Turning, Jumping, barking and biting into heeling, sitting and staying - that's the goal of Per'fect-A-Pup, a private dog training service started in September by Wellesley resident Howard Hayman.

Retiring recently from Verison after a 34-year career, Hayman decided to make his lifelong love of dogs his new vocation. Understanding firsthand the busy schedules and time constraints that families deal with daily, Hayman tailored his new service to meet their needs through flexible lesson scheduling and in-home training.

The best way to manage dog behavior is through prevention, according to Hayman. The younger the dog, the better the outcome. The dog training "rule of thumb" is that between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks, "one-fourth of the efforts gets four times the results."

However, many dog owners wait until their dog has developed behavior problems to invest in dog training. Most of these problems, said Hayman, can be corrected with strong obedience training. Play-biting and jumping up on people, uncontrolled barking and house-soiling issues are the most common problems. "Play-biting, barking and jumping, when dogs are puppies, are cute (behaviors) but should not be acceptable... they're not cute when (the dogs) are older," explained Hayman. These behaviors can be dangerous when the dogs are bigger - the dogs may not realize how hard he is biting; or, he may knock a person down when jumping up.

Changes in the dog's environment of household status can also be problematic. For example, the arrival of a couple's first child may cause the dog to exhibit aggressive behavior toward the new baby. The best way to prevent this outcome is to get the dog prepared well in advance of the event, said Hayman. "You're really trying to deal with anything out of the ordinary," he added.

Some problem behaviors cannot be changed. "There can be behaviors that are so difficult to handle - an improperly trained guard dog, for example," said Hayman. The dog may have been physically mishandled to make him more aggressive. In such situations, the dog often cannot be retrained to turn the aggression on and off by command. The only way to deal with the behavior is through the use of constant controls, such as leashes and kennel-confinement.

In all cases, the key to success is consistency; Hayman said that many dogs have to be restrained because the owners didn't regularly practice the obedience skills with their dogs.

Per'fect-A-Pup offers training programs for puppies and adult dogs. Puppies begin their obedience training in Puppy Preschool, which consists of three one-hour sessions (the maximum attention span for a puppy without a break). The pups are exposed to other puppies, new and different situations, and different handlers. They are also taught basic obedience commands: "Heel" (with and automatic sit); "Down;" "Sit;" "Come;" and "Stay."

Individual, in-home sessions are available for older dogs, either for prevention or correction of behavior problems. The owner and trainer work together with the dog in each lesson. It's important for the owner to be an active participant rather than a passive bystander - the dog needs to see the owner as the "alpha," or leader.

At the first training session, Hayman and the owner complete a questionnaire on the dog's background. Then, Hayman had the owner handle the dog and try to execute basic obedience commands. It doesn't take long for the undesirable behaviors to emerge during the first session.

Once the problem areas are identified, Hayman and the dog owner practice one of the basic commands (usually "heel") using the hand and voice cues. Before the next lesson, the owner must work with the dog for 15-20 minutes twice daily. Once the "heel" command is mastered, the lessons focus on the other basic obedience commands. In every training situation, the dog is on a leash to aid the training. In addition to correcting unwelcome behaviors, "you're really trying to train a dog for its own safety." Said Hayman. "you don't want your dog suddenly chasing a child on a bike or darting in the street after a squirrel."

As for his training style, Hayman emphasized that food is not part of the reward system. "I don't train with treats - what if you don't have a treat (and need one)?" In successful training, the dog obeys you "not because you give them a treat, but because you've earned the dog's respect."

Wellesley resident Christine Murphy and her dog, Tessa, started lessons with Hayman two weeks ago. "The fact that when he (Hayman) retired, he went to dog training school speaks for his commitment and passion for it," said Murphy. Tessa's training was important, she added, for the safety of her own small children and their playmates. Murphy also stressed that it was "important for kids to love animals and not be afraid of them."

Hayman's goal was to retire by age 55 - and he did. He wanted to "do something fun and yet add value to something or someone" - and he has, with Per'fect-A-Pup. His newest goal: "to train my golden retriever to be a therapy dog."