In many ways, dogs are like children, and there reaches a point where proper structure and training are needed.
Lee Talmage opened Leash & Beyond K9 Solutions roughly two years ago to help local pet owners who are looking to train their dogs.
Private single classes are held throughout the year, but group classes will also be offered for the first time beginning in June.
The classes will be held on Sundays and consist of four-weekly sessions.
The first session will be June 5 to July 10, followed by sessions August 7-28, Sept. 4-25, and Oct. 2-23. No classes will be held June 19 (Father’s Day) and July 3 (Independence Day weekend).
According to Talmage, the sessions are not just about training the dog but also largely deal with training their owners as well.
He has years of experience working closely with dogs, both as a K9 handler in law enforcement and helping train dogs for military missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“COVID happened and that’s when I moved to Florida and started my business,” Talmage said. “In private sessions, we’ve trained just over 250 dogs locally since we’ve been open.”
The group classes will be broken down into a pair of categories called basic and basic advanced.
“Basic is for dogs that have really no previous training and needs to learn the foundation of everything,” Talmage said. “The advanced means that your dog knows some commands and we can start adding in duration and distance to those commands, where maybe your dog’s not standing in front but is 20 feet away and you’re trying to tell him something.”
Leash & Beyond’s motto is, “If you can dream it, you want it, we can train it,” which is reflected in Talmage’s approach of focusing on certain behaviors or skills that an owner wishes to work on.
The most popular aspect owners want to improve is their dog’s off-leash control.
“We are in such a dog-friendly environment, especially in this area,” Talmage said. “Everyone wants to be able to take their dogs to the beach and have their dogs off-leash and know that if they call their dog, they are going to come back to them. They want that reassurance.”
However, he also makes sure to remind owners to know the situation before letting their dog be off leash even after the proper training.
“Not every environment is suitable,” Talmage said. “Just because you can control your dog, does not mean that they (other owners) can control theirs. Don’t put your dog at risk.”
Socialization is another key aspect that Talmage works on both in the group and one-on-one classes.
“Most people think socialization is teaching their dog how to go play with another dog, but that’s not necessarily true socialization,” Talmage said. “We take it a step further, because you want confidence that your dog is not going to lunge every time they see another dog while walking down the street. You want your dog to know that they can go play with a dog, but only if you tell them to. When it’s time to move along, they need to ignore that dog or those people.”
Any dog no matter the size or breed can take part in the training.
“We’ve had dogs that are just three pounds, and it goes all the way up to dogs that are 170 pounds at just 13 months old,” Talmage said. “We do it all.”
Talmage admitted that there is a certain challenge to training a variety of dogs, which requires a certain level of adaptability.
“Just like people, every dog is different and will learn at a different pace or in a different manner,” Talmage said. “You have to read the dog and see how they are perceiving the information and cater it to that specific dog.”
The size of the group classes will be capped at 10, to make sure each person and dog are getting the attention and direction needed.
His fiancée, Leann, helps with the business handling the administrative side of things, which includes preparing to launch a line of all-natural dog treats within the next year, as they attempt to branch out into the dog care world beyond just training.
They are currently working on finding a permanent brick-and-mortar location that provides the necessary space needed to hold classes.
Until then, sites for the group classes will be at various locations, such as parks, beaches or pet-friendly stores in the area.
For more information or to register for the classes, call 531-210-2086.
