Tropical Dog Training

Great dogs deserve a special trainer, and they’ll get one with Steve Cohen, who has spent many years studying dogs and working with them, innovating along the way and creating his own highly effective training methods.

Most important for prospective clients to understand is that our training methodology — what we call Positive E-Forcement — and every decision we make at Tropical Dog Training is based on our love for dogs. Because of this, the welfare and comfort of every dog we train is our priority. We teach the dogs that it’s in their best interest to listen. They do it because the want to, not because they have to.

How we train

All dogs are similar in many ways, but they are still individuals with different temperaments, likes and dislikes. For that reason, we carefully evaluate each dog to find the most efficient and effective training method for that particular dog. That said, the foundation of all training methods used at Tropical Dog Training take into account the science of how dogs learn.

As much as we like to humanize our dogs, they do not understand right from wrong. Rather, they understand when a behavior gets them a response they enjoy – a treat, a toy or praise – and will repeat the behavior to get that response. In the same way, they understand when a behavior gets them a response that they don’t like. With repetition of an unpleasant response, dogs will learn not to repeat that behavior.

First we teach the dog a particular behavior in calm environment, pairing the behavior to a command and hand signal. Once the dog masters that, we add distance and distractions to ensure that no matter where you are, no matter what is happening around you, your dog will respond to you.

The Foundation of Training

Our training program — called Positive E-Forcement — is focused heavily on positive reinforcement and less frequent, gentle correction. When we teach a new behavior, we promote compliance with rewards and praise. This encourages your dog to repeat the behavior when commanded.

Once a dog has learned behavior, we add a gentle consequence if they choose not to perform when asked.

The positive reinforcement and gentle correction work in tandem to rapidly encourage good behavior, compliance and create dependability in all environments.

We are happy to answer any questions about our training methods and have a long list of clients who can attest to their effectiveness.

Contact us, so we can show you what it’s like to have an obedient, happy dog, one who listens the first time and every time and is a pleasure to own.