What We Do

Happy Training! LLC offers private, in-home training for dog owners who want individualized, one-on-one help in training their dog. Our goal is to provide dog owners with help and information that

• Employs very positive, motivational training techniques
• Is professional in presentation and provides state-of-the-art training information
• Is people- and dog-friendly
• Helps students avoid behavior problems while developing good relationships with their dogs.

Following is a short description of the services we offer. Click on the links for more information.

Private, in-home training. Many people prefer to work on the basics in the privacy of their homes, with instruction tailored to their dogs' specific issues. We come to your home for an initial 2-3 hour session, with follow-up sessions scheduled as needed. Please see the private in-home training page for more details.

" My dog loved class! After the first one, I was sure it was the best day of her life! She was so excited...It's too bad everyone doesn't go through a class like this with their dogs."

--Pet Manners student

About Us

Perrin Riggs CPDT and Rick Riggs CPDT started Happy Training! dog training in 1996 to offer private in-home training, group classes, and public education seminars to dog owners in the Topeka area. We've taught classes for the Kansas Department of Corrections' Topeka Correctional Facility (in the early days of the Helping Hands Humane Society's Blue Ribbon Dog program), and for the Topeka Kennel Club. In addition, we've worked with more than 700 private clients in Topeka and northeast Kansas, providing in-home dog training and behavior counseling. Finally, for many years we've been active in competitive dog obedience and in Prairieland Visiting Animals Association, a local group involved with animal-assisted visitation activities in nursing homes, hospitals, and other area care facilities.

We are Certified Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. We both hold psychology degrees, and we regularly attend professional dog trainers' conferences and other professional-education activities to keep our skills sharp and our methods current.