OKAMI Canine

12/11/2023

A legend at work

12/11/2023

05/20/2023

Great meetup at Leerburg hearing Ed share funny dog world stories.

03/03/2023

Fiji is looking for a home!

3 year old, F3 Pomsky. Current owner can't keep him. Fiji is a super lovable guy who will need some leash and crate training.

We will provide free training for a year for these and any other goals his adopters have to make sure he and his new family are as successful as they can be.

Please DM if interested.

01/30/2023

Certified Sport Detection Trainer. Sounds cool.

Just over a year ago, someone told me I shouldn't offer any nosework training because:

-It's not what I'm known for
-My clients are too basic
-I can't compete with established nosework trainers

While that was demoralizing, I'm also a stubborn bastard. So I started offering nosework.

In the last 10 months, over two dozen dogs have gone through my trial nosework programs.

They loved it, their dogs thrived at it. Some who had done nosework with other trainers previously were more successful this time around and understood the process better. Here's what I know for sure:

-Always adding to your skill set is what makes a good trainer.

-My clients could out-train half the trainers out there. Bet.

-Your only real competition is who you were yesterday.

I still wanted to make sure I knew as much as I could though. So I became a certified sport detection dog trainer after attending a course offered by one of the worlds leading nosework trainers at one of the worlds most renowned schools for dog trainers. I can't wait to expand my nosework program to all of you.

If you love your dog, train your dog.
We can help.

04/24/2022

Resistance, opposition (when done well) creates more desire (heart and soul).

I am forever grateful to the master coaches Bart Bellon and Michael Bellon. Im honored that I was able to watch and learn from them and all my other talented classmates.

When the hope outweighs the struggle, you tap into a powerful motivator. In pushing through my own struggles I was able to realise my own potential and open up my brain and capabilities.

I must also give a special thanks to Jaquiline Barbieri for also being a master coach. For providing the perfect facility to go through this experience and for offering her coaching to contribute to my learning.

I come away from Gold School truly being able to say I am a different, better, and more resilient person than I was before as well as a better trainer who can dream, dare and do.

04/24/2022

03/09/2022

As your dog ages, they may not want to be as social with dogs. This is normal. We see owners every day that want to “make” their dogs social. We have to be willing to accept that dogs are not designed to love and want to play with every dog they meet. Some dogs do love all dogs. But most dogs, as adults especially….are not social butterflies.
We can look at stray and wild dogs. They operate in small packs of a few dogs. And generally fight others outside that pack.

This is why daycares and dog parks are so damaging. It’s forcing un-natural socialization. There’s a reason that the best high level dog trainers around do not go to dog parks, daycares or push their dogs to be overtly social….yet have socially neutral dogs.

01/21/2022

Friday reminder.

If you're trying to improve your dogs life through training, you're already succeeding.

Don't focus on the roadblocks or setbacks. Focus on the wins, no matter how small. They add up, I promise. Learn from the setbacks and come back stronger with more determination.

You're doing this, you are trying. You're already winning. Where are you now vs. where you started? I am so proud of each and every one of you.

Head into the weekend thankful for your wins and ready for any challenges that come your way.

We're here for you.

If you love your dog, train your dog.

01/02/2022

Something has been true of my dog training journey. ⁠
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Everything changes. Always.⁠
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Ideas, beliefs, desires and outcomes. They all change in relation to where we find success and comfort in the moment. I used to struggle with the changes as if I was betraying a past version of myself.⁠
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It’s easy to get stuck on a problem or a failure but if focus on a single leaf, you won't see the tree. If you focus on a single tree, you'll miss the entire forest.⁠
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If you’re struggling with your dog or are feeling stuck, take a step away from your current goal or marker of success. Temporarily switch to another goal. An easy one.⁠
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When you find success in that, you’ll naturally flow back to to original hurdle. You’ll approach it with a much better mind.⁠
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If you love your dog, train your dog.⁠
We can help.⁠
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⁠

01/02/2022

Something has been true of my dog training journey.

Everything changes. Always.

Ideas, beliefs, desires and outcomes. They all change in relation to where we find success and comfort in the moment. I used to struggle with the changes as if I was betraying a past version of myself.

It’s easy to get stuck on a problem or a failure but if focus on a single leaf, you won't see the tree. If you focus on a single tree, you'll miss the entire forest.

If you’re struggling with your dog or are feeling stuck, take a step away from your current goal or marker of success. Temporarily switch to another goal. An easy one.

When you find success in that, you’ll naturally flow back to to original hurdle. You’ll approach it with a much better mind.

If you love your dog, train your dog.
We can help.

12/31/2021

"Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it."⁠
⁠
A year ago, we thanked you for making us who we are. Some of you have stayed with us and grown on your journeys as we have. Some of you have found us more recently and are just starting your journeys. ⁠
⁠
ALL of you have been the fuel that makes us weather the small storms encountered in the last year. Overcoming those storms would not have been possible without each and every one of you.⁠
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There is no greater reward to me than to see you thrive with your dogs. To see you open the world to them so they may experience all its wonders and complexities with you. ⁠
⁠
I thank you again for the cosmic currency you pay us in.⁠
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The Okami Canine family wishes you all health and prosperity in the coming year. To friends made and bonds forged, thank you all for being our motivation.⁠
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Again, we are nothing without each and every one of you. ⁠
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Thank you.⁠
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If you love your dog, train your dog.⁠
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⁠

12/31/2021

"Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it."⁠
⁠
A year ago, we thanked you for making us who we are. Some of you have stayed with us and grown on your journeys as we have. Some of you have found us more recently and are just starting your journeys. ⁠
⁠
ALL of you have been the fuel that makes us weather the small storms encountered in the last year. Overcoming those storms would not have been possible without each and every one of you.⁠
⁠
There is no greater reward to me than to see you thrive with your dogs. To see you open the world to them so they may experience all its wonders and complexities with you. ⁠
⁠
I thank you again for the cosmic currency you pay us in.⁠
⁠
The Okami Canine family wishes you all health and prosperity in the coming year. To friends made and bonds forged, thank you all for being our motivation.⁠
⁠
Again, we are nothing without each and every one of you. ⁠
⁠
Thank you.⁠
⁠
⁠
If you love your dog, train your dog.⁠
⁠
⁠

12/25/2021

Happy holidays. From my little fam to yours.

Love y'all.

📸 .rosie

12/19/2021

Shaped retrieve

12/17/2021

Shaping an indication. Short and sweet.

12/10/2021

Don't think about, what if. Think about how.⁠
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I've spent a lot of time worrying over the last few weeks.⁠
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What if I ruined the relationship with my dog?⁠
What if I've spent too much effort on the wrong things?⁠
What if I can't do that thing or this thing?⁠
What if I fail?⁠
⁠
"What even is failure?"⁠
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I spent so much time thinking about what if that I forgot to think about how.⁠
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How can I make sure my relationship with my dog is what I want it to be?⁠
How can focus what I'm doing to make it fun, valuable and meaningful?⁠
How do I learn this thing and how do I accomplish that thing?⁠
How do I set myself up for success?⁠
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These are all things I help people with every day. I have the answers, I give the guidance. But you know, sometimes I forget to give myself the same support. So here is your (and my) reminder to remember to focus on the how.⁠
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If you love your dog, train your dog.⁠
We can help.⁠
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⁠

12/06/2021

Master Coaches⁠
⁠
A Master Coach nurtures and helps you develop talent. Helps you see the big picture but breaks down the task into small, easily repeatable chunks. They've also spent thousands of hours mastering their own skills as a coach.⁠
⁠
Last week I truly understood how an effective coach guides you through growing a skill. Making your ability seem reflexive, innate, and like natural talent.⁠
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My week was focussed on becoming a better dog trainer and learning a proven system that will elevate what we can accomplish with dogs. We also spent a lot of time studying key elements of learning, coaching and practicing in meaningful ways.⁠
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It made me recall all the master coaches that have nurtured my skills. It made me realize the new master coaches I gained attending NePoPo® school. ⁠
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I am very proud of what I accomplished there and can't wait to extend the benefits to you all.⁠
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Who have been your master coaches? Who has helped you develop your skills? Broken down the tasks into small chunks you could practice with focus and feeling? Nurtured you into becoming a master coach for your dog?⁠
⁠
⁠
If you love your dog, train your dog.⁠
We can help.⁠
⁠
⁠

12/06/2021

Master Coaches⁠
⁠
A Master Coach nurtures and helps you develop talent. Helps you see the big picture but breaks down the task into small, easily repeatable chunks. They've also spent thousands of hours mastering their own skills as a coach.⁠
⁠
Last month I truly understood how an effective coach guides you through growing a skill. Making your ability seem reflexive, innate, and like natural talent.⁠
⁠
My month was focussed on becoming a better dog trainer and learning proven systems that will elevate what we can accomplish with dogs. We also spent a lot of time studying key elements of learning, coaching and practicing in meaningful ways.⁠
⁠
It made me recall all the master coaches that have nurtured my skills. It made me realize the new master coaches I've gained.
⁠
I am very proud of what I accomplished this month and can't wait to extend the benefits to you all.⁠
⁠
Who have been your master coaches? Who has helped you develop your skills? Broken down the tasks into small chunks you could practice with focus and feeling? Nurtured you into becoming a master coach for your dog?⁠
⁠
⁠
If you love your dog, train your dog.⁠
We can help.⁠
⁠
⁠

11/11/2021

Going back to Cali

Looking forward to seeing old friends and some new ones.

Looking forward to meeting some of the Okami Canine family across the U.S.

Looking forward to having the dogs sniff 11 different states. Let's go!

📸.rosie

11/02/2021

Last OB session with Jasper before he goes home. Just having some fun and bonding.

10/22/2021

Playing tug with Jasper.

10/20/2021

Every good trainer I know has a similar story.

In 2018 I had a dog who I couldn’t walk without coming back home in tears out of frustration because he lost his mind at the sight of another dog. Because he wanted to kill every dog he saw, because he wanted to take a piece out of any person he saw, because he would turn on me and take chunks out of my hand.

In 2019 I was learning everything I could to try and help him. I found trainers who made things worse and a trainer who actually helped me understand what he needed.

In 2020 I was proud enough of his progress that I started to officially help others with their own dogs.

In 2021 I am lucky enough to count thousands of dogs as part of the Okami Canine Family. Dogs who needed some help and families who needed some guidance. Dogs who are now thriving and dogs who are still working to get there.

Not a single part of this journey has been easy. There have been times when I thought it would be easier to give it all up. There have been times when I still shed tears. Some tears of frustration, some tears of absolute joy.

Your journeys are not easy. I know this because I’ve been on your journey. Please don’t stop. Keep going, keep learning, get out of your comfort zones. I am so proud of all the progress all of you make every day. From tiny wins to huge milestones. You are earning a better life for your dogs and for yourself.

When it feels really tough, remember that you get what you earn.

09/08/2021

08/30/2021

Hers the full version of Gohans first long line session. The goal is pack drive/handler awareness.

We use the long line to create a perimeter of comfort that encourages a dog to stay near us, to "pack up" with us.

Watch as Gohan goes from over stimulated and skittish to more focussed and engaged wit me.

08/14/2021

I made the hope for reward higher by just dumping a whole meal into the box.

Notice how skittish he still is.

I worked on a clicker for release so I could pull him away from the box reliably but he managed to get back to it before I take the article away.

Sloppy handling on my part but good for you to see real world occurrences.