Think Like A Dog

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United States
California, MD
Think Like A Dog

Donna Poudrier CPDT-KA is a Certified Dog Trainer and Behavioral Specialist.
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She has also completed two one year internships with Animal Behaviorist Debbie Winkler at Humane Domain. Think Like a Dog offers obedience classes from Puppy Kindergarten to Advanced Training. I address behavioral issues and will work with your dog one-on-one in the comfort of your home. I start with a free assessment of your dog, then we can outline an individualized training program.
1 free lesson given for rescue dogs!

06/25/2024

My 13 year old dog can’t chase the ball or frisbee any longer, but he loves to play volleyball with the kids in the pool! Enrichment can be added at any age….

06/25/2024

Welcome, Furgus to Think Like A Dog training! You are amazing us already!

06/23/2024

06/21/2024

JUSTICE has come SO FAR since he first came to Think Like A Dog! He’s worked hard with his person and it shows. Great job, Buddy!

06/20/2024

Starting tomorrow temps are going to be scorching…

06/20/2024

The puppies visited the “Vet” where they had their ears and feet examined, then they sniffed out treats and played… and played .. and played…

06/20/2024

Isn’t nature amazing ???

What an amazing discovery! Scientists have discovered that ants, after collecting the grains and seeds that they need for winter break those seeds down into halves before storing in their nests because breaking them in half keeps them from germinating even through rain and the most perfect germinating conditions. But scientists were stunned when they discovered that coriander seeds stored in the ant nest were broken down into 4 pieces instead of 2 pieces. After lab research, scientists discovered that a coriander seed will still germinate after being divided into two, but it won’t germinate after it’s divided into four parts. So how do these tiny tiny creatures know all this? Humans know very little, there's a lot to learn from other creatures.

06/20/2024

Last night our Level I class took a break from training to enjoy some puzzles and games!

06/17/2024

Welcome, Bigfoot to Think Like A Dog training and behavior services. You are already amazing!

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads of 4-legged babies!!!

06/15/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AcNsq2w1aveAJAc/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Father’s Day is right around the corner… what better present than unconditional love 💕

06/14/2024

Just a reminder…

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:
#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.
#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---
#3: We do not climb on the dog.
#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.
#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.
#6: We do not touch the dog's food.
#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***

06/14/2024

DAISY had a blast at the enrichment playground tonight! This pup has a knack for puzzles!

06/13/2024

It’s that time of year… please be careful..

A picture is worth a thousand words...image credit International Canine Behaviorists

06/13/2024

In last night’s puppy class we taught our puppies to stand on cue… this is helpful when we need to brush, put on a harness or even just examine our pup. Pictured here is Luci working on STAND…

06/13/2024

Last night we helped our puppies get used to being handled by a friendly stranger by passing our puppies around the room. Each new handler gently handled their new puppy and the puppies had a good time getting to know new friends!

06/13/2024

Welcome, TIGER and BLUE to Think Like A Dog S.T.A.R. Puppy class!!!

06/11/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/JcV9R4bNmjCRfsfM/?mibextid=WC7FNe

📢🐾 Our Animal Adoption & Resources Center is waiving ALL dog AND cat adoption fees through June 30, 2024! That’s right, you can bring home a new furry friend without any fees for the rest of this month🐶🐱❤️

Get the details here �https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/pio/docs/2024-107NewsReleaseAnimalAdoptionFeesWaived.pdf

Checkout adoptable animals here 👉 stmaryscountymd.gov/animalshelter

St. Mary's County Department of Emergency Services St. Mary's Animal Welfare League Charles County Animal Care Center

06/08/2024

What are the alternate names you call your babies?

06/07/2024

Do you recognize this gorgeous gal? Found on Pegg Rd near Ronald Dr in Lexington Park.

06/06/2024

Last night’s puppy class was crazy fun! I didn’t get many pics, but Luci’s person grabbed this fun pic of Luci navigating a tunnel!

06/06/2024

Did you know?

Several hairless breeds, such as the Mexican hairless and Chinese crested, are blessed with dark skin. The presence of this skin color isn’t there just by mere coincidence.

Rather, it’s purposely crafted since their skin is more exposed to the elements. The skin’s increased melanin presence (dark skin) plays a protective role against the sun.

06/06/2024

Welcome, BOGEY to Think Like A Dog S.T.A.R. Puppy class!

06/06/2024

Welcome, WINSTON to Think Like A Dog Level I class !

06/05/2024

Loose leash walking is one of the many skills learned in our Level I class! Join us for a great bonding and learning experience with your dog!

06/02/2024

Amen to this…

Address

44727 St Andrews Church Road
California, MD
20619

Telephone

+14104460865

Website

http://www.thinklikeadog.us/

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Videos

Great puppy play !

It was a great night to learn and make new friends!! Puppy play serves a critical role in development of your puppy. Ask us how we can help!

We are proud to partner with St. Mary's County Animal Services to offer free obedience training to some of their residents through our Foster Free program! Hulk is currently taking our Basic Obedience class and he is quite the fella! He's smart, super playful, and just look at those eyes!!!! If you or someone you know might be interested in Hulk, please visit the St. Mary's County Animal Shelter.

This is Odoe playing with another dog in class . Odor is white with brown/red markings. **Odoe is taking advantage of our Free Fosters Program and is available for adoption through St Mary’s Animal Adoption and Resource Center located at 22975 FDR Blvd. *** He’s waiting for the love of his life to walk through the door ❤️

Our Level I students had a chance to play after class!

Finally, we play!

Level I class practiced different types of polite greeting tonight. Here’s Teddy learning how to Say Hi to a stranger, then return to her owner instead of jumping on the approaching stranger. Great job, Teddy!

Tonight’s Level I class ended with an added Cole and Teddy play session!

Puppy Play during class tonight!

Tonight’s Level I class ended with a bit of unscheduled play time. Millie and Willow had a blast!

Last night’s Puppy K ended with some much needed socialization and play time! The puppies had great time!

Quincee and her owners have been working hard on recall. Quincee’s yard is a partially wooded lot with LOTS of squirrels and bunnies to chase, lots of dirt to dig in and plenty of sticks to chew. Today we sweetened the recall word first with a training game, then took it outside. The result was a rock solid rapid recall away from sticks, people walking up and down the street and lots of other distractions. Great job, Quincee. You and your people are gold!

Controlled, safe play is just as important as obedience training. These two friends had a chance to romp after class last night!

Persimmon had a great time discovering the tunnels!

Jaxson working on his loose leash walking skills today. Great job, Jaxson!

This play style is the “Wrestler”. Mutual play, very appropriate. Great example of good play and again, owners are closely monitoring. Great job!

This style of puppy play is called “rough and rowdy”. It is perfectly normal play and the owners are doing a great job of closely monitoring and interrupting when it starts to tip. Dogs with this play style should be matched up for mutual play and the play sessions should come in short bursts. Great job, pups and owners!

And…. The first S.T.A.R. Puppy class of 2022 is underway!

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Our Story

Think Like a Dog is a whole-dog , science based, family oriented company. We offer everything from AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy classes to advanced training and everything in between. We offer Rapid Results classes to help with some of the most pressing behaviors. We also offer holistic support with massage and reiki classes. Our trainers are CPDT-KA certified or are on their way to achieve certification. Donna Poudrier is a certified trainer and animal behaviorist focusing on canine, feline, equine and avian. Behavior evaluation and modification is done in your home where your animal is given an initial evaluation and then a personalized behavior plan. We are proud to serve St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles Counties. Contact us to find out more about our family-oriented programs!