Aaron Mills
Holistic Dog Training Services
About Aaron
Aaron received a masters in Art Psychology in Belmont, California. While going through the program her, now 11 year old pitty mix, Liam became reactive to other dogs to where she and her husband could barely go out in public. She reached out to a local trainer and the experience changed her life! Since then, Aaron has been studying dog body language and working with dogs with different issues. Her background in psychology prepared her better than she could have imaged. Aaron has worked to rehabilitate aggressive dogs that other trainers deem untrainable, to training rescued dogs as services dogs. Liam is now her service dog and has helped to rehabilitate other dogs with behavioral issues along the way. Aaron currently services the Wiregrass area and will be moving to Birmingham in the spring of 2023 to provide training for clients. Aaron is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and has CPDT-KA credentials.
Services
Private Sessions:
You might consider private sessions if you are interested in:
1) Puppy training- as there are many obstacles such as mouthiness, crate training, potty training, chewing and many more..
2) Rescued/new pups - you may find that after a few weeks with your new pup they begin to settle in and test the boundaries of your home.
3) Psychiatric Service dogs - If you are interested in having your dog learn tasks to help you manage your day-to-day life and increase your ability to function in society successfully.
4) Manners- if your dog needs to freshen up on their manners..
5) Doggy Mental Health Problems- and of course if you’re having problems with your dog, such as peeing inside, growling, anxiety, dog or human aggressiveness, separation anxiety, and so on!
My training area ranges from Abbeville down to the Florida/Georgia line and everything in between. If you are outside of a 19 mile radius a travel fee will be added. Private sessions consist of an initial 2 hour session, followed by 60 minute sessions as needed. The initial session is a home visit to help address any behavioral issues you may have in the home.
In the first two-hour session we’ll cover your pups history as well as any family history that may come up, what has been going on, information on dog body language and behavior (communication), assess your pup, find a solution, and start practicing. In following sessions we can begin to add on to your pups success, tweak anything that didn't work, and address any additional problems you may have or problems that might have been lower on your priority list.
PRICING: The first two hour session is $220. Further sessions are as-needed, and $110/hour.
(Prices listed above reflect the state of Alabama. Bay Area Price is $350 for the two hour session and $175/hour)
Service Dog Training
If you are interested in partnering with me to train your own service dog, this option is for you. Training a service dog is no small task. It can take anywhere from 18-36 months of daily training AND continued training even after they have graduated from training. I can support you with Diabetic Alert Training, Allergen training, and Psychiatric service dog training. Pricing can vary depending on the dog and on the track you are wanting to go. This training may look like anything in between monthly visits for enhancing your training to biweekly sessions with me and your dog and occasional board and train where I take the dog for a 2 week span to teach something new or to hone in on a particular scent or public access training. My regular rates apply ($100/hr for sessions and $165/day for board & train) This is also no inexpensive endeavor. The cost could range from $4,000-$20,000 depending on the needs of the human, the dog's ability and the time frame in which you want to move and the dogs readiness for moving forward. So there are a lot of moving parts.
We will first start with foundation work meaning scent imprinting, obedience, and public access. Once your dog is ready we will move on to alerting. Email me for more questions!
Boarding: ****Currently Not accepting any Boarding & Training Services****
All Boarding is considered a board and train. Your dog will work on their manners and triggers during their stay and will enjoy some socialization time with other pups. Boarding is for dogs and owners who are looking for a bit more support with training.
Additional reasons might be:
1) Individuals who might not have the time to train their dog due to work or family life and can maintain training once they return home.
2) The dogs behavior is more than the family feel they can control and 24/7 help will be faster and sometimes less expensive in the long run.
3) If an individual is looking to train their dog as an emotional support animal or a psychiatric service animal.
4) Family vacation or a stay-cation and you need a break from your pup.
PRICING: Boarding starts at $165/day for any pup, and $125/day for an additional dog, depending on the intensity of training.
Classes:
I run a few different types of classes for all types of dogs. All classes are available only after we've meet and had an initial session. I can add clients to the class list if classes interest you. I send out a schedule and reminders before classes and all classes are on a registration basis. Classes have a limited number of participants for safety purposes (anywhere between 5-7 dogs). Prices for classes vary.
Puppy Social: This class is a puppy socialization group. You will learn how to read what your pup is saying and when they need a rescuer and when they may need a break.
Adult Social: This class is to go over any problems people have been experiencing and working with others to meet new dogs and people. This class is for people who need practice, but not a full private session. This class is good for reactive dogs who just really could use the exposure of multiple dogs or anxious dogs who need the exposure to people or stimulus.
Service Dog: This class is to practice our tasks while being out and about in the world. Meeting places will vary parks, stores, breweries or outdoor bars. This class will also add additional commands to help your dog focus on working while being around other dogs and people.
Obedience/ Recall: This class focuses on commands, learning new commands and playing games with your dog to increase their mental abilities. Recall is also a necessary command that we can practice ones distance from their pup.
Have any questions?
Advice and consults are free to all clients and non-clients alike. If you have any questions feel free to call or email me and I will do my best to help anyway I can.
