your dog. Click here to go to my contact page.
