Dog Defined LLC

19/01/2025

"I want to get my dog a friend!"

This is something I hear all the time, but there are some important things to consider before going from a one dog household to two dogs. Sometimes it's great... sometimes it's not!

https://dogdefined.com/blog/addinganotherdog/

How many dogs do you have? If you have multiple dogs, what are some things that surprised you (good or bad) when you added a second dog?

11/01/2025

Do you have trick title goals this year for your dog? This is your reminder that I offer super easy virtual testing, with ribbons available!

More info here: dogdefined.com/AKCtesting

I also have ribbons for CGC and FIT dog titles that can be ordered here: dogdefined.com/store

18/12/2024

I've had a lot of people ask how I groom my dogs' feet. I groomed them a few days ago so they're not bad to begin with, but this is my start to finish foot grooming routine. Note - this is for dogs who already tolerate foot handling pretty well. If your dog doesn't tolerate handling, I will make a video for that soon!

Step 1: trim nails with clippers. I love the Miller's Forge red handled clippers, with the green Safari clippers as a close second. Both are usually under $10 on amazon. Because I Dremel afterwards, I just go for a rough cut to remove length here.

Step 2: trim the fur. The number one priority here is your dog's safety. Grooming shears are sharp and it's very easy to cut your dog. You can always cut more later, so trim in small amounts. Never point the tip of the shears into your dog's foot. I lay the shears flat against the pad and use that as a guide to trim. If you want neater trimming between the pads, it's safest to use clippers. I trim fur after cutting the nails so I can use the length of the nails as my guide for how short to cut the fur.

Step 3: Dremel the nails. I do this after trimming the fur so long toe fur isn't at risk of getting caught in the dremel wheel. The Dremel head can get hot if left on too long, so I keep it moving quite a bit and don't hold for more than a second at a time. I love the diamond bit that I have, but traditional sander wheels work fine too.

And very important... pay your dog! Most dogs find nail trims inherently a bit aversive/uncomfortable, so I pay my dogs for this forever with high value reinforcement (here I'm using Meal Mixers) because I want it to always be fun for them.

12/07/2024

Congratulations to Andy on his Trick Dog Novice title!

I'm at Ridgefield today for the Portland Agility Club AKC trial - come say hi if you have a dog who needs trick or CGC title testing!

Testing for:
🌟CGC CGCA CGCU TKN TKI TKA TKP TKE 🌟

26/04/2024

Did you hear? Voting is open for Best of South Sound!!

https://www.votesouthsound.com

If you and your dog have enjoyed working with me for training (or you have photos from me!), please vote for me in:
Services -> Pet training -> Dog Defined
Services -> Photography -> Pixpup Photography

Voting is available daily 🌟

Vote once per day from April 22nd through May 10th!

25/12/2023

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! I hope you and your dogs are having a wonderful and relaxing time with those you love.

The day isn't over yet - if you could use a break from doggy chaos, here's a few tips to help make the holidays with dogs a bit less stressful for everyone: https://dogdefined.com/blog/reduceholidaystress/