Loving Leader Dog Training

01/09/2025

Why consider in-home dog boarding? Our in-home dog boarding allows your dog to enjoy their vacation as much as you do. I provide all the comforts of home with the structure of your dog, staying with a professional dog trainer. The perfect balance of comfort and structure. If you are looking for an alternative to a kennel, this is your solution. PM me if you would like more information.

12/09/2024

Meet Billie! This sweet little baby is here for board and train to work on potty training. Before arriving, Billie had never-not-once gone to the bathroom outside! We are working on going to the bathroom outside, crate training, extending the duration he can go between bathroom breaks and letting us know when he has to go out! How long did your puppy take to potty train?

11/19/2024

When I first got into Dog Training, socialization was described as exposure and interactions with people and other dogs. I think this is how a lot of people still look at it. But what we really need to be thinking about is exposure in order to create neutrality and indifference to people and dogs- but also places, sounds, objects, sensation etc.

My three guys have three very different stories. I’m going to create this series on how they respond to different things based on their history and training.

The challenge : reaction to the vacuum cleaner

1) Whistler
I don’t remember the vacuum cleaner ever being an issue for Whistler. I’d have to think back 10 years to remember how he was with it as a puppy. If I remember correctly, I think he has always been fine with the vacuum cleaner and continues to be. Whistler was the inspiration for my career as dog trainer, so his puppyhood would’ve been the time in his life where I made the most mistakes. Lucky for me the vacuum cleaner was never a struggle that we had.

2) Tinpa came to me at two years old. She was immediately afraid of the vacuum cleaner. She was not exposed to it as a puppy. Her choices to leave the room and avoid the vacuum cleaner. She does not bark or vocalize at all. I could work on conditioning her to the vacuum cleaner. However, she does not offer any negative behavior around the vacuum cleaner, so I think it would be more stressful for her than it is worth.

3) Major came to me at three months old. By this age, he was already barking and lunging at the vacuum cleaner. During his brief time with his first family, he was not exposed or not exposed properly to the vacuum. We spent a lot of time on a leash around the vacuum cleaner. Working around the vacuum cleaner when it was not on. Working around just the movement of the vacuum cleaner and finally putting everything together. Major is now so comfortable with the vacuum cleaner that I actually have to tell him to move and get out of the way as he will allow it to bump into him and he follows me around the house as I vacuum because he is so indifferent to the noise and movement.

How is your dog with the vacuum cleaner?

11/06/2024

Welcome Zephyr! This hap-hap-happiest boy is here for boarding for the week.

11/01/2024

Meet: Jessie

Jessie is here for board and train to work on her fear and nervousness. Unfortunately, for everyone, the way that Jessie expresses her nervousness is by biting. Jessie is here to work on building her confidence, working on building a relationship with her handler, basic obedience, proper socialization, and emergency recall.

10/31/2024

Why do we train our dogs? At best it’s to give you and them a fulfilled, peaceful and happy life together. At worst it’s simply to save their lives.

Pardon my mess. A few weeks ago I was taking out the trash, it had a bunch of disgusting leftovers (or delicious to the dogs) it also had a bunch of broken glass. When I picked up the bag, it obviously ripped spilling food and glass mixed together. This could have been lethal.

The last thing you want is to be in a situation where you were trying not to get cut, and wrestle with one or multiple dogs to keep them away from the mess, food and glass.

This situation was so easy to manage with a “leave it” “back up” and “down” command.

If you need help training your dogs and getting complete consistency so that you can apply these basic commands to every day life send me a message.

10/29/2024

Did you know we offer in-home dog boarding? Our in-home dog boarding allows your dog to enjoy their vacation as much as you do!

We provide all of the comforts of home, with the structure of your dog staying with a professional dog trainer.

If you (or your dog) is looking for alternatives to a kennel, this is the solution.

Reach out if you have any questions or are ready to book.

10/08/2024

I cannot believe this girl has not been adopted! Markie has been with me since the summer to work on her training, leash skills and exposing her to the world, learning it’s not such a mean scary place. She’s the sweetest smartest girl. Another one I wish I could keep!!! Message me if you think you can give this girl a great forever home.

08/15/2024

Contact me for more information about my foster dog Markie the Jack-Chi!

07/30/2024

The results of consistency and finding the training technique that works for you and your dog! Wynnie was pulling and lunging and all over the place on walks before. Love the success her family is getting! Great job guys!

06/04/2024

Looking for something fun to do with your pup this summer? Group classes are starting soon! Looking to start training your dog around distractions, adding duration, distance snd difficulty to their skills? Interested in giving them a job to do or working on learning new skills together? Or would you like to start working with your reactive dog in a controlled setting? We have the classes for you!

Intermediate lessons
Six Weekly lessons on Thursdays at 6:30pm
Starting Thursday June 13, 2024
$300+tax

Agility and Rally (all levels)
Six Weekly lessons on Thursday at 7:45pm
Starting Thursday June 13, 2024
$300+tax

Reactivity
Two Weekly lessons on Friday at 7:00pm
Friday June 28 and July 5, 2024
$100+tax

Email or message me to sign up!

04/25/2024

Why did I foster 5 puppies? The short answer is my inability to say no when there are animals in need and I know I can help. In the longer answer I would like to discuss the crucial socialization puppies get from their litter mates during those first 8 weeks of life. The first few months of your dogs life can shape their behavior and personality traits for the rest of their life. They are building bonds and relationships, learning to play, learning to coexist, learning conflict resolution, and some learn how to be a bully or what they can get away with. The time that dogs have to socialize with their littermates, their mom (when possible) or other puppy friendly mature dogs helps them to refine their bite inhibition and provide them with a sense of hierarchy. I do not like to use the term word alpha as it has been overused and improperly used but in every group of dogs there is a social hierarchy. Allowing pups to stay with a large group of their littermates enables them to be aware of canine body language and enforce a sense of pack and play. In their litter each dog has the chance to learn proper and improper interactions and the different boundaries that each dog may have.
In the puppies time with me we also worked on exposing them to the world, grass- outside- horses- tractors- cars- birds. During this time everything the puppies are experiencing is likely for the first time so it is important to work on this proper exposure to introduce them to the world. Up until this point the puppies have only known the whelping box. We also worked on touch, play, picking up, and sound exposure.
I would love to help you choose the perfect puppy for your home and help you determine what questions you should ask about your puppies formative weeks.

03/12/2024

My foster puppies are now available for adoption! Message me if you are interested so that I can help you select the perfect personality for your family!

03/06/2024

PUPPPPIES!!!

One week. It lasted one week between “take the summer off from foster” annnnnd FIVE PUPPIES!

These little loves will be with me for another two weeks before they are ready for adoption through .

During this time I am focusing on proper socialization, handling, and working with these babies to give them the best chance to learn from each other, my dogs and me before sending them to their forever homes.

03/05/2024

Heiser has been adopted! This one was particularly hard for me! I’ve always said I couldn’t foster because I would fall in love with all of them. Heiser (and Forest) were no exceptions. —and we will not mention the foster-fails of 2/3 of my dogs, Tinpa and Major.

Heiser tested me and pushed me. I believe that every dog sent to you is here to teach you something just as much as you are to teach them. There were times in my training with him where I was so frustrated cleaning up accidents in the house absolutely lost about how do I do this. How do I fix this?

From his last home, Heiser outsmarted everyone and figured out he could p*e and poo in the crate out of protest. My goal was to crate and house train him to get him ready for adoption.

After much patience, time, and rolls of paper towels, Heiser turned out to be an absolutely amazing dog. Wonderful to train. Wonderful to spend time with and to learn from. I’m so blessed for my time with him. I wish I could keep them all but I’m so happy for Heiser and his new family!

The plan was to take the summer off from fostering. Stay tuned for my next post to see how long that lasted!

02/07/2024

My foster dog is still available for adoption! Message me for more information on Heiser!

FRIENDS! Let’s find Heiser his forever home 🙏🏼

He’s a 10-month-old German Shepherd/Husky mix and he is BEAUTIFUL. He was an owner surrender and has been with his amazing foster mama (who happens to be a dog trainer, BONUS!) since October. He’s crate-trained, great with other dogs, and would love a fur-sibling. Want to add him to your pack? Follow animalertrescue for more info! 🐾 Brought to you by London's Airport KIA! -kpvirginradio