Well, I thought I would update you guys on my quest for a trainer for Mic.  So far I have contacted 3 companies and have just heard back from one so far.  I explained the same behaviors that Mic has to all of them (sep. anxiety, slight aggression, not socialized, he thinks he's alpha, etc...)  I also told them his age, breed, and just about everything I could about him.  I mean, he is a really good dog, he knows the basic commands, he even learned the "come" command very quickly...  he just has some "issues"...  I have also expressed how passionate I am in being there during the training because I want to learn, I want to be there!  And I think the private sessions are what he needs.  I also had my list of questions to ask from Nora (which after this first response I would need to ask again...)

Anywho, this is the email I received from the 1st place (I'm glad I am still waiting for other responses!  And keep in mind, I told this person I wanted the in home private training)

You would really benefit from getting your dog trained. It would be
important to have him with me for a while because i have a well set
up place for training with some agility equipment ( that will help
his confidence ),treadmills, dogs, distractions, so we can not just
teach him rules and limitations but take care of the root of the
problem. Then you come in the pic, i do need to work with you and
prepare you as a handler. We can have as many sessions as you would like
I offer basic obedience between 1 and 4 weeks in training The most
complete is 4 weeks in training, basic obedience ( walk nice and easy
on leash, sit, stay, down, stay, come ) , wait at the doors, leave
for things, mall work ( i'll take your dog everywhere with me),
socialization, and house manners ( he is going to learn how to behave
inside of your house or friends  house). Are you having problems with
potty training? I'll take care of that as well. I  charge $400 per
week and guarantee results. I also board only client's dogs and every
time here he will get more training but i'll charge only boarding fee
Come to visit and see some of the trained dogs.

Holy crap!  $1600 for a month of training?  And you're right - she didn't listen to you!  That's way more than having a horse trained! 

Got another reply!  This one sounds more promising.  And she is a certified proffessional dog trainer and certified dog behavior consultant...  She uses positive only behavior and training methods.

I always start with a consultation in the client's home to get a better feel
of what the dog is like and to go over information that will help you
understand your dog better. I also talk about goals and where you would like
to be with your dog short-term and long-term.
I spend up to two hours during this and charge $175, however, if you decide
to go forward with training, I do apply that fee toward my packages. So, if
we decided to do a 5-week program (I like to work quickly) where I come to
your home one a week for an hour, the balance would be $275.
I hope that answers your questions, but if you have more or would like to
set up an appointment, please call me.

That's what I was thinking, it doesn't seem like much.  But after looking around, they all seem to only offer hour long sessions and the average is 5-6 sessions.  There is one that offers 12 sessions/2 times a week, hour each time, but that one is $1020.00.

The other thing was that she didn't answer me about a guarentee.  Most of these trainers offer a guarentee or free lifetime training at their group classes at dog parks... but this person doesn't advertise that...  I guess I will find out if I end up calling her.

Ok... being honest here, and my intent is not to step on anyone's toes.

Once a week... one-hour sessions... is standard practice for in-home training, and the cost she quoted is VERY reasonable.   However, 5 weeks isn't very long.  Most trainers here charge so much an hour for in-home training... and take as many weeks as is necessary to accomplish the owner/handler's goals.

I don't put much stock in trainers that offer "guarantees"... why? Because... no trainer can guarantee success if the owner/handler doesn't do what is assigned to him/her. The guarantee is contingent on the time BETWEEN these weekly sessions that the handler puts into it. Sometimes trainers "guarantee" their work in order to gain clients.

I can spend 1/2 hour showing you and explaining to you how to do something... and charge you $50 for that... and tell you to work on it every day during the next week... and if you don't then how am I going to guarantee success?

I can guarantee success if you guarantee me you'll do what I tell you to do... but not otherwise.

If I work with someone and their dog for an hour showing them how to do something.. and ask them to work on this particular command every day for a week... and I meet with them the following week and it's very obvious to me that not much time has been spent (and trust me.... I can tell !)... then I might do another week and try again. But .. if after 2--3 weeks and it's still obvious to me that the handler isn't doing his/her share... I don't continue with that person. I'm not going to waste my time... or their time and money... if they aren't willing to do their share.

Maybe this sounds a bit harsh, and I truly don't intend for it to. But I've "been there and done that" and dropped clients because they want ME to do all the work. What they are paying for is knowledge and experience... and being able to convey effectively to a handler how to train their own dog.

Does this make sense?