St. Pete Dog Works, LLC

🎓🎓🎓 Congrats to our recent Puppy Graduates ✨✨✨ These puppies rocked their AKC STAR Puppy Manners class and are well on their way to being confident, well-mannered dogs! Are you a new puppy owner looking to get a solid head start on your puppy's manners? Then join us for one of one of our upcoming classes. Our classes: ✔️ taught by certified professional trainers ✔️ have fun and build a positive realtionship ✔️ semi private class; only 4 puppies ✔️ studio located at 3001 Central Ave St. Petersburg Next start dates: 🗓 Thursday, 4/10 at 6pm 🗓 Wednesday, 4/16 at 7:15pm 🗓 Saturday, 4/19 at 9:30am Learn more and register at: https://www.stpetedogworks.com/puppy-classes #grandcentraldistrict #stpetedogs #positivereinforcement #puppytraining #puppyclasses #certifieddogtrainer #dogtraining

Puppy Socialization: More Than Just Playdates! 🐶🎉 Puppy playdates are great, but a well-rounded socialization plan goes way beyond just meeting other pups! Socialization is about helping your puppy feel confident in all kinds of situations they'll encounter in life. Here’s what else you should include: 🐾 New People – Expose your pup to different ages, genders, and appearances (hats, beards, sunglasses, etc.). Let them meet friendly strangers in a positive way! 🏡 Handling & Grooming – Get your puppy used to being touched on their paws, ears, and mouth. This helps with vet visits, nail trims, and overall handling. 🚗 Car Rides & Adventures – Take your pup on short car rides so they associate travel with fun, not fear. Bonus: visit pet-friendly stores for new experiences! 📢 Sounds & Surfaces – Introduce them to common noises (doorbells, vacuums, sirens) and different surfaces (gravel, tile, stairs). Reward calm behavior! 🐕‍🦺 People & Animals at a Distance – Teach your pup to be comfortable around other dogs, cats, and people without always interacting. This prevents frustration and overexcitement! 🏡 Alone Time – Help your puppy learn independence by gradually increasing the time they spend alone. A happy pup is a confident pup! Socialization is about quality, not just quantity. Keep experiences positive, go at your puppy’s pace, and build a confident, well-adjusted companion for life! 🐾💛 Join us for an upcoming class or one-on-one training program so we help you create a socialization plan to that meets the needs of your lifestyle with your puppy. www.stpetedogworks.com #puppysocialization #dogtraining #grandcentraldistrict #stpetedogs #positivereinforcement #puppytraining #puppyclasses #certifieddogtrainer

Joy. Adventure. Companionship. Connection. Playfulness. Cuddles. These are the moments you imagined when you welcomed your dog into your life. Maybe you grew up with a family dog who was gentle and easygoing. Or perhaps a heartwarming movie inspired you to adopt a furry friend. You expected a journey filled with fun and love… But reality has been anything but that. Instead, you're dealing with stress, frustration, and uncertainty. Your dog’s behavior isn’t what you anticipated, and you’re not sure how to fix it. Maybe your pup goes into a frenzy when guests arrive. Or perhaps leaving the house turns into a dramatic ordeal. Whatever the challenge, you don’t have to figure it out alone. That’s where we come in. Dog training isn’t just about obedience commands—it’s about shaping emotions to foster better behavior. Rather than simply teaching a dog to “follow orders,” we help them navigate the world with confidence and calmness. Yes, your dog will learn foundational skills like sit and stay, but more importantly, they’ll develop trust, resilience, and a positive outlook on life’s experiences. This training approach is different. It’s powerful. And it works. Because when a dog feels secure and understood, good behavior follows naturally. Ready to start the journey? Join one of our upcoming classes: 🐾 Basic Obedience – Begins Saturday, 3/1 at 10:45 AM 🐾 Off-Leash Puppy Kindergarten – Begins Monday, 3/17 at 5:45 PM 🐾 AKC STAR Puppy Manners – Begins Monday, 3/17 at 6:45 PM 🔗 Register here: https://www.stpetedogworks.com/puppy-classes Let’s help your dog thrive—together! 🐶✨

Tidbit Tuesday Puppies typically need between 18 to 20 hours of sleep each day to support their healthy growth and development. Here's why sleep is so important for them: Why Sleep is Crucial for Puppies Brain Development: While sleeping, puppies process and absorb the information they’ve encountered during the day, which is key for mental growth. Central Nervous System: Sleep plays a significant role in the development of a puppy's central nervous system, helping them coordinate movement and respond to stimuli. Immune System Boost: Rest helps strengthen a puppy's immune system, keeping them healthier and better equipped to fight off infections. Muscle and Bone Growth: Proper rest aids in muscle and bone development, helping them grow stronger and more resilient. Sleep Patterns in Puppies Puppies are polyphasic sleepers, meaning they sleep in multiple short sessions throughout the day and night. As they mature, their sleep habits become more predictable, with bursts of energy followed by rest. Sleep patterns can vary from one puppy to another and even fluctuate daily. Tips for Helping Your Puppy Sleep Post-Meal Routine: After meals and a potty break in the evening, try to settle your puppy down for some quiet time to help them wind down. Create a Routine: Establishing a consistent sleep schedule will help your puppy understand when it’s time to rest and when it’s time to play. Training for Sleep: Around 16 weeks, you can begin training your puppy to follow a bedtime routine, helping them get used to waking up and going to bed on a set schedule. Consequences of Sleep Deprivation Lack of proper rest can cause your puppy to become irritable, overly energetic, or even destructive. Sleep deprivation can also weaken their immune system, making them more prone to illness. Additionally, without enough sleep, your puppy may struggle with learning, adapting to new environments, and growing as they should. Ensuring your puppy gets plenty of sleep is vital for th

🎉🐾 Roxy's Training Journey Update! 🐾🎉 Roxy just wrapped up some foundational training with us, and she’s ready to take on the world! 🌎✨ She aced both our 6-session one-on-one puppy program and our training walks program—which helped her amazing paw-rents learn the ropes of living with a puppy (without pulling their hair out 😅) while we coached Roxy on all the essentials. The result? Roxy learned faster, her parents were less frustrated, and everybody’s happy! 🙌 Now we’re diving into the FUN stuff! 🎉 Next up: paddleboarding with mom 🏄‍♀️ and enjoying those dreamy low-tide days of play 🐶🌊. But... I’ve got a little secret. 🤫 While Roxy’s having the time of her life, I’m quietly working on making her newly learned tricks reliable in the real world—distractions and all. Don’t tell her though... wink, wink! 😉 #CertifiedTrainer #PositiveReinforcement #PuppyClasses #PuppyTraining #PuppyProgress #LifeWithRoxy #TrainerSecrets #PawsitiveVibes #DogTraining #HappyPuppy #PuppyLove #GoodDog

Here’s why we do what we do! 🌟 One of our amazing clients just shared a heartwarming win with us: she sent a picture of Willa, calmly sitting like a pro at a shoe store! 🥿👠 The store owner invited her in because Willa’s manners were that impressive. Talk about a perfect testament to all their hard work! We couldn’t be prouder of Willa and her mom for their dedication and progress. You’re both rockstars! ✨

The 🛸 mother ship 🛸 has dispatched an alien spy disguised as the cutest little pup you've ever seen. Julio might be transmitting Earth's secrets back to his extraterrestrial overlords, and he might even have us under some sort of alien enchantment. He began our Puppy Program yesterday, where he'll spend the next six sessions mastering all the essential skills to become the finest earthly puppy imaginable. His parents will: ✔️ Have a puppy well on their way to being potty trained; who enjoys spending time in his crate and knows your household rules. ✔️ You will know how to properly manage your puppy to set him up for success so you enjoy living with your puppy. ✔️ Gain relief from puppy nipping, chewing, and jumping. ✔️ Understand the true meaning of socialization, the importance of enrichment, and confidence building. ✔️ A toolbox of skills to create and maintain a happy and healthy relationship with your dog. gain relief from his puppy Do you have an alien spy disguised as a canine companion? If so, join us today! We have many options for puppy owners: 👽 puppy class 👽 private 1-on-1 training 👽 puppy playdates Learn more at: www.stpetedogworks.com

We’re so proud of Harrie and her wonderful parents Darrel & Brenda! Harrie’s life started out quite small, being born in a kennel. Darrel and Brenda rescued her from Barking Out Loud Rescue, Inc and recognized they were going to need some professional guidance to help Harrie gain confidence and live a happy, active life. Now look at this girl - she’s climbing mountain tops, meeting new friends, and going places:)

Tidbit Tuesday: Disengage: Foundations Teaching your dog to disengage from whatever stimuli they are looking at in the environment, and then making the choice to look at you without a prompt, is one of the most important behaviors to teach your dog. Not only is it a basic engagement skill that makes your walks together much more enjoyable, it is also extremely useful for fearful or reactive dogs. By first teaching this behavior just hanging out and being still, it is also a great way to help them learn to just be calm. Being outdoors shouldn’t always mean constant motion and activity. They can also learn to just BE in any environment, like on a picnic, or taking them to a concert, or hanging out while you read while getting some fresh air. So spend a few minutes each day just BEING with your pup as you work on teaching them that paying attention to you has great payouts. Need help getting your dog to notice you, be able to relax when out and about in the world, or care you're on the other end of the leash? We CAN help! Email us today to see what options might work the best - [email protected]

Happy Friday! Today I’ve decided to share a very personal video and here’s the reason why: Yes, "The Cobblers Children Have No Shoes.” I’ve been so busy managing the kids schedules, maintaining a household, trying to be the best mom and wife I can be, improving self-care, and trying to grow a successful business that there simply hasn’t been any available time left to devote to my own dogs. Because of that, I started noticing a decline in behavior. Structure has been lax at best, daily exercise & enrichment needs aren’t being met, and social exposure have been non-existent. Arley was becoming a pain in the ARSE! Incessantly whining, increased alert barking, harassing the cat, and developing mild reactive behaviors. HIs overall manners and life skills were decreasing. So I decided it was time to follow my own advice. The advice I give to clients all day long. My friend and fellow trainer, Debbie offered to take Arley a few days a week to do various things with him. I set my pride aside and gladly welcomed the offer. My parting words were “I hope he doesn’t embarrass you.” She sent me this video, because she knew I needed to see it to believe it. Let’s just say we were both pleasantly surprised at how well he did. Here’s some key take aways: 1. THIS IS SOCIALIZATION! This particular nuisance of socializing your dog is often over looked - but dogs must learn how to watch the world go on around them and be okay with it. You will often see words like NEUTRALITY or EXPOSURE and this should absolutely be a part of your socialization plan. Arley does not interact with any other dog at anytime. The goal is for him to simply watch and listen to the other dogs while remaining calm. 2. Arley did as well as he did because of Debbie. She has good handling skills and most importantly SHE SET HIM UP FOR SUCCESS. She did this by: • First making sure he had some physical exercise before taking him into this environment. •

Yesterday’s afternoon kabooms were INSANE! ⛈ ⛈ ⛈ Where I enjoy watching a crazy thunderstorm roll through, it can be very unsettling for our dogs. 🐶 🐶 🐶 One of the most important things you can do is provide a safe place for your dog to go to until the storm passes. This may be a a covered crate, a bedroom closet, under a bed, or in a room with curtains drawn. It may also help to play some relaxing music to help reduce the sound of the rumbling thunder. Providing a long lasting chew may also distract and provide an outlet for chewing and licking for self-soothing. Yesterday, the spots decided my lap was their safe place. ✔️✔️✔️ Where’s your dog’s safe place?