Advanced Dog Training in Muskegon, MI
Build stronger reliability, better focus around distractions, and real-world manners that help you enjoy more of life with your dog through private, positive reinforcement training and AKC Canine Good Citizen preparation.
Build stronger reliability, better focus around distractions, and real-world manners that help you enjoy more of life with your dog through private, positive reinforcement training and AKC Canine Good Citizen preparation.
CPDT-KA Certified
Fear Free Certified
AKC CGC Evaluator
Positive Reinforcement
Learn more about Steve Dube's certifications, experience, and positive reinforcement philosophy on the About Me page.
Your Dog Has the Basics. Now Let’s See What’s Possible.
Your dog can sit, stay, and come when life is quiet. But what happens when another dog walks past, guests arrive, or something more interesting catches their attention?
Advanced dog training helps turn familiar skills into behaviors you can rely on in everyday life.
Together, we’ll work on stronger focus, better communication, improved self-control, and real-world manners so you can feel more confident taking your dog to new places and enjoying more experiences together.
Because knowing a skill at home is only the beginning.
The real goal is helping your dog use those skills when life gets distracting.
Imagine Saying Yes More Often
Better training can open the door to more of the experiences you hoped to share with your dog.
Relaxed Outings
Feel more confident bringing your dog to appropriate public places and dog-friendly environments.
Better Adventures
Enjoy walks, parks, trails, and new environments with stronger focus and communication.
Easier Social Situations
Build calmer greetings and better manners around visitors and everyday activity.
More Confidence Together
Know how to guide your dog through distractions instead of hoping they remember what they learned at home.
Advanced training builds on the skills developed in our Basic Obedience Dog Training program, helping dogs become more reliable around everyday distractions and in new environments.
Reliable Recall
Build a stronger response when calling your dog around everyday distractions.
Longer Stays
Help your dog remain calmly in position for greater distances and longer periods.
Advanced Leash Manners
Improve focus and loose-leash walking in more challenging environments.
Polite Greetings
Practice calmer behavior when meeting people and encountering everyday activity.
Impulse Control
Help your dog make better choices around exciting distractions.
Handling Skills
Build greater comfort with grooming, veterinary care, and physical handling.
Public Manners
Practice calm, appropriate behavior in dog-friendly public environments.
CGC Preparation
Develop and practice the ten skills included in the AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation.
Advanced Dog Training Skills We Can Build
Your training plan is personalized around your dog’s current abilities, your goals, and the real-life situations where you want better reliability.
Advanced Training May Be a Good Fit If:
✓ Your dog already understands basic cues.
✓ You want better reliability around distractions.
✓ You would like to enjoy more places and activities together.
✓ You want to improve your dog’s public manners.
✓ You are interested in earning the CGC title.
✓ You want to continue strengthening your communication and relationship.
Another Training Program May Be a Better Starting Point If:
• Your dog still needs help learning basic everyday skills.
• Pulling, jumping, or poor manners are your primary concerns.
• Your dog is fearful or reactive around common triggers.
• Your primary concern involves aggression or serious bite risk.
Is Advanced Training Right for Your Dog?
Not sure where to start? I’ll help you choose the training program that best fits your dog’s current skills and your goals.
More Than a Test: The AKC Canine Good Citizen
The AKC Canine Good Citizen program recognizes dogs who demonstrate good manners at home and in the community.
But preparing for the CGC evaluation is about more than earning a title.
Training toward the CGC gives you and your dog practical goals while building skills that can make walks, visitors, handling, and everyday outings more enjoyable.
As an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, I can help you prepare for the evaluation while focusing on the skills that matter most in your real life.
Better Everyday Manners
Build useful skills for walks, visitors, handling, and public settings.
A Meaningful Goal
Work toward a nationally recognized training achievement.
A Stronger Partnership
Learn to communicate more clearly and work together as a team.
A Foundation for More
CGC skills can provide a helpful foundation for therapy dog work and other advanced
Why Private Advanced Dog Training Works
Advanced skills need to work outside a quiet training room.
Private dog training allows us to practice in the environments where you actually want your dog’s skills to succeed.
Whether your goal is better neighborhood walks, calmer public manners, stronger focus around distractions, or preparation for the Canine Good Citizen evaluation, your training plan is built around you and your dog.
✓ Personalized around your goals.
✓ Practice in appropriate real-world environments.
✓ One-on-one professional coaching.
✓ Progress at the pace that works for your dog.
✓ Clear exercises to practice between sessions.
✓ Support as you build greater reliability.
Your Advanced Training Roadmap
Evaluate
We look at your dog’s current skills, strengths, challenges, and your goals.
Strengthen
We improve communication, focus, self-control, and reliability.
Add Distractions
We gradually practice familiar skills in more challenging real-world situations.
Put It All Together
Build greater confidence using your dog’s skills in everyday life or prepare for the CGC evaluation.
What progress Can look Like
✓ Your dog checks in with you around distractions.
✓ Familiar cues become more reliable outside the home.
✓ Public outings feel more manageable.
✓ Greetings become calmer and more polite.
✓ Your dog settles more easily around everyday activity.
✓ You feel more confident handling challenging situations.
✓ You and your dog communicate more clearly.
✓ You feel prepared to take the CGC evaluation.
Advanced training isn’t about creating a “perfect” dog. It’s about building skills, communication, and reliability that help you enjoy more of life together.
Continue Your Dog's Training Journey
Whether you're building a strong foundation or addressing specific behavior challenges, these related training programs can help your dog continue progressing with confidence.
Give your puppy the best possible start with early socialization, confidence building, and positive reinforcement training.
If your dog struggles with barking, lunging, or fear around people, dogs, or everyday situations, our behavior-focused program can help.
Build reliable everyday manners, loose leash walking, recall, and focus before moving on to advanced training goals.
Advanced Training & CGC
4 Private In-Home and Public Space Training Sessions
✓ Personalized advanced training plan
✓ Advanced obedience coaching
✓ Real-world distraction practice
✓ Public manners training
✓ CGC test included
✓ Step-by-step practice plan
✓ Support between sessions
Investment
$475
"Steve guided me from a first-time dog owner, stressed about destructive puppy behavior, through the Canine Good Citizen "
Marla & Piper