Dog Defined LLC

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/

23/11/2023

🔥🖤 BLACK FRIDAY SALE 🖤🔥

Does your dog know tricks?

Now through Monday 11/27, all virtual evaluations with a ribbon are 50% OFF! Applies to all VHM and Trick titles submitted virtually.

See info and submit your video for evaluation here: dogdefined.com/AKCtesting

Happy training!

22/11/2023

I was hoping this sale would come!! If you'd like to get some Toppls for your dog, this is the best deal West Paw offers. Jump on it!

Not sure how to use Toppls? Check out my enrichment guide with my favorite stuffing ideas here: dogdefined.com/blog/enrichment

West Paw is a US Manufacturer of Dog Toys and Dog Products designed for durability and canine enrichment. Backed by our Love It Guarantee-Your dog will love it.

05/08/2023

CALLING EVERYONE WHO LOVES PRETTY RIBBONS! 🌈🎗🌟

Have you been wanting to get your dog evaluated for trick or virtual home manners titles, but not sure how to start or where to go? Check out my easy online submission page! https://dogdefined.com/AKCtesting

Have the titles, but want a pretty rainbow ribbon? No problem! You can order ribbons and matching stickers here, including all trick levels, VHMP/VHMA, all CGC levels, and all virtual rally levels: https://dogdefined.com/store/

Virtual AKC testing Easy online evaluation for AKC Trick and Virtual Home Manners titles   AKC Trick Titles Earning AKC Trick Titles is easy! Follow the steps below to earn any level of AKC Trick Title! 1. Review trick list Click the button for the level you are applying for, and make sure your dog...

28/07/2023

Puppies take a LOT of work. Between my own dogs and my students, I've worked with hundreds of puppies since I've been training dogs professionally. What's my biggest takeaway?

🌟 It is much easier to PREVENT problems than it is to FIX problems 🌟

This doesn't mean going into crisis mode every time a puppy does a weird or potentially unwanted behavior, but it DOES mean proactively teaching and reinforcing the skills and behaviors you want your puppy to do for the rest of their life as an adult dog, and using management to make unwanted behaviors less likely to happen.

Sky the chihuahua developed a fear of big dogs after a couple instances of getting rushed. His mom reached out to me about training to help reduce his barking at dogs, sounds (like the evil garbage truck), and other surprises. Being proactive about challenging behaviors soon after they start helps make progress go much quicker than waiting till they've become a habit, so excellent job to his mom!

Sky stayed with me for a week, an in addition to a DRASTIC reduction in barking, we worked on:
🌟 Offered engagement
🌟 Working around distractions
🌟 Meeting new dogs both on and off leash, including big dogs, little dogs, medium dogs, high energy dogs, chill dogs, dogs with floppy ears, dogs with pointy ears, barking dogs, quiet dogs, one dog at a time, multiple dogs at once, dogs doing sports (conformation, fastcat, and agility), and more!
🌟 Playing with bigger dogs safely
🌟 Ignoring dogs he doesn't get to meet
🌟 Resource sharing (anti resource guarding towards dogs with toys, chews)
🌟 Positive crate training - especially settling in a crate during the day and in the car
🌟 Relaxing in the house with new dog friends
🌟 Saying hello to strangers
🌟 Not saying hello to other strangers
🌟 Hanging out with strangers while I go out of sight (great practice for vet visits)
🌟 Feeling comfortable on unstable or weird surfaces
🌟 Getting on and off a dog scale
🌟 Not barking at door knocking
🌟 Not barking when other dogs bark
🌟 Hanging out on a mat at a coffee shop
🌟 Stay foundations
🌟 Greeting some kids, ignoring other kids
🌟 Playing tug at home, parks, hardware stores, and pet stores
🌟 Using tug instead of food as a training reinforcer
🌟 Impulse control with food/anti counter surfing
🌟 Bang game - aka loud noises aren't scary!
🌟 Continued practice with known and new cues of touch, sit, down, and spin

That's a LONG list! I'm sure it's still missing some of the skills I worked on with Sky. While it's good to work on basic obedience skills like sit, down, stay, come, and more, I much prefer to build those gradually as I primarily focus on teaching puppies how to exist in the world. I don't really care how well my dog can stay/come/whatever at home if I haven't taught them to be comfortable and confident in the world.

I spend a lot of time with puppies when I have them. Not everyone has that much time and that's ok - by putting the time you have available to good use efficiently, you can still raise a puppy into an excellent dog.

And if you need some help with puppy raising? Let me know, Puppy Adventure Camp at Dog Defined is always accepting new campers!

See Sky's camp experience here: Sky's Puppy Adventure Camp

13/07/2023

There's a post going around about harnesses vs flat collars vs slip leads, and how it is impossible to train loose leash walking on a harness because harnesses "cause the shoulder and chest muscles to pull" or some nonsense.

So here's a quick video of one of the five dogs in my household, showing how he walks on leash. All of the dogs in my household walk the same on leash. I am not holding food or toys in this video.

So why is he not pulling? Doesn't a harness MAKE dogs pull?

There are two main reasons dogs pull: first, because they move faster than us, and second, because pulling often gets them access to things they want. Let's break that down.

1. PULLING TO MOVE FASTER
If you go to a field (which for the sake of this scenario is fenced, large, and full of interesting but safe things for your dog to explore) and unclip the leash, what is he going to do? Slowly walk the perimeter, in a straight line and at a fixed speed, without stopping to sniff or investigate anything? Or will he run, then turn, then stop and sniff, then run more, then roll on something, before zooming in big loops?

Most dogs, especially young dogs, are going to look more like the second. In a timed race, the dog in this video was clocked at 27.3 MPH. In this video, hes going around 3.5 MPH. That's like getting stuck in traffic or stuck behind a slow cart at the grocery store when you just want to GO!

2. PULLING TO ACCESS THINGS
When a dog catches a scent or sees something they want to check out, he'll usually walk towards it. On leash, that means the leash gets tight. If the owner then allows the dog to investigate, the dog learns "nice! I can tell my human which things I want to investigate by putting tension on the leash, then we go that way!"

When owners do this but then occasionally try to not allow pulling towards something, dogs respond with a "oh my human must've not noticed I want to check that out, I'll pull harder since that normally works." Then, due to a lack of consistency and clarity, it becomes a bit of a battle of wills as dogs try to figure out how hard they "need" to pull, and owners get increasingly frustrated and exasperated.

Looking back at those reasons, something is NOTICEABLY absent. What is it?

There is NO mention of equipment. None! Equipment does not make dogs pull. Training, or lack of consistent training and prep work, makes dogs pull. Some dogs are more challenging than others, but saying that dogs cannot be trained to walk on a loose leash in a harness (or flat collar) is a bit silly when there are plenty of examples to the contrary.

03/07/2023

SHARE WITH OTHER DOG LOVERS!

🚨 More dogs are lost on July 4th than any other holiday 🚨

Fireworks can be scary to many dogs. Avoid a tragic accident by making sure your dog has a low chance of escaping (check gates and your fence/perimeter for escape routes) and by ensuring your dog has up to date phone numbers or an address on their collar.

If you don't have up to date tags, head to a pet store TODAY to get a new tag made, and attach it ASAP.

22/06/2023

🌟 NOW ENROLLING! 🌟

Classes for puppies (8 weeks - 6 months) and for adults (any age) are currently enrolling in Lacey, WA!

What makes Dog Defined's classes unique? While I do cover age appropriate obedience skills, the primary focus of my classes is building value for listening to YOU, no matter what! One you have a dog who WANTS to work with you everywhere, skills like walking on leash, coming when called, and more are a snap.

See classes and sign up here: https://dogdefined.com/groupclass/

Upcoming classes:
Super Puppy Skills | Starts Tues 7/11 at 5pm | 5 weeks long, 60 mins each week https://dogdefined.as.me/superpupJul23

Manners level 1 | Starts Tues 7/11 at 6:15pm | 5 weeks long, 60 mins each week https://dogdefined.as.me/mannersJul23

Group Classes In person training to teach your dog everything from basic manners to sport skills. Adult dogs Manners Level 1 @ Avonlea Park in Lacey This group class covers the skills for every companion dog to be their best selves! Skills learned in this class include:+ Engagement and focus+ Sit an...

25/05/2023

⏰PNW LOCAL LAST CHANCE⏰

We still have TWO spots left for this Saturday's colored powder sessions! Comment below or message me if you're in 🌈🌟

29/03/2023

If you've tried it all and still have a dog with annoying, obnoxious, or difficult to manage behaviors and you're ready for change, Manners Level 1 is for you!

Lessons are adapted to match every dog's skill level, so even if your dog already knows the basics, you and your dog will come out of class with a ton more skills than you went in with.

Class starts Wednesday, 4/5 at 6:30pm in Chehalis. Class is 6 weeks long, 50 mins per week, skipping 5/3. Sign up here: https://dogdefined.com/groupclasses/

21/03/2023

People ask me regularly when we can stop using food to train, or tell me they've stopped using food and now their dog's newly trained behaviors are falling apart. This breaks down why I never really stop rewarding my dogs - ever!

If I want them to work hard, I want to make it worth their while.

I still feel confused at times as to why there is still such a pushback to using food to train your dog.
“When will I not have to use it anymore?”
“Will I always have to have food on me?”
“Won’t he then become obsessed with all food?”
“I want him to do it because he loves me, not because I have food”
“Using food is cheating”
“Using food means you’re bribing not training”
“Using food will make my dog fat”
“I never had to use food with my last dog.”

These are all just some of the insane things I’ve heard and still hear. And it makes me crazy because I can’t imagine saying these things to my employees.
“When will I not have to pay you anymore?”
“If I pay you are you going to just become obsessed with money?”
“I really want you to work for me because you love me, not because I pay you”

Food is a tool. It is a TOOL. And just like any tool it can be used well or used poorly, but it’s one of the only tools in dog training that I hear more myths about than any other. And that’s unfortunate because when used properly it does so many good things -

Food is a primary reinforcer and for most dogs it’s the most valuable thing they can get. This makes it enormously powerful when trying to teach them how to do something new and/or complicated. That doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate a pet on the head, but they’d rather have the food and there’s NOTHING wrong with that. Just like you’d rather be paid in dollars rather than chocolate bars.

Food is fast. It’s easy to deliver, portable, and also variable in value (kibble vs cheese) so it’s very flexible also depending on your level and stage of training.

Food can help create powerful positive associations for dogs as well as counter condition negative associations they already have because of its value to them. Using food in the presence of other dogs, people and environments helps your dog have a positive association with them and this in and of itself is incredibly powerful. That’s something I don’t think we consider nearly enough when training our dogs even when they’ve past the learning phase.

Food does not have to make your dog a beggar, fat, or totally dependent on it. The context in which you deliver it, the way you ration out the food - treats vs meals and healthy choices - and also the way you cue the dog when training all help alleviate these issues.

I pay my dogs regularly and have no shame in that. As they get better at skills I ask them to work harder or longer for the pay just like as adults we have to work a full week or two before we get our paychecks. I use higher value for harder things - just like you like to get paid time and a half when you work Christmas, and lower value for easy stuff. I watch to make sure my dogs hope for the reward but don’t expect it and don’t take it personally when they’d rather come back to me for cheese instead of a pet. I focus on the fact that they came back.

Getting paid at work is a big reinforcer for us but it’s also not the only reason we go is it? The relationships you have with your coworkers, the pride you have in your job etc are all intricate parts of your motivation, but that takes TIME to build, and at first it’s usually just for the pay. Same with training your dog. At first, yes, it’s for the food, but as you continue and do it right it becomes more about the teamwork, the fun and the relationship, not just the pay. And THAT’S what I wish more people understood. Over time your dog will work often without food for you because he truly enjoys it now, and he’s been reinforced by the relationship and countless reinforcements over time. But you have to put that time and patience in first to get there. And it’s worth it. I promise.
-Helen St. Pierre

08/03/2023

You asked for evening classes, I made them happen!!

Manners Level 1 (6:30pm) is perfect for the dog who needs some help with skills like pulling on leash, coming when called, stay, jumping up, stealing food, listening around distractions, and more.

Intro to Rally (7:30pm) is ideal for teams who want to compete or learn rally obedience for fun. We will be covering foundation skills for everything from novice to masters and working with the goal of excellent listening both on leash AND off leash! Happy heeling will be a major focus of this class.

Sign up now! dogdefined.com/groupclasses

Classes start on Weds 3/22, run for 6 weeks, and are 50 mins per week. Class also includes a detailed homework email to make practicing at home easy.

18/02/2023

Sugar the 13 week old miniature poodle is my current puppy camper! 🍬🐩

She is here to work on potty training skills (going potty outside, letting us know she needs to go, and not going in the house), asking for attention without jumping up, safe socialization, puppy biting, getting picked up easily, grooming skills, and so much more!

Want to follow Sugar's puppy journey and see what I work on with new puppies? See all of our training sessions along with details about what we're working on here: www.facebook.com/groups/adventurepuppysugar

16/02/2023

This 100%!!!

Puppies don't have hands. They explore with their mouths. Taking safe things like sticks/leaves/dirt/scraps of paper out of their mouths repeatedly creates a puppy who thinks their human is a jerk who steals treasures, and should be avoided.

Keep unsafe and forbidden things out of reach, and let your puppy explore. If your puppy has something actually unsafe, scatter some food or call them to you rather than rushing over and pulling it from their mouth, and then use better environmental management next time.

Please. For the love of dogs everywhere, stop taking everything out of your puppies mouth. You’re often creating more problems than you’re solving.

Puppies put everything in their mouths the way newly crawling or walking babies do. It’s the age of exploration and discovery and inquisitive little minds with teething little mouths means everything must be tasted. This is 100% normal developmental behavior. It shouldn’t be punished or discouraged.

When we sn**ch things out of their mouths, or chase them or grab it away from them, we run the risk of several issues, the top two being -

1. We teach our puppy that anything they have could be lost the second a human comes near, and that can very quickly snowball into resource guarding - which is already a natural behavior - but we are actually just encouraging it by validating to our puppy that they lose things when we are around. This is especially true in homes with children and toys out all the time. Then this spirals into all kinds of relationship issues down the road.

2. We can teach our puppy the best thing they can do is INHALE the item so they don’t lose it. This gets dangerous and ugly very quickly. It can also create puppies and dogs to then not even think but just grab consume.

Leaves, sticks, grass, mud, dust bunnies, socks (depending on your puppies size), shoes, all the things within reach are fair game for mouthing and chewing on. And yes, I let my puppies explore them all. Their teeth and jaws at this infantile stage aren’t going to do extreme harm to an item right now, so go head and feel what a shoe sole feels like, get it out of your system. If I don’t want certain things explored, I keep those things out of reach, end of story. Management and supervision is key to safety at this age. Baby gates, playpens, even only pottying in areas of the yard where there’s no gravel. The ONLY things I will readily tackle my puppy over is medicine and/or broken glass. Everything else, even if it’s something I truly don’t want them to have, like a pair of underwear or a doll, I take my time in retrieving it, but more often than not, the puppy will spit it out anyway and move on to graze on the next thing they can find, especially if I toss something more interesting nearby. (Drop that stick to come chase this leaf on the ground)

The majority of puppies will explore the item with their mouth, shred it if they can, then move on to something else to repeat this process with. IF they consume any of it, it’s usually very minor and they will p**p it out later. We have to remember dogs have been existing for 18,000 years, 80% of them still living the way they always have, and going through this stage just fine, our human interventions are not always needed, even though we mean well and are trying to help.

Of course there are exceptions to this, and in those cases we have other solutions, but the majority of puppies I see exploring with their mouths DONT a need hands constantly grabbing them and removing it out of their jaws. If you find yourself doing that all the time, it may be on YOU to manage the environment better!

This process combines with the work we teach in all our puppy classes of having a puppy HAPPY to have you approach them when they are enjoying something in their mouth. We call it the “exchange game” where we teach how to trade. But we also teach the puppy we don’t always take it away either. This helps puppies feel safe in letting you take something from them by learning they won’t ALWAYS lose it.

So, long story short, let your puppy - puppy. Grab a leaf, lay in the grass and shred it. Then find a stick to chew on. We have to get better at picking our battles with dogs if we are both as a species going to enjoy our time together.

Editing this post to add - I’d hope it would be obvious but apparently it’s not, so please know in no way shape or form am I encouraging or saying it’s okay to let your puppy chew or mouth dangerous objects or to leave them unsupervised in places that may have serious objects in them. Environments have to be managed just the same way they are for babies, as I mentioned above, and puppies/dogs need to be supervised. I am however, stating that we have to stop helicoptering around puppies that are just being puppies in order to help alieviate some of the behavior problems that develop from not the managing itself; but the micro managing.

08/02/2023

Picture this...

You call your dog, and he comes immediately.

You take your dog for a walk, and he passes another dog with hardly a glance (and definitely not a pull!).

You have guests over for dinner, and your dog greets them without jumping up, and settles quietly on his bed while everyone enjoys their meal.

Sound like fantasy? It's not!

We'll be covering all of these skills and more in Dog Defined's Manners level 1 class, starting Tuesday March 7th at 2:30. Class is located at Totally Pawsome in Chehalis, just a quick 30 min drive south of Olympia!

Class is 6 weeks long, 50 mins per week, and utilizes all positive reinforcement training. This class is appropriate for nonreactive dogs of all ages (16 weeks and up), and includes a detailed homework resource to make practicing at home a snap!

Sign up here: https://dogdefined.com/groupclasses/

05/02/2023

I have a lot of feelings about puppies. I have worked with hundreds (maybe thousands) of young puppies as a trainer and love every one dearly. Puppies are cute. Puppies can be frustrating. I like to joke that puppies are cute so we forget how frustrating they can be, and are actually willing to go through it again.

One of the biggest challenges I see happening with puppies in new homes is a big focus on teaching COMMANDS. Sit. Down. Come. Leave it. Stay. No. (Which, btw, isn't a command/cue nor does it mean much when used in 1000 different contexts.)

I have had Flame since Monday, so today marks one full week. Since she's been here, she has learned ONE verbal cue - touch. She responds well to it in the situations we've practiced so far. But the list of life skills we've worked on is LONG! Some of them include:

🔥 Offering eye contact and engagement
🔥 Sitting automatically to request attention (instead of jumping up)
🔥 Appropriate play with friendly and neutral dogs
🔥 Sleeping in a kennel both at night and during the day
🔥 Marker cues ("yes" and "good") and great reward mechanics
🔥 Eating food from hands
🔥 Eating food dropped on the floor
🔥 Tracking and chasing tossed food
🔥 Following a lure
🔥 Chasing and tugging on a toy that I'm holding
🔥 Practiced positive nail trims and dremeling
🔥 Spin both directions
🔥 Foundation for a solid recall (which she has come enthusiastically running to 100% of the time!)
🔥 Potty training (in her week here, she has had ZERO accidents in the house)
🔥 Paws up on new surfaces/objects (which can help turn into a solid stay!)
🔥 Going to the bathroom outside in the rain
🔥 Foundation for mat work/settling on a house
🔥 Sitting politely and being patient while humans are eating their dinner
🔥 Playing/training/working with a human even with the distraction of other dogs just a few feet away
🔥 Impulse control to not dive into the food bowl during training sessions, and foundations for not counter surfing
🔥 Listening to me without needing to see a treat/reward
🔥 Not biting hands or pant legs
🔥 Not digging in the yard
🔥 Not chewing stuff up in the house
🔥 Having fun taking a bath and getting towel dried
🔥 Novel item and location socialization in the garage
🔥 And more!

Again, I've had this puppy for just a week! She has learned SO much. Is anything done? Of course not, she's a baby! But these are the skills I focus on with puppies and continue to practice as they grow. A dog any age can learn to sit, lay down, and shake. But focusing first on life skills with puppies rather than "commands" will set you up in the long run for an easier adolescence, and an easier lifelong experience with your new dog.

Do you have a pup who seems like she's always up to trouble? Want her to learn how to be the Best Dog Ever? Puppy Adventure Camp is currently open for enrollment for puppies under 20 weeks!

04/02/2023

Trick title stickers are HERE! And omg they turned out even prettier in person than I hoped 🤩

Perfect for crates, water bottles, laptops, planners, scrapbooks or wherever else you need some sparkly tricky swag ✨

Order yours here: https://dogdefined.com/store/

02/02/2023

💥 INTRO TO RALLY OBEDIENCE CLASS NOW OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT! 💥

This is an intro level class appropriate for nonreactive dogs of any training level and age (over 16 weeks). We will cover how to build rock solid foundations for awesome teamwork and great rally performances. This class will be FUN for both you and your dog!

• Class starts Tues 3/7 at 3:30pm and runs for 6 weeks
• Located at Totally Pawsome in Chehalis, only 30 mins away from Lacey/Olympia!

Sign up here: https://dogdefined.com/groupclasses/

31/01/2023

Puppies are SO much work, have you ever wished you could wave a magic wand and make stuff like puppy biting, potty training, jumping up, and crate training go by faster?

💥 Now you can! 💥

Puppy Adventure Camp is for puppies 20 weeks and under to learn all the life skills that puppies need to grow into the best adult dogs they can be. Your puppy will integrate into my household and learn all the skills I teach my own dogs!

Comment PUPPY below if you're interested, or tag a friend with a puppy if they need a break from the chaos.

27/01/2023

Need AKC testing for CGC or trick titles?

I'll be testing in Renton, WA this Sunday at 3:30, comment TEST below for more info or to sign up!

18/01/2023

Multitasking madness! Squid is working out on the treadmill while I write out homework emails 🏋️

Do you do any clever multitasking with training your dog while doing daily tasks?

14/01/2023

Is walking more one of your New Years goals? Are you being held back (or dragged along) by your dog's bad leash manners, or not sure where to start in teaching your new puppy/dog good leash habits?

One of my FAVORITE skills to teach is loose leash walking. It's one of the most necessary skills if you'd like to take your dog out in public and not look like you're wrangling a lion.

Loose leash walking can sometimes seem like an overwhelming goal to get to, so I've put together an online class with all of the skills you need to achieve perfect leash walking... and only those skills. No huge overwhelming load of information, just a clear class with easy to follow exercises and clear, step by step instructions on how to proceed. Lessons have both written and video explanations, as well as video examples for every exercise. This class will also have UNLIMITED video and text support, so this plan is fully customizeable to every dog.

As a bonus, many of the skills in this class will help supercharge your dog's ability to listen to you ANYWHERE.

🌟 Comment below with what your dog's leash walking looks like currently, and if you'd like 2023 to be the year of wonderful walks with your dog! 🌟

04/01/2023

I'm putting together a resource guide for grooming tools, sorted by coat type!

I want to hear from you... what type of fur or hair does your dog have? What are your favorite grooming tools to keep them looking awesome? (Brushes, shampoo, anything else?)

Here's my resource guide showing what I have so far, as well as several other resource lists I've set up: https://dogdefined.com/resources/

24/12/2022

Happy holidays! What management do you use to help your dog stay on the nice list?

19/12/2022

There's been a rush in the past two weeks to get in new titles before the end of the year, HUGE congratulations to the following teams on their new titles! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

TKI - Jillian and Juniper
TKN - Lauren and Owen
TKN - Bayley and Aliyah
VHMP, TKN, and TKI - Amanda and Moxie
TKA - Jill and Freck
TKN - Vee and Swift
TKI and TKA - Kari and Solo
TKN, TKI, and TKA - Bayley and Juno
VHMP - Alicia and Dahmer
TKI - Grey and Tanuki
VHMA - Kailyn and Odin
VHMA - Michelle and Rainier
VHMA - Kaley and Boogey
TKN - Lucy and Nevis
VHMP - Virginia and Tikka
TKA - Trudy and Synder

I'm still open for virtual title testing (plus ribbons 🌟) for Virtual Home Manners and Trick titles, so if you want to knock out any title goals before the end of the year send me a message!