Island Dog Training

03/05/2024

Hi everyone, ill be back on island in early April and am taking bookings now for anyone interested! Now is the best time to get in before the busy season and I'll be offering a lot more services to new/past clients this year.

With over 7 years of experience helping dogs and owners on island I can assist you with whatever your dog needs are.

Services I'm offering this year include:

Private lessons
Group classes
Off leash training
Pickup day training
Dog adventures
Weekly pack hikes (with owners)

Call/text at 508-939-0319 or email at [email protected]

06/19/2023

This is what I like socialization to look like. When dogs move together, smell together, investigate together they bond on a much calmer and respectful level. A lot of the dogs I hike with struggle in high excitement situations like dog parks, off leash dogs, over stimulated dog greetings, etc. When I hike with them and reinforce a low energy walk they end up relaxing and moving in close quarters with other dogs.

A lot of people ask if I do puppy classes to socialize their dogs. In my experience putting a bunch of puppies together and getting them excited only teaches them that other dogs = excitement. I prefer to teach them how to coexist with one another and learn how to be respectful and act more "like a pack" rather than how to play.

The way I work may not be for everyone but the dogs that hike with me regularly make great improvements in their social skills and reactivity. So when it comes to socializing your dog think about what you want that to mean. Do you want your dog to learn how to run around and get excited around dogs or do you want them to learn how to be calm, respectful and content around other dogs.

If you're interested in getting your dog involved in pack hikes please reach our here or at [email protected]

06/02/2023

Hey everyone, just as a reminder I don't use Facebook that often anymore so if you would like to contact me or set up training please email at [email protected] or text/call at 508-939-0319

04/02/2023

GROUP CLASSES STARTING MAY 4TH

A lot of people have been asking about group classes this season and I've decided to change up how I am doing them this year. Instead of drop in classes I'm offering a series of 6 lessons meeting weekly covering different topics all dog owners should know.

Each class is structured towards teaching people skills they will use in everyday life with their dog. As always all my classes are held in public to provide the best real world experience for you all.

By signing up each person will receive the required leash, long line and place bed used in class. This is included in your purchase. All dogs must go through one private lesson covering how to use the leash prior to attending class.

Dogs of all ages and sizes welcome, just no extreme fear or reactivity for Group Class. All dogs must be over 6 months of age & be up to date on shots.

If you're interested please contact me here, by cell at 508-939-0319 or by email at [email protected].

01/31/2023

If anyone's been interested in getting some training done and would like to see how I work I have a lot of videos uploaded to my website from various lessons or of webinars I've done. I will be uploading more to this as time goes on but it's worth checking out a few videos if you're interested in seeing how I work.

Video Library of dog training on Martha's Vineyard. From Off Leash Training, puppy training, leash walking, to nervous or aggressive dog training. My training takes place all over Martha's Vineyard or I can travel to do in home lessons.

12/13/2022

Norton is about to go travel all the way from MV to Brazil. To get him prepared I took him to the steamship which is the first stop on his trip to acclimate him to this environment. During this time we worked on how to walk past crowds, dealing with loud trucks, cars and people coming past and how to sit still and be patient. I will be repeating this for the next 3 days to help prepare him for his trip.

Norton is part of my day training program where I will pick your dog up and spend one on one time with them while working on specific goals. If you think your dog could benefit with 1-2 days a week with me please text/call at 508 939 0319 or email at [email protected].

Space is very limited for this program and will fill up quickly.

11/25/2022

I'm working on updating my website and am offering a few promotions to help improve the quality of my business and the transparency of my work for new clients.

I am offering half off to my Off Leash Remote Collar program with the requirement that we film each session. I will upload each day to my website so people can see how remote collar training can be done properly.

I am also offering 2 private lessons for 2 different people at half off normal cost. During this time I will be filming the entire session and will add both videos to my website. The goal of this is to show people who have never worked with me a bit more into how my lessons are taught.

If you're interested please text/call at 508 939 0319

or email at [email protected].

11/16/2022

Fun fact about kennel training: your dog probably doesn't have an issue with the kennel, they most likely have an issue with not being in control or unhealthy attachment issues.

To test this put your dog in the kennel after a long walk and close the door. Sit down on the floor right next to the kennel and ignore your dog. If they begin to relax, get up and walk away and see what they do. Most dogs associate the kennel with you leaving, not with being "trapped." If you stay, what is their behavior like? Their issue is most likely you leaving, not the crate itself.

A common mistake people make with Kennel training is they only put their dog in there when they're leaving, sleeping, or over excited. In 6 years I have never worked with a dog that truly had containment phobia, most of the time they are frustrated due to the fact they are constantly in control until they get put in the kennel.

Teach them to relax by making it easy for them. Exercise them first, put them in the crate calmly and wait next to them until they relax. Then get up and walk away.

You don't need to use a ton of treats, that will create excitement which is the opposite of relaxing. Don't baby talk, actually don't say anything at all. Make it as neutral as you can. Talking to a living creature that doesn't speak our language only confuses them more.

10/30/2022

I have a few openings this week for pack hikes, day training or private lessons. Contact me at 508 939 0319 if interested before they fill up!

10/27/2022

Hey people of Facebook, I rarely use this platform anymore so if you're looking to get in touch reach me at 508 939 0319 (leave a voicemail/text if I don't answer).

Email at [email protected]

Instagram at IslandDogTraining

This platform forces you to pay to reach even 5% of your followers and I've managed to do just fine without it. If you message me here my phone has decided not to show me any messages Facebook sends so I will likely not see it for a long time.

07/30/2022

Letting your dogs off leash shouldn't be a super exciting moment.

Before I let my dogs loose I will wait for them to be calm, stationary and engaged. From there I'll take the leash off and expect the same behaviors listed above after it's off.

If they try to move before I do I'll put the leash back on and try again. Once the leash is off and I still have a calm, stationary and engaged dog then I'll start walking first to show them the pace we're going instead of letting them move first and dictating how fast we walk.

A calmer off leash dog is much easier to control and will be less likely to rush ahead, chase animals, run up to people or ignore commands. It's also important to not have a release command as that will just release them with excitement and ruin everything you created.

07/23/2022

Your dogs do not want to be out in town with you when it's the middle of the day and 80+ degrees. They are literally covered in fur and cannot sweat.

07/21/2022

If your dog wakes you up earlier than you'd like to get up start feeding them an hour later. If you feed your dog at 7 am daily they will most likely always be up around 6 and be preparing to eat. If you want to sleep in til 8 feed your dog around 9 or 10. You'll thank me for this after a few weeks.

06/29/2022

I have an opening today from 12:30-2 pm for a private lesson. My schedule is booked up til mid July so if you're looking to get a session in before then call/text me at 508-939-0319. I'm available to meet anywhere on island and work on any behaviors/issues you are seeking help with.

06/08/2022

Moving slow and steady today. We may not make it far but at least they're enjoying themselves.

06/01/2022

Here's a tip to help teach your dog to not jump on guests:

When you/anyone in your family comes home avoid petting, stopping, talking to or interacting with your dog until the excitement of you/them coming home goes away.

If the first thing we do is stop and greet our dogs we are essentially reinforcing them to get excited when people arrive. Now the door opening is associated with excitement and the affection that comes when they get excited in that location.

So when you come home instead of bending down to pet them instead just walk in and go about your business. Once they get bored and realize you aren't going to reward their excitement you can then go over and greet them (calmly). Our voices and intensity behind our actions can cause them to get riled up again so don't ruin the calm behavior you created by getting excited yourself.

If you and the people in your household practice this every time you come inside you'll start to notice your dog getting less excited at the Doorway with time. This is just one small step so it will not "fix" jumping or excitement when guests come in but it is the first thing I teach people when they are looking to adress this issue. Give this a shot and let me know how it goes. Hope it helps!

05/19/2022

A little rain won't stop us from having fun. Working on keeping the group close after having a few encounters with deer. If everyone's too far spread out I won't be able to have eyes and attention on them and the situation at hand.

05/12/2022

Recall check. If you're gonna let em off leash it's important that they know how to come back. It doesn't matter how friendly they are, letting a dog loose without control is irresponsible to them and to others.

05/05/2022

Kiro the old soul always lagging behind. I try my best to make sure we all move together even if some are faster than others.

05/03/2022

Teaching ladybug what I want her to do around the horses instead of chasing. To her, horses are fun and exciting. Almost like another dog. You can see she's a bit confused and unsure of how to communicate but my goal is to just show her how to behave when close to them. If she chases a horse then gets pulled away and never brought back to them she will only associate horses with chase. By allowing her to be near them while being calm she can begin a new association to how she's supposed to interact with them.

If at any point I felt she would become too intense, excited or nervous I would call her back and move away. However I did not feel like I needed to do any of that so I let her continue to be close. As soon as this video was done I walked her away to end it on a good note. I'll repeat this process many times each day.

04/28/2022

The usual Thursday gang featuring Roxy, Kiro, Mona, Jinx and Chickpea.

04/27/2022

Supervising your puppy is like 75% of raising a puppy. Almost all behaviors I deal with with puppies can be solved by keeping an eye on them at all times.

Potty training, chewing, jumping, barking, running away, getting into things, etc. All start with supervision.

Use a leash indoors. It will allow you to control them as well as keep them from getting out of sight.

Crate them when you cannot supervise them. Crates are best used when we're home and not just when we leave the house. Remember puppies need more sleep than we give them.

Do these steps above and chances are your puppy won't be able to practice most of the behaviors that people dislike about puppies. Put the work in now and enjoy the fruits of your labor later in their life.

04/27/2022

It's a good day to train dogs.

Horses may look fun but being stepped on isn't. Having a solid recall is essential when dealing with a Prey driven dog. Theres many stages to Prey drive from just looking at something moving fast to chasing something moving fast to grabbing something moving fast. The common theme being movement. Once she saw the horse moving quick it triggered the desire to chase. This is why timing and supervision is everything when it comes to situations like this.

04/18/2022

The first Group Class of 2022 will be held may 5th at 5 pm. They will be held weekly at the same spot/time. Please message me or text me if you're interested in joining. Classes are drop in so you do not have to come every week but since I limit space each class I need to know who's coming beforehand.

During class we will cover obedience, recall, leash skills, greetings, real world scenarios and even games.

I allow dogs and owners of all skills levels, no dog is too old to come and it is not a "puppy class". To be able to join you must have taken at least two private lessons with me prior to coming.

The goal of group classes is to have fun and learn/practice new skills with your dog. I try my best to create as safe of an environment for everyone and every dog. All dogs in class must be leashed and no one is to greet other dogs, this is to ensure the safety of everyone in class.

If you're interested in joining or learning more please message me here or text me at 508-939-0319. Limit of 6 dogs per class and classes are $35.

04/14/2022

A lot of people tell me "my dog is so stubborn." or "Aren't they the most stubborn dog you've worked with?" To be stubborn you have to know what it is you're supposed to be doing. If I speak French and ask you to clean the dishes but you don't speak French, are you being stubborn by not doing what I asked? So if we're teaching something new and your dog resists it, fights it, or doesn't understand it it doesn't mean they're stubborn, you're probably just not communicating what you want in a way they can understand. Stop asking them to do things and begin showing them.

04/08/2022

What do your dogs do when you take the leash off? Do they run away to go p*e or smell something? Do you make them sit before taking it off? Do you give a command when it's okay to smell? Personally I just like to make sure that they won't run away as soon as it comes off. For my guys it was easier to just take it off and slowly walk away when ready. Having a ritual that promotes calmness before taking the leash off is important.