Phyllis Beasley is the owner and lead trainer of Praise Dog! Training, LLC. She has achieved successful results in teaching skills or modifying canine behavior, including aggression, without resorting to aversive methods.
Training Philosophy
Praise Dog! Training, LLC, uses only modern, proven reward-based methods to train your dog or modify unwanted behaviors. They believe in strengthening the bond between you and your dog and ensuring that you have an understanding of your dog’s body language and behavior.
Services
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Basic Manners Classes:
Held on Thursday nights at Tri-City Leisure Center in West Columbia at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and on Monday evenings at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Dogs must have completed vaccinations and must be completely friendly towards other dogs and people. The class covers Sit, Down, Stays, Walking Nicely on Lead, Attention, Leave It, Sit Politely for Petting, Coming When Called and Settle on a Mat. Classes are one hour long and class sessions are six weeks. Class size is limited to eight dogs. Cost is $175.00.
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Intermediate Manners Classes:
Held several times a year on Thursday nights at Tri-City Leisure Center in West Columbia at 6:30 p.m. Prerequisite is completion of Praise Dog Basic Manners. Classes are one hour long and class sessions are six weeks. The curriculum includes continued work on the foundation work begun in Basic Manners, as well as more ‘life skills’ including skills that help with grooming and veterinary care. Class size is limited to eight dogs. Cost is $175.00.
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Puppy Start Right Class:
Designed to get dog owners and their puppies off to a good start. Puppies who have finished their first set of vaccinations and are no older than four months old are eligible to attend this class. The class covers housetraining, chewing, and the most effective way to teach practical skills such as coming when called. Specific skills that we will work on include the beginning steps of: walking nicely on lead, sit, down, stay, give, settle on a mat and allowing handling for petting and grooming. When puppies are a good match, we will set aside time for supervised puppy play. Must provide evidence of at least one round of puppy vaccinations and recent statement from the puppy’s veterinarian on the clinic’s letterhead that the puppy is healthy. Praise Dog Training follows the guidelines of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) regarding the importance of safe puppy socialization. Cost is $175.00.
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Canine Good Citizen Prep and Test:
A four-week class that prepares handlers and dogs to pass the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. In the class, participants learn handling skills to help them pass the test and polish the foundation skills their dogs began in the Basic and Intermediate classes. The test is offered at the 4th class session. Cost is $125.00. There is no prerequisite, but the dog should already have reliable basic obedience skills taught in a positive manner with no aversive equipment (choke chains, prong collars or shock collars). Dog should be completely friendly to people and other dogs.
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Out on the Town:
Take those skills you and your canine partner have learned and take them on the road! Classes are held in different locations around Columbia. Classes may resume in the fall and will be held the last Saturday of every month. Cost is $30. Prerequisite: Basic Manners.
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Private Lessons:
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Basic Manners:
four, one-hour long, in-home private lessons that cover the skills addressed in the six-week class. Cost is $350.00.
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Puppy Head Start:
two one-hour, in-home private lessons for puppies up to the age of 16 weeks. These lessons cover basic topics needed to assist families with topics related to puppies, including puppy proofing, housetraining, crate training, puppy mouthing, socialization, handling, food guarding prevention, collar grab, independence training, give, sit, down and the beginnings of coming when called. The cost is $150.00.
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Reactive Rover Lesson Package:
Does your dog lunge and bark at the sight of other dogs or people? Is it embarrassing or scary to you? Learn techniques to teach your dog that he does not have to react and how to avoid confrontations while you are training. Sessions include in-home instruction on skills and behavior modification techniques, practice with a stuffed dog (yes, they all think it is real), and practice in neighborhood or off-site. The package is a total of three hours. It may be split into four or five lessons. The cost is $450.00. Participation in all lessons is required. Additional 1/2 hour day training sessions (trainer works with dog with or without owner present for $50 each.)
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‘Come Back To Me’ Recall:
three one-hour, in-home private lessons that address the management and training for teaching dogs to reliably come when called. Includes training a whistle recall. The cost is $200.00.
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‘Ouch, that hurts!’ Help for Your Jumping, Mouthy Dog:
You are not alone with this problem! This lesson package was recently added because we receive so many requests for help in dealing with excessive jumping and mouthing. This lesson package includes instruction on understanding why your dog is jumping and mouthing excessively, as well as management and skill training to teach your dog a different way to behave. This lesson package is for family’s whose dogs mouth out of excitement or age. Before we begin the lessons, we will have an extensive phone conversation to determine if your problems stem from a more serious cause. If we feel that this package is not appropriate, we may recommend behavior modification training. This training is a two one-hour in-home private lesson package. We start with one lesson at a cost of $80. If additional training is needed, the cost of the second lesson is $70.00.
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Housetraining Help:
Two one-hour, in-home private lessons to problem solve your dog’s housetraining issues, whether your canine companion is a puppy or adult. Housetraining issues can put a tremendous strain on your relationship with your dog. Let us help him get back on track! We start with one lesson at a cost of $80. If additional training is needed, the cost of the second lesson is $70.00.
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‘Bringing Home Baby (To Baby)’:
This is one lesson to assist families who are expecting a baby in preparing the canine members of their family for the new arrival. The package includes instruction on preparing the dog for the change and instruction to assist the acclimation of the dog after the baby’s arrival. It is highly recommended that your dog complete a basic obedience class well before the baby’s arrival. The fee for this lesson is $80.00.
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Obedience Skill Tune Up:
Private, one-hour lessons are available to teach or refresh specific obedience skills. Limited to two skills per lesson. Cost is $80 per one-hour in-home lesson.
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Therapy Dog Evaluation and Training:
Have you wondered if your dog would make a good therapy dog? One that would be a good fit for visiting hospitals, nursing home and other places where people are in need of comfort? We offer an evaluation and recommendations by Phyllis who is a Pet Partners animal therapy evaluator. Cost for the evaluations is $30. If your dog has potential, training costs are based on the recommendations.
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Certifications
Phyllis Beasley is certified as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and an IAABC-Accredited Dog Trainer (IAABC-ADT). She is also a Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP).
Specializations
Phyllis Beasley specializes in reward-based dog training, including basic obedience, puppy training, behavior modification, and aggression management.
Training Methods
Phyllis Beasley uses force-free, reward-based training methods, including clicker training and marker training. She emphasizes understanding dog body language and communication.
Customer Reviews
Alejandra (Alex)Gonzalez:
Phyllis was such an amazing help with our 3 year old female golden retriever, Marley. Phyllis is very professional and she helped guide us through making this a steady process rather than a quick fix. She helped with Marley’s anxiety around other dogs and she helped with implementing training into Marley’s daily life. She has been such an amazing help. 100% recommend
Sherry Timmons: Phyllis is amazing! Love her teaching style. She has a great understanding of the different dog personalities and how to get them to understand. As with our children, our doggies are very different and I appreciate how she knows how to read each personality. THANK YOU so much.
Kathy Evans, Ph.D.: Phyllis is a wonderful dog trainer who uses only positive methods to train dogs to do what you want them to do. I have taken several classes with Phyllis and she is patient and understanding with owners and with the dogs. Her positive training is not only for the dogs but also to the people who live with the dogs. I highly recommend her to anyone who has a problem with their dog or wants to prevent problems with their dog.
Ryan Dawkins: The team at Praise Dog Training is the best in Columbia. I’ve taken classes with multiple dogs, and I love their positive reinforcement approach. Other trainers in Columbia rely on shock collars, and that is just… to put it bluntly… crazy. I’m not going to hurt my dog to train him. AND positive reinforcement has been scientifically proven to work better. They make the training process easy to understand, and Phyllis is an excellent teacher! My pups love Praise Dog!
Maria Tully: Great classes and knowledgeable trainers make Praise Dog the premier dog trainer in the Midlands of South Carolina. My dogs and I love their innovative classes and reward based training methods. They understand that every dog is different and tailor their methods to meet your dog’s training needs.
Anna Marie Christley: Phyllis and Alison provide a well-organized approach to training you and your fur baby. If you diligently do the assignments and homework, you can’t help but have a bonding, rewarding experience. Being able to attain a CGC certificate for our 8 month old Smokey the Bear was pure icing on the cake. Proud to say we have a well-adjusted, happy and outgoing dog. Thank you Praise Dog Training!
Media Appearances
Phyllis Beasley writes a monthly Pet Page article in The Columbia Star, published the second Friday of each month.
