Intuitive Dog Training

04/14/2025

Dog neutrality work.
When people say that they want a dog who is good with other dogs, usually they me and they would like a dog who is neutral in the presence of other dogs, as seen in this video. Both girls, with minimal guidance, see the passing dogs and choose not to visit with them.
Eevee (German Shepherd) absolutely loves playing with other dogs, and has struggled with some frustration based reactivity in the past. She believes every dog is a new friend! Her humans have worked very hard on helping her learn to be more neutral in public settings (as well as an extremely reliable off leash recall), and it's paid off in her ability to go to new spaces and make fantastic choices like this!

04/10/2025

We have a stacked crew this week 💪

04/09/2025

Spring has sprung!

04/07/2025

Ollie says he doesn't mind the April snow as long as he's out and about practicing his recalls!

03/23/2025

Field day with Maeve and the Malinois!

03/18/2025

Off leash freedom is one of the best gifts you can give your dog 💜

03/13/2025

What does good play look like to you?

Usually when folks think of playing with their dog, they think of tugging or fetch. But play is anything that feels playful to you and your dog!

Hadley the Vizsla struggles with focus out and about, and will disengage from tug or fetch to watch distractions. In our lesson we worked on creating a game that really spoke to her pointer/gun dog genetics, and The Stalky Game was born!

As we engaged in the stalky game, Hadley naturally started returning the toy more and more, and even asked to tug as well! When you start playing in a way your dog likes, you will often find that they will engage in a wider variety of play behaviors as they really start to enjoy the game and engagement with you, the handler.

03/12/2025

Look at this handsome face! You'd never know he has a naughty side 😈

Scooby Doo is here for an adolescent camp. He loves to jump, mouth hands and clothing, and pull his people around as he enjoys the thrills of both city and country living! While he's here we will work on teaching him to walk cooperatively with his humans, how to greet and get pet by folks in a way BOTH parties enjoy, and to come when called under distraction.

02/19/2025

Finally the wind let up enough this afternoon to get the dogs out for a nice long run!

02/09/2025

Hikes after the snowstorm 💜

02/08/2025

I believe all professional dog trainers should involve themselves in dog sports with their own dogs. Working towards tangible goals with your dog hones your skills as a trainer and pushes you to learn new things and stay current on innovations in the world of dog training. Being involved in a dog sport pushes you to further your personal training skills and expand your worldview, and those skills directly impact my work with your dogs.

This year we (myself, my Border Collie Swift, and Kelpie mix Bash) attended our first UKI US Open in Jacksonville Florida. This is the big national event for our chosen agility venue, and is a true test of your training, handling, and partnership with your dogs. We had a blast, both boys made it into finals, and we got energized for a new year of agility training with the goal of coming back even stronger and better next year!

Below are videos of each dogs' highlights at the event. If you think agility looks fun (and it is), I encourage you to check out local options for dog agility training for your pup. It's a great way to build relationship, exercise, and have fun with your dog!

BASH:

https://youtu.be/HNGQpg0jnKg?si=NRlNS_E9Dqd8g_cA

SWIFT:

https://youtu.be/g8gtUQUaBSY?si=4GdoIz7B0mgk3z0P

02/08/2025

Young Murphy struggles with playing keep-away sometimes, so he is working on a collar give behavior! Basically, if I stick my hand out and say "Collar" he should run up to me and offer me his collar (in exchange for snacks and lots of pets of course). This will help his folks get him in from the yard, and makes him easier to leash up around the house!
Ma2Doodles LLC

02/03/2025

Ollie loves going to Benson's Pet Center to work on his manners and greetings!

02/03/2025

Ollie, Squirrel, and Bash enjoying the fresh snowfall!

02/01/2025

Handsome Ollie is here for a Teenager Tune Up! Like many teens, he is pushing boundaries at home and being a wild man. Alongside hikes with buddies to get that teen energy out, Ollie will be working on his recalls under distraction, leash walking, and greetings.

01/31/2025

I was on a podcast! Really enjoyed our discussion. If you want to learn more about all aspects of the dog training industry, give these guys a listen!

Vinny Viola and I are back for our podcast, The Canine Classroom Podcast. This podcast is typically more for dog trainers and dog enthusiasts who are into training dogs.

But this episode is one that dog owners should hear! We cover ethical shelters and ethical adoption and How to find an ethical shelter . We also cover biological fulfillment and play skills! Links to this episode in the comments below!

01/14/2025

Update on Rizzy:

She made a new friend (Rhoda the wonderful Springer Spaniel) and has begun to approach the dogs and participate in close sniffing, even doing the occasional butt sniff! She is feeling comfortable enough to start showing social behavior towards these three pups, which is a huge milestone! She is also very much enjoying our daily runs in the woods, which helps create a safe space for social exploration ❤️

01/11/2025

Hi all!

For those interested, this is a longer video which shows the absolute beginning of steps of integrating a fearful reactive dog into my pack. Charisma (Rizzy) is an adult border collie who has struggled with dog reactivity her entire life. I have worked a lot with her in private lessons and she has made huge strides with her Hard-Working owner!

Finding care for reactive dogs while we travel is an extra challenge, and We decided it was a good time to try and widen Rizzy's world by boarding her in my home while her owner travels. Integrating an underconfident dog is one of my absolute favorite things to do as a dog trainer. I love seeing them blossom and start to enjoy the company of their own kind! We have a long way to go, but Rizzy is only on day 2 and making great strides!