More Love/Less Stress Dog training

12/16/2023

It’s almost THAT time of year! Can you believe we are about to send 2023 goodbye and welcome 2024?!

Well i want to offer you a discount code that is good through January 5th to book any class with us! (Or an inhome)

Our January and February Calendars are up (more dates will be added soon) and you can use the code JOLLY to book any class that is in our calendars, but the code is good through January 5th so go take a peek at www.suchagooddog.com/group-classes and find something that works for you!

Have a JOLLY Christmas 😉

09/01/2023

*Video in comments*
Archer has been with me for 2 weeks today! He has been doing amazing with:
•loose leash walking
•sit and release
•jumping and nipping
•leave it and drop it

Truly at 4 months he is SUCH A GOOD DOG 😉

If you are going out of town around the holidays or need some help with your puppy I’d love to help whether it’s a group class, private session or board and train in my home!

www.suchagooddog.com

07/17/2023

Welcome OLIVER to a one week Board and Train! Oliver’s mom passed away, not terribly long ago so his world has been turned upside down.

For many years, Oliver’s world was truly only his mom and not a lot more .:: so he was not exposed to being on a leash or being new places with strange people.

During his stay with me, we will be focusing on socialization, potty training, crate training, and learning to walk on a leash .

He is such a brave boy and doing some brave things and I can’t wait to update how Oliver does! 

07/12/2023

Meet adorable mr Milo who is learning to walk on a leash and not pull his owners!

The best part of my job is seeing my students put in the work and start to increase difficulty over time. 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼

07/08/2023

👋 Welcome Molly and Remi who are sisters and staying for a one week board and train!

While here the main things focused on are jumping and loose leash walking.

We will also work on waiting at the doors and leave it.

Aren’t they ADORABLE?! If you see us out and about feel free to stop and say hey!

07/01/2023

Beau, Maggie and Murphy were all rocking Loose Leash Walking in their week 2 Kindergarten class!

We have open classes for Kindergarten and Elementary through August! Take a peek at the Calender: https://suchagooddog.com/group-classes

06/28/2023

I have a puppy Kindergarten class starting THIS Friday at 6:45! I have 3 openings and I’d love to see some MLLS students over at Such A Good Dog! I hope to see some of you!

You can sign up here by clicking Kindergarten at the Sparkman Drive facility :
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=26952918

06/28/2023

Lets talk about.... Dogs and fireworks

If this is your dog's first 4th of July be proactive and set them up to successfully get through it. If you're dog is afraid of thunderstorms they're probably afraid of fireworks. Here are some things you can do:

1. Exercise them hard in the late afternoon/early evening. Crazy long walks, swimming, anything that will tire them out
2. Doggy ear plugs. Ask your vet
3. When the popping starts have the TV or stereo already on loud and keep them busy with a game or indoor recall, something to keep their focus off the sound
4. Be a good example of calm. Don't react to the sounds, be as routine and normal as possible
5. Have them on a leash if there is the slightest possibility that they can dash out a door
6. If it's a serious problem for your dog talk to your vet about medication for the night
7. Start your dog on CBD a few days before.

One of my dogs doesn’t enjoy the 4th but she can get through it without trauma using these techniques.

Anyone have other techniques they've used?

06/19/2023

🎉 WELCOME “Boomer” to our 2 week board and train! He is a sweetie who needs to learn some puppy basics!

During his stay we are mainly focusing on:

•JUMPING
•LOOSE LEASH WALKING (he is a strong boy!)
•RELEASE COMMAND
•WAIT
•LEAVE IT
•NIPPING
•POTTY TRAINING
•COUNTER SURFING

He truly is sweet adorable long eared boy 😍

He just needs some things tweaked and some leadership and rules put in place because he is a smidge stubborn (I mean he is a basset haha)

If you see us around town, feel free to stop by and say HI because the more people we work him around the better he will get 👋

06/18/2023

Have a puppy under 6 months of age that needs to learn the basics? We have a Kindergarten class available starting this Friday the 23rd at 5:30 and also the following Friday the 30th at 6:45pm!

Have a pup that’s over 6 months and needs the basics? We have Elementary classes starting soon too!

These classes meet 1hr/week and are 5 weeks in length (the one starting on the 30th skips one week)

What does Kindergarten cover?

This class covers all the foundation obedience: Loose leash walking, recall, down, sit, stay, wait, release, drop it, leave it, sit for greetings, as well as typical puppy issues like nipping, chewing, house-training

- VACCINATIONS RECORDS from a VETERINARIAN (Distemper/Parvo all ages, Bordatella & Rabies for dogs over 16 weeks old). We also accept titers, but cannot accept breeder vacc.

06/10/2023

📣 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT📣
The ONE thing I’ve consistently done for the past 11 years has been Dog training. It’s been something I’ve enjoyed and been good at so one could say it doesn’t feel like work! I’ve been LUCKY to find something that is fulfilling in all area’s of my life.

End of 2020 I decided to start my own business More Love/Less Stress Dog training as I saw a need and wanted to build my own brand in doing that.

But let me fill you in on what happened BEFORE starting that. I started my journey in 2012 as a student at Such A Good Dog with 2 German shepherds and a malinois/Dutch shepherd mix (yeah I’ll never have that many power breeds at the same time again 😅🤣)
Shortly after being a student the owner and I became close and she was like “you know I think you could totally do what I do” so I became an apprentice under her.
Slowly over the years training different classes and private sessions and learning all I can till I became one of the main trainers there. I always dreamed of possibly being the owner of Such a Good Dog and (DRUM ROLL) 🥁 as of NOW you are looking at her 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

I will continue to do training through More LOVE/LESS stress dog training but now I offer Group Classes at www.suchagooddog.com along with privates at the BRICK AND MORTAR space which is located off Jordan Lane in Huntsville!

I will be adding some classes that I will be teaching on the calendar on the website but there are other trainers with available days and times up NOW!

You guys, this is a dream come true and I am so excited to grow these brands and serve Huntsville and the surrounding area’s in more ways!

If you would like to schedule a group class with me specifically I’d love to get that set up!!

05/25/2023

Education and knowledge is power. Especially when you are dealing with an animal that you are supposed to mentor and guide for its lifetime, to ensure stability, confidence, and respect. In my professional and outright personal opinion, never is it okay to:
1) 👎 Allow your dog to greet another dog nose to nose on a tense leash
*A dog greeted head on is generally very rude, intrusive, and unnatural in the dog world, and can create conflict right from the get go. Any dog can take this posture as threatening, and begin defensive aggressive behavior. To make matters worse, a tense leash can build the energy in a dog to produce reactive behavior due to space constraints. If you must introduce dogs on leash, it is better to allow them to greet side by side on a LOOSE leash, and relax!

2) 👎 Assume that a wagging tail is a happy dog wanting to interact
* A dog will wag its tail for a multitude of emotions. It is VITAL to understand what your dog is saying by it’s tail wag. Based on tail position and speed will indicate how the dog is feeling. For example, A low, fast wag can generally indicate nervous energy, or insecurity, which has potential to cause a fear aggressive response. A high, stiff wag can mean over-arousal/over-stimulation or intent of ready to spring into action. The dog will make lousy choices in this state of mind and make it more difficult to control should they “rev-up” more. A medial, soft & loose wag is generally universal for a happy dog. Get to know your wags!

3) 👎 Assume the other dog is just as “friendly” as yours
* Not all dogs are dog friendly. This should be obvious knowledge. Just because your dog is friendly does not mean the other is, too. They could be undersocialized, have social insecurities, or just be dog aggressive. Give other dogs space, please.

4) 👎 Allow your dog to interact with other dogs in a veterinary office waiting room
* Dogs often come into the vet office already stressed. It is generally not a place of pleasure as the dog is usually being shuffled into a tight room, being held by strangers only to be poked and prodded at. The smell of other ill dogs or even death is in the air which makes a dog uneasy. Most owners are often nervous FOR their dog during a vet visit so their energy does not help the dog, either. There may be the the smell of cats in the room, stress pheremones, and urine markings from other dogs. Dogs come in not feeling well, or maybe have arthritis, or painful from an injury. They may be recovering from a surgery. Or coming in to be put down due to old age or chronic illness. Now tell me why this sounds like a good spot to “play”?!

We all go to the vet with our dogs. Please make your next visit pleasurable for everyone!

05/21/2023

🎉 WELCOME “Murphy” to our 1 week board and train (who then transitions to a week of just boarding and maintaining what we learned)
Isn’t he the cutest?! He is a wiggle worm with puppy energy and puppy impulse control aka NADA 🫣🤣
He needs to learn some puppy basics!

During his stay we are going to do some socializing as a puppy needs to be heavy on experiencing ALL the things!
We will also work on:

•JUMPING and NIPPING
•LOOSE LEASH WALKING (he LOVES to walk the human)
•RELEASE COMMAND (letting him know when he is done working)
•WAIT (just because the doors open doesn’t mean he gets to run through it)
•LEAVE IT
•COME WHEN CALLED
•POTTY TRAINING ( #2 specifically lol) 
•COUNTER SURFING (he may not be super tall, but he loves to put his paws up on the counter)

This may seem like a long list, and truthfully, it can be for some dogs. Just like people some dogs will pick up on things quicker than others so this is the goal and so far Murphy has shown to be a quick learner and during his one week stay, he should learn the basics and over the next week of boarding with me maintain and grow!

If you see us around town, feel free to stop by and say HI because the more people we work her around the better he will get 👋

05/20/2023

Shelly’s smiles are infectious! We hope you have an amazing Saturday now that the rain has stopped!

05/18/2023

Today Cooper and I visited Hound and Harvest on his last day with me!
If you are looking for a place with green space to work your dog, good food and amazing drinks…. THIS is the place to visit this year!

05/14/2023

Cooper, my board and train for the next few days, wanted to wish all the Mothers out there a HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Whether you are a pet parent, a human parent, a step parent, an aunt, grandma or babysitter… if you make a positive impact on someone’s life..

🌸 HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!! 🌸

05/11/2023

🎉 WELCOME “Cooper” to our 1 week board and train! He is a sweetie who needs to learn some puppy basics!

During his stay we are mainly focusing on Socialization (Field trips galore!) while we also work on
•JUMPING
•LOOSE LEASH WALKING (he is a strong boy!)
•RELEASE COMMAND
•WAIT
•LEAVE IT

He truly is sweet silly boy (check out the photo in the comments haha)
He just needs some things tweaked and some leadership and rules put in place as he is a Anatolian Shepherd mix and needs to learn he isn’t the decision maker!

If you see us around town, feel free to stop by and say HI because the more people we work her around the better he will get 👋

05/10/2023

👩‍🎓 We have a GRADUATE of Phase 1! 🎉

Stella did so well and her parents did amazing implementing all that she learned to keep her on track with the entire 4 week course!

In a 4 week Course you learn:
Sit, Release, Leave it, Down, Wait, Loose Leash Walking, Stay, Coming when called, Sitting for Greetings, Drop it, and a Focus command.

We also go over any behavior issues you may have like jumping, nipping, barking, potty training, crate training, and more 

If you would like more info on training I’d love to see what would be best for what you are needing help with!

CONGRATS STELLA! 🎉

05/06/2023

Bailey and I went on a field trip to Home Depot today working on her loose leash walking (video in comments of how good she did!)

She, without hesitation, jumped on the cart as if to say “this seems more fun”

Maybe next time Bailey 🤣🫣

05/03/2023

WELCOME “BAILEY” to our 1 week board and train!

During her stay we are mainly focusing on loose leash walking and not barking excitedly at other dogs. (She loves dogs but is too vocal)
We are also adding in:

•JUMPING
•DROP IT
•RELEASE COMMAND
•PLACE COMMAND

She truly is a good girl she just needs some things tweaked and some leadership and rules put in place!

If you see us around town, feel free to stop by and say HI because the more people we work her around the better she will get 👋

04/23/2023

👩‍🎓 We have a GRADUATE of Phase 1! 🎉

Fancy did so well and her dad did amazing implementing all that he learned to keep her on track with the entire 4 week course!

In a 4 week Course you learn:
Sit, Release, Leave it, Down, Wait, Loose Leash Walking, Stay, Coming when called, Sitting for Greetings, Drop it, and a Focus command.

We also go over any behavior issues you may have like jumping, nipping, barking, potty training, crate training, and more 

If you would like more info on training I’d love to see what would be best for what you are needing help with!

04/21/2023

Who is ready for a CGC CLASS cause look at who is certified to be an evaluator!

The AKC Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) program provides a perfect framework for training your dog to become a polite member of society.

The 10 test items on the CGC test are practical, functional behaviors that every dog should have to be welcomed in the community.

Test 1 : Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2 : Sitting politely for petting
Test 3 : Appearance and grooming
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Test 6: Sit and down on cue and stay in place
Test 7: Coming when called
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
Test 10: Supervised separation

If you would like to get the CGC reach out as I’d love to put together a CGC training class!

04/19/2023

I wanted to share another session I had the other day!
Did you know I offer sessions where I take your dog and work them in instances you can not?!
In this instance cute Buttercup is reactive and barks at other dogs.

So I picked her up and brought her to my home to work her around my dog Roxy. Buttercup did SO WELL! This is showing the end result.

The result is not always to have your dog meet another dog, the end goal is to have a dog who is NEUTRAL around other dogs, so you have a dog that can see another dog and not have an emotional response to it and go about life walking by your side.

If you were interested in any of the services I offer, I would absolutely love to help you and your dog find harmony! 

04/18/2023

Today my board and train Cass and I went to Dog Splash! Did you know we have an indoor heated swimming pool for dogs?!

It’s an amazing place to work on confidence building and to tire out your pup year round!

Go check them out they are an amazing place and have amazing ownership who knows all things dogs. 🐶

Cass did so great and got in 2 times after learning to confidently come down the ramp 🐕

🙌 My board and trains get this outing and many other field trips included in the price! 😉

04/15/2023

What’s better than a beautiful sunny and cool breezed Saturday morning with Australian Puppies practicing loose leash walking?!

NOTHING!

Meet Maverick and Goose and Take a peek at my students doing SO WELL! And their daughter is truly a natural dog trainer in the making!

If you need help with your own puppies or dogs we are here to help you in your own environment!

04/12/2023

While on the field trip to Bridgestreet today Cass told me to tell his parents he wants a new bandana like the yellow one pictured 🤣✌️

He did so well (except when he saw a dog because he gets so excited he has to bark) so we will be working around more dogs out and about but other than that he did pretty good!

Still working on his loose leashing walking but after 20 minutes there is was pretty good!

04/11/2023

WELCOME “CASS” to our 2 week board and train!

During his stay we are mainly focusing on loose leash walking and coming when called. He also likes to do some behaviors that we will work on correcting.
We are also adding in:

•LEAVE IT
•WAIT
•RELEASE
•COUNTER SURFING

He truly is a good boy he just needs some things tweaked and some leadership and rules put in place!

If you see us around town, feel free to stop by and say HI because the more people we work him around the better 👋

04/06/2023

Happy FIRST BIRTHDAY to one of our fantastic clients Turbo!

I hope you get all the treats and love today!

Yappy Barkday to this special pup! 🐶

03/31/2023

So proud of Rachel and her adorable dog Mochi putting in the work during one of our sessions!
So far in 2 sessions we have gone over :

✅ Sit
✅Release
✅Leave it
✅Down
✅Wait
✅Loose leash walking

And they are doing so well!

‼️ I have bundled deals if you want to cover an entire course worth of commands! And I do offer After-pay to split up payments!

03/22/2023

Jaxon finished his last session with us the other day and I had to share this exciting moment!

Jaxon started sessions with us because he was extremely fearful of all the things, and our assumption is that he wasn’t socialized at all in the first 8 or so months of his life, including inside the house and any people.

Working with him over the 4 sessions we had he was able to grow so much confidence, don’t get my wrong he has more to go but he has made such strides!

We finished our last session at For Paws in Five Points! If you are looking for a adorable small business pet store THIS is the place. You can get things here you can’t anywhere else.

So proud of Jaxon! 🙌🙌🙌