Training is having your dog follow commands like: sit, down, stay, come, etc.  Behavior modification is living with your dog in harmony and being able to: walk without having your dog pull you; sit down to eat while your dog is in a down/stay position; open your car door and having your dog wait until you release him; have visitors come to your house and your dog being respectful of their space.

Many pet parents mistakenly believe that basic training will fix all the problems their dogs are going through, but that is not the case.  I’ve gone to a few places where the pet parent tells me, “Fido and I took a class in basic training.”  That makes me glad because that means that this pet parent wanted to learn and sought guidance, but basic training did not teach his dog to politely greet visitors at the door, wait by the door until released, not jump on visitors, etc.

If you want a balanced dog, you need to pair up basic training with behavior.  One without the other will not give you the best results.  When I work with a dog, basic training and behavior go hand in hand.  If a pet parent tells me that he only wants basic training, I politely suggest to him to find another trainer.  This is why an initial consultation is important because both pet parent and trainer need to understand what is expected of each other, what the training package entails, duration, hours, etc.

My suggestion would be to talk to different trainers and ask a lot of questions.  Find the right person to work with you and your dog and be committed to work hard and you will see amazing results.