Gentle Touch Dog Training

09/11/2025

How often should you train? How long? Short sessions are more effective than long ones - so depending on your animal's focus level it may be 30 seconds or 15 + minutes, also depending on what you're working on. And how often...one (1) time a day on a new/not-well-understood thing is optimal. Multiple sessions on the same thing on the same day are likely to be counter productive. But you can train different things in different sessions. So when I used to do board and train, I'd schedule 5 sessions per day... 1) walking on-leash with lots of treats for heeling/sitting/fast/slow/breaks to potty/sniff. 0ther walks were just non-pulling walks with about-turns 2) playing new game and review of game play 3) new trick, review of tricks 4) feeding/interactive toy 5) body awareness exercises/calmness/staying in place. Here's a resource

... why less is sometimes more.

09/09/2025

Puppy Checklist (or what I'd have ready): 1) crate, I like good quality wire crates, but I have both wire and plastic. It should be large enough for your pup as an adult. You can partition it for when they are small. Get two crates if you have a two story house, you can always use the spare for travel and as a training tool (i.e. crate games) 2) Puppy play pen - choose a sturdy one that your pup won't be able to jump or climb over. 3) Collar/harness with ID tag...your name and cell phone number. 4) Cheap puppy bed - they love to chew, so it likely will need replacement 5) Puppy food and treats - feed the same food as the breeder. Change foods slowly to avoid stomach upsets...like diarrhea. Treats- high quality. 6) Food and water bowl - the water bowl needs to be non-spill. The food bowl dishwasher safe, but mealtimes are also training and enrichment times...so food dispensing toys and games. 7) Chew toys - you want safe, but fun toys. This tends to depend on your pup's chew intensity. You don't want them eating inedible parts. Kong has several food dispensing - Kong Tires and Original Kong or West Paw Zogoflex Toppl, and durable plush toy - Outward Hounds , no stuffing, Snake squeaky. These are all very good for strong chewers. 8) Book a vet check (within a week of getting your pup) and attendance in a puppy class - best age is before 5 months.

09/07/2025

This is what I love about teaching people and their pups how to do tricks: it's FUN! fun, funny, basically joyous for the dog and the person ... really. Pretty much no pressure. I mean so you get your dog to sit in a box, then because you liked it, your dog does it again. Oh...another box? Or maybe your dog didn't want to sit in a box...so what...lets try something else? Can you catch a treat?? Haha, missed it...well then lets find it! Ahhh now you're starting to understand. If one kind of trick doesn't work well at this time, there's always another one to try. Successes build successes and more and more willingness to try things. Tricks are a lovely way to do basic training. Lots of treats, lots of hilarity.

Next Trick class starts on Sept 18th Thursdays 6:30pm-7:30pm $120 for 6 one hour/week sessions. Message Gentle Touch Dog Training on fb to reserve your spot. Small class size, reward-based, and proof of age-appropriate dog vaccinations.

08/25/2025

Upcoming pup/dog training classes at Gentle Touch Dog Training: Tricks (novice & intermediate level) class starts Thurs., Sept 18th, 6:30pm-7:30pm $120, includes a bit of basic obedience along with 20 basic to intermediate fun behaviors.

STAR PUPPY classes start, Tues., Sept 30th, 6:30pm-7:30pm $200, includes socialization, obed training, activity, and responsibility of handlers.

All classes are reward-based, small & kind. Age appropriate vaccinations required. Message on fb or call to reserve your spot.

08/07/2025

So Food and Toys, but what other forms of reinforcement for behaviors are there?
Example: if a dog is worried about new humans but is also interested in learning about new humans then reinforcement can come >>from being able to approach the new person to sniff for doggy information gathering purposes, >> while being ignored by that person. >>>Then being permitted to walk away to process that information. ***Those actions are self-reinforcing and allow the dog to learn to feel safer.
Voila! Getting to do a behavior can be self-reinforcing.

However as you can see, this process of investigation can go the wrong direction (into scary/aversive) 1. if the worried dog isn't ignored and 2. if they aren't allowed the choice of leaving after sniffing. Ending up teaching the dog 'not' to trust new people.

08/06/2025

Well, well, the STAR PUPPY class starting next week Tues. has some openings!! A couple attendees cancelled out ... So do you know someone who should get their pup going on training? We've got room for them.

08/05/2025

Dogs and water...

07/29/2025

Canine Good Citizen class starts tomorrow night- Wed. at 6:30pm. There is one slot open. For therapy & service dog pre-prep.

FUNdamental Agility class starts on Aug 7th, Thurs. at 6pm and it needs 2 more members. It's $120 and a lot of fun. Great for confidence and improving physical fitness abilities.

STAR PUPPY class starts Aug. 12th, Tues. at 6:30pm and it has room for a couple more pups. This class so far has puppy pups, so anybody with another young one will fit in well. Basic obedience, plus socialization, plus...

07/26/2025

Next AKC STAR PUPPY class starts Aug 12th Tuesdays at 6:30-7:30PM. Six 1hr/week sessions...reward based, small class size, fun!

07/23/2025

Congrats to the AKC STAR PUPPY class graduates last night! Nice work, fun class!! Reneta & Barbossa, Julie & River, Sharon & Cody, Dave & Sarah & Molly, and Tay & Oakley!!

07/20/2025

Whew! Taylor County 4-H Dog Show ta-dah! Very nicely done by all the participants and great judge.

Send a message to learn more