At Alcala Country Pet Resort, we understand that your dog is not just a pet, but a member of your family. It’s never too early OR too late to get professional assistance towards achieving the most mannerly canine companion or for reducing and resolving troublesome undesirable behavior. Our certified professional dog trainers are here to help establish clear expectations and create a roadmap targeted at achieving your specific dog training goals.
Our Dog Trainers have decades of combined experience and regularly assist with:
- WFoundation skills dog training (attention, sit, down, recall)
- Intermediate skills dog training (leave it, drop it, stay, door manners, leash walking skills)
- Advanced skills dog training (all of the above in different environments with varying distractions)
- Jumpy Greetings on and off leash
- Cooperative handling for grooming and vet visits
- Moderate to Severe Leash Reactivity
- Moderate to Severe Resource guarding
- Dog-to-dog aggression (private lessons only)
- Dog-to-human aggression (private lessons only)
We can be serious in achieving goals we set all while staying light-hearted and compassionate. There is no better time than now to create and strengthen a long-lasting, loving relationship with your canine companion based on mutual trust, respect, and love. Our framework for working with every dog is built to create resilient, brave, and confident dogs. We explore creative ways to meet each dog’s unique needs, collaborate with pet parents to implement successful management strategies for preventing undesirable behaviors, and utilize positive reinforcement training activities to teach desirable alternative behaviors. We do NOT use any tools or techniques that will suppress your dog’s behavior with fear, pain, or intimidation.
How To Get started:
- If you do not have an account with us; Click that “Login or Sign Up” button above and create one. If you already have any account, skip to step 2
- Call our office to schedule your FREE Inquiry Phone Call
ORIENTATION DAY -
We require all of our new guests to complete a complimentary Orientation Day prior to any in-facility day training or board & train services to ensure they can be safely handled by all of our human staff members, to assess their sociability with other dogs, and their ability to enjoy all of our facility amenities including crates and suites for nap breaks and overnight stays. We are not an all day play facility. Therefore, we do not have the capacity to accept dogs who display severe containment distress and/or separation anxiety. All dogs participating in our day training or board and train programs must be familiar and comfortable being crated or in their suite for short periods throughout the day and overnight. We will assess your dog’s body language and stress levels in various environments of the facility and slowly introduce them to carefully matched playmates. We ask that you are available to stay with us for the first 20-30 minutes of this appointment. If all goes well, we will schedule a time about 3-4 hours later for pick-up during which time we will have all of the information we need to guide you to the best dog training program available for your dog.
All pets on premise must provide veterinary records of up-to-date vaccinations. Required: Distemper/Parvo, Rabies, 6 month Bordetella. Encouraged but not required: Canine Influenza.
INQUIRY PHONE CALL - For complex cases
We want to get to know you and your dog a little better. During this phone call we will collect basic information about your dog, discuss any areas of behavioral concern, and get an idea of your short-term and long-term goals. This will also give you the opportunity to have general questions answered about how our dog training programs work and get advice for which programs might be the best fit for you and your dog.
IN FACILITY DAY TRAINING
Turn your dog’s day of daycare into an all inclusive learning experience! Our in-facility day training programs are our most popular dog training option and ideal for busy pet parents or those that would like a professional assistance reinforcing dog training exercises. Your pup will spend about an hour per day, spaced out into 3 – 20 minute sessions, with one of our experienced dog trainers. We implement a unique combination of physical, mental, and social exercises specifically designed to achieve your dog training goals. Dogs not suited for group play will have one-on-one and private play time rather than joining the regular full dog daycare play groups.
For consistency, your dog will be on a fixed schedule of two days per week for 5, 10, or 15 consecutive weeks while they are enrolled in a day training program. Dogs will arrive in the morning between 7:30AM-9AM for their day of school, and depart in the evening between 3:30PM-5:00PM. Each training session will be spent working on 2-4 structured exercises with playtime and breaks spaced appropriately throughout. We carefully track your dog’s progress from session to session in order to adjust criteria and difficulty accordingly to optimize success! Each program comes with at least 2 one hour private lessons where you will meet with your dog’s trainer to learn what your dog is working on, as well as helpful tips to maintain or improve on those skills at home.
PUPPY PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS
10 days + 2 lessons - $1695
20 days + 3 lessons - $2495
30 days + 4 lessons - $3195
The BEST way to kick start your dog’s training career! We love puppies and their owners who start their puppies off right from square one!! Puppies in our Puppy Preschool programs receive safe and structured human, canine, AND environmental socialization in addition to crate training and foundational life skills. Puppies must between 3-6 months old and have a minimum of 2 rounds of Distemper/Parvo vaccinations to participate in our Preschool puppy training programs.
Adolescents and Adults too!
10 days + 2 lessons - $1695
20 days + 3 lessons - $2495
30 days + 4 lessons - $3195
From adolescence well through adulthood, the learning journey is never truly “complete”. Whether you and your pup are just getting started with training, are wanting to brush up on previously learned skills, or are needing help with concerning problem behavior, Our Day Training programs can get you pointed in the right direction.
IN FACILITY BOARD & TRAIN
An immersive behavioral wellness experience! Board & Train programs are a great option for jumpstarting a new puppy towards training success, structured mental enrichment during extended boarding stays, continued reinforcement of previously learned skills, or providing specialized help towards resolving common problem behaviors. We take pride in providing your dog with highly-skilled and individualized time, attention, and practice to nurture and enhance the calm, confident, and well-mannered dog we know they can be. All Board & Train programs start with a one hour private lesson for setting clear goals and expectations and finish with a one hour private lesson, at time of pick-up, to ensure you have all the information to maintain success after returning home with your pup. You will receive weekly reports, photos, and video clips throughout your dog’s stay.
Each day your dog can expect:
- Ample outside time in our fully fenced yards for potty breaks and exercise
- Scheduled meals in mentally stimulating enrichment toys
- Strategic and Structured management and handling for diligently preventing practice of undesirable behaviors
- Multiple training sessions per day practicing skills to achieve goals we set together
- Supervised dog-to-dog play if/when appropriate
- Safe and controlled exposure to novel stimuli for socialization purposes
- Calming atmosphere for nap times and overnight sleep
- Lots of love and snuggles
We strongly encourage additional follow-up lessons and/or day training programs to maximize and maintain success.
$95/day minimum 4 days
Once your dog has completed one of our in facility dog training programs, they become eligible for our follow up training option to be added to any boarding stay of at least 4 days in length. While with us they will get an hour per day with one of our experienced dog trainers to focus on any areas they still need help in addition to their regular activities.
Please note:
Inquiry Call and Orientation Day required prior to enrollment for in facility Day Training or Board & Train programs. Total costs inclusive of daycare fees. Your dog is welcome to attend general daycare on non-training days. All additional and/or Follow up Training services are eligible for a 10% discount.
In Facility Day Training and/or Board & Train programs are not suitable options for dogs displaying:
- · Severe separation anxiety or containment distress
- · Severe resource guarding
- · Dog-to-human aggression
- · Dog-to-dog aggression
Please consider our Private Lesson options for more severe behavior modification needs.
ONE-ON-ONE PRIVATE LESSONS
$225 - 90 Minutes
- Detailed Q&A to help us agree on specific immediate and long term dog training goals
- Observation and explanation of your dog’s body language and behavior
- Setting a predictable and consistent daily routine
- Proactive management suggestions for increasing safety and preventing further practice of unwanted behaviors
- Suggested/recommended supplies for follow up training sessions
- Customized positive reinforcement, counter conditioning, and/or desensitization training plan to start building foundation skills towards more desirable behavior
- Discuss and schedule the most appropriate follow up services
- Detailed follow up email
Please have all immediate family members available to attend. Everyone’s participation, support, and execution will be critical to reach your dog training goals.
3-PACK for $525
5-PACK for $875
Private Lessons are a great option for dog savvy owners who need a little extra assistance and guidance in achieving desired behavior changes. You and your dog will meet us at our facility to work together at a cadence that suits your schedule and goals (every one to two weeks recommended). We will discuss in detail how you can take action and implement new dog training strategies into your daily life by providing you with clear step-by-step instructions. We strive to build on the skills you and your dog are learning from week to week to make progress. Each lesson includes a detailed follow-up email with easy to implement exercises and activities with step-by-step instructions and video clips to reference.
DOG TRAINING GROUP CLASSES
Fantastic Foundations
This is an introductory class for ALL AGES AND SKILL LEVELS! Whether you have a brand new baby puppy, a new to your home rescue dog, or want to strengthen mutual trust and understanding between you and your pup, this class is made for you! This is NOT your average basic obedience class. We focus on information and skills that will help you start building a lifetime of cooperative and collaborative companionship. Alongside reinforcing helpful life skills, we emphasize the importance of a customized blend of decompression, environmental management, physical exercise, predictability, social support, and agency for each individual. This class will nurture confidence and resilience for both you and your dog! Younger puppies (10-16 weeks) will experience safe socialization of new sights, sounds, smells. Adolescent and adult dogs (5+ months) will have the opportunity to practice valuable skills around novel distractions.
Loose Leashes
Having a dog drag you around the block, nearly pulling your arm out of its socket, is no fun for anyone involved and one of the most frustrating behaviors that pet parents have to deal with on a daily basis! There are SO many reasons why dogs pull while they’re on leash. Are they trying to move forward towards something they’re interested in? Are they trying to move away from something they feel uncomfortable about? Have they been doing it since they were a baby puppy and they’ve never learned any other way to walk? Do they have a bunch of pent up energy and this is their main opportunity to get a tiny bit of physical exercise? Does it seem like they don’t even realize there is a human holding the other end of their leash? THEIR human! Pulling on leash is an extremely common problem behavior and one that we as handlers are regularly unintentionally, accidentally, and unknowingly reinforcing. As much as we would all love to allow our dogs to run freely off-leash in the wild outdoors for optimal physical exercise, this is not a safe, readily accessible, or realistic option for most. On the other side of the spectrum, a 30-minute power walk on a 6ft lead around the neighborhood block usually isn’t the most satisfying option for for most dogs either. This class will teach you and your dog specific exercises for building more reliable engagement with you while simultaneously shifting your perspective on what loose leash walking “should” be.
Rapid Recall
Having a rock solid recall is one of the most valuable skills our dogs can have and one of the easiest cues to unintentionally “poison”. We call them to come to leave the park, to get put back on leash, to come inside from the yard, to get a bath, or away from doing something naughty. What do all of these things have in common? End of FUN things for the dog and usually combined with lack of reward for the dog. Let us help you rebuild a robust reinforcement history (LOTS OF GOOD THINGS) for your dog’s recall. You and your dog will learn and practice more than a dozen different games to start building that turn-on-a-dime, automatic response recall you’ve always dreamed of. We start with conditioning critical foundational skills and build in more distance, speed, and distractions through each class. This is an intermediate level course. Best suited for dogs who have previously completed a class for foundation skills and who are comfortable in close proximity to unfamiliar dogs and people.
IMPORTANT NOTES: All of our group classes are best suited for dogs who are mostly comfortable in close proximity to unfamiliar dogs and people. Our classes do not include meeting, greeting, and/or interacting with the other dogs or people attending the class. If your dog is not already a regular daycare client of Alcala, and you are interested in opportunities for safe and supervised off leash playtime for your pup, please contact us for more information about our daycare services!
After each class, you will receive detailed information, step-by-step instructions, and video examples of all of the content covered via email. No more worrying about trying to take notes during class or remembering each step once you get home. We’ve got you covered!
Meet your trainers!
COURTNEY roberts
After graduating from Tarleton State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Management in 2011, Courtney volunteerd at In-sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Education Center in Wylie, TX, The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney, TX, completed a 6 month internship at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, LA, and was employed at the Dallas Zoo for 10 months.
In May 2014, she started in a Dog Trainer role at Petco and she quickly moved her way up to leading her district and mentoring new trainers. Courtney joined the expert team at All Fur Fun Training & Event Center where she provided day training and board and train services, assisted with marketing and social events, and attended several in-person weekend seminars with leaders in the industry. She had the pleasure of shadowing Karen Deeds (CDBC) through her Reactive Integration group classes, and got a behind the scenes look at the world of various competitive dog sports: agility, obedience, scent work, rally, etc. In 2017 she established her own business Wag Works Behavior & Training, was an active volunteer and foster for the SPCA of Texas and several local rescue organizations, and created and taught the Home for Hounds program for shelter dogs and inmates at the Dallas County Jail. As her passion to collaborate with other dog care services continued to grow, she accepted a Dog Trainer position with Camp Bow Wow where she had the opportunity to teach their team of daycare and boarding care providers all about dog body language and how to manage and handle playgroups in safer and more humane ways.
In 2018, her extensive experience led to her accepting a leadership position assisting the start up of a brand new concept Petco branch in Southern California where Fear Free vet, daycare, grooming, and training services would all exist under the same roof. Her journey in collaborative services continued as the Training Manager of Dogs Abound from 2019-2021. Alongside owner and colleague Liz Randall, they grew a team of trainers and services specializing in providing unmatched professional guidance for everything from superior puppy foundational life skills to addressing severe aggression and reactivity.
Courtney loves living in sunny Southern California with her life partner, 4 dogs, and newest tiny human son Sage, born February 2022. She loves all things outdoors and spends many hours of her time dedicated to learning and practicing least intrusive and minimally aversive methods with an emphasis on ethical, humane, and functionally effective techniques. She regularly attends various seminars, workshops, conferences, and webinars in order to provide clients with the most up-to-date research based information available.
Courtney is a CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified Professional, AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, Certified Trick Dog Instructor and has most recently completed Behavior Explorers’ Shaping Skills with Mary Hunter, PetHarmony’s Enrichment Framework for Behavior Modification MasterClass, and the Resilience Rainbow seminar via Behavior Vets. She has brought her Fantastic Foundations, Rapid Recall, and Confidence Course group classes with her and will continue to add new and exciting training services to the Alcala menu!
Cydney Litt
Cydney received her Animal Behavior College Dog Trainer (ABCDT) certification in 2018. She worked as a Petco Dog Trainer and Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with Petco from 2018-2021, instructing basic to advanced manners classes and private lessons. In April of 2021, she joined the Alcala Country Pet Resort Training Team and became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). In April of 2023 she received her Fear Free Professional certification and emphasizes the importance of a Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive (LIMA) approach to training. Cydney is avidly continuing her education through research and additional certifications. She specializes in obedience skills and instructing group classes. Cydney is passionate about building communication between pet parents and their furry family members and setting them up for success.
Leeloo Multipass, a golden retriever/shepherd mix, and Korben Dallas, a staffordshire/catahoula mix, have joined Cydney and her partner TJ on their many adventures from San Diego, LA, to Oahu and back. Cydney has had a lot of fun teaching them tricks from ‘high five’ to ‘peek a boo’!
Matt Montes
Matt Montes is the General Manager at Alcala Country Pet Resort and a Certified Behavior Consultant – Canine (CBCC-KA) through the Certification Council For Professional Dog Trainers, is Fear Free Shelter certified, a certified Family Dog Mediator, and has completed the Aggression in Dogs Master Course. Matt would describe his methods as evidence based and practical with a holistic approach to the human-animal bond. He has been working with dogs professionally for over a decade. In addition to working with shelters and rescues across the country in times of disaster and on large scale cruelty cases, he also founded and ran a nonprofit rescue organization for six years in South Central Texas. Matt is guided in his adventures by his own Superdogs: Lily and Karma.
Mason Cameron
Mason Cameron’s animal career began in 2008, training horses and exotic animals while doing ranch work and began specializing in dog training and behavior out of necessity after adopting a German Shepherd Dog named Atlas. Atlas struggled with a myriad of aggressive behaviors and when heavier handed methods increased those problems, Mason quickly pivoted to the positive reinforcement methods they learned while handling large hoof stock and exotics. Not only did this make it safer to work with Atlas, but also made major strides in his progress. Through training and living with Atlas, Mason gained in depth experience with behavior modification and management. This experience largely impacted how they continue to train dogs today.
In 2013, they moved into a training role at a local Petsmart and worked their way up to the Area Trainer position where they provided group and private lessons as well as assisted other trainers in advancing their education. In 2015 they accepted a role at What a Great Dog! in Dallas, TX where they continued to provide classes and sessions as a Senior Trainer while intensively studying behavior, assisting clients with their canine concerns, and completing their training certification with the Karen Pryor Academy to become a Certified Training Partner.
In 2021, Mason moved to California to pursue a full time behavior and training consultant position with Dogs Abound, a daycare and boarding facility, where they provided day training, private lessons, and board and train programs to a large variety of dogs and their families.
They continue to study canine behavior through books, seminars, and professional courses and specialize in complex behavior modification and aggression – they love to problem solve a spicy dog. It’s important to them that their training plans are not only realistic to implement, but also consider the needs of both the human and dog pieces into the equation. Most recently, they completed their Family Dog Mediator certification through Kim Brophy’s ethology based L.E.G.S. program and renewed their canine CPR certification with the RECOVER Initiative.
Mason lives in Escondido, California with their three dogs Kaiju (an 11 year old German Shepherd Dog), Ronin (a 9 year old aussie mix), and Deku (a 4 year old Icelandic Sheepdog). Together, they explore new hiking trails and dabble in various dog sports.