Spot On Training

04/25/2022

04/25/2022

03/16/2022

We're here with Toni Woods of Spot on Training to learn how we can close the door on separation anxiety! Join us now for our live video and learn the difference between separation and isolation anxiety, how to help your pup, and so much more. Need more training help for your pup? Sign up for a webinar on the topic most relevant to your training needs at the link in the comments.

08/24/2021

It is with gratitude for the many years of being able to help dogs in the DMV, but also sadness that we will no longer be able to do so in the same capacity as always, that we are letting you know on September 1, 2021, Spot on dog training will be closing in Washington, D.C.

Similar to many other businesses, the challenges presented by adapting our training services to COVID-19 has been difficult and after fits and starts of reopening, continuing pandemic related issues have prevented us from finding qualified and highly skilled dog trainers to serve your training needs. As a result, we will be closing ALL in person dog training including group classes, workshops and private lessons.

We will remain open for separation anxiety and isolation disorder training, as well as virtual training option for potty/crate training and emergency recall.

You have our sincere gratitude for your business and for allowing us the opportunity to be a part of your family, and please keep us in mind for future referrals and positive reviews of our services. Please continue to refer us to your friends with dogs in need of help with alone time issues and potty training.

It was our sincere effort to offer excellent customer service to our clients, and we hope we were successful in our endeavors. We thank you for believing in us and sticking with us since 2009.

07/14/2021

Do you have a dog that behaves beautifully in the training classroom....but it all falls apart once you walk out the door? We’ll help you get a dog that listens to you anytime, anywhere with our new classes Outdoor Manners: Manners for the Real World.

We’ll cover:

✅ Basic obedience to get your pup focused and following your direction
✅ Problem solving to make short work of distractions like squirrels, trash, and other dogs
✅ Problem prevention to ensure your dog is the envy of all your neighbors – friendly, relaxed, well-behaved, and fun.

Outdoor Manners kicks off this Saturday, July 17th. We'll meet 7/17, 7/24, 8/7, and 8/14 at Senate Park, across the street from Union Station.

Scamper over to www.spotondogtrainingdc.com to snag your spot.

07/12/2021

Taking a walk with your puppy doesn't have to be a push me- pull you of frustration! Whether you have a puller, or a staller, work out the kinks on your leash walks.

This 4 week class will focus on fun training games that teach your pup the rules of the road. You'll learn the secret to:

🐾 Increase their focus on you vs. what's up ahead.
🐾 Build impulse control muscles to help resist distractions like garbage or other dogs.
🐾 A dog who chooses to walk by your side instead of pulling you to the chiropractor.

"Who's Walking Who?" is coming your way this Saturday, July 17th. Class meets 7/17, 7/24, 8/7, and 8/14 at Senate Park Union Station.

Walk on over to www.spotondogtrainingdc.com/group-training-schedule/ to sign up

07/07/2021

We all love cuddle time with our pups, but did you know you can also train your pup while you cuddle?

During a quiet, sleepy time of day, snuggle up with your pup and pet her using long, soft, relaxing strokes. Before each pet, say "shhhh" in a soft voice.

After a few days, she'll have learned the word "shhh" means to calm down and relax. You can then use this anytime you want her to calm down, such as:

✅ Before guests arrive to your home
✅ Before putting on a leash to go for a walk
✅ When the mid-afternoon Zoomies start
✅ During scary times, such as loud construction or fireworks

07/06/2021

Paws up if you agree 🐾

07/05/2021

"Say Please" is a training strategy that uses everyday situations to reward good manners and practice obedience without setting aside hours of special practice time.

Applying the principle of Say Please is simple. Whatever your dog wants, he has to work for.

From now on, doors are not opened willy-nilly; balls are not simply thrown. For those, and countless other privileges, ask your dog to say please by sitting, doing a down, spinning or performing whatever trick he knows.

With this strategy, you and your dog both win. You get a well-trained, polite dog and he gets what he wants (his belly rubbed, his leash taken off at the park). What’s more, you have laid the foundation for an enjoyable relationship for a lifetime.

Here's how to use it:
Step 1. Make a list of all the things your dog wants and enjoys.
Step 2. Vow to yourself never to give those things away for free again. See them all as training opportunities and ask your dog for an obedience behavior or trick you want strengthened.
Step 3. Give him what he wants as a reward for that behavior.
Step 4. Repeat, every day, everywhere.
When to use it.
Before throwing a ball, Frisbee, rope-toy, etc.
Before giving him a toy.
Before putting the food bowl down.
Before handing over a treat or chewie.
Before opening a door.
Before putting on a leash to go for a walk.
Before taking off a leash at the park or beach.
Before dishing out a belly rub or good ear scratch.
Before hopping into or out of the car.
Before allowing your dog onto the couch with you.

Training Tip
Be patient. Practicing cues in new situations can be a challenge. For instance, a sit at the door when your dog is eager to get out for a walk is harder than a sit in front of you.

07/02/2021

Did you know a tired puppy is a GOOD puppy?

Puppies are a lot like children. If you don’t give them something fun to do, they will make their own fun—and often not in ways you approve of. 😡

Give your pup plenty of physical and mental exercise, and you get a happier, healthier, better-behaved dog.

Well-exercised puppies bark less, chew less, sleep more, and rest easier if left home alone. They are also much less likely to rummage through the trash or attack the couch cushions.

Wanna *really* wear your puppy out? Sign up for our Online Puppy Manners Class that starts Monday, July 5th!

Our Puppy Manners class will help your pup grow into a well adjusted dogs that knows your household rules. We’ll give you tools you need to create a strong foundation while focusing on socialization skills, good manners, and confidence building.

Your puppy will learn:

✅ How to pay attention to YOU, instead of other people, dogs, or squirrels
✅ How to say "please" instead of jumping up or barking
✅ Basic Obedience such as sit and down
✅ Walking calmly on a leash, instead of pulling you down the block
✅ What to do about that non-stop puppy biting
✅ And More!

Sign up for Puppy Manners at www.spotondogtrainingdc.com/classes/

06/29/2021

Let's see those doggy tongues 👇🐶👅

06/28/2021

Fact: No matter how many dogs there are, there's always room for more!

Speaking of which, we've got a couple spots left in our Puppy Manners and Family Manners classes that start Monday, July 5th 🥳

Our Manners classes help you create good doggy habits that last a lifetime through manners, socialization, and fun!

Puppy Manners will help your puppy grow into a well adjusted dog knows your household rules. Young puppies are very impressionable and their experiences can have lasting effects on their behavior. We’ll give you tools you need to create a strong foundation while focusing on socialization skills, good manners, and confidence building.

Family Manners helps you establish and maintain a happy and healthy relationship between you and your dog. Dogs have special training needs as they hit sexual maturity entering the ‘teenage years’ and then grow up into mature adults. This class provides an opportunity to continue learning basic skills and good habits to help your dog understand your household rules and expectations so you can BOTH enjoy life.

You can register for our Manners classes that start Monday July 5th on our website, www.spotondogtrainingdc.com

Class runs for six weeks and is held entirely online. Our virtual, semi-private environment allows for individual attention and personalized instruction.

06/27/2021

Who has conversations with their dog literally all day long? 🙋‍♀️

06/26/2021

Happiness may start with a wet nose, but it gets even better when the dog with that cute nose actually listens!

One of our favorite cues to help your dog pay attention to *you* - instead of the squirrels, trash, and other pups out on the street - is Watch.

Watch helps you get your dog’s focus with a single word. You can distract him from enticing trash in the street, or keep his eyes on you when walking past another dog.

Plus, dogs that are rewarded for paying attention do it more. And attentive dogs are easier to train. Win-win! 💕

Here's how to train it:

Step 1. Grab a bunch of small, delicious treats. Face your dog—he can be sitting, lying down, or standing.

Step 2. At first, praise and treat your dog for looking at your feet or for turning in your direction. Next, wait for something a little better, maybe your knees. Once you have something better, don’t reward for anything below that point.

The progression might look like this:
Dog looks at your feet. Praise and treat.
Dog looks at your knees. Praise and treat.
Dog looks at your waist. Praise and treat.
Dog looks at your face. Praise and reward with a big jackpot of many treats.

Progress can be fast or slow, depending on the day. But your dog doesn’t know what you want until he has been rewarded for it many times, so keep practicing.

Step 3. When your dog figures out that looking at your face earns him a treat (when he gets his treat and immediately looks at you again), begin to train a longer watch. Do this by pausing a second after your dog looks at you before you praise and treat. Next, pause for two seconds before you praise and treat, and so on. When your dog can hold eye contact for 3 seconds, he is ready for the verbal cue.

Step 4. First praise and treat your dog for looking you in the eye to get him interested in the training. Then, a second before he looks at you (you have to anticipate the moment), say, “Watch.” When he looks up, immediately praise and treat. Repeat many times.

After a few practice sessions, try telling your dog, “Watch” at a time when he is not expecting it. If he immediately looks you in the eye, you have successfully trained watch. Otherwise, keep at it.

🐶 Training Tip 🐶
Place your treats somewhere behind you or out of your dog’s view, so he doesn’t look at the treats instead of you. If he continues to look at the hand you are treating from, just wait. He will stop trying that eventually and look back up at you.

⚠️ Troubleshooting ⚠️
If your dog seems bored or distracted, you may be asking too much too soon. Lower your standards so you can praise and treat more often. Getting something right and being rewarded is fun for your dog and keeps him interested in the training.

06/25/2021

Want more fun doggy facts? Keep reading 👇

🐾 Stray dogs in Russia have learned how to ride the complex subway system, and get off at specific stops in search of food. Meanwhile, most humans have trouble figuring out the Metro 😆

🐾 Your dog can smell your feelings. In fact, your dog’s sense of smell is approximately 100,000 times better than yours. When a human is fearful, they perspire, and a dog is easily able to pick up on this change.

🐾 Petting a dog can actually benefit your physical and mental health. Studies have shown that petting a dog for 15 minutes can lower blood pressure by 10%, can help lower feelings of stress, depression, and combat loneliness (did we really need studies proving what dog owners have known forever??)

🐾 Dogs can be trained to to detect cancer, low blood sugar, and even specific strains of bacteria in humans. Dogs may even be able to sniff out cancer cells simply through smelling someone’s breath.

🐾 Dogs can only sweat out through the pads of their paws. Their main form of cooling down is panting.

🐾 45% of dogs sleep in their owner’s beds. Wonder how many hog the sheets...

🐾 The “dominance” theory of dog training has been disproven. The idea that you need to show your dog “who’s alpha,” with methods such as eating before your dog, making sure you’re always in a higher position than them, or punitive behavior, is outdated and ineffective. Of course, you need to set a routine and make sure your dog understands rules and boundaries, but avoid traditional advice about displays of dominance.

06/24/2021

Check out our NEW favorite dog toy!

Everyone at Spot On Training has been geeking out over PupPod 's high-tech dog toys.

Dogs earn yummy food rewards by touching the PupPod Rocker at the correct time AND the game gets harder as dogs getter better at it.....so your pup stays occupied and out of your hair.

There's a ton of cool training applications we've been using it for, everything from separation anxiety to noise sensitivity to just training dogs to relax on their own while you get work done!

One thing's for sure, behavior science + cool tech = big wins for dogs and their guardians.

What's your favorite dog toy?

06/21/2021

It's common for guardians to feel Burn Out from dealing with their dog's barking, lunging, or destruction day after day.

Many also feel isolated and overwhelmed from life-altering behavior problems that can interfere with work, relationships, social lives, or even result in guardians never being able to leave home.

Family, friends, and the Internet offer well-intentioned advice (plus the occasional guilt trip), but with challenging behavior problems, it's hard to know where to begin or what even works.

Here are 3 ways to start changing your dog's behavior, so you can find peace and restoration:

1️⃣ Create a Daily Routine. Dogs thrive when they know what to expect day-to-day and are less likely to demand things from you by barking, whining, or getting into mischief. Unclear rules, such as letting your pup sleep in the bed some nights but putting her in the crate on others, confuse her - which she'll let you know by barking all night long.

Create AM and PM routines that include potty breaks, physical exercise, mental exercise, alone time, and attention from you. Be sure to allow flexibility in your routine - to keep your own sanity, and so your dog doesn't become dependent on following the exact routine, every day.

2️⃣ Teach your dog to Say Please. Say Please is training strategy that uses everyday situations to reward good manners and practice obedience without setting aside hours of special practice time.

Applying the principle of Say Please is simple. Whatever your dog wants, he has to work for. From now on, doors are not opened willy-nilly; balls are not simply thrown. For those, and countless other privileges, ask your dog to say please by sitting, doing a down, spinning or performing whatever trick he knows.

3️⃣ Train 1-2 easy cues that can be used in many situations. Your dog is more likely to perform an easy behavior such as sit, and by practicing in many situations, you'll strengthen the cue so you can use it during more challenging times.

Some of our favorites? Watch, Find It, and Sit.

06/19/2021

Happy Juneteenth from everyone at Spot On Dog Training!