1st Class K-9 Dog Training

12/17/2024

Just enjoying some fun pics! 😃

This is Kikyo the Tosa hanging out with Suzi the Akita! We all had a blast after these two big personalities learned to respect each others personal space, lol! Absolutely lovely ladies though and I loved getting to hang out with them. I love my job! ❤️

12/16/2024

How old do I begin training puppies?

It's easier to answer this question with humans.
There is more than one type of learning. Academic education begins for many in 1st grade, though some learn even before pre-K. At home they are taught their ABCs, Numbers, etc... However, this sort of teaching cannot begin too early or it will go over the child's head. You won't damage the child but you will waste your time.
There is an education that precedes this academic instruction. It is manners. A child need not speak and understand English to begin learning who its parents are and what crying will get it. Before children are born they are learning these things. They come out even recognizing their mother's voice.

Dogs, similarly, can be too young to teach them what "sit" means. They are never too young to learn how to behave. So true is this that whether you teach them or not, they are learning. Similarly, they are never too old for this instruction and it is never a bad time. There is nothing that can revoke this lifelong status of potential. So, to answer the question, I don't teach my dogs their names until they are 6 months old but they know who I am talking to. I teach them not to jump as soon as they can walk. I may not teach a recall until 5 or 6 months of age, but they know not to wander by 3 months and follow me by habit. They know what no means. They know how to be a part of our pack before they get to the age of their first required shot. They meet our other dogs at 3-6 months and learn more from them. All without a clicker or a treat.

When it comes to your dog, the best time to teach them commands and tricks may vary. The best time to teach them about life is always now. Remember that. 👍👍

Photo: Peach the Tosa Inu showing us what cuteness is.

12/14/2024

Can you keep a dog on a chain or tie out?

Yes. Exercise them like they need and it doesn't matter if they are on a tie out, in an apartment, in a yard, in the house, etc... Even if you have a mansion, meet your dog's needs and don't expect the yard to do what you are supposed to do. Exercise. 👍👍

12/13/2024

Pro training tip:

Guess what tired dogs do! 😃

Nothing. 😑 💪

Photo: Sarabi (foreground) and Mufasa (background) the Tosas after a good workout. Guess who put in more effort. 🤣

12/12/2024

The bond between human and dog is best when it is uncomplicated.

Life and other people's expectations complicate things in a hurry.

Advice: Stop. Be still. Life isn't that complicated and the main culprit heaping expectations on you is more often you. Give yourself some grace and time, you will find you have plenty more for your dog. Be in the moment and enjoy the good moments along with the bad ones. Triumphs and mistakes alike are all opportunities and they make up life. Don't forget to just enjoy yourself. ❤️

Photo: Amina the Pitty being the goodest girl.

12/11/2024

To have a dog is to have a reason to leave a sedentary life behind. We will get to more information on training soon, but for now, the simplest thing you can do is go for a walk, play fetch, just commit to yourself and your pup to get at least 10 minutes of exercise together each day this week. It need not be perfect or anything in particular, just do something. If you miss a day try again the next day. Keep it simple. Make it fun. ❤️

Photo: Mufasa the Tosa Inu showing his "Throw the ball!" face. 🥰

12/10/2024

Exercise is important. No matter the breed, time of year, age, etc. Get out and get active.

Fun fact: I was at home working this day and seconds after this clip, a gender reveal party set off a huge balloon next to the dogs and I. We were terrified at first, caught off guard. We regained our composure and I yelled congratulations over the fence, lol! They were going to have a girl.
At around the exact second the balloon went off, my wife was visiting her mother on the other side of the state, reading a pregnancy test confirming we had a baby on the way. We were going to have a girl. This was the day we found out Micah was coming. ❤️❤️❤️

Just a short clip from walking around with a couple Boxer boys, lovely dogs on a lovely evening!

08/15/2024

Screenshot from a training video we are working on! Yoshi is too good of a student! 🥴🙄🤣😜❤️

I'll share it here when we finish! 😃

08/10/2024

The hard dogs are hard because you have yet to learn something.

They are worth it 🐶💜

07/09/2024

Not professional quality pics, but be advised we are officially out of office until further notice!

Pup one is down and we are counting!

06/10/2024

Here's a video that is perhaps a bit on the silly side, but still showing just how easy it can be to begin to teach your dog where to use the restroom! It's not hard at all and therefore this is not a long or complicated video. We controlled circumstances to make sure we were where we wanted to be when the dog needed to go. We gave the command and waited for nature to take it's course. Success!

06/07/2024

Finally have a direction for where we want to go and what we want to do with the YouTube channel! Going to start putting videos out at least once a week and just make them like episodes! Hopefully in the course of the everyday there will be plenty of things to share and learn! The first video is just a short of hanging out with a couple of sweet boxer boys! Never forget the importance of exercise!

Just a short clip from walking around with a couple Boxer boys, lovely dogs on a lovely evening!

06/05/2024

I love the theory behind this and the fact that this Rottie does it so well! We may not need bear training this far south, however there is a such thing as snake avoidance training, reach out to us to learn more!

05/31/2024

Photo from that one time a training session was held up when a hawk decided he'd had enough of the Yorkies' trash talkin! 😗

05/29/2024

Taking advantage of the opportunity to work with Ms. Suzi the Akita, I had her pose with a few different dogs to help our breed, the Tosa Inu. Here she is with Mr. Yoshi, a sweet but solid Japanese import.

Dogs getting along is not a foregone conclusion. However, with proper guidance any two dogs can get along fine. Akita Inu and Tosa Inu are widely regarded as very serious and potentially dangerous breeds that shouldn't be capable of getting along with other dogs. Yet here we are... ❤❤❤

05/28/2024

This Memorial Day weekend we celebrated two family birthdays, one of which is also a veteran, celebrated Memorial day, remembered family and friends who served and are no longer with us, remembered family and friends who served and are still with us, got some time to just hang out as husband and wife, got some time to just hang out as parents with our children, and got time to get ready for the work week, and that's not the half of it.
I genuinely hope your weekend was even better than ours. God bless you all and I hope you had a wonderful Memorial day.

05/24/2024

May your every day begin with my favorite soundtrack. ❤