Services
Has your dog started behaving problematically? Do you want to give your puppy the best possible start? Are you going to rehome a dog or adopt a rescue dog and want to prepare for it? Even if you have prior experience with dogs, it may be wise to hire a professional to share the preparation with and who will support you in the beginning.
It is also important to choose a dog that suits you. A puppy must be trained to live with people and be safely socialized to everything that it will encounter in life, including being alone.
For a dog, rehoming is a big change. The owner must prepare for a long-term adjustment. Dogs are always individuals, and they adapt and get used to new things at their own pace. I will give you individual support for as long as you need it.

Behavioral consultation
Behavioral consultations can be relevant when a problem has already arisen. These can be separation-related problems, reactivity (e.g. leash outbursts), aggression against other dogs or people, resource guarding, leash pulling and problems with house-training. Sometimes the problems occur in many different ways at the same time. Behavioral consultations contain an analysis of the physical and emotional state of the dog. Based on the assessment, we’ll make a training plan together. Sometimes the problems are solved quickly and sometimes they can take time. We work on the dog’s terms.
Note! If the dog’s behavior suddenly changes, I recommend that you first check that it is not due to pain or any other medical problem. Contact your veterinarian.
Separation related issues and separation anxiety
There are many reasons for separation related issues. This is why the solutions usually differ from each other. During the behavior consultation, we look into your situation and evaluate what kind of plan suits your situation.
All separation related issues have one thing in common. You cannot leave the dog by itself before it is ready for it. This means that you probably need to arrange for a dog sitter for your workdays, and other activities outside the home. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know how soon the dog will be ready to be left alone. However, the process usually takes some time.
After the initial meeting you can decide whether you’d rather work independently according to the plan, or if you prefer more support in the beginning. More support means an easier task for you, as you will have a plan ready for each day of practice. It usually means you can proceed faster, because of regular follow-up meetings where I measure your dog’s actual tolerance. The more intensive support usually continues until the dog can relax up to 1,5 hours by itself. After this, the practices will be more independent.
Working independently from the start can be more cost effective, but it’s usually also a slower process. However, you will receive as much help and support as you want.
Puppy consultation
A dog may very well become man’s best friend, and it often does, but do not think that common sense alone is enough if you want to cope with the challenges that may arise.
From an early age, the puppy must learn what the human world is like and what humans expect from it. Most new dog owners struggle with house-training; no one wants a dog that pees and poops indoors. Dogs are clean animals, and they want to relieve themselves outside the home (in general). They become house-trained over time and you can and should practice that. There are other things the dog cannot learn without the support provided by effective training.
The puppy must get used to all the things you want him to be calm about in the future. This needs to be done in a safe way. Puppies need to be socialized to different kinds of people, other animals, vehicles, and need to learn to be alone. We call this socialization. The puppy must also learn what is expected from it. Jumping is natural for dogs that want to greet you. It is also natural for a dog to beg, steal, bark, hunt, and dig, but these are things that few people like. The puppy must learn alternative ways of behaving that are more desirable. This all is preferably taught so that the dog maintains confidence in its owner. So, how do you do it?
In my puppy coaching, I provide answers to precisely these challenges. These basic skills are seldom taught in group courses for puppies, and the trainer’s time is rarely adequate to go through each student’s individual situation. The puppy consultations are tailored to fit the needs of your dog and family.
If you have not yet chosen a dog, as part of this package, I can also help you choose the best type of dog for you and your family. It’s important to choose a breed that you want to live with for the next ten years or more. Many owners already have experience with dogs, and they have succeeded in training the previous dogs to become socially capable individuals without knowing anything about dog training. These lucky people exist, but unfortunately it is often just a matter of luck. Do not leave building this important relationship to its own devices.
Consultation for re-homed dogs
It is very popular nowadays to re-home a dog. The idea is attractive for various reasons: the dog is often house-trained, its character already formed, it may already be trained and socialized and you might feel that it is a good deed to take care of such a dog.
Even though you may know a lot about the dog’s past life and you have gotten to know it before re-homing, be prepared to receive a “pig in a poke”. The change and the move itself is a really big thing for the dog. Although the dog would not have any trauma or any bad experiences, the re-homing is a big change for the dog. The effects of re-homing and adaptation to the new family and environment are individual. Many people choose to re-home their dog for some compelling reason, generally due to a behavioral problem. The new owner must be ready to receive the entire package and at the same time adapt to the new family member.
The consultation for re-homed dogs that I offer, helps and supports owners in everything from the choice of the dog to its arrival and adaptation, but still with your and the dog’s best in mind.
Consultation for rescue dogs
Many people want to save dogs from kennels around the world. You may be lucky and succeed to get through a rescue association a nice individual who adapts to his new life almost immediately. Still, be prepared that the journey and the change will require a long-term adjustment for the dog and a great deal of work for the new family.
A rescue dog has often lived in a kennel and may already have flown into Finland. The dog is confused and certainly scared after the flight. It can take weeks for it to adapt. Rescue associations often give good advice when the dog is placed in a new home. Professional training provides added value when you get to know the dog together and tailor a training program that suits that particular dog and the new family. All dogs areindividuals.
The consultation for rescue dogs is intended to support the new owner during the first time, preferably even before the dog arrives. Even if the owner has a lot of experience with dogs and even rescue dogs, you do not have to be able to do everything yourself. Professional support can be worth its weight in gold.
Get help anywhere in Finland
Thanks to remote meetings I’m available to help customers anywhere in Finland. There are many other benefits to remote meetings. The dogs are less stressed without a stranger in their home, and everything I need to see for my self I can either see during our meeting or from video footage. The first behavioral consultation is usually remote, regardless of geography. If it still is benefitial to meet in person, in the dog’s home environment, that is possible to arrage in the Helsinki area, and sometimes also in the Uusimaa area. Please note the milage allowance!
Giving out training instructions
I always familiarize myself with the dog’s overall situation before giving any advice. Incorrect instructions can even aggravate the problems. Not all dogs are the same, even if the behavior looks the same. There can be many different emotional states behind a behavior and many different reasons for it. It’s essential to look into the whole background in order to solve problems.
Hiring an educated dog trainer can be a profitable investment in many ways. Sometimes a single consultation is enough. Do not hesitate to get in touch!
On my Instagram account – @koirakonsultti_linanikula – I give advice and tips and links to colleagues’ writings. I also collect my customer feedback on Instagram and present dogs that I have worked with. Join me on Instagram and follow my account!