Dog's learn best with dog-friendly training using patient positive encouragement, well-timed and sincere praise, and "cookie" rewards as a paycheck.

Martha working with her Golden Retriever, Blue.

Martha is exhibiting patient control while playing a "bowling" game at a doggy party.  The game requires me to stay on the opposite side of the orange line while trying to get Blue to knock over the cups.  It's amazing what Blue did to avoid knocking them over - he gingerly stepped over them, sniffed them, and licked them gently.  Finally, when he accidentally knocked a cup over, my happy and sincere praise convinced him that it was okay to knock the rest over.

 
Click here to view the Windisch family canines
 posing for the Windisch family Christmas cards
 through the years. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personalized Dog Training...

is my (Martha Windisch's) in-home pet dog training company.  I'm a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and I come to your house (in South Jersey) and teach you to train your dog using dog-friendly methods.  I have been training dogs for over 16 years and, as my company name suggests, I personalize every lesson based upon the needs of the dog and the dog's family.  I enjoy working with your dog and with you and your family - I also like teaching children how to better relate to, how to be fair to, and how to be safe around the family pet.   Contact Personalized Dog Training and learn to train your dog in a manner that is enjoyable and fun for all! 

Click here to read more about my training style.

My in-your-home training programs:

Other programs: 

Real Life Choices Program

Semi-Private Lessons or Private Lessons outside in Chatsworth

Training and practice sessions for selected dog competitions and certificates

Go to Index

 

***

Training Programs Offered

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Certified Pet Dog Trainer, Martha Windisch is a proud member of the following professional organizations:

 

 

 

        Personalized Dog Training --- Contact information

Martha Windisch CPDT (Certified Pet Dog Trainer)

email: mwindisch@att.net

phone: 609-726-9054

cell phone: 609-351-2342

Click here to send an email

Click here to find out which New Jersey towns
I will travel to for in-home dog training

To receive a Personalized Dog Training brochure and price list, either email or call me with your request and provide your name and postal mailing address. 

Please note that I give a Senior Citizen discount of $10 per lesson OR I give a $10 per lesson discount for dogs rescued from an animal shelter or from an organized rescue group (please provide adoption paperwork from the organization).  Ask about my "sliding scale" coupons good for lessons #3 & up.

Return to Index


            New Jersey Towns covered by Personalized Dog Training

            Note: If you are out of my area, I may or may not be able to train your dog.  My ability to do in-home training in towns NOT listed below is on a case-by-case basis depending on the driving distance and on how busy my schedule is.  There will be a travel/gas expense charged for any out of area training. 

            Due to high gas prices a travel/gas expense will also be charged for me to come to certain towns within my area.  * means an additional $10 per lesson.   If you are interested in outside lessons at my home in Chatsworth, please call me at 609-726-9054 or 609-351-2342 and we can discuss.  Outside lessons are only offered when the weather is appropriate for teaching outside.   If you have a friend who also has a dog that needs to be trained and you would like to share a semi-private lesson, please call me at one of the above numbers and we can discuss.   Click here for information about how to obtain the Personalized Dog Training brochure and price list.

            Burlington County

             

              Bass River
              Bordentown *
              Burlington City *
              Chesterfield *
              Cinnaminson *
              Columbus *
              Cookstown
              Delran *
              Eastampton
              Evesham *
              Hainesport
              Lumberton
              Mansfield *
              Maple Shade *
              Marlton *
              Medford and Medford Lakes

              To Top of Page

              To County List

               

            Burlington County continued:

              Moorestown *
              Mt. Holly
              Mt. Laurel *
              New Gretna
              New Hanover *
              North Hanover *
              Pemberton
              Rancocas *
              Roebling *
              Shamong
              Southampton
              Springfield
              Tabernacle
              Washington
              Westampton *
              Willingboro *
              Woodland
              Wrightstown

              To Top of Page

              To County List


            Camden County

             


            Ocean County

             

              Barnegat
              Bayville *
              Berkeley *
              Jackson *
              Lacey *
              Lakehurst
              Lakewood *
              Lanoka Harbor *
              Little Egg Harbor
              Manchester
              Mystic Island
              New Egypt *
              Ocean *
              Plumsted *
              Stafford
              Toms River *
              Tuckerton
              Waretown
              Warren Grove

            To Top of Page


            Atlantic County

             

              Egg Harbor City
              Folsom *
              Galloway
              Hamilton *
              Hammonton
              Mays Landing *
              Mullica
              Port Republic

            Mercer County

             

              Hamilton *
               

          To Top of Page

          To County List

Return to Index

 

 

 

      Martha Windisch's Dog Training Qualifications and Biography

      My Qualifications

      I have been training for AKC competition since 1988.

      My Golden Retrievers have earned the following AKC Titles:

        Tawny: Utility Dog Excellent, Tracking Dog Excellent

        Misty: Utility Dog, Junior Hunter, Tracking Dog

        Levee: Companion Dog Excellent, Master Hunter

        Blue: Utility Dog Excellent with 98 Obedience Trial Championship points, Master Hunter, Tracking Dog Excellent.  Blue also has earned his Excellent Agility and Excellent Agility Jumpers titles.

      Since 1992, I have been doing in-home pet dog training, where I teach clients to successfully train their dogs.  I have worked with several hundred clients and their canine companions and I have experience with a variety of dog breeds.

       I am a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) by having passed an exam given by the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers and by having attended continuing education seminars and courses.

      I am a member of the National Association of Obediece Instructors (NADOI), having passed their thesis-like membership exam. 

      I attended the Advanced Instructor Training Course in Accord, New York in 2002.

      I attended the Volhard's Instructor Training Course in 1995.

      For continuing education, I read many dog behavior and training books, attend many dog behavior and training seminars, and have attended several of APDT's weeklong dog training conferences.

      I am a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).

      I have taught obedience classes, including puppy, beginners, and advanced pet classes at a veterinary hospital and at an adult evening school.

      Click here to read more about my training style.

      Return to Index

      My Biography

      When I was in fourth grade, our family adopted a Cocker-Poo mix from a schoolteacher who felt she had no time for the dog.  I taught Sho-Sho many commands and tricks using treats.  She was a very sweet little dog with two big problems - she would dash out at the smallest opening of the door and then chase cars. I became even more interested in dog training after Sho-Sho got hit and killed on the road in front of our house.  Our next two dogs were Shepherd Collie mixes - the first we got from the shelter as a small puppy and the second was from a nearby farm.  My Mom, who knew nothing about dog training or behavior, would rub the pup's nose in the mess as a "method" of housebreaking.  As a kid, I just could not make any sense out of it and wondered if maybe I just did not understand yet (turns out I was right all along, it does not make any sense!!).  I again taught the dogs tricks and enrolled in a 4-H obedience class where I watched my instructors teach their shelties to retrieve dumbbells and jump over high jumps and broad jumps.  I thought this looked great, but they did not encourage us to do much other than jerk our dogs' necks.  At home, I taught Luke to follow hotdog trails to their end where a piece of hotdog was hidden.  I never touched the hotdog to the floor since Mom would not have been pleased.  Instead the trail was made by closing my hand on the hotdog and moving my hand along the floor.  I was amazed at how good Luke was at following even a looping trail.

      When I was in ninth grade, my Aunt Lois' friend Doris got her first Seeing Eye Dog from Morristown, NJ.  He was a Golden Retriever named Teddy.  I read every book I could find about the Seeing Eye and with some additional information from Doris, wrote a class paper about the Seeing Eye and the training of a Seeing Eye Dog.  During my college years at Taylor University, I had no dog.  Luke stayed with my parents and my brothers.  I majored in Biology/Environmental Science.  After graduation, I continued to Rutgers University in New Jersey where I earned a Masters Degree in Ecology. 

      Even though I married a cat lover in 1986, two years later I decided that it was time to get a dog.  I decided to get a pure breed dog so I could learn how to train and show in obedience.  My first Golden Retriever, Tawny, has since earned a UDX and a TDX.  The classes that I took Tawny to advocated rather harsh training as far as teaching her to heel - a lot of collar jerking.  Through Tawny I learned of other ways to train - mostly by reading, attending seminars, and doing what I felt was appropriate and right for Tawny.  Today I have three additional goldens, all related to Tawny in some way.  One earned a CDX and a MH title, another has a UD and JH, and the third has a UDX, MH, TDX and WCX. Even though I train my own dogs for AKC events, what I really enjoy doing is teaching pet owners how to better communicate with their dogs.  Often I wish I had earned a degree in animal behavior instead of ecology. 

      In 1992, I began working for an in-home dog training company called American Dog Training.  When the owner of American Dog Training became ill, I decided to start training on my own, mostly in the Whiting, NJ area where I was referred by the local veterinarian.  I decided to call my company Personalized Dog Training (PDT) since what I did was to personalize the lesson for each dog and handler.  I have many satisfied clients who have taken my personalized lessons - I get a lot of referrals from former clients.  For continuing education, I read many dog behavior and training books and attend many dog behavior and training seminars. I attended the Volhard's Instructor Training Camp in 1995 and the Advanced Instructor Training Course in Accord, New York in 2002.   I am a Certified Pet Dog Trainer by having passed an exam given by the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers.  I am also a member of the National Association of Obediece Instructors (NADOI), having passed their thesis-like membership exam.  Furthermore, I'm a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).  I have attended several of APDT's weeklong dog training conferences.  I have taught obedience classes, including puppy, beginners, and advanced pet classes at a veterinary hospital and at an adult evening school.  Many persons and many many canines have had an influence on my training.  The persons who have influenced by training through either books, seminars, or personal instruction, include John Fisher, Suzanne Clothier, John Rice, Judie Howard, Jack and Wendy Volhard, Terri Arnold, Betsy Scapicchio, Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson, Patricia McConnell, Ian Dunbar, Brian Kilcommons, Linda Tellington Jones, Jane Savoie, Jean Donaldson, and Turid Rugaas, in no particular order.  I've been training for AKC competition since 1988. I started in-home training to help people with their pets in 1992 and have been working with clients ever since.  I taught pet training classes in 1995, 1997, 1998, and assisted with classes in 2000. 

       I enjoy working with people and I teach in a patient and understanding way.  I like to teach people how to communicate with their dog in everyday life.  I bring home to them that training isn't just training sessions and it's not commands "barked" to their dog, it's relating to their dog in a positive manner, it's the structure of everyday life, and it's teaching their dog to play fun games.  As for training methods, I use positive reinforcement to teach commands - I believe in "do no harm".  I do some operant conditioning with a clicker. The clicker training is "non-verbal training" that helps my clients become more in tune with their dog.  The clicker is used as a marker to reward the dog for such things as paying attention and remaining calm and settled.  For the most part, I do command-based training with luring and some gentle hands-on shaping.  I sometimes use some well-timed corrections so that we can teach the dog a more appropriate behavior in the gap caused by the correction.  If one method is not working with a particular dog or handler, I have a lot of experience digging into my "bag of tricks" to help the handler succeed. 

      I can be reached at MWindisch@att.net.  I take clients in various towns in Southern New Jersey.  Click here to find out which New Jersey towns I will travel to for in-home dog training.

      To Top of Page

      Return to Index

 

 

 


    Phone Consultations:

    For persons out of my training area, I give "fee-charged" phone consultations for basic behavior and obedience issues.  I cannot provide consultations for aggression or difficult behavior problems because in these cases it would be necessary to actually see and work with your dog.   For phone consultation pricing and to schedule a phone consultation, call me at 609-726-9054.   I do not give consultations via email because it's more difficult to effectively communicate in writing. 

    Free phone consultations are provided to active clients.  All clients who have taken at least five lessons receive free phone consultations for the life of their dog.

      Return to Index


    Training for Competition Events (or just for fun)  

    I give lessons in New Jersey for AKC tracking and retriever hunt tests.  The lessons can be at your place or mine (a travel/gas fee would pertain if I come to your location).  I give beginning agility lessons or practice sessions in Chatsworth with high and broad jumps, open and closed tunnels, weave poles, tire jump, table, and see-saw.  I give jumping lessons in Chatsworth using a jump chute to teach your dog to be a better jumper for agility or obedience.   Furthermore, I can provide a practice obedience run-thru for those who have trouble making it to an obedience match or who need a person to act as a judge or to provide distractions and helpful advice.   I can also provide practice run-thrus for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.  Click here to contact me for further information about competition training.


      Dog Training for Kids: 

      Does your child take piano lessons, riding lessons, sports lessons?  What about dog training lessons?  Martha Windisch, Certified Pet Dog Trainer, enjoys teaching children about dog training.  The lessons will be geared for basic obedience and fun activities such as tricks and games.  This is perfect for the child in your family who is crazy about dogs or the child who dreams of being a veterinarian, groomer, trainer, or other pet professional.  The lessons will most likely count towards one or several of the Scout badge requirements and would also compliment the 4-H program.  If you provide your own dog, the dog must be in good health, have a good relationship with the child and have no serious behavior problems.   If you don't have a dog, I can bring a friendly Golden Retriever for your child to work with.  This is also a good way to make sure that your child understands about care and training prior to getting a dog.  The lessons are given to one child at a time.  A parent or guardian must be present nearby but does not necessarily have to attend the lesson.   Dog training lessons for kids are an hour in length and are sold in blocks of three.  These lessons are for children in fourth grade and older.  The lessons will be geared to the age of the child.  Click here to contact me for further information about dog training for kids.

      To Top of Page

      Return to Index


      "Teach you to Train" Program:  

      The "Teach You to Train" program consists of in-home lessons where I teach you and your dog.  You are required to practice between lessons and to use training commands in everyday life interactions.  For these lessons, you can pay-by-the-lesson; thus they are affordable (to complete basic obedience, at least five lessons are recommended; for a simple behavior problem, less than five lessons may be appropriate; for a series of behavior problems or a more serious behavior problem, more lessons may be needed).  For further savings, I offer a package of 6 pre-paid lessons.  Click here to contact me for further information about the "Teach you to Train" program

      To Top of Page

      Return to Index


      "Training by the Trainer" Program:  

      If you are extra busy, "Training by the Trainer" may be for you.  Personalized Dog Training teaches YOU to train your dog - "Training by the Trainer" teaches you to train your dog with less initial time commitment.  It's perfect if you don't have a lot of time to practice training commands with your dog.  Using commands in everyday life interactions is required.  "Training by the Trainer" is for basic obedience only, not for dogs with serious behavior problems.   The "Training by the Trainer" program requires for you to pay for the set of lessons in advance.

      Here's how "Training by the Trainer" works:   Instead of me giving you a series of private lessons to teach you to train your dog, with "Training by the Trainer" you are required to attend only 3 lessons, one 3 hour consultation lesson at the beginning, one 2 hour lesson in the middle, and one 3 hour lesson at the end.    The trainer will come to your house for the remainder of the lessons and train your dog without your involvement.  The program runs for 4 weeks.  Your dog will receive between 3 and 5 hours of training per week, depending upon your dog and what we are working on.

      On week one you attend the first lesson - a 3 hour consultation and training lesson.  Then the trainer comes and gives your dog two more lessons during the first week.  On week two, the trainer comes and gives your dog two lessons and then you attend the third lesson with the trainer.  On week three, the trainer comes and gives your dog three lessons.  On week four, the trainer comes and gives your dog two lessons and then you attend the final overview lesson.   You are responsible for using what you have learned in everyday life, but you do not have to do the initial practice sessions to teach your dog.  Click here to contact me for further information about the "Training by the Trainer" program

      To Top of Page

      Return to Index


      Private lessons outside at my place in Chatsworth, NJ or semi-private lessons at my place or yours:

      If you would like private lessons for your dog at a cost reduced from that of my private in-home lessons, you may want to travel to my location in Chatsworth, NJ for outside lessons.   Outside lessons are limited by the season and the weather.    If you have a friend or family member who also owns a dog that needs training, you may team up with them and share lesson costs - these are semi-private lessons.   I can do semi-privates at my place or yours.  Semi-private lessons are given on a case-by-case basis.  For semi-private lessons, it is best if the dogs involved need similar training.   It is important that the dogs are non-aggressive and get along with well each other.  For semi-private lessons, training is focused on basic obedience, NOT serious behavior problems.  Click here to contact me for further information about lessons in Chatsworth and/or semi-private lessons.

       

      To Top of Page

      Return to Index