ALPHAcademy Dog Training

16/08/2023

Sadly, this page is no longer active. Please visit www.alphacademytraining.com for more information or contact directly via email at [email protected] or phone (775) 354-8415.

ALPHAcademy's new FB page can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550349062454&mibextid=D4KYlr

01/08/2023

ALPHAcademy is excited to announce two new official certifications:

Certified Canine Training & Behavior Specialist (C.C.T.B.S)

and

Certified Advanced Canine Training Professional (C.A.C.T.P)

Next stop- LIMA & Canine CPR certifications to come early this fall.

It is important to continually grow and educate yourself as a trainer. It is equally important as a pet parent to look for trainers who work hard at developing themselves further and elevating their skill set.

I will always remain a student in this industry. I look forward to forever learning and providing the best possible service to my clients.

28/07/2023

Yokosuka clients, this is a good read! Be sure you've done all your homework and you're ready when it comes time to PCS.

Myth #1: It is easier and cheaper to PCS with pets OUT of Japan once you’ve arrived. Fact: While the United States has less strict entry requirements than Japan in terms of import regulations, it is very difficult to PCS OUT of Japan with pets. Here is why: Commercial airlines are resistant to acc...

21/07/2023

This is a shoutout to my fellow dog training professionals and capable families:

🐾🐾🐾FOSTER🐾🐾🐾

I keep seeing so many organizations pleading with their community for fosters due to an overwhelming lack of space for intake.

Trainers, fostering is a great way to get more experience and sharpen your training skills. Have a behavior you've been wanting to teach? Test things out on your foster.

Challenge yourself. How fast can I teach X behavior? Let's find out. It's a win win. The foster dog gets out of the shelter making space for another AND goes back with more chances for adoption with newly trained skills.

If you can only take in one, great. If you can only do it for two weeks, great. Any help is better than no help.

Our communities need us. I would encourage everyone to develop relationships with their local rescues & shelters. Let's get out there and lend a hand where we can.

21/07/2023

ALPHAcademy is excited about arriving to Pensacola, FL! If you or someone you know is in need of dog training services please share this info with them.

I always like to provide a nice warm welcome discount to my new service areas, so keep an eye out!

23/06/2023

We are coming up on our last full week before the 4th of July. It's too late to try to train your dog out of their anxiety before the big day, but what you can do ahead of the holiday is:

-Fill your pet's prescription if they have one
-Make sure their microchip information is current
-Have them wear their collar with an up-to-date tag and tracking device

If you are actively training to help your dog with anxiety, keep at it. Keep going with that box feeding and add louder sounds to their repertoire if you haven't already done so. Try to fit in some training & enrichment activities during the day so that they are full of less energy come the evening.

More than anything, plan. Be sure your windows, doors, & gates are secure. Plan to be home with your dog if possible. If you will not be home, perhaps there is a neighbor or friend who would be willing to hang out with your dog and keep them company- it doesn't hurt to ask.

If your dog is NOT crate trained, THE 4TH OF JULY IS NOT THE DAY TO START. Please do not stuff your dog into a crate they are not prepared to be in because you did not plan ahead and train for it.

Your dog's 4th of July experience IS UP TO YOU. You can either make it a difficult miserable day or you can do all you can to keep them as safe and calm as possible. Your dog doesn't know this day is coming, but you do, so take care of them.

Looking for tips and tricks to help them out the day of? Let me know in the comments👇 and I'll post some great enrichment & training ideas for you!

20/06/2023

Yep.

14/05/2023

Sending warm & loving Happy Mother's Day wishes to all the moms out there 💐

20/04/2023

To all of the clients who have left reviews, THANK YOU! It's important to have honest reviews available as much as possible so that pet parents can feel comfortable in their decision to select a dog trainer.

If you haven't already, please review ALPHAcademy today on Facebook & Google. I genuinely appreciate any feedback and aim to make the service that's provided the absolute best it can be!

Want to add your review to Google? Follow the link below 👇

https://g.page/r/CeX_1tpKa53AEBM/review

09/04/2023

Today is THE LAST day, folks! After today, there will be no more signups available to train with ALPHAcademy Dog Training in Yokosuka, Japan. Current clients will still have plenty of time to finish out their ongoing training packages.

If you know anyone interested in training, please share this info with them.

*The dog in the photo is a beautiful girl named Cali. Isn't she perfect?! 😍

02/04/2023

📢BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION BOOKS ARE NOW CLOSED📢

And just like that, ALPHAcademy's books are closed for behavior modification. Current clients will have plenty of time to work through their program, but I will no longer be able to sign on new behavioral cases for the Yokosuka area.

📢TRAINING BOOKS OFFICIALLY CLOSE FOR NEW SIGNUPS MONDAY APRIL 10TH📢

If you know someone interested in basic obedience training for their puppy, juvenile, or adult dog, please let them know they only have one week left to sign up for sessions.

01/04/2023

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY available to sign up for a behavior package! Can you believe it?! If you know someone who is in need of behavior modification help with their dog, please share this information with them.

Behavior Package 1 details can be found on www.alphacademytraining.com under the "Services & Prices" tab.

After Monday, April 3rd, ALPHAcademy's books will close for behavior packages until reopening for business in Pensacola, FL later this summer.

29/03/2023

EDIT: KUMA HAS BEEN FOUND & FINALLY SAFE AT HOME!

🚨🚨🚨HELP🚨🚨🚨

Yokosuka folks, please keep an eye out for this sweet boy, Luka. His owner said he went missing this evening the 29th near Shin Otsu.

Please DO NOT approach him. Luka is new to training and still learning how to trust people. He is VERY skittish and we don't want to risk him bolting into a road.

Please, if you see or hear anything regarding his whereabouts, contact me directly through messenger or email.

[email protected]

28/03/2023

Do you have a puppy? Are you still working on potty training?

Here are some quick tips to help you reach your potty training goals FASTER!

And, YES. If you're using p*e pads, potty training your dog is going to take longer and reduce the likelihood of successful potty training long-term.

22/03/2023

This is why I do it:

I LOVE dogs. I LOVE my hardworking clients. I LOVE the process.

Have you worked with ALPHAcademy before? Honest feedback would be so greatly appreciated 🙏 I would love to know specifically what was made better after you went through training or specifically what did not work for you.

Let me know about your experience on Google and Facebook today!

20/03/2023

Today marks 5 years since the opening of ALPHAcademy Dog Training and 9 years as a trainer! Time flies when you're having fun 🐾

Here's a picture of me and the big guy to commemorate the occasion. I sure wish I could've celebrated this day with you... The dog who started it all for me.

To many more years to come 🍻 and to the boy I miss every day.

16/03/2023

ALPHAcademy is proud to throw its support behind a wonderful organization, Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue- a registered 501(c)3 non-profit rescue.

20% off ANY service will be honored for those who purchase from their Amazon wish list, Chewy wish list, or give any monetary donation.

They work VERY hard servicing the greater southeast area of the US helping the community and its gentle giants, a lot of whom are found in horrific conditions.

For more information on this promotion, please visit our website at www.alphacademytraining.com.

Hop on over to www.nwflgdr.com to see what wonderful work they're doing in the community as well as the beautiful pups available for foster and adoption.

13/03/2023

To my valued dog-walking clients,

I wanted to extend a friendly reminder that my dog-walking books will close on April 30th, 2023. At such time, I will no longer be offering dog walking services in preparation for my business' relocation back to the states. Please know I greatly appreciate your patronage and very much enjoy the one-on-one time I get to spend with your dogs.

Furthermore, as we begin to get deeper into warmer weather, it is of utmost importance to me that your dogs have a safe and enjoyable walking experience. To that end, if I deem the weather to be too hot for walking, I reserve the right to cancel any scheduled walks for this reason.

I look forward to soaking up all the time I have left with your pups here in Yokosuka! 🐾

02/03/2023

Yokosuka clients, the closing date for my training books is fast approaching. March 20th will be the last day to enroll in a Behavior 2 package- the 8-week behavior modification block. If you or anyone you know needs training for more serious behavioral issues, please share this information with them.

TRAINING BOOKS CLOSE MAY 15TH.

"Complete" packages that include 15 sessions are no longer offered at this time.

15/02/2023

This is a great conversation to have a listen to. With all the back and forth in the industry and the controversy over the use of tools in training, it can be difficult to discern hard facts built from sound research and application, from the propaganda being leveraged by those who are chasing an agenda without any care for the collateral damage. That collateral damage is the dogs.

Those of you that fit the "death before discomfort" mold need to have a hard look at yourselves and the wastage your movement will eventually cause. It is perfectly okay to decide that you do not want to utilize tools in training, but the moment you step into the realm of tool bands, you need to ask yourself the motivation behind that. Where does this all lead to? Who will lose the most in this? It's the dogs.

Finally, before you start citing "science" and providing "studies" to back your position, you should tread carefully in making sure that what you're referencing is sound and void of as much bias as possible. To that end, is your science applicable to the behavior of dogs and dog training specifically? If not, you need to bring it back to the dogs. It's. About. The. Dogs.

01/02/2023

Dearest clients,

Yesterday I received information from a client distributed via a public alert to Zushi residents that on January 29th, authorities received a report from a local citizen that poisoned food/dog treats were found to have been purposely planted in local parks & walkways. The dog of the reporting owner began seizing within minutes of the accidental consumption but has luckily survived. There is no indication that any DoD facility was being specifically targeted. Other prefectures may have been affected as well.

All the same, please be careful out there. It seems these days we have so many things to stay diligent about. Enjoy your walks- safely 🐾

22/01/2023

Please welcome ALPHAcademy's next graduate, Toffee! Toffee is a rescue from Okinawa now living her best life in Yokosuka! Her owners are first-time dog owners and they are doing AMAZING at taking on a heap of information and becoming better communicators with their new pup!

It can be overwhelming for some to start training, especially when they feel a sense of paralysis on "where do I start?", but these owners dove right in and have been committed to the process. What's better, they got the opportunity to have FUN training!

Toffee, like most other Japanese-bred dogs that I've encountered, has very low confidence and is incredibly environmentally sensitive. We got in with basic training principles: developing a marker system, installing basic obedience, using negative & positive reinforcement on the walk to teach her the desired position, and most importantly for her, box work.

Box work has been instrumental in helping Toffee cultivate stronger nerves and confidence. I am always grateful when owners are willing to work this into our training program for the overall betterment of their dog's mental tenacity. It pays DIVIDENDS down the track.

Welcome to the pack, Toffee! I look forward to working with this family more and seeing them all grow stronger together!

20/01/2023

ALPHAcademy is DELIGHTED to announce the next group of graduates- (left to right) Musashi, Kylo, & Sora! These boys have been SO much fun to train! It was an incredible experience as a trainer getting to work in a multi-dog household and quickly get to rotate through temperaments applying the same principles, but adjusting the approach to each individual. It was an amazing crash course for the owner- learning how to work through the quirks of each of her pups as they learn new behaviors.

While I would've loved to get more videos of working with them, we had our hands full 😆 That said, our training consisted of developing a solid marker system for their rewards, with both YES and a clicker. We installed a non-reinforcing marker so they could learn when they were not on the right track. We did quite a bit of individual work & rotation so that their AMAZING owner could get the hang of her timing. They are all pretty equally matched in their food drive, to the point of conflict/fights, so we worked individually before safely bringing them all together.

These boys were previously on Head Haltis when we started training and we took the time to re-teach that pressure indoors before using it outside on the walk. While we did go over strategies to have this tool work better for both the dogs & owner, we did come to discuss using a prong collar so that the communication could be a bit more clear and give her more control walking her three Corgis. Most importantly, the owner now knows how to teach her dogs how to turn off pressure and communicate with her dogs more effectively so that she has the power to choose her tools based on what works best for each of them.

I could go on and on, but to close, this has been such a fun training experience! I love working with people who are invested in their training and get to themselves realize how FUN training can be! I look forward to working with this family more in the future and seeing them all blossom. Congratulations and you have done AMAZING! Welcome to the pack and happy training!

12/01/2023

It's almost that time again... we're moving! As a military family-owned business, regular moves are a part of the gig. This upcoming summer of 2023 will have us saying goodbye to our pack members here in Yokosuka, Japan, and welcoming new ones in Pensacola, FL.

As such, prices & services will change to best accommodate our new service area. It is very important that ALPHAcademy's services remain accessible and relevant to the general public we'll be servicing. A great deal of research and preparation goes into designing these services so that those who NEED our help, can actually get our help.

To our pack here in Yokosuka, Japan, thank you! It's been a pleasure working with you all! If you know someone who's been considering working with us, please share this with them so that they have a chance before our books close.

WALKING BOOKS WILL CLOSE APRIL 30TH

TRAINING BOOKS WILL CLOSE MAY 15TH

Where personalized training comes to you! An individually tailored approach to dog training ⚖️

05/01/2023

A•R•T

May you do something today that fills you with as much pride as this 💩 art gave this guy.

07/12/2022

ALPHAcademy recently had the pleasure of walking this sweet girl, Cali. Her generous owner bid on a walking service I donated for a charity auction put on by 🐾

It was so nice meeting you Cali! It feels easy donating your services when it means helping the community and getting to know new lovely owners and the most beautiful pups 😍

07/11/2022

With deep and heartbreaking sadness, I must pay tribute to my personal dog of 10 years, Cheerio. On October 30th, just 2 months shy of his 11th birthday, I lost my sweet boy.

He was the one who started it all. He's the reason I became a dog trainer. The reason mastiffs have my heart.

I don't have the words to describe the pain, but this photo does a decent job of it. The other photo is the last I ever took of him. I've known no other like him. So much feels empty without him by my side.

Thank you to all my clients for being so kind as I slowly work you all back into my books. Thank you to everyone who has checked in on me and to those who have given me space during this time. I'm doing the best I can, but it will be a slow process as I learn to be without someone so special to me.

*Please, if you know to whom I can credit the photo, let me know.

To my boy, I miss you every day. I look for you everywhere. I miss your sounds. I miss your smell. I will miss you and love you forever. Rest easy 🌈