SD Puppy Coach

27/05/2024

This Saturday 6/1 at 9:30am. Please message me and I will send you the sign up link.

30/03/2024

I love when my clients understand that there’s not always a quick fix, and that most often they need to make the most changes themselves.

Six months ago, these dogs could not be near each other and had some pretty major fights even resulting in an injury. Their owners really took the responsibility and learned dog psychology and that they had to put in the work in order for their dogs to change and live a well balanced life. Were there challenges ? Yep! Lots of them. But they pushed through and now they are so much happier living the good life of peaceful calm existence!
So proud of you guys !💯🎉🤪

09/02/2024

At 4 months old Knox went from being neglected and flea ridden on a patio in Pacific Beach to being adopted by an amazing couple.
I knew this dog won the lottery when I met his parents because they called me right away and knew how important it was to lead him.

Now several months later he is living his best life going on lots of adventures. He loves his crate and walks beautifully on a leash. But at home he knows how to relax when those adventures are over and decompress 💪.

Cheers to all the people who bring home a dog and lead from day one 🥂. It’s people like you who deserve dogs 🤗.

19/06/2023

Happy Fathers Day to man who is everything to our family ❤️. We had an amazing weekend and had a extra special bonus with Reece here visiting.

11/04/2023

Now booking New Puppy 101 appointments.
Start off right from day one!
As a new puppy coach and trainer I offer new puppy training consults that specifically focus on new puppies. My consults cover crate training, potty training, creating a structured schedule, how to handle biting issues, house rules, manners and boundaries and how to correctly socialize your pup. It’s amazing how just a few changes or adjustments can make all the difference!
Nicole 619-254-7397

26/03/2023

Katana is an outgoing 3 year old who was just adopted by an amazing family. She also love kids so she landed in the right spot !

Katanas family called me the very first week to make sure they were doing everything they could possibly do to make their home her last and final home. Not setting a rescue dog up for success could mean this dog ends up back at a shelter or euthanized 😫.

Would you bring a stranger into your into home and them be around your kids unsupervised? Wander around your house and snoop through your stuff ? Get into your bed? I don’t think so! But you would be shocked at the amount of people who do this with a new rescue dog 👎.

Katanas family is committed to giving her the best home possible. The biggest take away I think they learned is that Katana needs structure to feel like she is a part of their family- not freedom to do whatever she wants. Also giving her a place to call her own and relax away from a busy household was key.

It was an absolute pleasure to work with Katana’s new family! She is one lucky dog who is going to be very loved ❤️.

17/03/2023

Koda, like all puppies , did not come with a manual. He has a wonderful loving family who thought giving him all the affection and freedom in the world was the right thing to do.

Koda has had 💯 run of the house since coming home at 8 weeks old. He was p*e pad trained so at 4 months potty training isn’t going so well 🙈. He is allowed to make his own schedule, steal food off the table while his family is eating, jump and bite the 5 and 9 year old and drag his owners down the street.

So this is about when I get the phone call for help 😜

Our puppy training appointment has now set Koda and his parents on the right track! Is it going to be easy? Nope! They are going to have a tough first week getting Koda adjusted but then things will smooth out.

✅no free roaming the house
✅ no more pen since he thinks it’s a place to p*e
✅keeping him in the crate vs the pen
✅keeping him on a schedule
✅using a leash to address unwanted behavior
✅structured play
✅waiting at thresholds
✅giving him the right amount of mental and physical stimulation

The structure and rules you practice with your puppy are safety and stability. Without them your puppy lives in chaos. Chaos leads to behavioral issues and a very stressful next 10-12 years.

Koda is a lucky pup. His parents are very patient and want to raise a well balanced pup🙌.

01/03/2023

Tonight at 5pm PST

26/02/2023

Have I told you how much I love my job?
It may be an actual job but it’s really so much more to me. Everyday I get to help people live better lives with their pups. This passion that some people call a job has made me me a very happy person. I have always loved dogs but let’s be honest-being a good dog trainer it’s more about loving working with people. So call me a dog trainer who loves people or a people trainer who loves dogs. But at the end of the day, dog training for me, is loving the people I work with and the connections I make each day❤️

21/02/2023

Join us for some live Puppy Talk!

I will be joining my friend and fellow dog trainer, April Sullivan of Bend Oregon, to talk about some of the most common themes where we see new puppy owners struggle.

Up this week:

⁃ The why’s and how’s of crate training
⁃ The Importance of having your puppy on a schedule

Please join us Wednesday March 1st at 5pm.

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20/02/2023

Just a reminder to get out and enjoy life with you dog!
Biking, hiking, swimming, paddle boarding , road tripping or just getting out for a walk can really change your mood and fulfill your dogs social and physiological needs.

10/02/2023

Would you believe me if I told you I came over to teach Coco how to do nothing?
The “nothing” was actually “something” very important called place training. She is learning that when she goes to her “place” she gets to completely and totally relax. She doesn’t need to worry about what her dad is doing in the kitchen or which cat just walked through the room. Her ONLY “job” is to keep herself in her place. This is a job that teaches a dog to self regulate and relax its body so its mind can follow.
A lot of dogs live in a constant state of arousal or hyper alertness always worried about what’s next. Coco gets easily overstimulated which causes her to bark, jump and bite her owners feet. Giving Coco a way to self regulate will lead to Coco making better choices. Those choices will make her mom and dads life with her much more enjoyable! When humans learn to nurture a calm state of mind in a dog they learn how much better life can be with a dog! 🎉

07/02/2023

Let’s talk about teaching a puppy healthy separation.

It’s not :

❌letting a puppy follow you around
❌letting a puppy sleep next to you all day while you work from home
❌letting a puppy roam around and dictate their own nap schedule
❌sleeping next to a puppy overnight
❌letting your new puppy hang out all day with your other mature dog
❌never leaving the house and/or leaving a human with a puppy at all times
❌letting a puppy take their long naps outside the crate
❌letting a puppy sleep on beds or furniture

It’s our responsibility to give a puppy structure and that means using the crate during the day for ALL the puppies naps. Puppies crave a regular schedule just like we do. A schedule provides a predictable routine. Just like us puppies get stressed if they don’t know what to expect . And that stress is what will lead to behavioral problems. When a puppy knows what to expect you nurture a calmer, happier puppy. A calmer, happier puppy means a calmer happier human!

Meet Zeus a 14 week old Labrador puppy. Zeus was adopted by a first time dog owner that is doing a fantastic job!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

07/02/2023

Last week I worked with Lucky, a newly adopted 4 month old Australian Sheperd. Unfortunately Lucky did not have much early socialization and is fearful and reactive to new people and dogs.
The key to Lucky moving forward is building his confidence and teaching him that the humans at the other end of the leash will be his advocate. The worst thing for a dog in this situation is to overwhelm and overexpose them to things too fast. Building confidence also means being able to manage his environment . This may include the human saying “No, you can not pet my dog.”
Building confidence is done by giving him structure and boundaries NOT by giving him copious amounts of affection and freedom. Bringing a new dog at any age home requires the human to lead and the dog to follow.

We worked on getting Lucky on a good schedule, place training, boundaries in the home, structured play, getting and staying off furniture and learning to use a leash. Lucky is lucky to have found an amazing family that will lead him in the way he needs to build his confidence 💪.

05/02/2023

I had a New Puppy 102 follow up appointment with 4 month old Blossom today. I worked with Blossom about two months ago when we did our new puppy 101 appointment. It was amazing to see that her parents have absolutely nailed everything I had taught them at their new puppy 101 appointment. The one thing they absolutely excelled at was conditioning her to the nasal leash. They worked with her a little bit every day until she was able to walk and tolerate the leash in the backyard and the front yard. It really paid off because today were able to do so much !💪
We worked on place training, boundaries, structured play and fine tuning her leash walking.
Follow up appointments are so rewarding because I get to see all the hard work the family has put in!🎉
The joy of follow up appointments is that I don’t walk into absolute chaos but get to see a puppy following all of the New Puppy 101 stuff like structure, boundaries and schedule which means we can get on to the good stuff !
Blossoms family gets an A++++++

28/01/2023

Meet 2.5 year old Scooter the Boston Terrier . His family adopted him several months ago and quickly discovered that their overindulgent strategy of love and affection was doing absolutely nothing to stop his undesirable behavior. In fact it was actually making things much worse.

When they called they called me he was actually biting and jumping at their legs to demand food or attention.
At first glance scooter sounded like a crazy dog who was out of control biting and nipping at them to get what he wanted, chewing up whatever he could find, dragging them on a leash, barking and whining, jumping and constantly running from them in the yard where it became a game of chase.
Scooter was in fact just a pup who needed some guidance 💪

I’m happy to report that this morning I received the best update. After our training sessions and his HUMANS changing their ways for a couple of weeks Scooter is a CALMER, happy and more confident dog🙌. Scooter needed more direction NOT more affection.

Scooters parents have done a fabulous job!!

12/01/2023

Hi everybody! I am so excited to announce that I have formally changed my business name!

Many of you have known me as “Zookeeper To The Rescue” for the last 6 years, but as my business and specialties have evolved it was time to change my name to "San Diego Puppy Coach", which better encompasses what I do for my clients.

Thank you all for supporting me on this evolution of my business, I am excited to see what this new chapter brings!

Please check out my new website! 👩‍💻🤗

13/11/2022

Shout out to my amazing clients who make the necessary changes and do the work. Most of the time this “work” is more about teaching the humans to do things the right way.

The first time I met these two they were out of control which was leading to anxiety and bad decisions. Once the humans learned how to meet their needs things began to change👏. It takes a little time and patience but you can make life easier for both you and your dogs. It’s never too late!

I love getting updates from this family and seeing how much happier everyone is feeling🫶.
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18/10/2022

When I met Cindi few weeks ago I felt like she was beyond frustrated .
She had 4 dogs that were p*eing all over the house, barking, jumping and basically living in a constant state of chaos.

One reason her dogs were anxious and insecure (that’s part of the reason they were p*eing in the house) was because they were living in an environment where they were constantly being showered with affection and unearned privileges. The constant affection and a unearned privileges equated to a lack of any leadership and therefore a lot of stress amongst the dogs. Due to the absence of a leader the dogs were being put in the position to lead and doing a terrible job 🤪. Cindi and her husband were becoming slaves to the dogs and that was no way to live!

I’m happy to say that after several weeks of implementing a leadership role Cindi has created more balanced, happy and CALM household with her 4 pups. Cindi filled the void and stepped up to meet her dogs needs AS dogs. She has found balance and life is so much easier!
Cindi also worked on teaching her youngest pup not to pull on the leash and have confidence while walking.


They are now enjoying their daily walks instead of dreading them.
Cindi put in the work and is now starting to enjoy life with her pups again instead of constantly struggling.
Amazing work Cindi! I know it’s took several weeks and a lots of patience to make these changes- but you did it!
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chulavistapetsitter

25/09/2022

I’m so proud of how far this boy and his mom have come.
Sometimes puppies will test you to your breaking point!
Being a single mom (most of the week) and having a 2 year was really putting a lot of pressure on this pups mom.
Severus’s mom called me when he was 10 weeks old. She is as seeing some behavior she was concerned about like barking, growling, nipping and resource guarding. She even had moments of doubt about whether she could make it work.

After a phone consult and some one on one lessons Severus is doing amazing!!! Turns out a lot of the behaviors she was concerned about were due to a lack of confidence and the dog not trusting her to lead. Had she waited months to call me things could have gone very differently.

After barking at other people and dogs Severus has made huge strides and had a glowing report from the vet staff of how well behaved and calm he was at his appt this week.

Severus is now living his best life going to the beach, the river and the horse stables. Kudos to his mama for putting in the work and sticking by him❤️.
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23/09/2022

I had the most amazing opportunity to work with this beautiful family and their pup. Nix is a 5 month old Bernadoodle that will eventually train to become a service dog for his littlest human sister. But, first things first ! Before a dog can learn to be led outside the home -it first needs to be led INSIDE the home . How could we expect a dog who doesn’t listen inside the home to magically start listening when it’s outside the home ? Teaching Nix structure, rules and boundaries in the home will set him up for much more success then he becomes a service dog. Foundation in the home is the first step! We got Nix and his family set up with a plan for leash walking, place training and more structure and boundaries in the home. His little human is also taking a big part in the training and learning to lead. This will go a long way on creating a balanced relationship between them❤️.
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08/09/2022

Starting off with a new puppy is a game changer! The first few weeks you spend with a puppy are a crucial period for both you and your new pup. The relationship you establish during this time can set the tone for the rest of your life together. Puppies grow up very fast in the first months after they enter a new home, so getting their early training absolutely right will help them become calm, well-behaved adult dogs.
Harley‘s mom was doing an amazing job but just had a few missing pieces.
Unfortunately those missing pieces were leading to a lack of sleep and lots of potty training accidents.

We filled in those pieces !😉
2 days after soing our New Puppy 101 I received this text:

Hi Nicole! Things are going so well! Harley slept through the night for the first time last night 🙌 9pm to 6am!!

I can’t thank you enough for working with us. I can already see an instant change in his behavior. And a good night’s sleep is priceless! 😂
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07/09/2022

I received this text from a client today:

“my 9yr old walks Lando to school every morning and everyday someone always stops us to say how nicely he walks on the leash and never pulls!  We always credit you!! Thank you!”

I love working with puppies and their little humans! Growing up with a dog was one of my greatest joys. To this day I am so thankful to my parents for bringing that Weimariner puppy home when I was 10. To me dogs are like friends that kids can always count on and who won’t let them down.

Seeing a new puppy come into a loving home and grow into a balanced dog gives me so much happiness. Day after day I see how much joy a dog brings to a family.

This family deserves all the credit! They put in the time, patience and made a commitment to this puppy!
Lando is a lucky dog❤️
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07/08/2022

Loved working with Summer and her family! It’s fun working with another pup in the same family 😊

NIcole came over yesterday to help with our new pup Summer. Nicole is absolutely wonderful! She went over boundaries (Summer needed that)!! And leash training. Summer is already doing so much better, respecting our space, and our older dog’s space. Aside from the consultation, and puppy training, we can always contact Nicole, for any tips, and with questions we might have (And boy I have questions). Adding a second dog to our family has been a lot of work, Nicole has hleped make that transition so much easier!!