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We care about you and your dog and we are very results oriented. We strive to teach you how to commu
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15/08/2024

Say hi to Hugo! Scroll through the photos for the cutest head tilts. 😍

Hugo is a herding mix who we've been doing lessons with since he was a puppy. He is a super sweet, smart little guy who did really well during his private lessons but as he entered his "teenage nonsense" era, he began showcasing some pretty intense reactivity to other dogs. His owner was at her wits end with it and Hugo was really persistent about his reactions, so we decided to move forward with a board and train to target that specifically.

Since Hugo already had such a good foundation from the lessons, his board and train time was spent very usefully targeting the issues he was presenting and he got to where he could even watch other dogs playing without any episodes!

He's been doing very well back at home and we're excited to see him again soon.

13/08/2024

A warm welcome (or rewelcome) for Pip the Australian Kelpie!

Pip is a working bred Kelpie from imported Australian lines. She's straight off the farm and the real deal when it comes to working Kelpies! Such a working bred dog that most people can't identify her breed. 😉 But she has the pedigree and the tattoo to prove it!

Pip initially came to us right at 9 weeks old for our Puppy Pre-K, which includes the basics like crate training, potty training, general manners, working through opposition reflex, how to follow a lure, charging reward markers, and learning how to learn aka be operant - which doesn't come preinstalled in every dog!

Pip went back home after her pre-k and then came back at 6 months old, ready to really gain all of the skills in our Puppy Ambassador program. Pip is going to be a true working dog; her people work with livestock and gathering free range cattle on horseback, so that will be Pip's future. Obviously there are a lot of skills necessary to be successful in such an environment! A reliable dog who can listen under pressure and on a dime makes or breaks those types of situation.

Pip is no easy dog and is what we would classify as extremely high drive but she has a good head on her shoulders and learned so much during her time with us. She's been home for a while now and we continue offering support and lessons for her people to make sure Pip maintains success lifelong. It can take a village with dogs like these!

We're so happy to have the opportunity to work with this incredible dog and her awesome humans once again... as we also previously trained their pet dogs, corgis Nama and Mabel! This case is an excellent example of why it's so important to us not to have "cookie cutter" training programs and to really train the dog in front of us. Not every dog will experience the same things and have the same criteria in their lives, nor does every dog learn and behave identically, therefore not every dog should be trained and treated the same way.

11/08/2024

Our very own Calypso and her lovely son Dash! Featured to talk about our sport dog foundations program.

Dashy boy came for a special board and train to work on his sport foundations and fundamentals, and to get his "pet" obedience solid. He is a bred by from and also a co-own so it was really our desire to get to know him more as an adult that spurred his coming. His owners reported no real issues with him and have been so happy with Dash! He had some normal young dog things, like pulling on the leash, but otherwise we all just wanted him to have the skills to really showcase his wonderful nature.

We love having the opportunity to set a dog up for their sport career and even if there aren't any major behavioral "issues" that need fixing, there's always room for fine tuning!

In a sport dog board and train, we can work on directed skills for certain sports but also a general sport dog foundation which includes things like;
•Startline stays
•Engagement and focus in distracting environments
•Value for the game and for the handler
•Quiet and patience while waiting their turn and seeing other dogs work
•Tug drive
•An anticipation out/drop it
•Cooperative and competitive play
•Retrieve to hand
•Competition style heel work and rally/obedience skills
•Following body language and directional cues
•Drive capping
•Rear end awareness
•Distance handling

And so much more!

Reach out or check out our website for more information on our sport dog program.

10/08/2024

Say hello to Marauder!

Marauder came to us for a board and train in his prime adolescent days of a one year old Border Collie. While he isn't his owner's first Border Collie, he is the first she's raised all on her own and she was feeling a bit in over her head, especially after some health issues led to Marauder not being top of the priority list for a few months. He was showing mostly the normal things we see in these types of dogs; pulling on the leash, very sniffy (classic young male) and easily distracted. He was reactive to dogs pretty heavily, with barking, jumping, and trying to pull over to get to them. He had an overall lack of recall and was starting to show some fixation type behaviors that these high drive working dogs can spiral into when they don't have appropriate outlets!

His owner wanted to do all the things with Marauder and have an easily handled buddy to take on hikes, camping, and basically have that awesome companion dog that everyone dreams of but it was clear Marauder needed some real education before he could fit that picture.

Marauder did awesome during his board and train and picked things up very well! He's been back at home for a few months now (as we're behind as ever on these posts) and doing great. We're so proud of his owner and him and we're happy to be able to be a support system for them like what his person was looking for!

03/07/2024

Meet pretty miss Molly!

Molly is a Labrador pup who came for a board and train to become the perfect dog, which she totally aced. Molly lives nearby in the mountains where fences aren't really a thing and wild animals like deer and bear come into the yard regularly! There are also hiking trails that pass right by her house so seeing people and dogs is a common occurrence. Molly is a typical well bred Lab puppy, friendly and curious and outgoing! So she obviously wanted to go say hi to everyone and everything she could but sometimes it isn't appropriate and her owners wanted to have solid and reliable control on her so they could trust her to be off leash and enjoy the world fully without worry. Around the house, she was a bit of wild child and had trouble settling and just remaining calm, especially with guests in the picture, and she could be mouthy and jump up. So no major baggage or issues but nonetheless, her people wanted her to become the perfect dog they knew she could be!

Molly was a total star student and "graduated" with straight A's. She's been back home for a few months now and doing awesome! When we showed up for her first follow up lesson since being home, she was on place outside on the patio with her humans and she remained on her stay until released to say hello, even when seeing us which is always a challenge for dogs because they love us so much, so her folks have been doing their homework! We are so proud of little Molls and her people.

29/06/2024

A warm welcome for Brody!

Brody is a McNab and Border Collie mix who came to us for training at just over 6 months old. His owners got him because they admire herding dogs and love all that they're capable of but he is their first herding breed and just so happens to be an extremely high drive individual! So needless to say, his people were reaching their wits end with him, as he was very chaotic to live with. They have three other dogs and Brody was always causing a fuss with them, he couldn't settle, he barked incessantly when they were trying to have a conversation or when people came to the house, he was problematic to take out, reactive to dogs, fearful to random things... pretty much the whole gambit of issues a young herding dog can have! We were so glad his owners reached out because this is the type of case we are known for and do all the time. Herders are our specialty!

Brody had attended a puppy class and done a few private lessons to work on his integration with the other dogs in the house, but he was lacking skills in a serious way and for a dog of his drive and intelligence, things needed to be not only good but great and his expectations needed to match with his level of intensity.

Brody came for our Puppy Ambassador program and he was such a cool dog to work with! Very intense and just A LOT of dog. He is super smart and loves to work, so that is in his favor! He became quite sharp during his stay and has been back home for a while now and doing well. We always include continued support and unlimited follow up lessons for our board and train clients and Brody's people have been awesome about taking advantage of that and keeping us in the loop to continue his education and make sure he grows into his best self. With young dogs like Brody, there are a lot of phases and he isn't going to be a fully mature dog for a while yet so we're always here to guide our people through all of the ups and downs.

28/06/2024

Say hello to A***n!

A***n is an Australian Shepherd who came to us for a board and train to work mostly on his reactivity and occasional aggression/redirection onto humans. His awesome human drove him all the way here from San Diego! This was another of those cases where they had worked with several trainers already and just weren't getting the results, connection, or understanding they were looking for. A***n's case was not an easy one and he isn't a dog who could just be put through any cookie cutter training and come out of it improved. A***n is a complex dog with many deep-seated habits and genetic tendencies. And he's actually a wonderful dog with a huge personality and so much love to give! He is a task trained service dog for his owner and mitigates her disabilities but he wasn't a dog who could bring those tasks into the world effectively because of the other issues that were holding him back.

With aggression cases, it always takes a good long time and we had to work through some health things with A***n too before we could really dive deep into the behavior modification. His owner was awesome to work with the entire time and stayed in the area for a few days upon pick up and for the transfer back process, where both A***n and his person did great.

He's been back home for a few months now (we're super behind on these posts!) and doing so well. We're super proud of A***n and his human!

28/05/2024

This handsome little devil is named Lucca!

Lucca is a showline Border Collie from a local breeder in our area who came for a board and train to work on his reactivity and over arousal, and get him all the skills necessary to be a good boy anywhere. His owners are very dedicated to him and he is their first sport dog, so it was important that he be stable and ready to try whatever sports they want with him. They wanted to feel comfortable taking him places and doing things without concern.

Lucca did absolutely amazing during his board and train and he's been a total rockstar since going back home! He's even going to be a part of his people's wedding next year. We love to get to be a part of such a success story!

27/02/2024

Say hi to Gypsy the Aussie!

This little firecracker was so fun to work with. She has a ton of drive and enthusiasm with energy and personality to spare! While she may look like a cute little angel (and in a lot of ways she is!) she was causing her people a lot of stress. Gypsy lives in a multi-dog household and at just 6 months old she was getting into severe fights with her smaller dog housemates. This was a huge problem for obvious reasons, one of which being the size difference between her and the dogs she was fighting. Once she got into the fight, the dogs had to be physically separated and it was ugly. Her owner wanted her to be a go everywhere type of companion to come to work with her and get into dog sports with, but she was not sure exactly where to start to get Gypsy's head on straight and have her working with focus and reliability.

Gypsy came for our Puppy Ambassador program and she went through everything with flying colors! She's definitely a working dog and needs working dog expectations and handling to be successful but she certainly has all the skills and is lucky to have a great human who is willing and ready to help her succeed. She's been home for a month now and is doing well and staying out of dog fights! She also has her first agility lesson on the books!

23/02/2024

Two of the most handsome dogs ever! Our boy, Jon (the sable) and his littermate brother Mushroom.

Mushroom came for a board and train at just over a year old, to get his "college degree." He's a bred by from Fabrics litter! He is a wonderful dog with a stable temperament and good head on his shoulders but he's also an intact male in the heat of adolescence and his owner was ready for him to become an educated gentleman. She had been planning to send him for advanced training with us ever since she got him as a puppy, which is something we always love having the opportunity to do! Getting to know the pups again as dogs and see the ins and outs of who they have become is so great.

Mushroom's owner is awesome and has been very communicative throughout his whole puppyhood and she really had him quite well trained on her own, which is a huge benefit and made it to where we were really just sharpening things up and making them more usable all the time, and taking things to the next level in terms of precision and getting into working in difficult and distracting environments. His human stayed in the area for a few days upon pick up so she could get on the same page and learn herself all that we taught.

Mushroom is a "do it all" beginner sport dog and we are so proud of him and his person!

17/02/2024

Can you identify this breed?

It's a Basenji! They are a primitive breed of hunting dog from Africa, which are considered a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern dog breeds - they are one of the first dogs mentioned in recorded history. They are special dogs that are very different from most types of dogs, especially in their learning style and trainability.

This little guy is named Akoni and he came to us for a board and train, but we actually met his owners several years ago when we did private lessons with one of their older Basenji, Kaipo, before they got Akoni. His owners are long time Basenji people who have owned quite a few over the years but this pup was giving them a run for their money! He is quite driven in his own ways but is very independent and opinionated, lacking much "will to please" and he was running roughshod on his people and his dog family alike. Inside the home, Akoni was chewing up the house, struggling to be clean indoors, bothering the other dogs, and couldn't be left alone, needing heavy supervision to make sure he wasn't making mistakes. Outside of the home, he was extremely reactive to dogs and vehicles, sometimes even redirecting on his people or getting into fights with the other dogs if they were being walked together. His owners tried some group lessons with him but it wasn't yielding any results and they were ready to take massive action to help Akoni become the great companion they knew he could be!

He was a very different dog to train and required a lot of creativity and an open mind to be successful but he did very well and gained many skills which are making him a much more pleasant and easy to handle dog back at home. We're so happy to have been given the opportunity to work with such a unique and cool breed again and we love getting to see Akoni and his "siblings" during follow up lessons!

13/02/2024

Welcome to Hazel!

Hazel is a mixed breed from a nearby Native reservation. Her owner got her at 4 months old and she is now 1 year, but she still was behaving a lot like a feral dog. She was suspicious of random things like ceiling fans, vents, doorways, cars, motorcycles. Hazel is also extremely in tune to people's emotions and would become very fearful and avoidant if she thought she was "in trouble." Her owner was not sure how to handle or teach Hazel in a way that worked with her, as all her previous methods that she had used with her other dog were not working. Hazel was very destructive around the house and in the yard and would even bite her owner if she felt cornered.

Luckily, Hazel is also very smart and loved to learn and play and she took to training well, learning all of the skills that make her an easier dog to live with and give her human effective ways to communicate!

09/02/2024

Meet Sienna the Border Collie!

This little blue cutie comes from conformation lineage. She is her owner's first Border Collie/herding breed and unfortunately she was suffering from a lot of the anxieties they can have. They got Sienna at 7 months old and she was 1 year when she came to us for training. She was unsafe in the crate, panicking and making her people worried that she would hurt herself. Sienna is a very nervous, sensitive and soft dog who lacked a lot of confidence and it was making it hard for her people to take her on walks and do fun things together. She was being "bossy" and guarding them from other dogs in the house, but then on walks if she heard a dog bark she would try to flee. Her owners goals were to have Sienna be more confident and comfortable, be able to walk her and take her on off leash hikes, and get into dog sports for the first time. We are so glad they decided to send her to us because the wrong type of handling could really ruin a dog like this! And we were more than happy to help introduce them to the world of dog sports.

Sienna took time to get to a comfortable place and some of her anxieties are simply genetic, but she ended up doing really well and learning a lot while gaining confidence and by teaching her owners how to handle her and communicate clearly, she has lost a lot of those insecurities.

We are going to see Sienna and her people soon, to check in and move forward with our unlimited follow up lessons that are included with our board and trains!

05/02/2024

This old girl is Ellie! She's only 5 years old but her gray face makes her look much older. 5 is still well and fully grown, typically past the age people send their dogs for board and trains but her owners actually sent their other dog to us previously (Moab the Border Collie who you can scroll back on posts and see!) and when he came for training, Ellie was the unproblematic child. But after Moab came home with all of his new and advanced skills from us, they realized Ellie could still use some work too and decided to send her as well.

Ellie had a negative association with the e-collar due to some the way one was used on her previously. We were able to change her feelings up about the tool and reframe it to be something clear and not stressful for her. She is not what you'd typically expect out of a Golden Retriever; Ellie is very dog selective, has some anxiety, and doesn't really like to play. This made her difficult to take places and her owners wanted her to be more comfortable overall and easier to handle. She did well with her training and we've had good reports since she's been home!

11/12/2023

Say hello to Hank!

Hank is a bully mix who came to us for a board and train to target his reactivity and beginnings of aggression towards other dogs. He is nearing 2 years old which is often when many types of dogs make the switch from puppy to adult, which can lead to an increase in aggression particularly with other dogs and more selectivity with dogs. Hank is a total sweetheart and another problem his owners were experiencing was his over arousal when guests came into their home. Hank and his "sister" Millie were quite the greeting committee, jumping all over people, which while some people don't mind it, it was a hazard as they are both large dogs. Hank's mom had a bad experience with dogs in the past and it made her uncomfortable when he was being out of control, even when he and Mille would play really hard and get crazy. They needed effective ways to tell the dogs now is the time to be calm! His owners also enjoy hiking and it was a nightmare trying to take the dogs and being pulled the whole way, along with the dogs reacting to things like bikes and other hikers.

Hank and Millie are both lucky dogs to have super awesome owners who signed them both up for training. Hank came two weeks prior to Millie, then their stays overlapped by a couple of weeks to work the two dogs together and to give them both some alone time at home with their people, as they had been raised very closely and were exhibiting some signs of littermate syndrome.

Happy to report that both dogs have been back home and doing awesome! The dogs always learn but it's really up to the humans to take advantage of the training and their owners have been great about it. Good work!

22/11/2023

Introducing Rio the Border Collie!

Rio came here for training all the way from San Diego, after working with some well known trainers who either turned him away or told his owners to get rid of him! All as a 4.5 month old puppy... so as you can imagine, we were so glad when his people reached out to us before considering rehoming. Rio was definitely presenting some pretty intense behavioral issues that were causing his people a lot of stress and struggles.

Rio is a very high drive pup who did not have any sort of an off switch come naturally to him. He was very bite-y, herdy, stimulated by motion, borderline obsessive about random things like rocks, sticks, and bugs. He has very high food and toy drive, but since his owners didn't know how to use toys for training they were stuck using only food and it put Rio into a kind of frantic state to work for food with them, making it hard to train at all. They had been encouraged to do things like "hand feeding" which wasn't helping. They were having a hard time connecting with Rio emotionally and felt like maybe he wasn't happy with them. They were shedding a lot of tears over this pup and he was really causing a ruckus without even knowing it!

Rio came for the Puppy Ambassador program and he knocked everything out of the park. His issues were very real and he is one of those Border Collies that really can be hard to live with, but he is very intelligent and he trained like a dream. He has been home for a few months and we've had nothing but great reports on him! We are super proud of Rio and his owners for doing what was right for them and their dog.

18/11/2023

The owner of this happy silly face is Shilo the Labrador!

Shilo is a great Lab from a good breeder and it really shows. He was a pleasure to work with! He comes from a breeder who produces service dogs in nearly every litter, and while Shilo isn't necessarily going to have that job, his owner does want him to be a highly trained dog as if he were, and he may have a future in therapy work. He came to us at 5 months old for our Puppy Ambassador program which he excelled at!

He was presenting pretty normal puppy problems, like a lack of recall, nipping, poor leash manners, demand barking and jumping. His owner wants to be able to take him everywhere she can and have that super well trained dog that makes life comfortable and who is comfortable with her. She enjoys hiking and camping and wants Shilo to be included in all of that in a way that is optimal for both of them.

Shilo has been home and doing well and we're excited to continue working with him in the future!

15/11/2023

Meet Finn the Aussie!

Finn came to us for a board and train over the summer. He had been going to work at the office with his owner since he was a pup but he was presenting reactivity to kids and different people which was making it unsafe to bring him into public spaces. It was important to his person to be able to take him anywhere but especially to work with her, so good reliable obedience was a must!

Finn was a really fun dog to work with and he trained up super well. He has a lot of toy drive, loves to play, and enjoyed learning. We did a follow up lesson at his mom's workplace not too long ago and were impressed with how he's doing! He has a great human standing beside him and we're so happy to have been able to get them where they wanted to be.

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Charlie the Border Collie spent a fast 7 weeks with us to sharpen up his training and work through his intense reactivity. Charlies owners had already put in a ton of effort raising and training him yet even still his issues were real, scary and nothing short of aggressive and causing his owners a significant amount of stress when ever they attempted to get him out of the house. At a glance it can be hard to see how a dog could be well trained, but also reactive and scary? Isn't that what training is supposed to prevent 🤔? The answer is yes and no! A well trained dog who is handled incorrectly might seem like a totally untrained dog depending on what's going on around them. Handling is what I consider to be the "art" of dog training, its the spiritual unseen connection between dog and human, and what makes up a huge part of our communication, and has everything to do with how our dogs see us and how our dogs see the world. It takes experience to properly guide a dog through our crazy world in a way that allows them to relax and just be, and even more experience to teach someone else how to do it, and it maybe even impossible to teach without becoming close enough with your people to give them the puzzle pieces their big picture was missing. As a dog trainer you must be prepared to get to know your people and figure out what it is they need to hear in order to give them the confidence and tools to be the handler their dogs needs. The word "Relationship" has been trending in the dog world for a while now while many fail to nuture the people side of the relationship, to inspire the people involved and to get them excited about the dog they own is a beatiful sight to see and the dogs involved ALWAYS benefit. 🙏 . . @christineanguyen . . #dogtrainer #dogtrainerslife #dogtraining #behavior #bordercollie #bordercolliesofinstagram #connection #people #communication #community

Nellie the Border Collie! This little pocket rocket is so full of fire she can hardly hold it in! We are very pleased with the progress this girl has been making, teaching her to direct her energy into things that will help her be an amazing companion has been a very rewarding process. Nellie is a sport type dog who is not for the faint of heart. She is very affectionate and sweet, and extremely high drive with a very hard bite. Dogs like her require a mostly structured routine, and daily play/work to keep their body and mind in good shape. Giving Nellie several constructive outlets has been key, and she is constantly impressing us with her work ethic. A lot of people don't realize just how driven a Border Collie can be, but a lot of them are in the same caliber as a Malinois or an American Pitbull Terrier. With a change of plan Nellie should be going back home to her original owner in August and we couldn't be more thrilled! . . . @jaycee.fellner . . #dogtrainer #dogtrainerslife #dogtraining #bordercollie #bordercolliesofinstagram #bordercolliepuppy #sportygirl #dog #puppy #play #work

In honor of Denali and Sahara and their people heading back home to California today, here is a little video of the first public access outing with Denali. We had a really fun day today, and spent it outdoors enjoying good company and good dogs! It's been a real pleasure getting to be such a big part of these delightful dogs' and their people's lives.

Some footage from Luke the Lab puppy's go home day! We couldn't be happier or more proud of him and his owners. It's been amazing to watch this beautiful bond and relationship form between he and his people. Luke's owners didn't have a ton of previous experience with dogs. His "dad" had a Retriever in the past but that dog was primarily an outside dog and he didn't have a training relationship with the humans. And Luke's "mom" was actually afraid of dogs! She wasn't comfortable around dogs, especially larger ones. It was very important to both of them that their new puppy get to be a well mannered member of the family and training was paramount to their success and we are so glad they signed on with us, when Luke was only 8 weeks old! We did private lessons throughout his early puppyhood, helping walk his owners through everything and show them how to set him up for success and begin that training relationship. Then as Luke got older, bigger and stronger and his training stamina increased, he came to us for a board and train to polish things off and solidify his training and skills. Now, he's back home with his family and doing so well. Such an awesome dog and awesome owners!

Crate games with Niko

Niko has some pretty strong feelings about being put in a crate! But it's an important skill for any dog to have and we want the crate to be a nice place for them to be, a place to decompress and reflect on their training, a place to feel safe and secure, no matter the environment outside of the crate. Even if you don't think you'd like to use a crate much (although we fully believe it benefits a dogs state of mind to get that alone time daily), you never know when your dog may get injured and need to be put on crate rest or when you might need to board them somewhere if there were an emergency and they couldn't go with you, and it would be awful and stressful for your dog if they had no experience or were afraid in the crate! This was our first session working on some crate games with Niko and he is taking to it really well! I'm already noticing a decrease in protesting when he's left in there, even during the day when there is action happening. And he is sleeping the whole night without any fuss at all.

Nail trim with Luke! Whenever we teach dogs to accept nail trims, we take things slow and acclimate them carefully to first the sound of the dremel tool and then the feeling of the vibration through a place cot and then by touching the tool to their paw. Once they are completely comfortable with all of that, we can proceed to actually trimming the nails! We find that licky mats or other slow delivery treats work really well, but eventually, once they are pros, you can just reward them intermittently or at the end of the procedure.

Lapis the Whippet

Here at Oliver Dog Training we always make sure our own, personal dogs are as much of a priority as any other dog we work with. We feel, as dog trainers, that our dogs should be able to set a great example for our clients and also help us in our day to day work. This is Lapis, our two year old Whippet who loves to work! She has been working on advanced heelwork from a young age and is fully trained to access public. Teaching this kind of high level body awareness might not seem necessary, however these movements and positions can be extremely useful in high criteria situations and are a great way to challenge your dog's mind. Just keeping your dogs "under control", and keeping your dogs fulfilled, happy and healthy are two very different things! 🤗

Group Hike 06/16/20

I'm not entirely sure what Obi was trying to do here, but I have a feeling it was not walking face first into the dirt wall on the side of the creek. He was a good sport about it nonetheless!

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