VP Dog Training

08/28/2024

NEW SATURDAY CLASS STARTS THIS SATURDAY in Irvine. It will be a small class so we should be able to work on some things we usually can’t.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to join

07/01/2024

New Saturday class starts 7/6 in Irvine
Let me know if you have questions or would like to join.

07/01/2024

Our Saturday class graduated yesterday. All dogs demonstrated great improvement in their skills.

Some of the students stayed afterward to allow their dogs engage a bit.

06/04/2024

NEW WEDNESDAY CLASS STARTS TOMORROW
It is another full class with a fantastic diversity of participants. Last class was full and had 100% perfect attendance which is impressive. Let’s see if this class can follow suit. That is of course largely up to me in that I have to encourage, challenge, meet the needs of each dog and owner so they can maximize their learning.

I’m looking forward to this journey in the next 8 weeks!

04/30/2024

NEW SATURDAY CLASS

We have a new Saturday morning class starting on May 11th. Please contact me if you have any questions or wish to be added to the roster.

03/14/2024

SNAPSHOT into the real life of a dog trainer.

This is one of my rescued dogs. Super smart, super high food drive, super high prey drive and super high toy/ play drive. He also LOVES to train. These are all great qualities when managed well. He showed potential to do a bit of guarding as a pup so I worked hard on it using the most positive methods possible.

As he has become closer to “the guys” in the house there has been a bit of an imbalance of late. He has become more pushy for attention (24/7) and starting to steal food. I worked very hard to explain to the rest of the household that him being so pushy and demanding was NOT a good thing. But of course often am met with “oh but it is so cute” statement.

He has a dog bed that he loves to lay on and I made sure he did not become possessive of it. But last few weeks he has added a behavior that started to concern me (again it was thought of as cute by the guys). He loves to drag kitchen towels off of the counter and take them to his bed. He does not rip them up in any way. He also loves to steal toilet paper roll (only the new ones) and again take them to his bed. Again this was thought of as cute. I kinda saw the writing on the wall.

I have alway worked on a strong drop it command cuz I knew it was a must with him. Yes I can take things away but I rather he give it up willingly.

Then the other day he demonstrated the behavior I saw flags about. Had his towel and brand new toilet paper roll on his bed. Did it when I wasn’t looking. I walked up to take the toilet paper roll and he gave me a freeze and side eye. Next level “could” have been a snap. So I commanded him off his bed and removed objects. He knew he had messed up.

So I will be going back to training and reprimanding the guys for giving constant attention whenever he demands it. He essentially has gotten too big for his britches! After two days of sporadic training he is responding faster to all commands which is a good step. My challenge is not so much with him but how he is allowed to do whatever he wants and to whatever degree he wishes. Hopefully I can get a little more cooperation from the guys in the house.

These are things I run in to all the time with clients and I always have to laugh when they say “your dogs must be so well trained and little angels”. NOPE. I have to deal with the same things my clients do. I don’t hesitate to let them know that is the case.

03/09/2024

We have a great Saturday class. So diverse. Many different temperaments. All are taking to this game called training! We try to not only make training beneficial but an activity the dogs really look forward to. I can already see that spark in their eyes. And we ALSO celebrate with the owner when their dog finally masters something they were struggling with. We worked on beginning recall, sit-stay, down, off, side sit, and the dreaded loose leash walking. The owners were amazed how fast their dogs could improve if they broke the exercises down into small pieces.

AND our Frenchie that started far away from the class (due to extreme reactivity) is now calm and relaxed and really close to being fully integrated into the class. She has an angel for an owner as she has been patient and has stuck with our plan. It is really paying off. The dog now has a very bright future and the owner is thrilled and I feel rewarded myself. Doesn’t get better than that.

02/17/2024

We have a new class starting Saturday the 24th in Irvine. Class time is 9:30-10:30.

If you have any questions or would like to join feel free to contact me.

01/15/2024

Always looking for ways for my dogs to interact and have fun without going psycho. I’m liking this new game. Apparently the only rule is that you have to stay on the bed.

01/06/2024

Wow. What a year 2023 was. And I don’t know about you but the holiday season was super charged for me.

Now that things are quieting down a bit it’s time to get focused again. I’m not good about New Year’s resolutions so I just focus on working on projects that I’ve been neglecting.

My “girls” are maturing and showing their forever personalities. I’m truly enjoying their differences.

Bobbi is finally deciding that it is really more fun to play with her toys WITH me than by herself. I wanted her to come to that conclusion on her own. Food still is number 1 then affection number 2 for her. She is like lightening running to her crate to eat her meals. She is really turning into a “neutral” dog around other dogs. Something I have worked on from day one. She likes them but not at all obsessed with them. She is the more mellow of the two girls.

Andi is much more energetic and although she runs for her food too if there is a person on the way she HAS to stop and say high. She also seeks out physical attention above most everything else. She LOVES to share her toys with you. She always has. She is still the one that has to run off some energy before being able to think clearly whereas Bobbi does not. She is also becoming a great neutral dog.

Although they both have the basics down it’s time to continue actual training. So that is one of my top goals for 2024.

We welcomed a new grandson this year. Our son, his wife and their baby live in Oregon but we get pics and videos regularly. Our granddaughter is now five almost six! So hard to believe.

I also HAVE to buy a new vehicle this year. My 20 year old van keeps hinting that she is tired! It’s just so hard to decide the best choice for my needs. Sigh.

Also trying to move and exercise more and not as focused on “losing weight” as before.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year and that your own personal goals are achieved this year.

My Tustin classes have started up again…….brrrrrrrr but fun and some brave souls attending that.

I’ve heard from some longtime friends that are going to be getting a new puppy. So excited for them.

Hope to post some useful content going forward.

Until next time

Patti

10/21/2023

I saw this neat little graph and thought it worthwhile to post. I agree with the categories according to what I see on a daily basis.

10/13/2023

Another team practicing the walk by.

10/13/2023

Great article about dominance in dogs

https://news.asu.edu/20210805-discoveries-myth-alpha-dog?fbclid=IwAR3i0veq0a5iSKauIaQovG1-UQWLjW5ez46zIABYx4JXzi6dNZNFOkb3kKo_aem_AZWrry--LIRrO7E5aYJbHOWUC3HKYw-5R4Bjye5fRJ4lKcCFK06Wm6N2yy_nYfaBpUs&mibextid=S66gvF

ASU dog behavioral expert Clive Wynne conducted an extensive review of existing research on dominance in dogs and concludes that yes, they do experience it, but how it plays out among themselves is very different from how it plays out when they live with humans.

10/12/2023

Another team doing walk by

10/12/2023

I wanted to send a little video of all the dogs in class doing the walk by exercise then found out I can only add one video. But I can say all the dog were remarkable!

10/12/2023

Two lessons away from graduation for our Wednesday class. So proud of ALL the students and dogs. They have come so far in such a short time. Here we were doing one of my favorite exercises and one than is hard for many dogs. The people in line have to keep their dog in a sit-stay while one by one each dog walks nicely in front of them. They have all done well mastering this.

10/06/2023

Who says goldens and pitties can’t be besties. This pit is a rescue that loved and cuddled with all my goldens. He missed them since they have all passed. Now he is super happy again to have his two new goldens.

09/29/2023

NEW SATURDAY CLASS STARTING ON OCTOBER 7 IN IRVINE

there is still room in the upcoming class starting on October 7. It’s located at our new site which is our best site yet.

Let me know if you have any questions or wish to be added to the roster.

Patti
VP Dog Training
949.650.6208

09/29/2023

NOTHING HAS CHANGED

Well the unfortunate continues to happen.

I heard from clients this week that their dog had been attacked at the dog park that they often go to. Despite my warning that this activity is often a disaster waiting to happen (no not 100% of the time but you never know what your individual odds are) they both were enamored with the sight of their dog running safely with joy. The operative word here is safely.

One dog had already had bad experiences elsewhere and the other was a very young dog without much experience with dogs under their belt.

One dog (the older one) had to go to vet for numerous stitches and the puppy is now pointedly leery of the sight of other dogs. Not having been there I can’t sat what happened but it is more than fair to say neither dog should have been there. The puppy could have been over active or insecure (insecurity can easily make a dog a target) and the older dog could have easily been defensive due to prior experiences.

But now we have a ton of work to bring the puppy back to neutral trusting of dogs and it could take a long time.

I fear the older dog is now going to be highly reactive to other dogs. Lots of hard work ahead there too.

It’s so sad because there are ways to socialize your dog to other dogs without putting them in danger.

Remember WE have zero control who comes into the dog park and little control over whether the experience will be positive or negative. AND it is a gamble as one visit could be fantastic and the next could be a disaster.

Just another PSA announcement.

09/28/2023

YOU JUST RESCUED A DOG….NOW WHAT?

So you have done a loving and giving thing and rescued a dog. Many adopters are not sure how to move forward to help their new family member adapt and settle in.

First of all, and likely the most important, the adoption agency has been diligent in determining the dog and new adopter are a good match (nervous and shy dogs are not likely to be a good match for a super busy house with small children. )

Of course even when careful consideration has been given, the dog will likely need help settling in.

So what are some guidelines that can help things get started out in the right direction? Following is a list of suggestions. Of course not all apply to all dogs but none are harmful either.

1. Hopefully the new owner and dog have already spent some time together and a general evaluation of the dog has been done of the dog and that information passed on to the new owner (doesn’t get along with cats, takes a while to warm up to new people, etc.)

2. The new owner is already set up to receive the dog (safe place to confine the dog when needed, toys, chew items, a supply of food the dog was already eating so a slow transition to new food can be done without causing an upset stomach.)

3. Have the right tools for the dog (maybe a martingale collar or front clip harness or head collar) very important to have right tool for each dog.

4. Proceed slowly. Let the dog safely explore its new world. That doesn’t mean let the dog do a mad dash throughout the house. After all, the rules of the house should be kindly introduced from day one. Friends may want to come visit the new member but it might be a good idea to just let the dog settle in for a few days.

If there is already a dog in the household it’s a good idea to introduce them slowly with no forced interactions. I suggest having the new dog perhaps in an x-pen or such so the resident dog can investigate at will OR NOT. The resident dog needs to learn that the new dog is no threat and the new dog needs to learn he can’t constantly pester the resident dog. It’s better to go slowly so there is no resentment on the part of the resident dog. Sometimes this process only takes a few days and sometimes much longer. Patience pays off in the end.

5. Do slowly introduce your new dog to your neighborhood but don’t allow him to be overloaded by well-meaning people or dogs at first.

6. Get started right away on some basic training such as name recognition and sit and down, leave-it etc. Do this in a very positive way with treats and a happy voice so the dog starts right out in favor of training.

7. Of course immediately start taking dog to potty area.

There are many other suggestions but these basics can really help.

And of course if the new owner has any questions or concerns about the new dog they should contact the rescue or outside help.

Happy training

09/06/2023

Birthday breakfast with my big bro.

09/01/2023

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

I just heard that my own breeder/friend had a beautiful litter of nine puppies. ALL female which is almost unheard of.

These puppies are well bred with utmost care given to health and temperament. I can attest to that as I have two puppies from this breeder. One can NOT go wrong with one of her pups. Her kennel name is White Valley Goldens and she is in Utah. You can find her on Facebook too. If you have been looking for a great family companion this is a great opportunity for you.

08/28/2023

TO NAME OR NOT TO NAME is that really the question?

This is a subject that is very hard for us humans to completely understand when it comes to training our dogs.

Typical example: we are teaching sit so even though we may be educated in using some luring motions to get our dogs into the sitting positions we feel the need to be saying “sit” from the first time, expecting that to help the dog understand what we want.

Actually it doesn’t help and can often slow down the process altogether. We know but forget our dog has no real knowledge of our language other than what we teach them. So speaking a new word (sit) often means no more than xxyyghtr to the dog. Sit means nothing to them so it often becomes background noise that confuses the issue.

A better, and easier way to teach a new word to our dogs is simply to help them attain what we want (in this case the sit) several times and be rewarded when they can follow the lure easily and THEN add the word SIT as they assume the position. Of course we continue to reward them for being so smart in figuring out what we wanted. After it is clear they fully understand what we want we can start to slowly back off of the continual treating.

And then as time goes on there is a complete process for proofing any command but this is the initial phase.

I always teach this concept in class and people struggle with it at first because they are so used to human communication. But once they fight themselves and refrain from issuing verbal directions from the get go they are amazed how fast their dog learns.

A real challenge for us humans but so worth the struggle.

Good training!

08/13/2023

Another first for Miss Bobbi. WAY overdue. Got to play and cuddle and walk with Aya. Aya could even walk her. The toy in the mouth kept her calm but I could not have asked for better behavior. There really are benefits for going slowly. I have never been in a hurry for Bobbi or her sister Andi. They are becoming everything I had hoped for with dogs and people.

07/31/2023

Wednesday night class graduation

We just had graduation for Wednesday night class. This was a large class with dogs having various challenges to overcome. As I looked back on my roster I saw that the majority of the class had perfect attendance. That always denotes owners being really committed to doing the work and this certainly was the case.

Just some of the graduates

07/30/2023

NEW CLASS STARTED TODAY AND WE ARE ALL IN LOVE WITH NEW SITE

This new site provides everything a dog and owner could need. Tons of space, little to no activity, shade from sun and shelter from drizzle in winter, huge grassy area and huge asphalt area. TONS of parking!

There are still a couple of slots open if anyone wishes to join next week. After that class is closed.

Again thanks to Christina Burns for all her help in getting this site approved for us.

Just some photos of the grounds

07/19/2023

NEW CLASS AT NEW SITE STARTING July 29th.

I have a new training site and I’m excited about it as it offers everything!! It has large asphalt area that is a parking lot AND it is covered so we can get out of sun or rain. It ALSO has a huge grassy area so we can work on both mediums. Was difficult to get finalized but just got the go ahead today.

Plenty of room to give extra space to dogs that need it.

Let me know if you are interested or have questions. It is in Irvine.

Patti

05/12/2023

Get together breakfast with my big brother. No reason which makes it extra special.❤️

05/10/2023

Warms my heart. My baby boy lovin his baby boy❤️

05/08/2023

NEW STUDY ON SPAY AND NEUTER

Do traditional spay and neuter surgeries increase the risk for disease, including malignancy? Are there better alternatives? This just-published, first-of-its-kind study involving over 6,000 dog owners documents the truth about what I've suspected and observed for years.