Toto Dog Training

03/03/2025

Introducing the newest edition to our lineup! A perfect place for beginners, the Yellow Brick Road: Basics 1 class introduces you are your dog to the core behaviors of sit, down, stay, and come, and begins work on anti-jumping techniques; walking nicely on leash, and greeting dogs politely.
This seven-week class is for dogs who are at least one year old (we’re working on a class for those younger pups out there). Dogs are also required to have current vaccinations for rabies and distemper/parvo before being approved for the class. And if your dog is scared or aggressive towards strangers people and dogs, this is not the space for you (we’re working on a class for these guys, too).
For only $200 you can start your dog on the path to better behavior. This class has limited availability (only four spots!) so book your slot today.
To sign up, visit totodogtraining.net and click Pricing/Book Now.

02/24/2025

Come see us tomorrow evening at the Sterling High School basketball games for sponsor night! Receive free giveaways and get more information on all things dog training. We’re proud to support Sterling High School. Go Bears!

02/13/2025

The Canine Good Citizen program. You’ve heard it mentioned, seen the logo, but what it and why should we participate? Find the answers in our newest blog post, only at totodogtraining.net!

01/27/2025

It’s never too early to think about spring break. Book your pets with us now! Limited to residents of Sterling.

01/03/2025

A winter storm is coming. Don’t forget your pets in your preparation plans!
~Make sure you have plenty of food and water.
~Bring pets inside or make sure they have an adequate and warm place to shelter.
~Make sure your pet is microchipped or has update ID tags in case you are separated.

01/02/2025

Winter is coming…or is it already here?
Either way, the only people we know who like walking a dog in the cold and the snow is us! For $20, your dog can get a 30 minute walk without you having to get out of bed. Reach out or head over to our website to book. *Only available to Sterling residents.*

12/24/2024

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends at Toto Dog Training! We hope to see you in the coming year.

12/10/2024

11/29/2024

It’s that time of year again! The deals are rolling in, and so are the surprise Christmas puppies! Set up your new furry friend for success with our Santa Paws special! If you take advantage of this special, you and your four-legged friend will receive a New Client Evaluation and a three-week Private Lesson package (a $297 value) for only $250! Don’t have a new dog? This can make a great Christmas present! This special only runs until the end of the year, so don’t wait! Call or email to purchase.

10/31/2024

Did you know we have a blog?
That’s right! Head over to ‘The Dog Blog’ on our website to read about everything from opinion posts to training tips and more! Updated regularly to ensure our readers get access to exciting new content!

10/24/2024

Some people seem confused on when it’s appropriate to let their dog off-leash, so we’ve made this little roadmap to help them out! In general, it’s better to keep your dog on a leash when out and about but if you feel the need to let Fido roam, here are a few things to consider.

10/15/2024

Don’t forget about our Spooky Sale. The goblins and ghosts disappear on November 1st, so don’t delay!

Spooky month is almost upon us, but the only thing to be scared of is this scary deal! Any owner with a black dog is eligible for a 10% discount on any private lesson or behavior modification package through the month of October!

09/24/2024

Spooky month is almost upon us, but the only thing to be scared of is this scary deal! Any owner with a black dog is eligible for a 10% discount on any private lesson or behavior modification package through the month of October!

09/13/2024

Good luck to the Black Bears this year! We’re proud to be a sponsor. Go Bears!

08/26/2024

We’d love to see these little cuties get adopted! Each of these puppy adopters will be eligible for a $60 New Family Member Consultation ( normally $102) to discuss how to integrate your new family member into your new home, how to introduce potty training and crate training, and so much more. This is also available virtually, which is a great option for adopters who live farther away. But that’s not all: for each additional dollar donated to Friends of Animals, we’ll take $1 off the bill. You could potentially receive the consultation for free!
Save a life and adopt today!
*Proof of adoption and donation required.*

08/19/2024

We’ve been doing some behind-the-scenes work, and we’re now proud to show it off! Check out this video and more at www.totodogtraining.net.
*Credit to Kate Rowland for videography and editing.*

08/02/2024

We’ve been busy with some projects behind the scenes, and we can’t wait to share them with you! Keep watching our Facebook and Instagram for a special announcement coming soon!

07/10/2024

The force-free training mentality is not passive training; it’s a commitment to an animal’s overall welfare and state of mind instead of immediate, outward results. The future of dog training is here, and it’s built on respect instead of force.

Given the statements that we see so often from those using aversive or 'balanced' training methods, those of us who use a force free approach need to clear up some of the issues with what is said.

As well as the red flags so often seen of 'positive only' or 'purely positive', these statements will usually trot out the old misunderstanding that all we do is toss cheese at a dog when they do something right and ignore everything else. This is absolutely untrue and does not reflect the force free approach at all.

Successful force free training involves SO much more than that.

• It needs a deep understanding of learning theory.
• What the dog's welfare needs are and how to make sure they are met.
• The potential impact of health on behaviour.
• The emotional states that underly behaviours.
• How to manage situations so that the dogs don't carry out the undesired behaviours and perhaps get an internal reward for doing them.
• How to train other behaviours the dog can do in that situation that will be rewarded so that the undesirable behaviour is no longer the best choice for them in that situation.
• When training isn’t the right answer at all.

The factors involved in getting the force free approach and training right are far too many for me to list in this post or on this image, but these are the things that a good force free trainer or behaviour professional is doing every time they are working with a dog and their humans.

It's so much more than just lobbing food at a dog.