Service puppy in-training
Freckles is learning the ropes of phase one service dog training. Here he is practicing his puppy board & train obedience inside a busy Home Depot. This boy is confident, very food-motivated, and super social. Staying focused around people is very hard for him. We’ll iron that out in phase two - super social at four months of age is a GOOD thing. Watch as I work him through some hesitation. As a trainer I can always find new ways to build confidence. Only doing easy things is never the goal - challenging dogs IS. It builds self-esteem and teaches resilience. Proud of this pup!
Dude Update! 💙
Dude Update! 💙
This little Poodle puppy is a rockstar in the making! At barely three months old, he has solid basic obedience and has been well-socialized. He has such a nice temperament and is confident and biddable.
As a future service dog, it’s my job to highlight his strengths and also identify his weaknesses to make him stronger. You see us working as a team here and when he goes home to his Dad tomorrow, I’ll work on helping them move as a team to progress from phase one to phase two of Dude’s Service Dog training as he matures.
Excellent puppy! Really like him!
Dude was bred by and donated to our veteran client by Pitter Patter Poodles
#puppy #servicedog #boardandtrain
Fun with Zoey
Having some fun with my Zoey girl who’s 13 1/2 years young! Funny to think that back in the day this is a dog that other trainers said “would never play fetch.” 🎾❤️ #dogtrainer #dogtraining #aussie #seniordogsrock
Calling all veterans! We thank you for your service. Get up to $199.50+ off our online courses now through Veterans Day. Discount applies to new customers only. Email us at [email protected] for code. Proof of service required.
To the dog trainer in Petco
“To the dog trainer in Petco”
To the dog trainer in Petco who said that this dog’s good obedience and behavior was ONLY because he had a prong collar on at the time - here he is without one.
Prong collars clean up obedience. They don’t make it happen in the first place. They provide clarity for training. TRAINING trains dogs. When you have a well-trained dog, you can take the prong collar off and do all the same things. The dog’s obedience is just cleaner with it on.
To the dog trainer in Petco who says that positive-only training is the ONLY way to train - you’re wrong.
Positive reinforcement is a great training tool. It’s the best way to lay a strong foundation for dogs, but it has its limitations. Rewarding good behavior is 80% of training. Correcting bad behavior is the other 20%. Without a training collar, most (not all) dogs will never reach their true potential and be as calm, obedient, and controlled in public as they can and should be.
Dogs deserve clarity in training.
To the dog trainer in Petco who argued that he achieved the same obedience with his Golden - you didn’t, really.
I’ve lived here for five years and I’ve watched you trying to train your dog all those five years. I saw you begging, bribing, and failing. It took TIME for your dog to grow out of most of her behaviors. Kudos to you for never giving up, but I wish you knew that you could get results in six months not six years. Half of your dog’s working life doesn’t need to be OVER before you’re able to confidently use your dog to her full working potential. Dogs don’t live long enough - a strong training plan shouldn’t include “then wait five years for your dog to mature and you’ll be done!”
To the dog trainer in Petco, I hope that someday you’ll see the beauty of balanced training. We love dogs. We love them enough to train them in a way that’s firm but fair. That’s leadership-love ❤️
This video was recorded while I wrote this post. I w
Bodhi Update! 🌟
Bodhi Update! 🌟 Bodhi graduated from our board & train this last summer, and I’m excited to share that he’s doing awesome! You may remember that Bodhi was adopted and returned to the shelter 3x that we know of (maybe 4x?!). Why? Because he kept escaping and running away! His recall was absolutely nonexistent and he had no obedience or manners either. I picked him up and embarked on a month-long transformation with him. His new owners found us because their neighbors recommended us, and I must say that both families are absolutely AWESOME! Bodhi did great in training (I shared several training videos of his progress), and I’m happy to say that he is THRIVING at home. His owners followed my instructions to a “T” and often send updates expressing their absolute joy at having Bodhi in their lives. He traveled to Wyoming this past summer to hike the mountains, he gets daily exercise, and training - he’s living the good life with great owners! Today his mama Krista shared this video. It made my day! ☀️ #dogtraining #husky #dutchshepherd #offleashfreedom #confidence #trust #valork9academy
Never a dull moment!
Today’s consultation mishap and how I handled it. I challenge you to advocate for your dog and have a plan so that you react the way that you want to when the situation calls for it. For anyone wondering, the owner was surprised, and I simply told her, “ I don’t want my dog getting bit.” And I left it at that then continued my consultation. Period. Your dog is counting on you to advocate for him or her!
Giving veterans a discount 🇺🇸
It is a disappointing day when people lie about having served in the military to get a discount on dog training, but I guess that is the reality these days!! We will continue to give a discount AS WE ARE ABLE TO for certain services. We will not require proof of service, but by golly I hope I do not have to ‘vet’ people. We are proud to give back to our communities and serve those who give so freely to protect our freedoms and safety.
Meet Maximo! 🐾
Meet Maximo!
A wonderful person named Casey Clubb purchased a service dog 🐕🦺 German Shepherd from us eighteen months ago. Six months ago she reached out wanting to add a second dog to her pack.
Through our Puppy Selection Service, we helped Casey decide on a mini Australian Shepherd from Flocks Mini Aussies and evaluated her pick puppy for temperament. He passed with flying colors 🌈
Casey signed up for our online Puppy Head Start course before Maximo came home and has diligently been making her way through the course. She has graciously agreed to share her training experience with us each week.
Additionally, she is bringing Maximo to us on weekends while she works 12-hour shifts as a nurse so we can take good care of him.
Stay tuned for Casey’s week 1 update!
Our Puppy Head Start course is a complete guide to raising and training puppies. It starts with an eight-week-old puppy named Stella and takes you start to finish through the training process. Topics include owner education, crate training, potty training, obedience, socialization, confidence building, body language, health, wellness, problem solving, and more!
It is the most comprehensive puppy raising and training program available to purchase online. The content is clear, the videos are short and to the point, and no topic is skipped or rushed.
We have a lot of PHS students out there now and cannot wait to showcase little Maximo’s journey with thoughts straight from the owner!
Bodhi update
It has been 36 hours now, and Bodhi and I have accomplished so much!
I am working on his state of mind first - helping him to be calm and at peace instead of anxious.
I did this primarily through exercise. He ran next to the four wheeler for a total of 7 miles between yesterday and today. After the third workout, he was tired and happy.
I’ve also done some leash and crate work with him. He is a husky, so he thinks that he is in charge and can do what he wants when he wants. I am teaching him otherwise.
I also groomed him, which was a good leadership exercise for him. I did this after exercise to set them up for success, but he still had an attitude anytime I had to try to get a matt out. I put a gentle leader on him so he could not bite me. We will work on this.
He is now walking much better on the leash and is starting to pay attention to me now as the handler on the other end of the leash.
I did discover that, although he is great with people, he does resource guard against other dogs, especially males, so this is something we will be working on and addressing right away.
Overall, a great first day. He is looking and feeling better than I l bet he has in a long time!
One day down, 27 days to go. #teambodhi
Pity has no place!
Pity is a topic that does not get enough attention in the dog training community. It is important to know what your dog history and background are, but that information should not shape or affect the relationship that you have with your dog. If it drives your behavior, then it is not helping anything! Use your dog’s background information to create a training plan to bring out the best in your dog - and nothing else! After you have a training plan, forget about it and move on. Dogs live in the moment and want strong leaders. Holding onto pity will destroy your relationship with your dog. #dogtraining #tips #rescuedogs #abuse #neglect #moveon!
Founded in 2014, our business began in Chattanooga, TN, and has since expanded to Spokane, WA, and Boise, ID.
