Embracing Dogness,
Empowering Choice
Our Mission is to positively support the human-dog relationship by teaching dog parents how to speak canine, empowering them to get the best out of their best friend!
Our teaching style is safe, supportive, non-judgmental, and non-forceful for all human and dog learners.
What You Get
We offer private coaching sessions with Rachael, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer CPDT-KA.
Using science-based/ positive reinforcement/ force-free/ fear-free training for you & your dog.
Personalized training plans created with you, to ensure we meet your needs & reach your goals.
Resources to support your journey in formats that suit your personal learning style.
Ongoing support between sessions.
Private coaching sessions held remotely via Zoom, in-home (within our service area), at our training facility, ‘Studio Dog,’ or in & around Wailuku. Locations vary depending on the behavior issues and skills we are working on.
What We Specialize In
Fearful, Anxious & Reactive Behaviors
• Skittish or flighty.
• Freezing on walks, gets stuck in one spot.
• Shys away from people, other animal, objects.
• Obsessively licking.
• Loss of appetite.
• Anxious at certain times or all the time.
• Withdrawal from family.
• Whining/vocalizing.
• Nose licking.
• Yawning when not tired.
• Cowering or hiding.
• Destructive behavior.
• Barks at certain things inside and or outside of home.
• Growling.
• Barking/lunging on leash at people or animals.
Nuisance Behaviors
• Not Listening.
• Jumping on and or mouthing people.
• Barking out the window or at the door.
• Pulling on leash.
• Chewing household items.
• Unable to settle.
• Having accidents in the home.
• Counter surfing.
• Digging.
Hey there! Right now, we're not taking on new clients. Please drop us an email at rachael@dogschoice.com to join our waitlist and be the first to know when we're ready to welcome new clients. Thanks for your interest!
What Fearful, Anxious & Reactive Behaviors can look like...
Services
Skittish or flighty.
Freezing on walks, gets stuck in one spot.
Shys away from people, other animal, objects.
Obsessively licking.
Loss of appetite.
Anxious at certain times or all the time.
Withdrawal from family.
Whining/vocalizing.
Nose licking.
Yawning when not tired.
Cowering or hiding.
Destructive behavior.
Barks at certain things inside and or outside of home.
Growling.
Barking/lunging on leash at people or animals.
Barking or lunging at people or animals behind fences.
Remote services offered worldwide
What We Specialize In
Pre- and post-adoption counselling.
Solutions to common behavior issues.
Counter surfing, jumping up, barking, and other common “nuisance” behaviors.
Foundation skills for loose leash walking.
Foundation skills for leash reactivity.
Behavior modification, in conjunction with your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist when recommended.
Fear, anxiety and some aggression concerns; online training can be an especially helpful way to start when your dog is worried about visitors to the home.
Services We Don't Offer
Separation Anxiety: We do not currently take cases where the primary or only concern is moderate to severe separation anxiety.
For help with separation anxiety, we recommend working with a veterinary behaviorist and/or a certified separation anxiety trainer.
Group Classes.
Daycare and boarding.
What You Get
Private coaching sessions with a
Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed
(CPDT-KA).
Personalized training and behavior modifications plans built using science-based/ positive reinforcement/ force-free/ fear-free practices.
A voice in your learning journey.
Rachael is passionate about meeting the needs of her clients and their dogs while working to reach their goals. She will work with you to build a plan that you can achieve no matter your starting point.
In addition to your weekly worksheet, you'll be given access to supplemental resources to support your learning journey in formats that suit your personal learning style.
Ongoing support between sessions.
Private coaching sessions are held remotely, in-home (within Wailuku & Kahului), in our training facility, & on field trips around Wailuku. Locations vary depending on the behavior issues and skills we are working on.
Initial Consultation
1 session
90-minute initial consultation.
Personalized training plan.
Additional resources tailored to your specific needs.
Follow-ups are available for purchase separately
Start here if you’re unsure you're ready for the full training process.
$270
Note: Most people need 3-6+ sessions to meet their goals.
Non-package sessions are $175 per hour.
Foundations of Calm & Confidence
4 Sessions*
90-minute initial consultation.
Personalized training plans.
Additional resources tailored to your needs.
3 follow-up sessions.
Supplemental support via email, text, and zoom
*4 Sessions in 3 Months
Choose this package if your dog has 1 or 2 different issues to work through.
$700
Note: For best results aim to complete all sessions within 90 days of your initial consultation.
You may need additional sessions beyond your package.
Follow-up sessions beyond your package are $175 per hour.
Behavior Modification Intensive
8 sessions*
90-minute initial consultation.
Personalized training plans.
Additional resources tailored to your needs.
7 follow-up sessions
Supplemental support via email, text, and zoom
*8 sessions in 4 months
Choose this package if your dog has many different behavior issues.
$1300
Note: For best results aim to complete all sessions within 90 days of your initial consultation.
You may need additional sessions beyond your package.
Follow-up sessions beyond your package are $175 per hour.
Give Your Pet A Voice
Choice Matters
Why is choice so important in our dogs’ lives?
Well, it’s fundamental in our human lives, and we don’t give it a second thought until it’s taken away from us, right?
Just think how many choices you make in a day…when to sleep, what to eat, what clothes to wear, where you’d like to work, who you want to socialize with and on and on… Many dogs live in a world where they don’t even have choices. And sadly, research demonstrates that a lack of choice leads to stress, anxiety, physical symptoms such as ulcers and high-blood pressure, and a condition called “learned helplessness” in which the animal essentially gives up and stops trying to express itself.
On the other hand, being given meaningful choice opportunities increases joy and reduces stress, even in potentially stressful situations. But don’t fret. Giving your dog choices isn’t as daunting as it sounds! My goal is to teach my clients how to create a choice-rich environment for their dogs with easy to implement steps that can be used at home, when training on walks or during playtime.
And when you give your dog more choice, his overall behavior will improve. That’s because most misbehavior is related to stress. When we increase choice, we decrease stress, and that leads to better behavior! Choice Matters.
My mission is to help you create an environment where your dog has many good options, and almost always makes the right choice!
Happier dogs make happier, less stressed pet parents, bringing joy and harmony to your home.
Positive Reinforcement
Dog’s Choice believes in the power of relationships that are based on trust and support. This belief applies to our dog-human and human-human relationships.
Positive Reinforcement – What is it and why does it matter?
Positive Reinforcement uses science-based, force-free techniques aimed at building trust and confidence with your dog. This empowers him or her to offer new behaviors and make better choices. Positive Reinforcement also takes into account the individual learner by developing their skills based on how they learn and what motivates them.
If you reward your dog with praise, play, food, toys, etc. when he responds to you or demonstrates a behavior you like, then that behavior will likely be repeated.
Positive Reinforcement rewards positive behavior that’s incompatible with negative behavior thereby lessening your dog’s frustration, anxiety and stress, while also enabling the dog to feel emotionally stable.
Emotionally stable dogs are less likely to display anxiety-based behaviors which are at the root of many common dog behavior issues.
Get to Know Us
Hi there! I’m Rachael, owner and trainer of Dog’s Choice and I’m so glad you’re here as it means you’re looking for a safe and supportive training experience for you and your dog!
You made the right choice! And I can’t wait to help you achieve your goals for your dog, while embracing their dogness!
Your dog is an individual, as are you, and we will treat you both with the utmost respect and compassion as we tailor your sessions to suit your needs.
Fun Tip!
Did you know many common behavior issues stem from a lack of enrichment, AKA doing doggy stuff that fulfills a specific need? This could be social interactions, sensory, physical, occupational, or nutritional enrichment.
A quick and easy way to add mental stimulation, build confidence, and fulfill our dog’s need to forage is by scatter feeding (see my Enrichment E-Book for more info). You can also offer foraging by feeding one or part of your dog's daily meals in a snuffle mat.
Tip for walks: If you walk your dog after they have engaged in some form of mental activity (training session, puzzle toys, hide n seek), they will be mentally fatigued and have less energy to put into pulling when on their walk.
For more info on me and my training methods and philosophy, check out my About Page.
By coming here, you have already made the choice to start working on a stronger relationship that fulfills your needs as well as meeting your dogs. Now let’s
get started!
Happy Friends
Our Gallery
What Our Customers Are Saying
Amazing Feedback
Rachael’s dog training exceeded our expectations! We noticed significant improvements in our dog’s behavior by utilizing the tools and training Rachael recommended. Rachael created an amazing training plan for us and kept it updated after each session, along with lots of resources! It was an absolute joy working with Rachael, and we greatly appreciate her thoughtful approach. Dog’s choice is the best choice for anyone seeking behavioral help for their dog! We highly recommend her services!
~ Lisa Dalebroux
Dog Guardian
Working with Rachael was very comfortable and her knowledge to let the dog have their own choice to their actions and choices was very nice to know and understand what can be done to let the dog make their choices. just in 4 lessons, I have seen a lot of changes with my dog. Thank you, Rachael.
~ Bryce Fukuyama
Dog Guardian
Rachael Magee is an amazing dog trainer! She trained my out-of-control puppy AND myself in no time at all. I am so grateful to her for helping me become a great dog mom and truly enjoying my four-legged best friend. Thank you, Rachael!
~ Elizabeth S. Wood
Dog Guardian
Rachael has been instrumental in helping us understand how to work with a fearful, shy dog. We adopted a 17 month old mostly Border Collie/Kelpie mix that did not have a successful experience as a working ranch dog. Rachael brings many years of expertise in dealing with behavioral issues to training sessions and clearly she understands all things dog related. Wholeheartedly we recommend Dog's Choice!
~ Terry Ann Heller
Dog Guardian
The one on one consultations and correspondence allowed me to talk openly about issues I was running into and finding solutions that work for me and my fur family. Rachael is professional and non judgemental and truly has my dog's best interest at heart.
~ Lauren Whitley
Dog Guardian
As a long time volunteer at Maui Humane Society I have had the pleasure and good fortune to work alongside Rachael many times. She has saved countless lives by working with dogs with behavior problems who would have been deemed unadoptable. She is educated, intuitive, gentle and kind. She makes training look effortless due to her natural ease with dogs. I have learned so much from her and I'm very grateful to have had that opportunity.
~ Alice Bennett
Dog Guardian & Volunteer
Rachael is the best. She is professional, competent, and compassionate. Her experience and knowledge combine to make the best possible choices for helping a dog.
We adopted a high-strung, anxious dog, fearful from the Humane Society, and after almost a year of various trainers, we decided to find a certified trainer. Rachael was very highly recommended by our friend, so we went with her. She was patient and kind with not only the dog but also with us as she gently taught us how to help our dog. She always kept the dog's best interest in the forefront and taught us to always consider the dog's perspective.
Her online sessions were highly effective because she could observe the dog in an undisturbed setting. In-person was exceptional because we could immediately see how the best way to help this scared and anxious dog.
Rachael provided appropriate materials for us to use, including videos, handouts, and books. We also changed our perspective on using veterinarian-prescribed medications to help ease distress and anxiety for our dog.
Rachael's fees initially seemed high to us but after one session, we then felt that she wasn't charging enough! She was always willing to provide additional assistance and help our dog as well as us. We are forever grateful, and although our dog, Jill, is not the most social dog, she has moderated her behavior and her anxiety has greatly lessened—Mahalo to Rachael.
- Andrea Fleury
Dog Guardian
The 1:1 training was completely customized to our specific needs. We were able to ask a ton of questions. She gave us homework every session and she followed up with us each time to review challenges and successes. Rachael is so caring and personable. Our pup loved her!
~ Keri M
Dog Guardian
What Our Customers Are Saying
Amazing Feedback
“The 1:1 training was completely customized to our specific needs. We were able to ask a ton of questions. She gave us homework every session and she followed up with us each time to review challenges and successes. Rachael is so caring and personable. Our pup loved her!"
- Keri M
Pet Owner
"In working with Rachel Magee in my capacity as a volunteer with MHS, I have appreciated her skill, her intuitive knowledge & her advocacy for all the dogs she interacts with. Rachel is always enthusiastic, positive and celebrates each dog’s growth. Through classes, she taught how force-free equipment, gentle touch, the “power of cookies” and calm repetition could transform a dog. Rachael is a big advocate for enriching a dog's life through simple actions (such as a puzzle feeding mat, sniff fests, toys, play, training, etc.) And, when using this information, I had a small part in making a dog happier & more adoptable, the “heart reward” was tangible. Rachel has the skills and training to help dogs and their owners. She also is intuitive, has an open heart, and truly believes that dogs respond positively to positive training."
- Kathryn Maloney
Pet Owner
“The one on one consultations and correspondence allowed me to talk openly about issues I was running into and finding solutions that work for me and my fur family. Rachael is professional and non judgemental and truly has my dog's best interest at heart.”"
- Lauren Whitley
Pet Owner
"I met Rachael five years ago when I began volunteering for Dog Playgroups at the Maui Humane Society and she was the facilitator/lead. On the very first day I was so impressed by her attuned observation skills of the dogs’ body language and energies and her capacity to act instantly if needed. I have consistently seen Rachael go above and beyond to learn as much as she could about techniques and methods that would help behavioral issues. She continually explores, researches and studies with the commitment to support the well-being of the dog. Her contagious enthusiasm and heartfelt dedication, combined with the success stories of her work, I have no doubt are the key reasons that management has been so open to all of her suggestions and ideas to further the rehabilitation of socially neglected dogs that arrive at the shelter. Rachael has been a great mentor to me and an inspiration to dive deeper and learn more. I am so very grateful to have crossed paths with her."
- Madir Scolpini
Pet Owner
"We have a three dog household ranging from 3yrs/70lbs; 7yrs/22lbs; 13yrs/49lbs. Our smallest dog, Ellie - the 22lb Chihuahua mix, has anxiety and resource guarding issues. We had been successful in managing her behaviors until both adult humans needed to work outside the home for 8 hours a day. We hired a pet sitter to come to the house to give the pups an hour potty break and snack time. Everything was fine with the new pet sitter as long as we (Ellie's humans) were present; on the first visit without us present Ellie greeted the new dog sitter with a chomp on her shin!! We were mortified!! Thankfully our pet sitter didn't scare easily and decided she wanted to try again, and she received another chomp on her calf! After seeking counsel from Rachael she gave us the tools we needed to have a pet sitter and to have better interactions with visitors to our home! A gate to limit the 'hot zone' by the door and having yummy treats available created the space Ellie needed to allow 'safe' people to enter our home."
- Nikki, Molly & Ellie
Pet Owner
"As a long time volunteer at Maui Humane Society I have had the pleasure and good fortune to work alongside Rachael many times. She has saved countless lives by working with dogs with behavior problems who would have been deemed unadoptable. She is educated, intuitive, gentle and kind. She makes training look effortless due to her natural ease with dogs. I have learned so much from her and I'm very grateful to have had that opportunity."
- Alice Bennett
Pet Owner
"“Dog Whisperer” may sound cliché but it fits Rachael perfectly. Because of her infinite passion for dogs, she is a natural when it comes to understanding behavior and implementing behavior modification. I worked closely with Rachael for eight years and found her to be a highly effective communicator – both with humans and canines. She is dedicated, compassionate, patient, intuitive and completely trustworthy. She has immense integrity and will treat your dog as if it were her own. She is not only a friend but a role model. I have complete and utter confidence in her training skills and if I didn’t now live 4,000 miles away my dogs would definitely be her students!"
- Laura Forsythe
Pet Owner
"Very simply, Rachael is the best!!! Extremely knowledgeable about state-of-the-art dog training methods. Dogs love her. People love her. Rachael's dog training instruction was invaluable to me as a volunteer of the Maui Humane Society. I started with zero experience with dog behavioral issues, but her training methods, guidance, and patience (both with the dogs and with me), provided me the skills and a comfort level to deal with a wide range of dogs and issues. Knowing that I had her as a support person gave me confidence that the dogs sensed and made interactions so much easier."
- Robert Jacobson
Pet Owner
Connect With Us
rachael@dogschoice.com
Text: 808-736-1299