What's Up Dog? Santa Rosa Beach

06/18/2024

We've been telling people this for years!

New research has redefined the best age to spay/neuter popular dog breeds. Delaying the procedure can prevent joint disorders and certain cancers.

06/18/2024

There is a myth circulating that you MUST use an e-collar in order to have a well behaved dog.

Here is my struggle with the marketing of the myth. FREEDOM is the word most often used when discussing the use of an e-collar. The dog can get freedom from a leash, but not freedom from CONTROL while the owner is using the e-collar. So what IS freedom if the dog is under control, pressure, and even receiving undeserved punishment in many cases? That is not freedom, by definition. Let's just call it what it is.

The dog training industry used to defend the use by saying, "We are highly trained in the use of such tools!" and "We hone our craft for years to know how to use the tools properly!" Now, the industry seems to want to put these tools in every dog owner's hands as a fix-all. What happened? The proper use takes finesse, timing, respect, and great communication. The dog's proper understanding takes time. This is especially true if you have hired a trainer to help you with a dog you couldn't train already! Think about that for just a minute.

Here's the best way to explain why it appears to work at first: it's like duct tape on a leaky pipe, it rarely hold up. You must work on the real issues like the communication, the relationship, the dynamics - not just the result of those things being out of order.

Forced obedience/compliance leads to more stress for most dogs, too. You have surely seen videos of a dog bouncing around, jumping to a position - and the owner is tapping a button the entire time - and the dog never settles - it looks excited, a bit uneasy, not relaxed because of the pressure put on it to get into that position. It is because it is always in a state of expectancy to be stimulated. This state of arousal can even look like flashy, cool obedience. It has become like a ju**ie looking for a fix. The opposite is a dog that just shuts down. Neither response should be the goal in training. Take the collar off and show me how your dog behaves. Most people tell me the dog doesn't listen without it - some even say they just show the dog the remote to get it to behave. What kind of relationship is that? What happens when you cannot show the dog the remote, the battery runs out, or the collar is off? What have you done with that remote to garner that response? It is no better than needing to carry totes of treats with you everywhere!

Using certain tools properly has its proper place. I can agree with that thinking, always have. Especially so considering that we train at the highest levels of workability - we train real Service Dogs and Protection Dogs. However, our Service Dogs and Protection Dogs don't even require the use of these tools for everyday life so why would your fluffy, floppy, poofy pal require one all the time!

We've helped many dog owners over the years - some with very necessary e-collar for full time use kind of training. Without it, the dogs would be a serious risk to other dogs and/or humans. They are the exception. They were saved from euthanasia and/or a life of isolation. The humans were committed to giving them a better life. Bravo!

If you are using an e-collar, remember not to shortcut the teaching phase. Don't create a lopsided relationship based on control disguised as freedom. Your goal should be a dog that does something or doesn't do something because it has learned how to think, not just because you have to constantly tell it how to act.

Real teaching and training takes time for most humans and dogs. Need help? Give us a shout.

Private Training
Group Classes
Board and Train

☎️ 850-420-2894
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com
📧 [email protected]

06/18/2024

We train them all, big and small. Can you spot the Tiny Toy Poodle in this picture?

People sometimes get confused about what types of training we offer. Yes, we do train a lot of Service Dogs and Protection Dogs but we are also the largest training facility on the coast that trains pet dogs.

If you are hoping to enjoy the beautiful Emerald Coast with your dog by your side, give us a call. Our trainers have the experience to help you and your dog overcome common dog issues, teach advanced skills and behavior, modify problem behavior like leash reactivity and aggression. You CAN have the relationship you've always wanted with your dog. We'll show you how.

☎️ 850-420-2894
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com
📧 [email protected]

Locals know us as the Best in Destin. We offer Dog Training, Dog Boarding, Doggie Daycare and Retail

06/14/2024

Loving some of these grooming videos out there!

What coat do you want for your dog? Remember, tangles hurt and can be part of the behavior problems you are experiencing!

For a healthy and happy dog, groom regularly.

☎️ 850-420-2894
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com/grooming

What's Up Dog? Miramar Beach

Our team of professional dog groomers are ready to serve your needs. You can easily request an appointment through our online Client Portal. From simple bathing to full styling, we can meet all of your grooming needs. Serving clients from Destin to Santa Rosa Beach in our convenient Miramar Beach

06/13/2024

We want to introduce you to our newest staff trainer, Veronica Lees.

Veronica is what you would call a real dog person. She initially pursued a career in Veterinary medicine, working at both small animal and large animal hospitals for several years. This opened doors in K9 handling and shadowing working dogs in IPO/Schutzhund. Veronica is now a Certified Explosives and Fi****ms Detection K9 Handler through American Working Dog Association.

Her passion for dogs is just incredible. She owns a Labrador Retriever and a Dutch Shepherd, both working Explosives Detection Dogs.

Her work ethic is outstanding and she understands how to get things done - with determination. We are glad to have her experience added to our team.

"After watching Veronica participate in a working K9 competition against some of the very best in the world where she placed 2nd overall, I knew I wanted her on the team. She is easy to work with, a great handler, and she fits right into our team because she loves dogs and wants to help people reach their training goals." - Steve

06/08/2024

It’s National Best Friends Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with your loyal pet companions.

06/02/2024

If we can do just ONE thing for you and your dog, let it be this: THINK differently!

You won't hear us use the word "command". It is largely overused and we believe it sets the wrong tone for a proper relationship.

What type of relationship are you seeking with your dog?

Need help with training?

Put our years and years of experience to work for you and get the relationship you want.

☎️ 850-420-2894
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com

06/02/2024

Update - the owner was found and the pup went home!

05/31/2024

Dog training must come with reasonable expectations... this video shares that sentiment with a little humor.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/4K6LGac6yRLtx9t6/?mibextid=0VwfS7

05/28/2024

Struggling with behavioral issues? Every dog is different, but here are some tips to help:

1. Stop solely telling your dog what it does wrong - focus on when it does "good".

2. KNOW what motivates your dog! Every dog has a motivator.

3. Play with your dog. This is how you get to know your dog and build trust between you. Manners and skills are easily learned through play!

4. Restrict freedom for a period of time each day. A dog with freedom acts like a dog. As you forge a relationship, simply create boundaries.

5. Reach out to our team for help. We have the experience to sort through the trivial details with you and get you and your dog on the right path!

Remember, pushing buttons on a remote control or constantly bribing with treats is a short term fix when used to manipulate behavior. Once those malipulators are gone the behavior is often gone. Training is work. Training is perpetual. Training should be fun!

☎️ 850-420-2894
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com/training

05/20/2024

I was shopping over the weekend and ran into the new owner of one of the pups we started training, Supra - now Stella! My heart dropped for a second - she was simply stunning. She is also a pup I thought I would be keeping for myself. The attached photo is from the day she met her new owner a month earlier. She is even more beautiful today.

She was sitting by her owner's side so calmly when I walked into the garden center. She fixed her eyes on me, sniffed, and begged to come see me. Her owner obliged as we exchanged pleasantries. Supra got hugs and love and even some belly rubs. I got the same, minus the belly rubs. That would've just been awkward. 😆 🤣

I haven't seen Supra since she was placed a month ago. Her affection towards me was as real as it gets. Her new owner was a little surprised and commented, "I guess I no longer have to fear her remembering ME when she goes to her Board and Train with you guys!" She then went and sat next to her owner and looked up to him for guidance on what to do next as I walked away. She knew I was part-time in her life at this point. Doug is now becoming the leader she needs and it showed!

A dog imprints on you, and you on them. If that imprint is healthy and positive there is no forgetting! Dogs love those who love them. Love your dog well, and be the leader they need you to be.

Need help? We are here for you. From finding you the perfect dog to training the dog you already have, we've got you covered.

📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com/training

05/11/2024

It’s National Dog Mom Day! Let’s celebrate the pet parents working tirelessly to provide their fur babies with the love, attention & nutrition they deserve.

05/08/2024

Spay/neuter in itself has proven to NOT be a solution to dog overpopulation and full shelters. Shelters are still overrun, rescues are still over capacity. It takes MORE.

Responsible breeders are definitely NOT the problem. Everyone doesn't want a shelter dog. Some want a well-bred, proper specimen of a particular breed. They are NOT the problem, no matter how many times someone says they are.

Kill shelters and no-kill shelters are one and the same. To have a No-Kill designation, a shelter must only NOT kill 90% of their intake. They can still euthanize 10 out of 100 dogs, and they often DO. It all sucks!

Rescues SELL dogs, sometimes at prices that are ridiculous. It is actually big business for many. Many have huge volunteer bases, get lots of grant money along with donations, and still manage to charge a $200-500 adoption fee. Some charge even more for puppy mill pure-breeds and designer mixed breeds. Many have agreements with them to take their "left-overs".

Being a responsible, good HUMAN would help end the problem of shelters and rescues being so full.

Not getting multiple dogs when care cannot be adequately provided for just one dog would alleviate the problem.

People NOT breeding for fun or the "experience" would alleviate the problem. Not considering genetics because of ignorance is no excuse!

Learning how to communicate properly with a troubled dog would alleviate the problem. Not telling people dogs only need love as if it means cookies and all-access freedom would alleviate the problem - love has many facets, rules, and boundaries.

I even believe that making it illegal to alter a dog too young would alleviate the problem. The behavioral and health issues that come with doing so drive many people to get rid of their dog, and possibly to seek out a dog from a breeder (good or bad).

There are many sides to the problem. It isn't all spay/neuter - adopt don't shop in order to make right what someone else did wrong.

Support your local shelters and rescues, but respect the facts that we cannot de-populate with just spay and neuter.

05/07/2024

Our pets are always there for us. This National Pet Week, let’s celebrate all the ways pets enrich our lives, and ensure we’re giving them the love they deserve!

04/30/2024

Here’s to all the helpful pet adopters on Adopt a Shelter Pet Day – your furry friends appreciate you!

04/25/2024

Thinking about "rescuing" a dog? AWESOME!

Here is a tip:

A large majority of dogs in shelters fit 2 categories -

Strays or run aways - who dug out, climbed out, slipped their leash/collar, ran through the open door, etc...

Owner surrenders - the ones with behavioral issues in the home - unruly, bitey, destructive, neglected due to not having time for them... or not having the funds to properly feed them/care for them.

If your new dog is from a hoarding case or a puppy mill takeover or surrender - which makes up a huge number of dogs in shelters, this may be even more important.

Rather than go buy them their "first" soft bed, or an outfit that matches yours, or a box of unhealthy cookies to "treat" them - get them a great bag of nutritious food, a proper collar, and sign up for some professional training that includes a plan for confidence building for the dog and leadership skills for the owner.

Creating a life with boundaries, rules, and understanding how to be the best dog is what healthy LOVE looks like.

Feeding them an appropriate diet is what LOVE looks like. Garbage in, garbage out - so feed the body, feed the brain!

Rescue is far MORE THAN ADOPTION. You don't have to make excuses because it is a "rescue". That is simply unfair to both you and the dog!

Need help figuring it out? NO problem. We train all breeds, all sizes.

☎️ 850-420-2894
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com/training
📧 [email protected]

Stop by one of our store locations for all of your supplies and nutrition needs! What's Up Dog? Miramar Beach

Locals know us as the Best in Destin. We offer Dog Training, Dog Boarding, Doggie Daycare and Retail

04/23/2024

This is a real Service Dog and her handler.

- She is NOT trained to provide emotional support, dogs just do that naturally. She is NOT trained to comfort her handler, dogs just do that naturally. She is NOT "with" him because he is anxious and needs calming, dogs do that naturally.

- She IS trained to watch his back so HE can enjoy the beauty of the beach, without worrying about someone approaching him.

- She IS trained to help him walk back and forth to his vehicle and along the boardwalk, as he might stumble due to physical trauma.

- She IS trained to make space between him and others so HE can enjoy the salt air, breathing in the goodness of the world - stress free.

It appears that she is enjoying her job, doing her trained task. It looks like her handler is enjoying a MOMENT in life, too.

One moment at a time. That's what a Service Dog gives. It changes with the tides of the day, what she will DO for her human. That is what she is trained to do. He doesn't have to ask her to do it, she just does it - the mark of a real Service Dog. Sure, he can ask, and she will comply - or, she may willfully disregard his request to do her job independently and completely for his benefit - because she was trained to do so. She sees, hears, and smells things before he does; she acts on those things before he does. He will recognize it and appreciate it; he will smile and thank her. Freedom comes from KNOWING she will do her job, not just from having her with him. This is a real Service Dog!

We recognize you, Cmdr. Robert Fry, USN, Ret. - and the job you've done for our benefit. 32 years is a long time to give for others' benefit while in service. We understand the years after separation might actually be the toughest. Thank you for your continued service!

This dog was provided at NO COST to her handler. She was purchased, properly trained, outfitted, and cared for before being placed. The handler was trained to use his dog. He wasn't charged a dime. Won't you join our MISSION to get more dogs to those who need them most?

Learn more by clicking here: www.whatsupdogfl.com/servicedog_pif

Locals know us as the Best in Destin. We offer Dog Training, Dog Boarding, Doggie Daycare and Retail

04/22/2024

04/22/2024

Got out for a little shopping and used the time for some exposure work... we live in an amazing place!

13-weeks.

04/20/2024

Having a tough time getting your dog(s) to relax in the house?

One of the things we teach about LEADERSHIP is REST. Good leaders decide when it is time to rest. Let's look at it honestly with some common sense. We see it with children and parents - humans call it NAP TIME! Dogs are way different from children, but the analogy does help it make sense. Parents know when a nap is needed, they schedule it, and they typically enforce it because it is good for both the child and the parent. Draw from that thought.

The first steps in the house after a romp in the yard can be the most challenging for energetic dogs and people with a busy household. The dog doesn't know it is time to calm down until it is taught to do so. Teach them!

We use our PLACE cots to teach relaxation that can and does transfer to simply lying still in the house. This can be for just a moment or while you eat dinner, do homework, enjoy some quiet time. We enter the house, they go lay down and wait for OUR direction, approval, engagement, treats, or whatever. We use it as a pause to slow the pace.

Do you need help setting up proper home dynamics? We've got you! We can teach you and your dog how to LIVE together better.

Reach out to our training team and get set up with some true professional help. Our experience is generational and we KNOW dogs. We'd love to help you and your dog have the relationship you've always imagined.

☎️ 850-420-2894
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com/training
📧 [email protected]

04/18/2024

Service Dog Life!

Tanner is in Dallas to check in on this team that graduated from our program 6-months ago. Dog and training provided by Pawsitive Love Foundation and What's Up Dog?

Properly trained Service Dogs SAVE lives.
Properly trained Service Dogs provide FREEDOM.
Properly trained Service Dogs restore HOPE.
Properly trained Service Dogs provide HEALING.

Join our mission and Pay it Forward for a combat wounded veteran. www.whatsupdogfl.com/servicedog_pif

04/16/2024

The trainers' office is a complicated mess of dogs, paperwork, and redbull cans.

Training is perpetual, tiring, and an art form of communication. It is a balance of willpower and patience.

We live it everyday. We know what you go through at home. Our goal is to make it easier for you to enjoy your dog by teaching both of you better communication skills.

We can help. It's what we do.

☎️ 850-420-2894
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com/training
📧 [email protected]

04/15/2024

Service Dog Training...

Exposure training in the real world is a critical part of development of any pet dog who will be with its human in public, but even more so for a properly trained Service Dog. Our Service Dogs go everywhere, do everything with their handlers. They also work as an INDEPENDENT part of the team. You shouldn't have to ask your dog to do everything - this provides more freedom because our dogs DO what they need to do while YOU do what you need to do.

SERVICE Dog training done to the highest standards is a long process, not a month-long course of training. Never has been, never will be. Life and freedom is too important to just have a dog that listens on leash - it MUST work. Handlers MUST experience freedom from their disability to consider it functional mitigation. That's higher than ADA standards, and we are fine with that.

Need a true Service Dog? We have the experience to help. Our founder has been fortunate enough to serve as Training Advisor/Director for multiple organizations, has placed dogs all across North America for various disciplines, serves as an advisor to corporate entities on the acceptance/denial of Service Animals in their establishments, and has instructed other trainers on proper selection - training protocols for Service Dogs and their handlers. Our team knows Service Dogs.

Reach out if we can help you!

📧 [email protected]

04/14/2024

Are you looking for a family protection dog that can be PART of the family?

We select puppies and dogs from the finest breeders, raise them in a home environment, train them in a professional environment before placement.

This gives you a proper companion and protector. It doesn't just HAPPEN, it must be cultivated. Starting with the right genetics is a MUST. Exposure and training is a MUST.

We don't select sport dogs turned into house pets (this rarely works out for the dog or the owners), we look specifically for balanced drives, clear heads, plus the ability and desire to work. WE PLACE real protection dogs!

Put our team to task to find your family protector. We specialize in Dutch Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and German Shepherd Dog placement with families.

In the near future, we will have Giant Schnauzer puppies from our own program. Rasta von Herder Haus is a daughter to Xaro vom der Schönburg, 3-time World Champion! Rasta was raised by us from a puppy, and is owned by our trainer, Kendall. A litter is planned for later in the year!

Send our team an email and let us find your next companion who knows how to keep you and your family safe!

📸 Pictured is our newest edition, Supra vom Warsney, Belgian Malinois - 12-weeks old.

📧 [email protected]

04/14/2024

I heard this the other day: "The dog ONLY listens when the e-collar is on!" It is also quite common to hear, "The dog ONLY listens when I have treats."

Dogs aren't designed to be push-buton robots. And, you aren't supposed to be a treat machine. Training tools are fine when used to enhance training - or to create a breakthrough for the toughest issues, but your average dog should still be reliable without them. There must be balance to be healthy.

It takes time and effort to create a foundation, build a relationship, set boundaries, understand needs. This takes positive reinforcement. This takes correction. Again, a healthy balance.

Having a well-behaved dog is often about embracing the love of the game, like kids or a partner who want YOU engaging with them for the sheer love of the game and the joy it brings by doing something TOGETHER, all while learning the value of rules of the relationship. Enjoy your dog and TEACH them well.

Need help understanding your dog? Well, we happen to speak dog! We can help you find balance and build a relationship you can be proud of.

☎️ 850-420-2894
🌐 www.whatsupdogfl.com/training
📧 [email protected]