Susan Cole founded Calm Family Dog Training after a personal struggle with her own dog, a cattle dog mix whose aggression toward other dogs led multiple trainers to recommend giving him up. Rather than rehome him, she sought out different methods, eventually completing both Jeff Gellman's T3 Train the Trainers program and Dr. Ian Dunbar's SIRIUS Dog Trainer Academy. That experience with her own reactive dog shapes how she approaches client cases today.
According to their website, the business uses what they call balanced training, combining food, praise, and play with corrections when needed. Cole emphasizes teaching dogs to stay calm and giving owners tools for structure and leadership at home. For some programs, low-level e-collar work is incorporated to build off-leash reliability. The San Marcos trainer offers board-and-train stays, private lessons, and in-home sessions, including a puppy program designed for dogs between four and six months old.
Their site notes that Cole pre-screens potential clients to confirm alignment with her methods before beginning work together. She states that her programs address common household issues, barking, jumping, chewing, and reactivity, though more serious concerns like aggression or separation anxiety fall outside her scope. The business received a local "Best Dog Trainer" designation from Hays County voters in 2020 and 2023.
