Canis Major Dog Training

04/15/2025

✨Client Spotlight✨

Meet Tosh!

Tosh is a lovable 11-month-old Golden Retriever puppy. He loves going for walks, eating treats, and making new friends. Over the past few months, Tosh has been working on foundational skills such as “place”, conquering his FOMO, and building confidence when home alone.

We’re so proud of his progress!

04/10/2025

☀️🍃Green grass, fresh air, and sunshine for the dogs boarding with us out in the country over spring break 💜

We only accept 4 dogs at a time to allow for more individualized care

Make plans for your dog's summer vacation today!

Canismajorky.com/boarding

04/01/2025

🔥Hot Tip Tuesday🔥

An incredibly simple tool that I wish every dog owner used. A backup clip keeps your dog attached to you in the event of equipment failure or escape of their primary gear.

We have an entire blog post that covers the use of backup clips and other strategies to prevent escapes.

https://www.canismajorky.com/blog/dog-on-the-run

03/30/2025

🐾 Kong Recipe - Lower Calorie 🐾

Using a fork, mash together some cooked sweet potato 🍠 , cooked carrots 🥕and pumpkin purée 🎃. Spoon inside of an enrichment toy or spread onto a lick mat. This recipe can be easily frozen for extended chew time ❄️.

03/19/2025

Why do we recommend ⭐feeding schedules⭐ instead of free-feeding?

Feeding schedules with measured amounts of food allow you to...

✅Easily adjust portions if they’ve had extra activity or treats.
✅Manage weight fluctuations through increasing/decreasing portions.
✅Quickly recognize an abnormal change in appetite that may warrant a vet visit.
✅Plan training sessions around times when your dog has the best appetite.
✅Manage your dog's potty schedule based on typical digestion associated with meal times.

03/14/2025

Personal space? Never heard of her 🐶🐾

03/11/2025

🔥 Hot Tip Tuesday 🔥

Giving your dog time to acclimate when arriving somewhere can help them feel safer, more confident, and better focused. It also allows them a chance to regulate their emotions, helping to reduce unwanted behaviors like jumping, pulling, and excessive barking.

You can help your dog adjust by letting them sniff around and observe their environment before jumping into training or introducing them to new stimuli, including people or other dogs. A little patience goes a long way!

03/05/2025

Our first FREE social for March is this Friday 😁

Have you recently welcomed a new puppy into your family? Don’t miss our ⭐FREE⭐ Puppy Socials!

Join us most Fridays from 4–5 PM at Med Center Health Adult Day Center for a one-hour session filled with fun and skill-building. Led by our certified trainers, these dynamic sessions focus on creating positive experiences for your puppy while helping them grow and thrive. Sessions are normally $25 each, but for the month of March they are FREE!

These socials are open to puppies from 6-14 weeks of age. Limited spots available, enroll and learn more on our site.

03/04/2025

Have you ever noticed your dog acting differently on a windy day? 💨🐶 Wind can have a surprising effect on their behavior!

The wind carries an overload of scents, sounds, and tactile sensations, which can excite, distract, or worry your dog. This stimulus overload can lead to big bursts of energy like the zoomies, or with our anxious/reactive dogs can increase the likelihood of more intense reactions to triggers!

Given these factors, take extra care when training on windy days! Recall, leash walking, reactivity training, among other skills can be more difficult under these conditions.

02/26/2025

Have you recently welcomed a new puppy into your family? Don’t miss our ⭐FREE⭐ Puppy Socials!

Join us most Fridays from 4–5 PM at Med Center Health Adult Day Center for a one-hour session filled with fun and skill-building. Led by our certified trainers, these dynamic sessions focus on creating positive experiences for your puppy while helping them grow and thrive. Sessions are normally $25 each, but for the month of March they are FREE!

These socials are open to puppies from 6-14 weeks of age. Limited spots available, enroll and learn more on our site.

02/24/2025

If your dog could make one rule for the house, what would it be? 🐾🏠

02/22/2025

When a dog shows their belly, are they asking for belly rubs?

It’s a common thought that when a dog rolls onto their back, they’re asking for petting—but that’s not always true. Dogs may also show their belly as a sign of appeasement and to request space while communicating no intent to harm you. In this case, showing the belly indicates they're feeling fearful or uncertain.

Before reaching in to pet a dog’s belly, look for signs of relaxation, like a loose body, wagging tail, and soft eyes. If the dog seems tense, avoids eye contact, or tucks their tail, they may not want to be touched. Respecting their signals helps build trust and strengthens your bond!

02/21/2025

Does your dog sleep in your bed or their own? 🐶🛏️

There’s a lot of hearsay implying that sharing your bed with your dog leads to behavior issues, but here’s the truth—there’s no evidence of that! In fact, all 3 of my dogs sleep in the bed with me 😅

Whether your dog sleeps curled up next to you or in their own bed is totally up to you and what works best!

02/20/2025

We love seeing your dog’s DNA results! Uma came back 100% Good Girl 🩷

02/07/2025

When’s the best time to start training your puppy? Yesterday!

With our ⭐in-home training programs⭐ your dog can begin at any age. Starting early helps set them up for lifelong success and saves you the frustration of trial and error.

02/06/2025

🐾 Kong Recipe - Yogurt Parfait 🐾

Start with a spoonful of plain greek yogurt. Then mix in kibble, blueberries, strawberries, and/or raspberries 🍓🫐🍦

02/05/2025

March will be here before you know it! I've announced our 🌸spring agility🌸 semester on our website.

We have a Term 1 Recreational Group Class, for anyone brand new to agility, open to 4 students, this will often fill up well before class begins, so if you want a spot do not delay!

We also have two Term 3 Recreational Group Classes, for anyone that has completed terms 1 and 2 or has gotten prior approval from me. There are only 3 total spots remaining between these two classes, so again, do not delay if you want to participate.

02/05/2025

🔥Hot Tip Tuesday🔥

Stop fumbling around! Carrying a treat pouch during walks or training sessions makes rewarding your dog quick and convenient. This is essential for precise timing of rewards in response to good behaviors.