My Students

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Student Progress

Every dog arrives with its own temperament, history, and household routine. This section is a place to share the students whose behavior has changed through consistent, positive training work — and to recognize the owners who kept practicing at home.

Every dog that walks through Andrea Singer's training programs arrives with a distinct temperament, a personal history, and a household routine that shapes daily life. Working across Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth, this Hampton Roads dog trainer treats each companion as an individual rather than a set of problems to be corrected. The approach is grounded in evidence-based, science-based methods that emphasize positive reinforcement, clear communication, and cooperative learning. Sessions build real abilities instead of quick compliance, so handlers gain skills they can carry into ordinary walks, visits from friends, and busy public places.

Puppies just beginning their journey spend their earliest weeks in a structured New Puppy program, where house training, socialization, and calm handling become the foundation of everything that follows. Owners leave each session with practical guidance they can apply between lessons, because progress in the first months of life depends almost entirely on the consistency practiced at home. Handlers learn how to read subtle signals of stress and overwhelm, how to keep a young dog safe in new environments, and how to build habits that will support a healthy, happy relationship for many years to come.

For dogs moving into basic obedience, the work begins with foundational skills such as sitting, settling, and responding to a reliable cue, then expands into leash manners, greeting people politely, and ignoring distractions. Students ranging from young puppies to senior dogs benefit from a plan matched to their age and attention span, and owners are shown how to reinforce the same behaviors between appointments. Behavior modification is woven in where needed, addressing jumping, pulling, excessive reactivity, and inappropriate responses so that everyday outings become calmer and more predictable for both dog and human.

A satisfying part of this work is watching the change over time. Dogs that once overwhelmed by visitors or unsure in public environments gradually become friendly, emotionally balanced companions who can relax near a porch, settle during a family meal, or walk past another dog without drama. The students shown here reflect both sides of that process, the trainer's structured sessions and the owners' commitment to practicing at home. The result is a dog who communicates better, behaves more reliably, and enjoys the companionship of the people who care for them most.