Our Dog Training Philosophy

Founded in 1997, Two Bears is owned and operated by husband and wife team John Hendershot and Diann Yandrich. Two Bears offers puppy and dog training as well as raw meat diets for dogs & cats.

At Two Bears, we believe that training should be highly effective while being enjoyable for both dog and handler.

Starting puppies, 8 weeks to 24 weeks is our specialty. We work with all breeds. We offer a wide range of training options from basic manners and obedience to off-leash control.  As a result we are able to address all behavior problems including aggression, fearfulness, and general unruliness.

We are passionate about feeding pets a healthy diet. Our dogs and cats have thrived on a raw diet for over 25 years. We proudly sell Raw Origins and Vital Essentials raw meat diets. Available in fresh frozen and freeze-dried these diets are the healthiest and most natural way to feed your canine and feline companions.


Our Philosophy

The Two Bears Dog Training mission is to provide training that will give the human member of the team a happy, obedient companion and the puppy or dog the focus, clarity, and consistency of training they deserve. Teaching fundamental skills and foundation behaviors will enable your puppy to become a good member of your family and set the stage for all training to follow whether your dog will be a companion pet or sport competitor.

Your puppy (or dog) must see value in a behavior in order for her to continue doing the behavior. This includes focus and attention as well as any "obedience" behaviors such as down, stay, come, loose leash walking, etc. Two Bears trainers teach you how to give value to any and all behaviors you want from your puppy.

We use a “marker” and reward-based motivational training to teach your dog desirable behaviors and how to maintain these behaviors. Dogs taught in this manner are very clear about what is expected of them and behaviors learned are very reliable.                    

 In order to maintain a behavior, the puppy/dog must  be taught to focus on and stay engaged with you. Your trainer must be able to teach you how to train your dog to stay focused on you and the task at hand. Otherwise, you create a dog who performs a behavior: sit, down, come, etc. but as soon as she receives her reward gets up or moves away. As a result, you fall into the pattern of telling your dog to sit, down, watch me, etc, delivering a treat and starting the cycle over again. This is a “trick” dog, not a “trained” dog.                                     

 We do not attempt to teach your puppy 6 or more behaviors in 5 or even 8 sessions. To do so results in a "trick" dog, not a "trained" dog.

We are fluent in the correct use of all training and management tools. We start all puppies (and dogs) on a flat collar and six-foot leash and move to other equipment if needed. All of our personal dogs are e-collar literate. We can teach you how to properly use an electronic collar to get precise obedience and off-leash control without sacrificing your dog's enthusiasm and willingness to work.

We have lived and trained in Boulder County for 40 years. Our clients come from the entire metro area including Boulder, Erie, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, Broomfield, Brighton, Niwot, Firestone, Frederick, Dacono, Thornton, and surrounding areas.