Positive Training and behavior solutions for dogs any age. Private in-home lessons, classes: Beginning, Intermediate, CGC, Feisty Fido, Therapy Prep.
Service dog training Skye’s areas of expertise include the assessment, management and rehabilitation of dogs with aggression issues (dog & human based), separation anxiety, generalized fearful behavior and phobias. Skye has over 500 hours of logged behavioral consultation hours on the topics of fear, aggression and anxiety and regularly attends conferences and seminars on fear and aggression in do
gs to stay current with the newest scientific findings and training techniques. Skye also works with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s “Canines with Careers” program. Her work with this program includes evaluating and selecting shelter animals to be placed with prospective clients in need of service animals. She also evaluates and selects shelter dogs for an organization in Oregon called Dogs for the Deaf. Skye helps the organization to find suitable dogs to become hearing assistance dogs and also service dogs for autistic children. In addition to her work with Best Friends Animal Society, Skye also runs her own service dog training program and helps individuals in the selection and/or training of many kinds of service dogs. Skye also enjoys her work with Have Pittie - Pit Bull Rescue of Utah. Have Pittie strives to keep pit bulls in their forever homes and out of the shelters through training and education. Skye is the official trainer of Have Pittie and loves working with lots of pit bulls and pit mixes! Skye Poitras is a professional member of the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers):
The APDT is a professional educational organization of trainers who are committed to becoming better trainers through using positive, dog friendly methods based on sound scientific principles. With over 5,000 members worldwide, the APDT provides professional dog trainers with a respected and concerted voice. The APDT promotes caring relationships between dogs and people and works to increase public awareness of dog-friendly training techniques. For more information, visit the Web site at www.apdt.com. The APDT’s mission is to promote caring relationships between dogs and people by educating trainers in canine behavior and emphasizing professionalism and reward-based training. Skye Poitras is a CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed) and Salt Lake area's only CBCC-KA (Certified Behavior Consultant-Canine):
The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers serves to establish and maintain a recognized level of competence in dog training by certifying professional trainers through criteria based on continuing education, experience, and standardized testing.
Utah Pet Partners online auction (proceeds go to supporting and training new therapy teams in Utah!) closes tonight at 9pm. Check out all these items to bid on including an hour private training session with me! https://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/index.cfm?auctionID=22814
This adorable pup started service dog training and my client made this first day of school sign for her to make it official. So cute!
Do you need a beautiful portrait of your pet hanging on your wall? Looking for a unique gift for someone special? Check out my friend's art and consider commissioning her for a portrait of your best buddy: https://yoshedagreen.deviantart.com/gallery/
This sweet Golden Retriever pup is in my service dog training program. His owner has clearly been working on his patience and self-control (those are treats all over him)! They are going to make a great team!
I was going through some old videos on my phone and found this one from two years ago. This is a short clip of two (previously) dog-reactive dogs on a walk together. They had never seen each other before this training session but had worked with me individually before training together. This video was taken after about a 30 minute walking/training session.
Come to our first-ever Dog-Toy-Making Workshop on Friday, April 1st at 6:30 p.m. You will get to make 3 interactive dog toys and you will also get to hear some great information on mental stimulation for your dog (mental stimulation will help your dog to be more calm and happy!). Please reserve your space so we have enough supplies for everyone! Details on the flyer. Feel free to share!
I can't decide if the best thing about this cutie that I trained with today is his ridiculously cute face or his awesome name. Meet Sir Biggie Smalls!
Happy Veterans Day! My veteran clients are some of my favorites as they are always willing to do whatever it takes to train their dogs (even if it means laying on the floor). Here two veterans are training their service dogs for "deep pressure therapy", a service task proven to help relieve anxiety and shorten duration of panic attacks (posted with their permission of course).
8 year old Austin teaching Georgia to "heel" (Georgia's first practice session ever with this cue). Austin wants her to follow closely then sit when she stops walking. She clicks to let Georgia know when she has earned a treat. I love watching Georgia's swagger. :)
My 8 year old daughter Austin practicing "wait" with Georgia.
One spot left in Fun Scent Games class starting tomorrow (Wednesdays: August 5th - August 26th, 6:00pm-7:00pm)! No prerequisite or previous training of any kind is necessary, but dogs must be friendly with other dogs and people. Your dog will love this class! Dogs learn how to systematically search for hidden food in a fun and exciting environment. The level of difficulty increases each week, and it is fascinating to watch the dogs catch scent and make a find. Not only is it fun for owners to watch their dogs learn to use their noses, you will also learn fun scientific facts about your dog's nose and their amazing abilities. This class is great for confidence building and mental stimulation!
Fee for course: $95 (1 hour classes, 4 week course - only 4 dogs per class max!)
Register here: http://www.skyesdogtraining.com/register.html
Before registering for any class, please check the class schedule page to see which class date & time works best for you (remember, new classes are added all the time, so if you don't see something that works for you, contact Skye's Dog Training for upcoming classes not yet listed on the website). P…
Wyatt loves the game of waiting patiently while covered in treats. Ok, he may not love the waiting but he loves the reward! Want to teach your dog to wait for treats? Join my Beginning Pet Manners class where we teach this trick (it's so much more than a trick though, great for self control!) along with other cues like sit, down, eye contact, stay and come when called. We also work on polite greetings, walking nicely on leash and more! I have just two spots available for classes starting next week! Check out the class schedule here: www.skyesdogtraining.com/class-schedule.html
I received a great email update over the weekend from a client and had to share (if your dog has aggression issues like this dog is working through, find a qualified trainer to help you; message me and I can help you find one if you are out of the area):
"I just wanted to share an update about Ziggy!! He's doing extremely well. I love seeing how confident he's becoming! He's a different dog already.
We were on a walk tonight and we ran into some people. He didn't growl, bark or lunge at them. He stared at them, looked at me and kept walking! It was amazing! He's getting a lot better with people. We are still working on dogs, but it's a work in progress and he's doing well.
We went on a run last night. There were some dogs behind a fence that scared him. Instead of biting at the fence, I told him to leave it and he did! We ran by the rest of the fence without a problem.
I am so pleased with the progress that he is making!! He is so much happier. I love this dog. Thanks for helping me help him! I really appreciate everything you have helped me accomplish. It's been a blessing!!
Thanks!"
My cute dogs Wyatt, Georgia and Tommy hanging out in my training facility.
This video was made a few years ago with Best Friends Animal Society, but it recently popped up on MSN videos so I thought I'd share it. Check out my big boy Wyatt as the star of this video! This video makes me tear up every single time I watch it even though I know Wyatt will never be homeless (I adopted him at 8 weeks old from a rescue group after police found him and his siblings under a trailer at three days old). I actually cried a few different times in the making of this video at just the thought of my perfect angel being passed up in the shelter. A big THANK YOU from me to all those who have opened their hearts to give a shelter animal a second chance: http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/us/second-chances-best-friends-animal-society/vp-BBiUzkt
Second Chances - Best Friends Animal Society
I'm at the Humane Society of Utah today evaluating awesome dogs like this guy to find potential service and therapy dogs for clients. Shelter animals can make wonderful working dogs. In fact, about 80% of the dogs in my therapy and service dog training programs are rescues!
If you have been thinking about signing up for a dog training class, now is the time! All of my April classes are completely full, but the May schedule is online now and filling up already. In May, I'll have classes for: Beginning Pet Manners, Intermediate, Advanced, Fun Scent Games (no experience or prerequisite necessary!) and even an Out on the Town field trip class. You can check out all the details about classes here: http://www.skyesdogtraining.com/group-classes.html
Group classes are effective and easy, even for those new to training. Only current, positive and dog-friendly methods are used in class, so classes are always an enjoyable learning experience for both you and your dog (and the whole family, go ahead and bring them!). Classes are grouped into four we…
A new and exciting class starts next week: Fun Scent Games! Dogs do not need any obedience skills to take this class, so it is perfect for dogs of all abilities and all ages.
Class Description: Dogs learn how to systematically search for hidden food in a fun and exciting environment. The level of difficulty increases each week, and it is fascinating to watch the dogs catch scent and make a find. Not only is it fun for owners to watch their dogs learn to use their noses, you will also learn fun scientific facts about your dog's nose and their amazing abilities. This class is great for a dog's confidence building and mental stimulation! Take the class just for fun (and rainy day alternatives to outdoor activities) or start preparing for "K9 Nose Work" competitions (a very popular dog sport for dogs of any age)!
Fee for course: $95 (1 hour classes, 4 week course - only 4 dogs per class max!)
Time/day: Tuesdays, October 21st - November 11th, 6:00pm-7:00pm
(my daytime class is already full but another daytime class may be added if there is enough interest)
To register, visit: http://www.skyesdogtraining.com/register.html
Before registering for any class, please check the class schedule page to see which class date & time works best for you (remember, new classes are added all the time, so if you don't see something that works for you, contact Skye's Dog Training for upcoming classes not yet listed on the website). P…
I think Tommy wants me to kiss his cute nose. Alright Tommy, kisses for you.
Want to squeeze in as much training time with your dog as possible while the kids are at school? Check out my new Fast Track Option (Wednesdays & Fridays during the day while kids are in school)! Instead of training just once a week, you can go twice a week and get through more classes before the kids get out of school in June! If you start a Beginning class on April 11th, you can get 12 training sessions in before June (that is a full Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced class). You can even come Mondays starting the end of April for field trip classes if you want to train three days a week (daytime and evening options available). Just imagine the well-behaved dog (your dog!) you and your kids could enjoy the summer with. :) Check out my class schedule here for all the dates: http://www.skyesdogtraining.com/class-schedule.html
Classes are held at the Skye's Dog Training facility in West Jordan. Field trip classes are held on location at various businesses and parks. Please see the Facility Information for address, directions and instructions.
Check out this article in Utah Family Magazine about how dogs can benefit kids with special needs, featuring, yours truly along with Therapy Animals of Utah and Sherry Woodard from Best Friends Animal Society. https://www.utahfamily.com/article.php?artID=770§=14
This is a picture of service dog handling teams practicing at Costco. All three dogs in the this picture (and one dog who was behind me at the time) are in training to be service dogs for autistic children in their home. Even though their training is not yet complete, these dogs are already doing AMAZING things for the children in their homes. Some children are able to go to sleep on their own at nights without fear, others are able to go to the dentist without having severe anxiety, and all the children in these homes are able to recover more quickly from meltdowns thanks to their dogs. I love working with people who are dedicated to making the lives of their families better (they are always awesome dog owners too)!
Austin was at the Humane Society of Utah helping me evaluate Quincy as a possible service dog for a client (he needed to be great with kids). He was lovely; look at those sweet eyes! My client adopted him and he will be in training to be a psychiatric service dog. Shelter animals can be trained to do amazing things!
All four dog/handler teams in this service dog class passed their Public Access Testing in the middle of a very busy Costco this month. Very proud of all of them for all their hard work to accomplish this goal!
Just got this email over the weekend (one of my favorite types of emails to receive...so exciting!): "I just wanted to let you know that Mercy did amazing on her therapy test in Ogden today. We got sixteen scores of 2 and four scores of 1. She just barely turned one year old so I could not have been happier with how great she did today. Thanks so much for all of the excellent training, it really helped us today!"
Currently listening to an Advanced Techniques for Therapy Dog webinar so I can better help my clients create amazing therapy dogs!
I meet dogs multiple times a week that come from great families and still have issues they need help with. While how a dog is raised can often times play a part in how they behave, it is definitely not always the case. Genetics play a huge roll in a dog's behavior. I like this article.
How many times have you heard someone say about a dog, "It's all how they're raised"? Probably a lot. If you own a pit bull dog, probably a lot more. I hear pit bull advocates saying it all the ti...
Hey dog people, I have one spot left in my "Walk in the Park" outdoor field trip class that starts tonight at 6pm (the 4:45pm class is full). Come train with us in this beautiful fall weather! We go to a different fun outdoor location each week and work on skills such as leave it, stay, come when called, emergency recall, loose leash walking and polite greetings. (Prerequisite my Advanced class or equivalent). Class is every Tuesday from 6pm-7pm for four weeks; cost is $95. If you want the spot, register on my website here and I will send you all the location details: http://www.skyesdogtraining.com/register.html
If your dog destroys all the toys you buy for him/her, check this out...This is the toy you want; it is the Everlasting Fun Ball (http://www.amazon.com/StarMark-Everlasting-Ball-Medium-Large/dp/B003YHB8DO). I bought this one at a dog training conference when they were first coming out about six or seven years ago. It looks brand new and all my dogs play with it. My dog Phoenix could pop a Kong in half and I had to get rid of my Jolly Ball Teaser because she chewed dangerous sharp plastic pieces off each hole trying to get the ball out of the inside (it did last a good year though so those might be fun for your dog too). The people who made these told me she could not destroy it and they were right. She tried really hard but never even got a chunk off. This is the longest lasting toy in my house. Also the dogs love it because it is squishy and fun to play with (you can also put treats inside). I highly recommend it!!
Great update from a client this morning! Lady has had two training sessions with Skye's Dog Training over the last three weeks; she needed help with her dog reactivity issues (aggressively barking and lunging at other dogs) as well as pulling on leash. Here is her owners emailed update today:
"I was super proud of Lady this morning. We passed three dogs on our daily walk at the park. She watched them carefully. Lady did not bark or snap or come unglued. And she did not pull on the leash. I can actually enjoy our walks now. Good for her!!"
I love how her owners says "good for her", so cute. Lady's elderly owner was afraid she was going to have to find a new home for Lady due to her issues and unruly behavior. It was very difficult for her to walk Lady on leash (she is a pretty big golden retriever). Lady's sweet owner rescued her from living on a tether in a backyard and has fallen in love with her in the short time they have lived together. So I am VERY happy with this update for both the dog and owner!
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