Valley of the Sun Dog Training

07/26/2024

🌟 Friday Facts 🌟

07/24/2024

What is dog enrichment? Learn more about it here:

Dog enrichment prevents boredom, burns energy, and reduces stress or anxiety for dogs. Read about what canine enrichment is, enrichment ideas, and DIY tips

07/22/2024

This is the first step for all of our dog training programs, and it carries no obligation to continue with training. The initial behavior consultation is always held at your home so that we can observe your dog in his/her home environment. This is important whether or not the behavior problems are occuring in your home because it is important to consider all of the variables that influence your dog’s behavior.

By far two of the most influential factors are the dog’s lifestyle in his/her home environment, and the dog’s relationship to his/her family members, both canine and human.

We’ll also talk with you at length about your training goals, what you’ve tried in the past, and your preferences. Finally, we’ll let you know exactly what’s causing your dog’s behavior problems, and exactly how we plan to go about fixing it. If you decide you’d like to work with us, we’ll then define specific goals for our training, and we’ll commit to working with you until we achieve all of these goals!

07/19/2024

This summer has been a HOT one 🔥🥵

Make sure you know how to keep your dog cool and safe from overheating.

07/17/2024

Dog parks and daycares are NOT for every dog. It’s important to know and understand your dog’s personality and needs. Those types of settings can be triggering for certain dogs, just like people. Not everyone likes to go out and be social, dogs can be the same way and that is okay.

Training can change a dog’s behavior, but it does not change who they are! If they don’t enjoy high stress, social situations – you can’t make them and it’s not fair to force them to.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t train your aggressive or reactive dog; it just means you need to have realistic expectations and goals for your dog.

07/15/2024

Behaviors are the way your dog speaks. For example, if your dog is panting, pacing, whining or acting nervous they are telling you they are scared and uncomfortable.

The same goes for aggressive behaviors (i.e. growling, lunging, stiff body, looking overall uncomfortable) – they are communicating in the only way they know how, through their behavior.

It’s important to recognize behaviors and understand what your dog is trying to tell you. Our training programs not only teach your dog, but we also teach you how to understand dog behavior and communicate with your dog effectively.

07/12/2024

Have you encountered a reactive dog before? Here are a few tips if you ever find yourself in that situation with your dog.

07/11/2024

Today is National Swimming Pool Day! Does your dog like to swim? Show us some pictures of your pup swimming in the comments 🐾💦

07/08/2024

When a new dog is adopted, they may be entering into a home where is only one dog, being the only adult dog in the home. Puppies can be very easy to train, as they are a clean slate and owners have the advantage to teach good behaviors while also preventing bad ones from forming. A new dog might make things easier when introducing and acclimating to another dog, as many dogs will recognize that the puppy is younger, smaller (most of the time…at least early on!), and therefore, ranking below them in the pack hierarchy.

It still might take a while for a dog that is already settled and established in their home and pack, to accept a newcomer, even with a puppy!

Dog owners need to know what a dogs body language means, with one dog, the new dog and the adult dogs in the home. The resident dog may have a hard time adjusting to the new dog. When introducing a new dog the dog pack dynamic will change. After all you are adding a new family member to the the dog home. 🤍

07/04/2024

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸🎆🐾

07/03/2024

Anxiety in dogs shows itself in multiple ways. For some anxious dogs, the early warning signs of anxiety are what you’d expect: trembling, hiding, whimpering, and tucking their tail between their legs. For others, it can look more like overstimulation or even aggression.

It may be hard to believe that training an anxious dog could be done by using behavioral techniques, but with consistent training and the help of a knowledgeable canine behavior trainer, your dog’s anxiety will improve.

07/01/2024

More pets go missing on 4th of July than any other day of the year. Keep your pets safe and prevent them from going missing with these safety tips! ❤️🤍💙

06/28/2024

We proudly train ALL breeds of dogs, no matter how big or small 🐾🤎

06/26/2024

Dogs that are impaired, whether hearing or visually, can be difficult to work with. It takes creativity to find the right approach for a deaf dog with behavioral issues. Many dogs rely on verbal cues from their owners and other dogs (ie: commands from owners, or barking and growling from other dogs).

Being deaf for some dogs can even cause more on-guard behavior from the dog, where anxiety, fear, and aggression can form, if not trained and socialized properly. This can cause issues with other dogs, but we have a training process in place for deaf dogs. No matter what you are dealing with with your deaf dog, our reward training process will teach hand signals, visual cues, and make sure the deaf dog knows how to look for eye contact from their owner.

When you have a deaf dog, speaking commands are not going to be very helpful for them. But there are other ways to communicate with a deaf dog. The primary language between dogs and people is body language. Your deaf dog may not be able to hear what you are saying, but they might be able to see or feel what you are saying through your body language or hand signals.

06/24/2024

We offer private, in-home dog training programs for dogs of all ages, specializing in basic obedience, puppy training, and behavior modification. Our trainers aren’t afraid of a challenge, and we never discriminate based on your dog’s age, breed, or temperament.

What makes us unique to dog owners? We stay committed to your training goals until they’ve been met—no matter how long it takes and without additional fees. 💚

06/20/2024

It’s officially sweet summertime ☀️🍉💕

06/19/2024

Happy Juneteenth!

06/17/2024

🌟 Puppy Training 🌟

Our puppy training program is ideal for puppies 7 weeks of age and older. We train puppies of all breeds and sizes. We cover the following topics:

• Potty Training
• Crate Training
• Leash Walking
• Recall
• Basic Commands
• Impulse Control
• Greeting Manners
• Biting, Chewing, Jumping
• Feeding & Exercise Schedule

If you are interested in learning more about our customized, in-home puppy training – contact us today!

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day to all the dog dads out there! 🐾💙

06/14/2024

Happy Friday! ❤️

06/13/2024

When your dog is constantly exposed to triggers or situations that cause a negative reaction, this only increases their anxiety and makes the situation worse.

Removing a dog from a situation that does not serve them is never a bad thing. At least until you start a training program and have a plan!

When you train with us, we’ll make sure your dog understands the behavior expectations, we’ll reduce the anxiety and then we’ll proof our training around those triggers, SLOWLY!

Contact us to learn more about how we can help your dog! ❤️

06/10/2024

A new dog or puppy coming into the home and family is a major life change, and some dogs can handle it, and some might have complaints about it. Possible issues like jealousy and resource guarding can occur, and that can include being possessive or aggressive over things like food, toys, and even over the owners! It’s important to help reinforce a healthy relationship between all dogs in the family, especially if puppies are involved.

Not only do we not want to put any of the dogs in harm’s way because of one’s poor behavior, but we also don’t want that poor behavior to seem acceptable to any of the other dogs or puppies in the pack!

For all dogs getting to know each other, the owner must show them that the leader of the pack is ALWAYS the owner first. The dogs should be allowed to socialize and interact, but there must be supervision and also certain situations that you could monitor more, or avoid altogether to avoid failure (i.e.: feeding the dogs separately can prevent any food aggression issues).

When the dogs have to be left alone, it is important that they are separated in the beginning, until things are 100% between the dogs. Making sure both dogs understand obedience, manners, and basic boundaries will help eliminate and avoid bad behaviors in the first place, while also keeping a consistent structure that both dogs can thrive in and feel more encouraged and confident.

Training is a great bonding tool, so maybe while one of your dogs might not need behavior training as much as the other, both can benefit from it, and also cement a positive relationship between the two.

06/07/2024

Happy Donut Day! 🍩💗

06/05/2024

Working with your Veterinarian

Behavior can play a big role in the dog’s overall well-being. For instance, we’ve had clients with dogs that are BANNED from their vet, due to their uncontrollable aggression. The dogs have bitten vet techs and they always struggled to put a muzzle on the dogs whenever the vet came in for the full exam.

Veterinarians and trainers have very similar goals; the approach is just different – a vet does medical checkups and will address any biological issues with the dog, and that can include dental health and also mental health. But when it comes to behavior, most vets can only just prescribe medication or recommend a behavior trainer. As a trainers, we want to address behavior issues that can affect the dog’s general health (and sometimes this can be a vice versa case, where a medical issue might contribute to some poor behaviors).

Veterinarians and trainers want to improve the quality and extend the life of dogs as much as they can. In a way, it’s a team effort. The more information between veterinarian and trainer is shared, the more clear the big picture will be, and the problems that the dog is suffering from can be resolved!

It’s not just about referrals, or getting special discounts at the vet or with training: knowing our vet community is a step to bettering our dogs lives. With a good vet to tackle any medical issues, and a committed trainer to combat the behavioral issues, your dog will be set for behavioral balance and also a lifetime of good health and happiness!

06/03/2024

Dog training is like going to the gym, it takes time to see results!

Changing behavior doesn’t happen overnight. It takes patience, consistency, and time! You won’t see results right away because your dog is learning a new way of life. Just like when we learn new skills it doesn’t happen right away, we need practice and that’s a lot of what training is.

Don’t shy away from changing your dog’s behavior because it won’t happen right away, start the process now so you can begin towards your goals!

Our dogs are with us for a long time, having a well-behaved dog is worth the effort! 🤎

05/31/2024

Off leash freedom is a privilege! Not all dogs can be trusted off leash even with training. Some dogs will always be a flight risk for several reasons.

Our training program always covers a solid recall. Off leash freedom is also included for dogs we feel can be trained for it.

To learn more about our training programs and what they include, visit us online!

05/29/2024

When it comes to behavior in dogs (and people too) it’s important to understand that behavior is not who someone is, it’s what they do.

Training doesn’t change who your dog is, it changes how they act and what they do in situations.

When you train with us, we don’t change your dog’s personality, we bring out the best in them! 🖤

05/27/2024

Happy Memorial Day! 🇺🇸🐶💙

05/24/2024

Dogs bring us so much joy 🖤

05/22/2024

FOOD AGGRESSION

Many owners live in fear of their dogs, especially if they have food aggression. This is a problem. Rather than training their dogs and setting boundaries, they’ve allowed their dog to set the boundaries. I’ve met owners whose dogs were showing signs of dog’s food aggression, sibling aggression, or resource guarding and the excuses of temperament, instincts, or the dog retaining ownership over a space or object were common, such as a food bowl or the dog’s bowl.

The truth is, it’s not instinct or temperament, and a dog can’t own anything. The tendency for a dog to show aggressive behavior such as growl, snap, or bare teeth if his/her owner tries to touch something they see as theirs is a simple issue of behavior. This is especially common where food is concerned, and this is known as food aggression.

If you’ve ever tried to pet your dog while they are eating, been snapped at while trying to remove their dish for any reason, or if you have two dogs that bicker or fight over food, you’ve got a case of food aggression on your hands. It can be fixed, with proper training.

Don’t let food aggression affect when your dog eats. Starting working with them when they are young to avoid any aggressive behavior.