Coastal K9 Training and Behavior

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving! Let us reflect with the words of Chris Fraize

Hey guys,

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody.

I just want to take a moment to reflect on this primate national holiday where we’re all supposed to be celebrating with family and friends… hopefully trying to be better people, hopefully trying to be kinder, hopefully trying to communicate better.

I mean, that’s what Thanksgiving is about, right?

Look… I don’t know how it started, and I don’t know if it’s all built on a lie involving smallpox-infected blankets handed to Native Americans… but I like to think that whatever happened in the past is in the past, and we’re here now trying to make the best of what we’ve got.

I also wanted to step out from behind the paywall for a moment and say Happy Thanksgiving to you… and share something with you that’s not yelling.

Because here’s the thing:
You’re going to read this with your internal voice.
I don’t want you to hear your voice.
I want you to hear my voice.

I want you to know that I mean every single word of what follows.
It’s coming from the heart, and I thought it’d be a good Thanksgiving gift to the pet dog owner… a quiet little look in the mirror. So… enjoy.

Give thanks! Because…

This is about you.

You bought a puppy.
You adopted a rescue.
You found a stray and brought it home.

And from the second you made that choice, you decided everything.

You decided what the dog would eat.
You decided how it would live.
You decided its schedule, its boundaries, its rules…
or lack of them.

And the dog?
The dog had no say… though it was communicating.
No vote… just primate perceptions on your end.
No voice… because movement is dialogue.
Just a front-row seat to your decisions.

You were thrilled.
You were in love.
You were living the dream with the dog you wanted.

But as that dog watched you…
you were teaching it exactly who to be:

A spoiled brat.
A fearful codependent.
A hypersocial, non-mannered canine child acting like it just snorted a pound of coke and washed it down with a case of Monster energy drinks.

All through anthropomorphic projection…
your movement, your emotions, your inconsistency, your wishful thinking.

And you didn’t even know it.

You didn’t understand movement.
You didn’t understand leadership.
You didn’t understand the animal in front of you.
You wanted a dog…
but you never learned how to communicate with one.

And what happens in the absence of leadership?
(Insert your canine behavior issues here.)

You created it.
You shaped it.
You reinforced it.

What’s allowed will continue, and what you reinforced became law.

Then came the problems:
fear, reactivity, lunging, fighting, running, biting…
communication born from the world you created.

Now you were frustrated.
You were overwhelmed.
You were confused.

So… you chased the fixes that made you feel better:

• High-value treats
• Purely-positive socialization
• Fancy harnesses
• Electric collars
• Medications
• “Expert” advice from people who can’t read a dog

And understand…. I’m not yelling at you.

I’m telling you a truth no one else will:
The dog didn’t fail.
You did.

And this is still all on you.
Because when you got that dog…
you didn’t just step into dog ownership.
You stepped into an industry built entirely around your convenience.

Training programs built for your schedule.
Tools built for your comfort.
Puppy classes built for your feelings.
Marketing built for your ego.

Every service promising to fix your dog in a way that feels good to you.
And every dollar you spent told you the same lie:
“You’re doing the right thing.” And that’s why most people fail.
Because the system is designed to sell you comfort, not clarity.
Convenience, not communication. A fantasy, not responsibility.

Dogsmanship isn’t built for that.

Dogsmanship teaches you to look in the mirror.
To see the primate.
To be accountable for the world you create.
To communicate in a way a dog can actually understand.
To accept that the dog is never the problem…
you are.

And you can make that choice.
You can choose clarity, leadership, responsibility, truth.

But if what you really want is likes… or follows… or the perfect aesthetic…
or the dog that matches your furniture, your jacket, your image…

then… very little of what I have to tell you will make you happy.

Because the truth isn’t pretty. Especially when it’s necessary.
But it’s real.

And at the end of all this…
as it was when this journey began?

It’s not the dog… It’s you.

Safe training,
c.

11/26/2025

As dog owners, we’re always trying to do what’s best for our dogs — and food storage is one of the most overlooked areas that can quietly create problems. Most people assume that dumping kibble into a plastic container is cleaner, easier, and more organized. But the truth is this:

Your dog’s food should stay inside the original bag it comes in.

Here’s why this matters more than you think:

Dog food bags aren’t just packaging — they’re engineered. They’re made with barrier layers that shield kibble from air, humidity, and light, all of which break down nutrients and cause fats to spoil.
When you pour kibble into a bin, that protection disappears, and the food ages faster.

It keeps the food fresher, longer. Kibble is coated in fats to make it palatable. Those fats go rancid when exposed to oxygen. Storing the kibble in its bag helps slow that process so your dog gets food that’s closer to what the manufacturer intended.

Fresher food = better digestion, better skin + coat health, and less risk of upset stomachs.

It prevents contamination (this is the big one most people don’t know). Plastic bins hold onto microscopic grease from previous batches of kibble — even if you think you scrubbed them clean.
New kibble poured on top absorbs those old oils, which can lead to:
• Spoilage
• Mold growth
• Off smells
• GI issues

Keeping the food in its bag is the simplest way to avoid cross-contamination.

You keep all the important info: lot numbers, expiration dates, nutrition guarantees.

If there is ever a recall…
If your dog gets suddenly sick…
If you want to check the EXP date…
You’re going to need that bag.

Dump the food and toss the bag? You’ve got no way to trace anything.

11/25/2025

Most dogs don’t lack obedience.
They lack engagement.
Learn to use food or toys to capture attention, reward effort, and build value in the work.
The more your dog buys in, the more they show up for you.

11/18/2025

If your dog’s nails are longer than your patience, this reel is for you!

11/18/2025

11/14/2025

Regular intentional massage work does more than relax the body; it teaches the nervous system how to shift gears. Through conditioned relaxation massage, we create a predictable pattern: activity → guided calm → full-body release. Over time, dogs learn how to follow that pattern on their own.

This form of decompression supports:
•Self-regulation (a dog’s ability to settle without external cues)
•Better emotional balance
•Faster recovery after stress or stimulation
•Clearer communication between dog and handler
•Stronger trust and connection

By adding these techniques into my training programs, I’ve been able to get past surface-level behaviors and address what’s really happening in the dog’s nervous system. It’s been a game-changer for resolving reactivity, anxiety, and focus issues.
💙
🖤
💙

11/13/2025

Waves settle when the dog’s needs are met routinely. A lot of behavioral problems will dissipate on their own if you spend the time to “scratch the itch” your dog needs so badly.

They need to run loose on a 50 yard line in the woods or field. They need a hearty game of tug, flirt pole, sled pull or wall climb. “The itch” may be The thing that predators love to do the most, chase, catch, fight, kill.

Give them an outlet and commit to the consistency. Of doing it all the time!

11/08/2025

“You shock dogs?”

Yeah, and then I resurrect ’em and teach recall.

Relax — it’s pressure, not punishment.