Set the Stage Dog Behavior and Coaching LLC

05/16/2024

Looking for something to do on Tuesday evenings? I just had a spot open up in my Foundations of Learning training class. I'd love to have you there!

Send me a message if you have any questions!

05/09/2024

With only 4 working spots per class, group classes fill fast! Every single session of my adolescent dog class is half full, only 3 days after opening registration. If you want to be in the class, now is the time to register!

I’m so excited to share what I’ve been working on, and set you and your adolescent dog up for a lifetime of adventures together!

Plus, students in the class get a ton of cute videos Kayoss. Who doesn’t want cute videos of Kayoss??

05/08/2024

Ever wondered why your dog only listens when you have a treat in your hand? It's because we have a fundamental difference in how we think about "sit!"

If you want to learn more about this, or want to learn how to get past this point with your dog, register for Foundations of Learning, my in person group class!

It's designed for adolescent dogs, but anyone who wants to learn just a little more about their dog is welcome to join. Learn more and register at the link in the comments!

05/07/2024

I’m sure you’ve heard of a puppy class, but you might be wondering what makes an adolescent dog class special!

Adolescence is a rough time for most social species! Adolescent brains are going through a ton of changes, which makes them especially sensitive to stress and makes what they learn during this time very important to how they think about the world in the future.

They’re developing their identities and building habits that will last a lifetime.

I am specifically designing a class, and a classroom, that will support the needs of adolescent dogs and their ever changing brains. We will be managing distractions, practicing chill waiting, and helping them learn to respond to social situations with flexibility and thoughtfulness.

What’s something your adolescent dog could use in a group class?

Here, adolescent dog Kayoss is practicing hanging out around people and be a good house guest!

05/06/2024

It’s finally here! I’ve been working hard to put together our first ever in person group class!

Do you have an adolescent dog? Do you live in driving distance of Corvallis? Register for foundations of learning!

I have put a ton of time and effort into making this a better way to do group classes. I’m focusing on arranging the environment so that you, the human, can actually learn in class and so your dog can make great choices as we build these skills!

There are short video lessons and specific training tasks for homework, and then in class we can practice stuff that you actually can do successfully!

Register at the link in the comments! You can also check out a quick video preview of the course in the comments! Here’s a picture of Kayoss, wondering why you haven’t already registered!!

04/08/2024

Does your dog chase things? Chances are, they have some prey drive! Join this training challenge and get specific tips and training games to work with your dog rather than against them!

Hey all! Anja Andjelic and I are leading a prey drive related event in April! Outside of my training with clients, I also train in reward based bite sport. I helped run and photograph a bite sport event this weekend and it got me thinking about the intersection of bite sports and prey drive in “real life.” A big piece of well meaning advice that gets tossed out a lot is to be “more exciting” than the squirrel - or the decoy.
My specific sport has a lot of ”prey based bites” including a call off - we send the dog for a bite on a decoy and recall the dog last second. I promise you, nothing I possibly offer can be as good as a decoy to a bitey dog! Much like a deer in the woods, my dog is not returning to me because she likes me better or because I am “more exciting.” I’m pretty sure that all my dogs would in fact happily be feral in the woods 😅
While there are many parts of the puzzle, some of the biggest pieces for me are a reliably reinforcing reward strategy, only asking my dog to do what they are capable of, and training a call off picture out of context. The tricky part? All of these things look different for different dogs!
Drop your questions, thoughts, and prey drive related training challenges below! We are excited delve into this complex topic!
If you'd like to join us, there is a one time sliding scale fee to access our FB group - you'll get access to prior events as well as future monthly events led by a team of fantastic trainers :)
Image description: a working line border collie chases a lure. His whole body is focused on one goal: catching the plastic bag.
Photography credit: C4 Pet Photography

03/27/2024

Want to come learn cool stuff from cool trainers? Do you have a dog who likes to chase things? Join our monthly events group! For a one time fee, you get access to a new training event each month, led by expert trainers with a range of experience and expertise!

Learn more and register at the link in the comments!

03/20/2024

Wondering what it's like to work with Sage as a trainer, or how virtual training works? You can join our training events and support group, Live the Good Dog Life. Each month, this group hosts a dog training event led by expert trainers including Sage.

⭐️ In April, we will be diving deep into prey drive: What is it? Why do we care about it? What are strategies we can use in training our high prey drive dogs?

⭐️ In May, we're talking about decompression and stress, especially in our wound up dogs. If you have a dog who cares a lot about things in their environment or seems stressed, this is the event for you!

⭐️ In June, we're focusing on the human end of the leash. We love our dogs and care about them, but sometimes that means we feel shame, guilt, fear, anger, stress, or embarrassment about our dogs. How do our emotions impact our training?

If you think any of these events sound like they might help you, you can register for this group at the link in the comments! We hope to see you there!

02/20/2024

It’s time. Kyle and I are fully packed up, and ready for the moving truck in the morning and the start of our own adventure off in Oregon. Of course I am excited to be closer to family and rejoin my Oregon community, but this week has been bittersweet. I have had so many goodbyes and lasts.

In particular, I’ve been reflecting on the community I’ve built around dogs these last few years. I started training at a time when I was struggling to find a way to make the world a better place, and find my way to connect with people and build community. There are not words to express how joyful, welcoming, kind, and supportive this community has been, and how much I will truly miss it.

Thank you first and foremost to Jessica Tomkoski. You and Shelley have been such a constant since I brought Jed home, and helped me to hone my skills and find my way and gave me a foothold into the community I didn’t know I needed. I will miss our weekly hikes but will look forward to the next time our paths cross.

I have also had the opportunity to learn from so many skilled local trainers and teach so many amazing clients and learn alongside classmates, all of whom have become friends. You all have been so influential in my development as a trainer, dog guardian, dog sports competitor, and human being. I am so grateful for your presence in my life. Deb Norman Julie Norman Jenkins Angela Brown Vicki Haizlip Terry Jane Clarke Ariel Wolf Liz Burke Christy Metallo Casey Keller Liz MacHaffie Meme Betadam Nat Norris Memum Danielle Kaitlyn Michelle and so many others. Please know I am thinking of you even if i forgot to tag you!

I’m grateful to everyone at Cornwallis Road Animal Hospital for their willingness to trust my gut when something wasn’t right or follow my lead when dealing with my dog’s behavioral quirks. I want to thank Dr. Jeffer in particular, who referred my first client to me and pushed me to take this career leap. I’m so lucky to have worked with and become friends with the veterinarians and staff here.

This has been one of the most influential periods of my life, and it’s in no small part due to the dog community I’ve found. Thank you all, and here's to more friendship in the future ❤️

02/12/2024

Did you know Separation Anxiety in dogs is like a panic attack, and is a medical diagnosis that needs to be made by a veterinarian? I didn't!

Beverly Lassiter, CPDT-KA CSAT is dropping so much knowledge in her webinar about separation anxiety! She is just one of the expert trainers that runs monthly events in our monthly events group that you can join for a single sliding scale fee. If you want to hear the recording of this webinar, ask us questions, or get access to great events just like this, join through the link in the comments or on this picture.

01/31/2024

🐾 Upcoming Event! 🐾

🎉 Join us for a transformative webinar: "Separation Anxiety and Alone Time Hygiene" 🐶🏠

📅 Date: 2/12
🕒 Time: 10 am PST
📍 Where: Online Webinar, registration in the comments

Led by Bev Lassiter, CPDT-KA, CSAT, a close friend and colleague and truly one of the most caring, thoughtful, and skilled trainers out there. She'll cover best practices for tackling separation anxiety and maintaining a healthy alone time routine with your dog. 🌟

Don't worry if you can't make it live – the webinar will be recorded for future viewing! 🎥

This event is one in a series of ongoing events by qualified, compassionate and skilled trainers. In order to join this event, you’ll need to pay a one time sliding scale fee, which gets you access to our ongoing monthly events training group, Live the Good Dog Life. You can learn more about this group at the registration link in the comments or on the photo.