REAL K9 Training LLC

11/27/2025

11/20/2025

🧠 Think About It Thursday: Common Dog Training Terms Explained!

Ever feel like dog trainers have their own secret language? 😅
Let’s decode some of the most common training terms — in plain, REAL K9 Training™ style! 🐾💚

⸻

🎯 LURING
Think of it like using a magnet on your dog’s nose! 🧲
You guide them with a treat so they naturally follow your hand into position.
👉 Example: Teaching “spin” by slowly moving a treat in a circle near their nose.

Most dogs won’t do a full spin right away — and that’s okay! Reward every little movement toward the goal so they stay motivated instead of giving up. 💪🐾

⸻

💰 JACKPOT
A jackpot is a burst of celebration for a job especially well done!
It’s not just one big treat — it’s several small, rapid-fire rewards given one after another. Think of it as saying, “Yes! THAT was amazing!” 🎉

⸻

3️⃣ The Three D’s: DISTANCE • DURATION • DISTRACTION
To help your dog succeed, only increase one at a time while training.
👉 Example: If you move from your quiet living room to the yard, you’ve already increased distraction — so keep distance and duration easier for now.

This sets your dog up for success instead of overwhelm! 💚

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🧩BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
Helping your dog feel better about something that once scared or stressed them.

For example: a broom 🧹 fell over near them as a puppy, and now your dog feels anxious whenever they see one.

Through careful desensitization and counter-conditioning, we work to change their emotional response from “uh-oh” to “I’m okay.”

11/20/2025

11/19/2025

Calling ALL service dog handlers! Use your voice today for stronger access rights in the future! 📢🦮

If you are a U.S. service dog handler, please take 5 minutes to share your experience regarding access issues you've faced in public spaces, rideshares, or businesses in our State of Access survey. Your voice helps us advocate for stronger access rights and informs policymakers, advocacy groups, and the public.

👉 www.seeingeye.org/stateofaccess
📅 Deadline: Tuesday, November 25
🗺️ Open to all U.S.-based service dog handlers

🤔 Not a service dog handler?
🤲 Help us advocate for stronger access rights by sharing this post!

PD: A yellow Lab Seeing Eye dog in harness sits underneath a cafe table and beside his handler’s feet.

11/12/2025

I’m so grateful to be part of this amazing Atlas community 💙 Their mission and the incredible people behind it mean so much to me. Thank you, , for letting me share a small part of my story.

https://www.facebook.com/stories/104385108456309/UzpfSVNDOjg4ODYyMzA4NzA1MTg2MA==/?view_single=1&source=shared_permalink&mibextid=wwXIfrt

11/11/2025

🐾 Training Tip Tuesday: If You Have To Greet On-Leash

Let’s be honest — leash greetings between dogs can go wrong fast.
If you’ve worked with me before, you already know that meeting another dog on-leash — especially one my dog and I don’t know — is a hard no for me.
(Stay tuned — next week I’ll share exactly why! 👀)

But if you absolutely have to greet on-leash, here’s how to make it as safe as possible:

Most people — honestly, almost everyone — tightens the leash the moment their dog spots another dog. It’s instinctive! We want control and safety, but here’s what really happens 👇

When you tighten the leash, your dog feels that tension.
That tension says, “Uh-oh, something’s wrong.”
If your dog suddenly feels trapped and can’t move away, they may escalate — barking, lunging, or growling — simply because they’ve lost the option to create distance.

Dogs need room to move, to curve, to sniff, and to choose.
When they can’t, they communicate louder — and that’s when problems start.

💡 If a leash greeting is unavoidable:
✅ Keep the leash loose, not tight.
✅ Give your dog space to move away if they choose.
✅ Keep the leash up and untangled, avoid wrapping around yourself or the other dog.
✅ Keep greetings very brief (max 3 seconds),because a dog’s emotional state can shift from calm curiosity to over-arousal or reactivity in just a few seconds. Prolonged face-to-face contact or tension on the leash can quickly turn an “I’m just checking you out” moment into “I’m not comfortable anymore.”
✅ Watch body language: soft eyes, curved bodies, relaxed tails = good.
✅ Stiff posture, stillness, or direct stares = time to end the interaction.

A loose leash means freedom, confidence, and safety.
Give your dog the space to make good choices — and you’ll both breathe easier. 🐕💚

11/08/2025

💚🐾 Thursday at the APDT Conference: Science, Puppies & the Human Side of Dog Training

Another incredible day of learning, connection, and growth at the APDT Conference!

I kicked things off with “Science, Your Secret Weapon: How You Can Use Science for More Effective Dog and Client Training” presented by Tim Lewis. Science can sound intimidating (and let’s be honest, sometimes a bit dry!), but Tim always makes it engaging, fun, and completely practical.🧠🐾

Next “Puppy Kindergarten: The New Science of Raising a Great Dog” with Vanessa Woods from Duke University. While the focus was on service dog development, the science behind it applies beautifully to all puppies. Plenty of fascinating nuggets to take home and weave into my own puppy programs. Learning truly never stops ! 💚🐶

I also joined a roundtable discussion with Vanessa afterward.

During exhibit hall hours, I spent more time at the Atlas Assistance Dogs booth, connecting with trainers, answering questions, and spreading the word about ethical, science-based service dog training. 🦮💚

The evening session, we explored imposter syndrome, something so many trainers experience, and how we can better support both ourselves and the humans we work with emotionally. I left with some wonderful reminders that growth and confidence are lifelong processes — for every learner, no matter how many legs they have. 💚

To wrap up the night, I participated in another round of PORTL! 🎯 I managed to record a clip to share with my clients later. It’s such a fun, eye-opening way to help people understand what their dogs experience during clicker training — and I can’t wait to use it as a teaching tool. 🐾

It was another full, inspiring day filled with science, connection, empathy, and a whole lot of laughter. My brain (and heart) are happily overflowing — and there’s still more to come! 💚🧠

11/07/2025

💚🐾 Wednesday at the APDT Conference: Movement, Mindfulness & Meaningful Connection

What an incredible first official day of the APDT Conference! After Tuesday’s hands-on pre-conference workshop, Wednesday was all about expanding perspective — from how dogs move to how we, as trainers, help both ends of the leash find balance and connection.

The morning began with Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and his session, “Behavior in Motion: Why Movement Circles Matter.”
He explored the concept of movement cycles — repeatable units of behavior that begin and end in the same position. 🌀

Next up was the Tellington TTouch® session with Deb Bauer, a certified practitioner with over 20 years of experience blending science-based methods with gentle, effective TTouch techniques. She shared how this approach builds physical and emotional balance to support learning, resilience, and calm.

The afternoon continued with Canine Sense and Sensitivity presented by Nathan Hall, which dove into the science of canine olfaction. 👃🐶

To wrap up the educational sessions, I attended Michael Shikashio’s “Love Bites: Dog Aggression Directed at Family or Friends.”

The evening didn’t slow down either! After volunteering at the Atlas Assistance Dogs booth in the exhibit hall, I spent time catching up with a colleague from Pets for Vets, where I serve as one of their satellite trainers.

We ended up playing PORL a fun, hands-on way to fine-tune clicker mechanics while also gaining a deeper appreciation for what our dogs experience during shaping. It was such a worthwhile, humbling exercise and something I can’t wait to bring to future client learning experiences. 🎯🐾

It was a very full and inspiring day, and my brain is happily buzzing with new science, skills, and ideas — with two more days ahead to stretch and fill every last brain cell with learning! 💚🧠

11/05/2025