http://www.SomeMinorDogTraining.com/

Some Minor Dog Training, DeLand, FL (2025)

11/16/2025

Most people think dog training is all about the walk. And yes, the walk matters. But our dog’s real behavior and calm mindset are shaped inside the home.

If our dog struggles with excitement, jumping, reactivity, or not listening, it usually means they are only being guided outside and not inside the home.

So we teach 3 core skills that help dogs relax, think, and follow direction:

PLACE
This teaches our dog to settle and self-soothe.
It builds calm inside the home instead of constant movement and excitement.

LEAVE IT
This teaches impulse control.
Our dog learns to choose patience and stillness instead of grabbing, rushing, or reacting.

WAIT
This teaches our dog to pause before acting.
It builds trust, clarity, and respect.

These three skills affect everything our dog does. When a dog can calm themselves, pause, and look to us for direction, the walk becomes easier. Greeting guests becomes easier. Play becomes calmer. Life becomes peaceful.

We do not need our dog to be perfect.
We just need structure, repetition, and patience. Start inside the home. The rest will follow. 🐶❤️

11/15/2025

Many nervous dogs show their stress in subtle physical ways long before we see the big behaviors. Tight shoulders, a tense neck, shallow breathing, and a stiff tail are all signs that the dog’s nervous system is working overtime.

A simple, intentional massage can create real physiological changes. Gentle, steady pressure along major muscle groups activates the dog’s parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and recovery. This helps slow their heart rate, deepen their breathing, and release physical tension they may have been holding for days.

Massage also increases oxytocin and endorphins. Oxytocin supports emotional bonding and helps the dog feel safe with you. Endorphins act as natural stress-relievers that help reduce anxiety and improve overall mood.

From a training standpoint, a relaxed body creates a more receptive mind. When the dog feels calmer physically, they can focus better, think clearer, and make better choices in stressful environments. Over time, regular massage can even lower the dog’s baseline stress level and improve resilience.

If you have a nervous or anxious dog at home, try spending a few minutes each day massaging around the neck, shoulders, back, and chest. Keep your pressure slow and consistent. You’ll not only help your dog feel better in the moment, you’ll build trust, confidence, and a stronger partnership over time. 🐶❤️

11/14/2025

Play is one of the most underrated tools in dog training. It builds engagement, builds trust, and builds a dog that actually wants to work with us. When we make training fun, our dog learns faster because they are emotionally invested, not just following cues.

Play also strengthens the bond between us and our dog. When we interact through tug, fetch, chase, or structured games, our dog starts to see us as the most rewarding part of their environment. That makes our communication clearer and our training results more reliable.

So the next time you practice obedience, mix in some play. Celebrate the wins. Make your dog feel like they just scored the game winning point. You will not only see better training, you will deepen your relationship in a way that lasts for years. 🐶❤️

11/13/2025

Help Us Change the Lives of Shelter Dogs in Volusia County!

Shelter staff and volunteers of Southeast Volusia Humane Society give everything they have to help homeless dogs get healthy, safe, and ready for adoption, but some dogs need just a little more support to truly shine. That’s where we step in.

Many wonderful dogs struggle to find the right home simply because they need behavioral help, confidence building, or basic obedience training. With your support, we can give them that chance.

Every single donation directly funds evaluations, individualized training plans, and hands-on support for at-risk shelter dogs.

And once they’re adopted, each dog receives four in-home lessons with their new family to ensure they start their new life with stability, understanding, and the best foundation possible.

You can help make their adoption dreams come true.

Your contribution truly changes lives; one dog, one family, one second chance at a time.

Donate today via Venmo:

https://www.venmo.com/u/someminordogrehab

11/12/2025

COUNTER CONDITIONING vs SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION

When we’re working through fear, reactivity, or anxiety in dogs, we’re really working with emotion first, not just behavior.

🐾 COUNTER CONDITIONING is about changing how our dog feels about something.

If our dog sees a trigger (like another dog, skateboard, or stranger) and feels fear or frustration, we pair that trigger with something positive, like food, play, or praise. Over time, the dog’s emotional response shifts from “Oh no!” to “Oh hey, that’s not so bad.”

🐾 SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION is the slow, careful process of exposing our dog to that same trigger at a level they can handle.

We start far enough away (or at a low intensity) so the dog stays calm, and then gradually increase exposure only as their comfort grows.

****

⭐ When we combine the two, we’re teaching the dog to feel safe and stay calm, and that’s when lasting behavior change happens.

Because behavior always follows emotion. Fix the feeling, and the behavior follows. 🐶❤️

11/11/2025

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY! 🇺🇸🐶❤️

I've worn many hats in my life. Two of them being that I'm an Army veteran, and I'm a mental health advocacy public speaker. This photo was taken at a Veteran's Day public speaking event during the last year of his life. This is Maxwell, and he was my service dog. By this point, he was starting to lose control of his back legs from a genetic disease, so I decided to bring him on stage with me as tribute to all the dogs (working dogs, service dogs, and emotional support dogs) associated with veterans and active duty military. I had to take a moment to compose myself before speaking, because having to help him on stage broke my heart.

Maxwell was a Vizsla/Mastiff mix, and he died a number of years ago. He was the best dog I've ever owned. I'm not speaking in terms of obedience, (though he was awesome), but rather the bond that we shared. We lived alone together for a couple of years, during which time he was the only thing that kept me going each day. We were able to anticipate each other's needs better than any relationship I've ever been in with human or dog haha. Even now, I love my dogs, but I'll never love another one like Maxwell. ❤️

Does anyone else have that kind of bond with a dog that not even another dog can compare to? Let's see a photo! ❤️

11/10/2025

💭 We’d love your input!

We’re planning our next fundraiser and want to know what you think would make the biggest difference for the dogs in our care. 🐾

Would you rather see funds go toward providing enrichment for the entire shelter? Things like stuffed Toppls and puzzle feeders for every dog? or another project you’d love to suggest? 💡

Your feedback helps us shape how we help the most overlooked dogs get their second chance!

💙 Donations and fundraising currently go toward:

• Education for adopters and volunteers
• Behavior evaluations for shelter dogs
• Training for at-risk dogs to help them find and keep loving homes

Drop your thoughts in the comments ⬇️

Every idea helps us make a bigger impact for the dogs who need it most!

11/09/2025

Teaching a dog to wait is one of the most underrated skills in training. It tells our dog, “Pause and check in with me before you make a decision.” This builds calm behavior in everyday life.

You can practice Wait at:
• The door before going outside
• The crate before coming out
• The food bowl before eating
• The car door before jumping out

How to teach it:
1. Ask your dog to sit or stand calmly.

2. Put your hand up like a stop sign and say “Wait.”

3. If your dog holds still, mark and release.

4. Keep adding longer duration and more distractions.

Why it matters:
Wait builds impulse control, safety, and a habit of checking in with you first, instead of reacting to the environment. A dog who knows how to wait makes calmer choices everywhere else in life. 🐶❤️

11/08/2025

This is Uma, our Doberman foster dog. She's amazing, but before you run out and get one, there are some things to consider:

The Doberman was originally developed in Germany in the late 1800s. They were bred to be a loyal, confident, and protective dog that would stay close and watch the owner's back. So the Doberman was intentionally bred to be alert, people focused, and ready to respond quickly. That history still lives strong in today’s Dobermans.

⭐ Because of that, modern Dobies tend to be:
• Highly intelligent
• Very bonded to their people
• Naturally watchful and sensitive to their environment

This can be a wonderful combination in the right hands. But it can also lead to behavioral challenges if they do not receive the guidance they were bred to expect.

⭐ Common Behavioral Issues in Dobermans:
• Over-protectiveness
• Separation anxiety
• Reactive behavior on leash
• Difficulty settling due to high mental energy

These behaviors are not signs of a “bad dog.” They are signs of a dog doing exactly what it was designed to do, but without the structure and leadership it needs.

⭐ How to Prevent or Reduce These Issues:

1. Structured exercise, not just free play. A Doberman needs both mental and physical work to feel balanced.

2. Clear rules and boundaries in the home. They feel safest when they know the expectations.

3. Regular obedience practice to build focus and communication.

4. Guided socialization so they learn how to read new situations calmly.

5. Teach calmness just as intentionally as you teach active commands.

****

A well-trained Doberman is loyal, affectionate, confident, and incredibly rewarding to live with. When we understand their history, we can meet their needs and help them become the balanced companions they were meant to be. 🐶❤️

11/07/2025

DID YOU KNOW...?
Dogs have a special muscle group near their eyebrows that wolves don’t have.
This muscle (called the levator anguli oculi medialis) allows dogs to raise their inner eyebrows and make that soft, “puppy-dog eyes” expression.

This evolved after domestication, because humans naturally respond to that look with nurture and affection.

In other words:
Dogs literally evolved a facial expression designed to tap into human empathy.

We didn’t just train dogs.
Dogs learned how to train us. 🐶❤️

11/06/2025

When we’re practicing recall (teaching our dog to come when called), the leash we choose can make a huge difference. The length of the leash should always match our dog’s current skill level and the environment we're in.

In low distraction environments, like our backyard or a quiet open field, using a longer leash is a great way to let our dog practice coming to us from a greater distance. It gives them room to make choices, explore, and still learn that checking in and returning to us pays off. This is where we start building confidence and reliability.

In higher distraction environments, such as parks, neighborhoods, or anywhere with other dogs, people, or wildlife, switching to a shorter leash helps keep our dog focused. A shorter leash prevents them from getting too far into their own world. It also stops them from rehearsing ignoring us when something exciting shows up. Instead, it keeps the practice clear, structured, and successful.

As our dog proves they can respond to our recall even with mild distractions, we can gradually increase the distance again. Think of it as slowly expanding their “freedom bubble” as they earn it through consistency.

The key is not to rush the distance. Reliability grows from small, repeated successes, not from testing your dog before they’re ready.

Start close. Practice often. Increase distance as our dog shows they can handle it.

A strong recall isn’t built in a moment of distraction. It’s built in the quiet repetitions long before. 🐶❤️

11/05/2025

Puppyhood can feel like a whirlwind. One moment they are cuddly and calm, and the next they are chewing, jumping, zooming, or crying because you walked into the other room. If you have ever looked at your puppy and thought "Is this normal?" the answer is yes. It is very normal.

This stage is temporary. Puppies are like toddlers. Their brains are developing, they are learning how to exist in the world, and they do not yet have the skills to regulate themselves. That can make the early weeks and months feel exhausting.

But it does get easier.

As your puppy grows, they gain impulse control. Their nervous system matures. They start to understand patterns and routines. With consistent training, clear boundaries, and lots of repetition, your puppy begins to learn what is expected of them. They learn how to settle. They learn how to handle excitement without jumping or nipping. They learn how to look to you for guidance rather than making every decision on their own.

Think of this stage as planting seeds. You may not see the full results today, but every structured walk, every practice of “sit,” every calm moment you reward, and every limit you set is shaping the dog they will become.

So if you are in the thick of puppyhood right now, take a breath. You are not alone. This is just a chapter. Keep showing up with patience, clarity, and consistency. The puppy you have today will grow into a more balanced, thoughtful, and calm dog. And one day, you will look back and realize just how far they have come. 🐶❤️

Some Minor Dog Training

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