Oliver Dog Training (2025)

27/12/2024

This cute Shepherd in the morning sunshine is named Sage!

She came for our Puppy Ambassador program at about 7 months old back in the summer. She is extremely high drive with a lot of arousal, and while her person had owned a couple of GSDs previously, none of them were like Sage. Most of Sage's littermates went into law enforcement homes but Sage ended up with a senior who wasn't fully prepared for a dog of this caliber. Sage's owner is friends with a long time dog friend of ours who reached on her behalf to get a consultation scheduled to talk about Sage. When we spoke, her owner was in tears, unsure if she would even be able to keep Sage or give her a satisfying life while also being fair to herself. Sage was an inconsolable, intense young dog with little guidance that made sense and she was drawing for straws trying to take advantage of her environment, but she was injuring her owner by biting her, jumping and scratching her, knocking her over, and it was clear something had to change to maintain safety and sanity in the home.

We were actually booked out for quite some time, but were able to move things around and make an accommodation due to the severity of the case. It's always our goal to keep dogs in their homes! And keep everyone safe.

Sage did really well during her training and impressed us with just how stable of an animal she actually is. She gained a lot of skills and the control necessary for continued success back at home. Then the human education began, when her owner came and stayed in the area for three days to learn and go over the transfer back process. Sage's owner was hard on herself but we reassured her that she was doing a good job, and that she does have the means to handle a dog like this. She did great learning everything!

Sage had been back home for a few months and doing quite well, but when a family member needed a serious surgery, she came back to us for boarding and we got to refine some more things during her time with us again. We always offer boarding services for dog's we've personally trained.

It was good to see Sage again and we're so proud of her human for sticking it out with a very challenging adolescent dog.

22/12/2024

Doberman season! This is Kylo, Lola's "brother."

While they are not actual littermates, they are almost exactly the same age and grew up together, which can lead to all of the same issues as being true littermates. Kylo was the more confident and boisterous of the two, pretty much just a big silly guy! He lacked some obedience and sharpness overall, but did already have a good relationship with training as a whole, which is a big head start.

Kylo made great progress during his time with us and has been doing good since being home!

20/12/2024

Another awesome Dobe! This cute girl is named Lola.

She and her brother (who I'll post about next!) came for a board and train to work through their littermate syndrome issues and gain more confidence separately, and learn to work with their owners and trust in them. Luckily, they do have two awesome handlers!

Lola was displaying some pretty severe reactivity and resource guarding of her human, from both dogs and even other people. As a serious breed capable of doing a lot of harm, this was obviously a major concern! Most of her problems came from a place of fear, so building up her confidence was huge for Lola's success. She's actually a total sweetheart by nature and was such a pleasure to train, very clever and always wants to be right! She's been back home and doing great for a few months now.

18/12/2024

This handsome guy is Gambit! owned and loved by the talented .

Gambit came for our Puppy Ambassador program, where he learned all the skills to be an awesome citizen and set him up right to try out whatever his owner wants later in life. Gambit's owner is super committed to him and planned getting his Doberman years before actually getting him. He knew early on he wanted to send his dog to us for training, which is so special! We were so happy to be involved and train Gambit up to be the impressive dog he was meant to be, as well as get the chance to work closely with his awesome human and in the process, become great friends.

It's wonderful how dogs bring people together!

16/12/2024

Another lovely pup! Wick of the Flames litter. He's actually Figment's littermate!

He came for a board and train over the summer as well, so the siblings got a little reunion. Wick came to work on all of his basic and advanced obedience as well as sport foundations! He is a very high drive and serious dog, so good training and proper handling is paramount to his success. His owners are amazing people who are doing so right by him! He's been doing fabulously since being back home in Utah, doing disc and soon to be getting into herding too, which we know he's going to love. As with any dog sport, there's certain skills that are necessary and really make things go smoothly! So happy we got the chance to help set Wick up for success and we love watching him shine now back home with his people.

14/12/2024

I'm sure many of you will recognize this dog!

The lovely Figment, a bred by and co-own from . She came for her board and train to work sport foundations and obedience back in the summer! She was a star student and showcased her high drive, intelligence, and charm. We've been lucky to have Fig living with a good friend very nearby to us so we've gotten to be apart of her life regularly from the start, so she really feels like one of our own and as such was really able to take full advantage of her time spent here. We still see Figment all the time and couldn't be more proud of her and her owner!

13/12/2024

A warm welcome for Jet the mini Poodle!

This little guy was so fun to work with and definitely showed off the intelligence the breed is known for. He was a retired show dog so he's a well bred little dude who is lucky to have a super awesome owner, who appreciates having a well trained dog. Jet has a fantastic temperament and no major behavioral issues, but he's a fun loving dog who had some naughty habits, like not coming when called, jumping on his owner and her guests, and running out the front door when he got the chance - which was obviously dangerous! He also lacked leash manners and a solid stay, all of which he gained during his board and train and his owner has been doing a good job maintaining since he's been back home.

Feel free to send more poodles our way, they're awesome and super capable!

10/12/2024

This handsome guy is named Elmer Spud! He's a Border Collie from a ranch who lives a super full life of many hikes, cross country skiing trips, and lots of outdoor fun.

He needed some sharpening up on his manners to make those activities easier, as he was blowing off his recalls sometimes when he would rather rush up to another person or animal on the trails, and his manners while on the leash had room for improvement. His owners learned more about how these herding dogs work and what type of handling they thrive with. Overall, he's a super good boy who just needed a little additional education! He did awesomely during his board and train and was a star pupil.

Always got to love the herders! Decoding these types of dogs for modern lives is something we do lots of and thoroughly enjoy.

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!

Oliver Dog Training