Napa Daily Dog Training

04/25/2025

Lucy, ready for action!

04/22/2025

Memory from 3 years ago… maybe it’s time to post a then and now with Zen. What do you think?

04/22/2025

Something about the love of a German Shepherd….

04/22/2025

Here we go!

04/19/2025

Introduction successful! They play well together, but can they chill well together? So far so good. Good boy Rex. As always, I trust d’Artagnan’s judgement when comes to dogs 3+ times his size.

03/30/2025

Ladies night… Vesper learning how to behave herself inside the house with another dog. Zendaya setting the example.

03/27/2025

Little baby Riley feeling calm after a good training session.
When is the best time to start training your puppy? Right now!

03/21/2025

Quite possibly THE biggest dork with four legs and a tail.
I just love this boy. Best hiking buddy ever! Ready to take on a mountain lion if necessary, but still comes when called no matter what

02/19/2025

Lucy is always ready to go! Even in the nuts and bolts section of a hardware store! 😆

02/14/2025

I began my formal dog training education with Michael Ellis School in 2018 when they ran a 2 week Obedience Intensive. I participated in their very first Virtual Seminar for Behavior Modification in 2020 (Covid era distance learning) and now I am excited to depend my knowledge and sharpen my skills in person with Michael and Forrest Micke this April. I can't wait!

An Intensive Reactivity Workshop with Michael Ellis and Forrest Micke April 22-26, 2025

The Theory and Practice of Rehabbing Reactive Dogs
This five day, in-person, workshop takes a deep dive into the subject of reactivity in dogs. We will cover the how’s and why’s of reactivity, the larger dog training principles that are at play when dealing with reactivity, as well as practical, hands-on techniques to give you and your dog the skills to overcome their reactivity. We intend to discuss both an ideal approach to handling reactive dogs, as well as the often-compromised practical approaches that are inevitably necessary in the real world. We will cover diagnosis, how reactivity gets started and why it persists, the basic neurobiology of reinforcement, canine body language, the role of obedience and motivation in our work, management, tool use, reward-based approaches, and the thoughtful use of aversives.

This course is for those handlers dealing with reactive dogs, new handlers/owners looking to prevent reactivity, and professional dog trainers who work with reactivity on a regular basis.

We are looking for 12 students to bring dogs to help demonstrate the techniques we are discussing. If you are interested in working a dog during the workshop, please email us after registration at [email protected] and we will provide you with an application to participate. Handlers will work directly with Michael and Forrest.

Class will run from 9am to approximately 5 pm daily, with an hour break for lunch. Each day will be a combination of lecture, demonstration, dog work, and video review. It will take place on the campus of The Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers in Santa Rosa, California.

02/06/2025

We love getting a text like this from our clients!

01/19/2025

These two have known each other for years. If they weren’t on their place beds right now, they’d be tearing up the house. Duke let me know they were done playing outside when he used his big ol’ snout to push the back door open 😁

01/09/2025

Guess the breed! Hint: there’s only three (according to embark) and I was surprised by two of them

01/03/2025

Little Callie began learning about the “Place” cue today! Such a good natured, spunky lil pup she is!

01/01/2025

How important is it to teach your dog to settle?
The amateurs down the street were lighting off fireworks around 9 last night. Premature Explosionation? Maybe they were celebrating East Coast NYE 🤷‍♂️.
They were big enough explosions to unsettle Kenai. Didn’t freak her out, but judging by her pacing, she was becoming a bit anxious.
Kenai has learned a pretty solid “place” cue. Clearly it came in handy and she soon relaxed and fell asleep.
The place cue does not eliminate their fear of loud noises. Kenai wasn’t freaked out, but I could see her concern was building.
A place cue with teach your dog to settle rather than continue the cycle of pacing and building anxiousness… give it a try. It couldn’t hurt right?

01/01/2025

Happy New Year. May 2025 be the best year yet!

12/28/2024

Up close and personal with my big buddy Charly

12/28/2024

Puppy Fever at Napa Daily Dog Training. This one is Callie and she is working on engagement. I’d say she understands the assignment!