Blue Dog Training & Behavior - WA

01/30/2024

This lovely girl is Sadie! She is in need of a new home. I have only worked with Sadie a couple of times so far, but she is a very intelligent, engaging girl that loves to train and play! Sadie is seeking a home without other dogs or small animals. She has a strong prey drive and concerns about sharing her stuff with other dogs. With people, Sadie is sweet, friendly, and very fun. She is an adolescent/young adult and will need a home that can provide for her needs, including adequate exercise and mental enrichment, and understands that Sadie is not a "dog park dog," though she would certainly love to accompany you on hikes! Sadie may also be open to a foster situation. Her current guardian is unable to continue to house Sadie for much longer, and is doing everything they can to help her get ready for a new adventure. Please send me a message if you would like to connect with Sadie's temporary home.

01/12/2024

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm! Share a photo of your snow dogs 🥰

10/18/2023

Hi friends! As winter weather approaches, I am going to be opening up some board & train spots. Lessons are often canceled due to weather and unsafe driving conditions, and with the holidays, many people are traveling! I currently have one spot available for over Thanksgiving, and several spots open throughout November, December (including Christmas), and January.

Board & Train dogs stay in my home and receive several training sessions per day. They sleep crated or in xpens at night. They receive walks, playtime, and other enrichment during their stay. For this chunk of time, I'd like to prioritize dogs who are social and happy to spend time with other dogs. Goals for us to work on can be loose leash walking, recall, basic manners, leash reactivity, etc. Feel free to send an email if you have any questions ([email protected]) or see my website for more details (http://bluedog.training)

10/06/2023

Saffron doesn't even look real! How cute is she?

07/15/2023

Baby Lux had a great first visit to Angeles Clinic for Animals for her puppy checkup! Prevention can go a long way toward helping your pup feel comfortable at the vet. Lux got a lot of treats, practiced fun, easy behaviors she likes to do, and her first visit didn't include anything potentially scary like vaccines. We'll be back for more visits, some with pokes, to continue helping to build positive associations with her amazing vet team.

07/14/2023

I will be out of office 7/15-7/22 and unable to respond to inquiries during that time. Thanks for your patience!

07/07/2023

We have 2 spots open for our puppy class starting this Saturday! It will be held in Sequim and is a 6 week class for puppies 10-16 weeks. DM or email for more info.

07/06/2023

We have just a couple of openings left for puppy class starting this Saturday in Sequim!
This is a 6 week class focusing on all things raising puppies, including the things that a lot of classes miss. This isn't a baby basic obedience course- we will be introducing surfaces/textures, sounds, new sights, smells, and helping you to socialize your puppy. We'll work on skills for settling, getting used to having gear put on/taken off, handling for the groomer and vet, polite greetings, recall, etc. We will have a lot of enrichment and will also include monitored playtime!

Class starts at 9:30am on Saturday, July 8th, and goes for 6 weeks. It is a small, intimate class to allow for one-on-one attention for each team. Puppies should be between 10 and 16 weeks with at least two sets of shots from your veterinarian.
If you'd like to sign up, please email me at [email protected] and tell me about your pup.

Baby Lux is excited to meet you!

05/26/2023

Miss Fable was a superstar for her lesson this afternoon!

05/06/2023

Gilly and I had a great walk at Robin Hill today!

03/16/2023

Baby steps!

If you have a dog that is fearful or anxious, you may need to provide a safe space for them to retreat to when they are feeling overwhelmed. Mika and I are working together on her anxious feelings. She decided early on that the crate in my car was a good spot for her. Now when I work with her, I try to leave it open and accessible, and she will sometimes make the decision to hop back in if things are getting too hard. Honoring her choice to take a break helps her stay under threshold and more willing to come out again to try some more. I LOVE when Mika tells me she's ready to do some more work.

When we push dogs too far, too fast, we risk backsliding our progress and devaluing their trust in us. I have said that sometimes, dog training is about as exciting as watching paint dry. We don't need big fireworks moments for learning to occur!

03/16/2023

Do you groom your dog at home, utilize a grooming service, or both? Many dog owners are nervous to do some tasks like trimming nails (especially black nails), and a lot of dogs are really uncomfortable with the sight of those nail trimmers coming out.

For my individual dogs, brushing is great! They love to be brushed, but they aren't as excited to have their nails done. There are several ways to help make grooming a more cooperative experience. You can even train your pup to use a scratch board, so that they can file down their nails as a "trick." For dogs that are afraid of the bath tub, consider putting a non-slip mat in the tub to give them more secure footing, and play games in the bathroom and tub by tossing treats or toys, or doing some fun searches for food. There are even lick mats with suction cups on the back so that you can use a smear of peanut butter in the tub for your pup to lick.

03/14/2023

How cute is baby Illy? She is an almost 9 week old Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. One day, Illy will be a super athletic and active dog! For now, though, she looks ready for a nap. Her family is getting her off to a good start with some foundations that will help her thrive.

Baby puppies are capable of learning a LOT - but the very most important thing that you can do with a youngster is socialization. This doesn't mean that they need to directly interact with tons of people or other dogs! Instead, we want thoughtful exposure to as many of the things your pup is likely to face throughout their life as we can manage. New surfaces, sounds, smells, and sights are all important. This has to be done safely to prevent exposure to diseases for which they aren't yet vaccinated, but there are safe ways of doing this. The benefit to future behavior is extremely important.

Check out the puppy socialization position statement from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement-FINAL.pdf

03/13/2023

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/the-stubborn-dog/

Great little article. Dogs try so hard for us, it's our responsibility to make things make sense for them and to help them feel comfortable doing what we ask. If they refuse, try to get curious and figure out what's going on!

Are dogs stubborn? Here's what you need to know about training a 'stubborn dog'.

03/10/2023

Bleu is practicing his GoodBoy skills in his homeschool sessions!

01/19/2023

Some excellent pups on their outings today 🥰

01/17/2023

Lily got to join Nova for an adventure walk!