Savvy Pooch K9 Training

09/01/2024

Well today has lots of mixed feelings. Had the honor to work with this pup (Buster) and teach him all the basic commands along with some advanced ones in prep for him one day becoming a support dog for either a first responder or military warrior. I knew the day would come when Buster would go back home to his foster mom (Denise) and today was the day. Happy that he is ready to go, but grown so use to this sweet smart boy. Buster you will be missed but know your job out there is bigger and waiting for you. Thank you Denise for trusting us with Busters training and your friendship.

08/25/2024

Thank you Jackie and Ernest for trusting me with your newest family member. This is Olliver who is lovingly called Ollie. He is a maltipoo weighing around 5-7 lbs. He was here at Savvy Pooch for puppy training. So thankful for returning clients!!!!

08/15/2024

Exactly!!!!

08/12/2024

Buster is needing a loving family to call his own. Buster is a approx 9 month old terrier mix. He is fixed and has his puppy vaccines. He has also gone through obedience training at Savvy Pooch K9 Training and is eager to learn. He knows sit, down, here, waiting at doors (see video) etc. he also attended therapy dog training at Paws 4 Hearts WTD. He has been introduced and socialized to other dogs, cats, chickens, etc along with use to loud noises and has no reaction to storms. He also loves to retrieve. Buster is fostered by Denise Joy Thompson and would love to find him a soldier buddy as his owner. He has potential of being a ESA and or SD. Please share and let’s find this boy a furever home. He is local to the San Antonio/ Hill Country area. Oh and he is very friendly and loves to show affection to his humans.

08/11/2024

Say hello to my little friend Paco. Paco is a 6 month old Jack Russell Terrier (JRT) and he was here for training. Paco had no obedience and is a strong typical JRT. Very head strong, very strong lungs. 🙂, and wants to be in control. Love a challenge and Paco sure was but happy to say he now knows the basic’s of name recognition, sit, down, short and long distance recalls of here, leash walking, waiting at doorways, polite eating manners and more. Paco has one speed- overdrive just like a typical JRT. Thank you Jay for doing the long drive and bringing Paco to me for training.

07/31/2024

10 week old maltipoo here for puppy training. Love working with pups and helping their owners get ready so all start their furever life together on the right paw. Hello Ollie. Love he belongs to a returning client!!! Thank you for your trust and letting me help you and your family with this bundle of fur!!!

07/17/2024

Had this pup about 4 years ago doing basic puppy training. Just had him back for advanced training. Love it when the owners want to enhance their pups training. Why because he is that smart and they want to keep him learning. It’s like finishing school and going to college. Thank you for wanting your boy to continue being such a smart boy.

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day from us at Savvy Pooch K9 Training. Hope your day is wonderful like your dogs are.

06/14/2024

You is Kind, You is Smart, You is Important

This sent to me from my clients who own and love Ty. 4 month old Golden Retriever. Yes Ty you are all these and more. Love working with such great owners and their sweet and energetic pup.

Gonna be a rockstar Ty!!!!

Anyone remember the name of the movie the saying came from?

06/07/2024

So excited to be working with this pup and his awesome owners and family. This is Ty and he is a 13 week old fearless golden retriever. He will be learning basic manners along with proper introduction to water. So he can enjoy the pool. Make sure to check back for updates on this pup!!!!

05/22/2024

Hello friends. Meet Buster. He is a 4-5 month old Boxer mix and through no fault of his own as his previous owners are older and could not take care of a happy pup so he is looking for a new home. His foster mom has sent him here for some obedience training. He is a happy pup whom she would love to find him a military buddy with hopes he will grow up to be a ESA or service dog for them. Buster is neutered and gets along with all. He is just a pup and needs a human who will love him and continue his learnings. If you know of a military person/family who needs all this unconditional love, please share and let me know and I will direct you to his foster mom Denise Joy Thompson.

04/30/2024

Dog training is more than just training the dog. We all have to communicate and be consistent and on the same page so our dogs get it and understand. It’s team work!!!

04/26/2024

Meet Canela. She is 2 year old who is here for training. She is a sweetie but has a bad habit of taking items that are not hers and then getting aggressive on letting her owner have the item back and selective recall of here. Going to get her back on track so her family and her can be on the same page and have harmony in the house. “Let’s get to work”. Stay tuned for updates.

04/12/2024

Some pups really make it great to be their dog trainer and help get them on the right road of being a great addition to their family. Thank you Natalia and Ernest for the honor of working with your newest family member Azu. Azu is a spirted fiesty JRT who is so smart and wants to learn if you know what you are doing. Thankful I do and Azu and I made a great connection and team. He showed off how smart he is and how much he learned when I took him home to his family. 💜 this special boy and he is so lucky to have great humans to call his. Thank you Murillo and Biscuit for the referral. I trained Biscuit many years ago and he is still showing off to this day. Thankful for great dog owners who continue what I started and have PAWsome dogs!!!!! Train smarter not Harder!!!!!

04/03/2024

Newest pup here at Savvy Pooch learning basic obedience and another referral from a previous client thank you Murillo for the referral. Meet Azu who is a loving fiesty Jack Russel Terrier who is full of character. Love the attitude!!!!

07/13/2023

Have always said, you control the dogs head, you control the dog. If not with a slip collar then with a proper fitted martingale collar. Good article.

LET’S TALK TOOLS

Red Arrow: Harness that fits around the dog’s body and when connected to a clip leash, creates a pulling reaction from the dog. This pulling reaction triggers the shoulders and chest muscles to be used which then influences the dog to use strength to get where they need to. If you have properly trained your dog to walk right next to you on a harness, you will not experience the pulling. Congratulations, I have yet to see this. 😂

Orange Arrow: Flat collar, usually used to connect a clip leash to and often times sits on the bottom of the neck due to gravity and the dog’s head being higher than the shoulders. This then triggers the dog’s shoulder muscles and the pulling starts. Again, this teaches the dog that strength needs to be used to get where they need to. If you have properly trained your dog to walk next to you on a flat collar, you will not experience the pulling. The majority of dogs I see are pulling during this setup.

Blue Arrow: Slip Leash is very high on the neck where it is placed behind the ears, behind the jaw bone, and it allows us to influence the dog’s head and brain. Shoulders and chest muscles are not triggered and physical strength is not used during the walk. When used correctly, little to no pressure is on the leash and physical strength is used by the dog to get from point A to point B. If you have properly trained your dog to walk next to you on a slip leash, you will not experience any pulling.

Out of the 3 tools shown, the slip leash is one of the most productive tools to create a structured walk, a calm mind, and a solid relationship.

Ever watch anyone walk a horse by the saddle?

Yeah, me either.

That’s because when you walk a 1000lb animal, you need to influence the brain and not the body.

Let’s start influencing our dog’s mentally and not physically.

07/03/2023

This is good and worth sharing.

Realistic Expectations

You go to the breeders home. The pups are all social. They are quiet in the pen. The breeder shows you videos of them being totally relaxed at home. All looks amazing and you bring your puppy home.

Then reality hits. The puppy may cry in the crate for the first few nights making you tired and agitated. The happy social puppy is refusing to greet the half dozen overly excited friends you invited over to see your new puppy. The puppy refuses to walk on a leash. Many are wondering how did my perfect puppy turn into a nightmare.

So let’s discuss realistic expectations of when a puppy goes home. First of all the puppy has been in the breeders home since birth. They had their mother and often littermates. They had their routine, were taught expectations and were completely in their comfort zone.

Now suddenly they are taken to a totally new environment. Picture yourself being dropped into an unknown country, often in a different part of the world. You know only a few words of their language. Differnt trees, animals, smells, temperature and people. Now in the middle of this we are switching up your routine, decide to have a party with people you dont know, and ask you to do jobs you have no idea about. Overwhelming to say the least.

This is what every puppy goes through when going to their new home. Stress manifests in different forms. From not eating, reluctancy to play and greet people. Being apprehensive at the vet’s office or as strangers reach for them. Diarrhea, vomiting and depression can occur.

So what can you as a new owner do to help your little one acclimate?

- most puppies take 3-4 weeks to acclimate to their new home. Repeat after me THREE to FOUR WEEKS! Not a 1-2 days. I can’t stress this enough about how much time is needed for a dog or puppy to feel comfortable in their new home!
- limit guests during the first week. We understand you are excited to show off your new baby but they need time to adjust. Plan on waiting 1-2 weeks before inviting people over
- ask guest to sit on the ground and let the puppy approach them. No squealing and grabbing the puppy
- set up a good routine
- restrict the puppy to a small area of the house. This not only reduces them being overwhelmed but also allows you to watch them
- don’t expect a 9-13 week old puppy to walk on a leash. Instead work at home with a leash where they are comfortable. Let them drag the leash, use treats to encourage them to walk with you
- if your puppy is refusing to walk give them time. My first trips to town with puppies a walk around a small block took 1 1/2 hours. We only move when they initiate the movement as they need time to take in the different environment
- understand your puppy needs time to see you as family. Expecting an immediate bond is unrealistic
- train your puppy. This not only helps you to bond but the puppy to look to you for direction and input
- lastly be patient. Don’t declare “omg there’s something wrong with this dog”. Nothing occurs overnight. Outings should be planned at puppy speed. So while you might imagine a fun walk around the lake in reality your puppy might only be able to handle walking a short distance that day.

Most outings for me take a long time, as I am often just standing still as the puppy cautiously explores the new environment. Patience is key!

Remember if the puppy was wonderful at the breeder’s house but now is struggling, you as the owner, need to help the puppy adjust which takes time, patience and training. Have realistic expectations and give the puppy positive experiences. Each puppy is an individual, don’t compare your current puppy to past pets and judge their behavior based on how another dog handled things. Lastly, try to see thing’s from a puppy’s perspective and adjust situations accordingly.

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06/30/2023

Love it when clients come back when they get a new puppy and ask you to train their new pup. Congrats Bonner family on your new family addition. EV and Fern will be a great team!!!!