Dog Training San Diego

12/04/2024

🎉 It's National Weimaraner Day, and I'm here to give a massive shoutout to these incredible dogs! 🐾

As a dog trainer for over 2 decades and a total Weimaraner fanatic, I just have to share my love them. I mean, have you seen them? They're not called "Gray Ghosts" for nothing – they're absolutely stunning! But it's not just about their looks; these dogs are whip-smart, full of energy, and loyal as can be. Velcro dogs for sure.

My first Weimaraner was my ride-or-die companion for 14.5 incredible years, and my current Weim is living up to the legacy and then some. He's my partner in crime, and I couldn't imagine life without him.

So, in honor of National Weimaraner Day, I want to invite all you dog lovers out there to share your stories, photos, and experiences with these fantastic dogs. And if you're thinking about diving into the world of Weimaraners or want some tips on training your wild one, hit me up!

Here's to the Weimaraners that steal our hearts and keep us on our toes! 🐾❤️

24/03/2024

Y'all... sometimes I'm late to the social media party.. It National Puppy Day! Post a pic of your pup! Even if it's tomorrow. Better late than never! 🐾💕

13/04/2023

You're invited! Go to my IG and comment "CODE" to get the Zoom link!

Highly requested class! STOP LEASH PULLING! We are bringing you a ZOOM CLASS where will walk us through everything we need to know to stop your dog from pulling the leash and start having nice relaxing walks! COMMENT CODE FOR THE LINK! Class Date: TODAY! 4/13 PST | 7PM EST

02/03/2023

You're invited to join us for an awesome IGLIVE session with Encinitas based dog trainer . 🎉 (ME)
We'll be discussing the topic of "Training Away Anxiety: Benefits of Using an E-Collar".

JT will be sharing her expertise and offering an easy and approachable way to start your e-collar training journey. 🤩
Don't miss this groovy opportunity! 🌟 Leave your questions for JT in the comments below. 👇

Join us for a GROOVY IGLIVE with Encinitas based dog trainer. Leave a question for JT below!
We will be discussing the topic of TRAINING AWAY ANXIETY: BENEFITS OF USING AN E-COLLAR. JT offers a easy and approachable way to begin your e-collar training journey.
Be sure to save the calendar reminder by tapping the post!

10/09/2022

It's cooling off but it's been hot, hot, hot out here in North County San Diego. The humidity added to the heat isn't a great thing for dogs.

Did you know they can only sweat through their paw pads, nose and tongue? It's why they can overheat easily.

Here's a quick video for those of you who are living in "the cold room" the last few days. 🤣 If you know you know!

There a lot of of (even newer) homes without AC in North County! Portable AC units and one room...

Watch the video for ideas to keep your pup exercised and burn some brain power at the same time.

01/09/2022

It's hot out! Get out early with your dogs through this weekend. It's 6:15 am and I'm headed out the door with camp dogs already. Water is a good thing for dogs during what I call our "locals September summer" but heads up on Ocean Beach for the next few days!

Humans and pups should avoid water contact at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach for three days due to a sewage spill, the city of San Diego said.

27/05/2022

It’s been 2 1/2 years since that night you gave me the message

It was time for you to go...

I’ve grieved over losing you

But I promised myself I’d live up to the message you left me with

The one where I treated myself with the same adoration I did you

The one where I gave myself all the breaks to be imperfect

To try and fail, to try again and win, and still know I’m loved more than anything for being me

For showing up

No matter what

Though it’s been a roller coaster ride the last couple of years with all the things going on in the world

What I’ve learned is that the space between us got closer, our entwinement became tighter

You’ve been here for me, as I was for you

I’ve kept myself out of the fear and anxiety of it all

I kept going

I kept choosing to create a life well played

Because we dared to learn how to get out of the anxiety together
I found out you’re still here

That life is a miracle

The connection I have with you my dear Zelda… it’s Divine

And it lives on

Happy Birthday My Z Girl

24/05/2022

Duddley came to Epic Puppy Camp needing some help with his focus.

He’s an 8 months old micro Goldendoole… and he loves to hunt. His nose is in drive mode a lot. He picks up the scent of lizards, gophers, birds, socks, slippers and flip flops to name a few of his favorite prizes while in hunt mode.

New people and sometimes other dogs caused him to blurt out a quick little growl if he wasn’t familiar with them when he came to camp. It was an automatic reaction to a flash of uncertainty.

And when it came to coming when called… 🤣 He’d often go straight into the Zoomies. Sometimes that can be cute and funny, but most the time it comes at a moment when it’s frustrating, even maddening at times.

So we went to work on showing Duddley how to do a few things well. We started with the Ready? Get It Game. It was fun and fulfilled his scent habit right quick into a focus habit. Then we worked on Park It, come when called, leash walking and all the normal dog things.

We also played. A lot.

As he gained confidence and learned to relax, he started to let go of the growl reaction to new people and instead has a playful curiosity about him.

I believe in a lot of play when it comes to having a well trained dog. Think about it this way, who is excited about all work and no play?

No one. Ever.

Unfortunately us humans in our hustle bustled busy lives filled with negative media, tend to forget about play ourselves. We wake up with a furrowed brow as we prepare to keep the nose to the grindstone, hopeful for a vacation (play) sometime in the near future. We end up with anxiety, stress and sleepless nights.

Take a lesson from Duddley… use play as a motivator to do a super duper good job at all the other things that are non negotiable to “good behavior” and all the the things we must do the rest of the day.

I ♥️ loved training Duddley. When his Mom picked him up, hugged him in pure joy and told me she couldn’t believe how great this all turned out… I fell in love with what I do all over again.

Want your dog to learn to focus on you and leave bad behavior behind? Start with the Ready? Get It! Game. Link in bio. 🐾✨

13/05/2022

Godiva’s visited me today...

It was that last one I’ll get with her in person. It’s time for her to go. She told me that while she was here. She has her good moments. But she’s struggling.

She struggles with getting her breath.

She struggles with orientation.

Her head is tipped at all times. Yes, I know there is a medical term for what it is, but that doesn’t matter right now.

She can’t hear and she really can’t see, except for shadows.

She gets startled at movement around her. It’s frightening. She can calm herself with her Beagle sense of smell. But, it happens again and again. It’s a big part of her daily existence now.

She has to p*e a lot. That sucks.

She didn’t have one of her coughing fits that she often has due to her collapsing trachea while she was visiting me today. I think she held that off because she was wrapped up in all of the moments that were about her today. She knows. She was reveling in it.

She knows the gift of letting go, way better than we humans do. In our connection, she let me know... she’s so grateful for that understanding.

I’ve always been so proud of Godiva. I loved Godiva from the beginning and through our travels to Iowa and New York and all the times she spent with me at my Passiflora house.

She knows it. Dogs are that way. You can shower them with all the things, but knowing how someone feels about you when you commit to their well being... that shines over everything.

She got to go on a road trip with her Dad today. He loves her. So very much.
He did everything for this dog to make sure she had a good life.
And she has had the most amazing life.

This is breaking his heart.

In little tiny pieces.

He invested in me so that she could have the best life ever.

He took that and gave Godiva the best family life a dog could ever hope for, and here we are 14 years later.

She’s so very grateful that even though the heartbreak of losing her is unfathomable...

He loves her so very much that he can do this for her.

His investment in her isn’t money, or time or effort...
The connection is way beyond all of that.

Letting go of Godiva is so hard and yet such an act of love.

We don’t always get the dog we want, we get the dog we need, and sometimes that comes when it’s time to let go, knowing that all that your put in will come back in her riding around on your shoulder in spirit, helping you make the tough choices to put your life back together again.

She wants you to have the life you gave her.

Just like Zelda.. the message she left me, is true for letting Godiva go too.

I told her I loved her more than anything in the world every day of her life. She let me know when it was time for her to go, it was time for me to do that for myself.

Godiva’s message to you Mitchell is the same. After all, you know Zelda was her dog mentor from the beginning...

Godiva knows you love her more than words can describe, and she wants you to know it’s ok, you’ve got this and in letting her go, she’ll be here for you to make all the many right choices you need to do for you every single day, from here on out.

08/05/2022

There’s controversy in the dog trainer world about the term “Dog Mom”.

I get that. I often see people making life tough on themselves and their dog because they are trying to treat their dog like a child. They have hopes that their dog will learn and respond like a child would. Hopes that the cushy bed and run of the house will make their dog love them more or live longer. It simply doesn’t work that way... but that’s for another post!

I see nothing wrong with the term for other reasons.

There are many of us out here who never did have the opportunity to have a relationship with a mother. There are many of us out here that do not have our own children. And some of us that have both of those conditions going on.

Love is something we all need in our life. Humans create love out of strong, personal bonds. Love gives us the assurance that we are not alone in the world. Unconditional love is a beautiful thing and when it’s alive and well in person or in spirit, it makes everything so much better. We strive for it and it provides hope and purpose to our very existence.

For all of you Dog Moms out there... enjoy the unconditional love of your dog today.

And for all you human Moms... Happy Mother’s Day. It’s a love like no other.

📸 credit

12/04/2022

These two will always be a significant and huge part of my life, forever. 🐾

I learned so much from both of them.

One brought anxiety full circle to life well played.

The other... she was happy all the time. Nothing bothered her. Ever.

Together, we traveled across oceans.

We had great adventures.

We got through crisis.

We played.

We loved.

We lived.

They both live on in soul, wisdom, intention.

Live. Love. Well Played.

♥️ Dogs.

08/04/2022

Daily routines. We do them all the time.

So many things we do so well, that we don’t think about doing them.

Think about all the things you do in the morning when you get up and get ready for your day, without thinking about it.

It becomes so engrained you literally don’t think about it.

I often have people ask me, “What’s the best way to train my dog so he’s really good?”

A daily routine.

Most get lost in the thought of training. The thought brings up visions of hard work, and disappointment because your dog keeps right on barking, or pulling on the leash... or a host of other things that are irritating, despite training.

Doing some pretty basic things every day gets you a super cool trained dog. Don't make it too hard.

Some ideas you could throw into your daily routine with your dog so that it becomes such a habit, your dog doesn’t have to think about doing it well... even when life’s little chaotic moments!

🐶 Pre and Post Walk Park It- Follow through activities with Park It. A must

🐶Movement- Exercise time! The physical health of your dog is crucial. It doesn't have to be a strenuous and tiring activity. It can be a chill walk, run in the park, or structured playtime.

🐶Avoid too much free-roaming inside- Some dogs can't handle too much freedom, make it more comfortable for them with boundaries. It’s so much easier to know the rules and abide them rather than not having a clue and guess.

🐶Calm Kennel Time- Think of this as doggy meditation, wherein you encourage and help your dog learn how to relax. This is best for siesta.

🐶Something fun- like fetch, or just running around. Dedicate a few minutes to doing your dog's favorite activity.

🐶Mini Training Sesh- You can get better and better at anything. It just takes practice. For instance, my dog got the tennis ball fetch game, but frisbee... a whole new deal. I started easy. 2 feet. 4 feet. 6 feet.Then I could fly the frisbee and he got it! Training doesn’t have to be all work an no play!

🦴 🎾 Trainer tip: The Ready? Get It! Game is a great base for teaching your dog how to play fetch with you. 🔗 in bio.

06/04/2022

My dog is enthusiastic. So am I.🙋🏻🐶

And yet, you need to train your dog so she’s not such a jack@ass in public...

Oh yeah, and so people trying to enjoy their own drinks and apps don’t think she’s being too aggro + inappropriate.

❌Bummer sort of feeling comes over you with the simple thought.

❌Training vibe feels like a damper on your fun.

Not so my dog person friend. Not so.

When you put in time for a solid foundation, you get to play in public while doing a full on training session. 👍🏻

Take for instance this moment

We’re all having fun. And it comes from a foundation of:

🦴understanding how dogs think learn

🦴playing directional games

It doesn’t have to be all serious.

Want to learn the Ready? Get It! Game....

The no charge hook up so you can and train at the same time is in the bio 🔗

Crochet scarf

04/04/2022

Sometimes you need to go slow to go fast.😊

Slowing down is a power move. Just as speaking slowly, taking pauses and occupying space are related to power, so too is taking your time to figure out how to respond, and slowing down your decision-making process in high-pressure moments. *(those of you with reactive dogs, this truth is HUGE!)👇🏻👇🏻

This very same principle applies to teaching your dog to walk on a leash without getting distracted by every seemingly shiny object that moves.

Letting all the smells lead your dog to pull you this way or that... the lack of control when seeing another dog, so many things that interrupt the purposeful walk.

Most people I help with this problem, are going at the walk with purpose for certain. It’s just the purpose is lacking technique.

The daily dog walk in the minds of most is a destination, out and back loop. It’s forward motion. And it’s thought of as exercise, so most dog people try to keep it moving in hopes of keeping off a few creeping pounds or trying to and stay fit.

Ultimately, yes, I love to train so that people and their dogs can stay fit.

But in order to get that you have to slow down to go fast.

I teach a “follow me” game to start dogs on a new path to stop leash pulling, or stopping to smell every tree, plant and rock on the route.

🦴It starts in the house.

🦴Progresses to the front yard.

🦴Your driveway. The street.

🦴Drills. Not a linear walk as quickly as you can.

🦴You’ve got to go back to the fundamentals first.

🐾Sometimes you need to go slow to to go fast.🐾

Yes, you can get some exercise for both you and your dog and it becomes so fun you both love doing it.

If you’ve got a problem with leash walking and want to change it so you can enjoy your walks with your dog... DM me!💌🐶

01/04/2022

There’s just something special that dogs add to the time with spend with them. 🔮

When I capture a moment like this, I can’t help but feel all the good my heart dog gave me. Every single day. ♥️

I’m one to believe we don’t always get the dog we want, but we do get the dog we need. This one, she was my Girl... but we had a lot of growth we had to get through together.

Moving across an ocean. Figuring out anxiety. Finding our way through change. Staying true to doing things our way, despite opinions from those who thought a trainer and her dog should be a certain way. We did a lot of things in her 14 1/2 years with me. We truly did live well played. 🦄

She left me with a hole in my heart but a message that heals beyond what any therapist could have talked me through. I love you more than anything in the world. ~Z ♥️

Live. Love. Well Played. The book is coming.... and my weekly virtual training sessions, the ones where I keep people and their dogs practicing life well played.... those sessions are named after her too.

👉🏼 I’m creating a 30 day challenge so that you can have your dog calm, confident, walking a leash like a champ, and doing life well played. If you’ve got a dog that pulls, one that is distracted by so many things when you leave your house it isn’t fun... DM me. I’ll give you details to join us!

30/03/2022

“I just want a dog I can play fetch with, but she just wants to play keep away.”

I hear this one a lot. It’s frustrating, especially for the dog person who had a previous dog that loved to retrieve a 🎾 ball, bring it back and drop it at your feet... game on!

Have you ever tried something new, let’s say pickleball.... you were invited to play with a group of people that are all good at it. It’s easy they said. Don’t worry. You’ll get it. No problem.

And there you were, completely confused but doing the cover up by “playing your own game”.

Luckily your good friend spent a little one on one time with you and it all became very clear. And once you “got it” the game all the sudden became fun. 🙌

Same goes with your dog. Don’t assume they know how to play the the game. Sometimes you have to show them how.

Check out the “Ready? Get It! Game (🔗 in bio) it’s a great way to show your dog how to play the fetch game!

It’s really all about doing life well played around here... go get the game. Your dog will ♥️ you for it.

28/03/2022

Re-wiring the mind and actions of a reactive dog isn’t always easy. There’s certainly no magic red or blue pill that can turn it all around in an instant, or a day... even weeks or months depending on reactive severity. 👇🏻🦴

When you’ve got a reactive dog, it’s hard not to spend a lot of your time focusing on what goes wrong.

But our dogs are so much more than their reactivity.

There are so many moments they do things right. They make us smile. They play with the simplest of toys, a short game of tug, an engaged game of fetch and are completely happy.

Dealing with reactivity is all about learning how to focus on the good things. Learning new ways and leaving old bad patterns behind. 🐶

When learning something new, neurons communicate, making a synaptic connection.

This new thing learned, practiced over and over can literally re-wire automatic reactions... which is what reactivity shows itself as.

> “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”


Honestly, reactivity is practiced. And the way out, is practiced as well.

Which would you rather focus on?

If you need help in training your reactive dog, just send me a DM, and let's talk about it. 📩

21/03/2022

Signs That Your Dog Loves You

How would you feel if every time you came home your spouse or partner ran to get something you might like to offer you, dropped it at your feet, then looked in your eyes while their whole body did a little dance because they were sooooo excited you’re home?

Loved. ♥️

Seriously loved with wild abandon.

It’s why we end up so attached to our dogs. The unconditional love no matter what mood you’re in, no matter what kind of day you’ve had... no matter how long you’ve been gone, what you said or didn’t say... it’s the best kind of love.

I’m writing a book 📕about my Heart Dog. It’s all about this statement: “I love you more than anything in the world.” It’s a feeling we all want. And it’s totally available to you... ♥️🐾♥️

Do you think your dog really loves you?