Shadow Student

Shadow Student

Be a Shadow Student!

As a Shadow Student, you spend an entire week with Ralf. You participate in all client sessions and with all board and train dogs. We talk about dogs and dog training all week. You can learn about training principles and learning theory. We discuss the importance of genetics and evolutionary psychology. We review training methods, tools, and techniques. And we discuss canine health, business skills, and so much more. There is no set curriculum. It varies weekly based on client cases.

We will work with many dogs during your week with me. There is plenty of time to talk between or after client sessions and when working with the board and training dogs. In addition, there are plenty of breaks each day.

Each Shadow Student week is five days long and lasts from Monday through Friday. Days include a minimum of 8 hours, sometimes longer. Some client visits start at 8 am. Some visits are after 7 pm. If we are recording a podcast that week, you can also participate.

Disclaimer: The Shadow Student program does NOT include any Training without Conflict (TWC) specific knowledge. It should not be viewed as a way of obtaining TWC knowledge cheaper. If you want to learn the TWC way of training dogs, please sign up for Ivan’s Training without Conflict course.

Administrative Points

Shadow students are welcome to bring one of their dogs along during shadow week. We can work on a specific challenge you are struggling with. Personal dogs can not attend client visits. We have several dog-friendly hotels close by. I recommend the Staybridge Suites Corona South (IHG Hotel) and the Residence Inn by Marriott as they are closest.

Shadow Student weeks will be limited to 2 to 3 times a year.

You will be required to sign a release of a liability waiver on your first day. You will also be required to sign a confidentiality agreement that pertains to me personally, my clients, and our lives and homes. The confidentiality agreement will NOT pertain to any dog-related skills, methods, or knowledge you gain during the shadow week because that would be ridiculous.

Shadow Student weeks are $2000/per week and must be pre-paid in full to reserve one of the limited spots. Booked Shadow Student reservations are non-refundable but, depending on availability, may be able to be rescheduled in case of emergencies.

Shadow Student Program Review: Sara White

Schedule a free Consultation

Services and Area

We are located in Southern California and train dogs nationwide. Happy Dog Training currently offers local dog training services in the following counties. Riverside County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County, and San Diego County. In addition, we offer our board-and-train program nationwide and all virtual training services worldwide.

Do you want your new puppy trained right from the start? Are you looking for help for your fearful dog? Do you need to resolve a severe aggression problem? You came to the right place! We are experienced, professional dog trainers. Ralf has trained over 1500 dogs in over 18 years, and Sarah has trained over 1200 dogs in over 11 years. Consequently, we can help you with any dog training goal.

For many of our clients, we train their dogs from puppyhood, getting them off to a great start. However, we also have extensive experience training rescue dogs from all imaginable backgrounds and circumstances. Our Board-and-Train program is our most popular.

We can help you, regardless of your dog's challenges or training goals. Being a professional dog trainer means having experience, knowledge, and skill. Further, we developed a highly effective training program to specifically help fearful dogs gain more confidence and become the best possible version of themselves. Building Confidence is our second most popular training program.

Last but not least, we are experts in dealing with all types of aggression in dogs and are often the trainers of last resort after many other programs have failed. Most of our aggressive dog clients previously spent significant money on half-baked solutions without much improvement. This is different from us. We will give you an honest assessment of what goals are realistic for your dog. We will tell you what can be resolved reliably and what likely needs to be managed before we start.

Our flagship product is our board and train program. But our virtual dog training and coaching services have become quite popular over the last couple of years. Our setup enables us to deliver online dog training services from our indoor and outdoor training areas. This allows us to help clients worldwide.

Also, check out our Free Dog Training tips on Separation Anxiety in Dogs, Potty Training aka Housebreaking, and Leash Handling for expert solutions to common challenges.

Additional Services: Presentations and Q&As on Dogs | Professional Service Dog Training

Finally, once you're ready to move forward, please use our dog training contact form to schedule a free phone consultation or book a paid, in-person consultation.

Terms, Conditions and Privacy Policy

By using this website you agree to all Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy.