Best Friend Dog Training

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Best Friend Dog Training

Helping families find and train their best friend in San Diego and worldwide

06/11/2023

New Substack up on fostering animals and how fulfilling it is! Pictures of a few different species I’ve fostered over the years. 😊🦎🦮🐈🐇

16/10/2023

On board and trains and why they are probably not for you. Link to my Substack in bio.

26/09/2023

“I understand that the general public is not well-versed in the fallout of these methods, as they are still commonly shown and applauded on television. But unfortunately, blindly consuming these trainers’ content is adding to already rampant animal abuse in our country. Our country has a problem with violence, and anyone who truly loves animals should refuse to consume content that promotes violence, even if that violence is normalized in our society.”

My 2-part article on Augusto DeOliveira (better known as Dog Daddy) is up on Substack (link in bio). What topics on the dog training/animal welfare industry would you like to hear me talk about next? Adopt vs shop? Rescue vs shelter? The ethics of keeping pets?

Let me know what interests you most.

19/09/2023

I just published my 2-part article on Augusto DeOliveira. Link in bio to read on Substack.

15/09/2023

I’ve been wanting to share with pet owners an insider’s view of the pet industry, the shelter world, and the nuances of what we face on a daily basis. I’ve just created a Substack to do just that (link in bio). Follow along very soon for an article on why I find Augusto DeOliveira so problematic. 🙌

06/12/2022

Energy flows where attention goes.
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If you bring attention to the barking and yell “no” or even feed a treat, you’ve brought more attention to it.
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If you can notice when your dog didn’t bark at the sound, you can treat them for not reacting, and thus draw attention to the calm behavior instead.
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A little bit of intentionality in our attention goes a long, long way.
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10/10/2022

( 🔊 Sound on!) I am so proud of Bliss. Back-chaining is an incredible thing, where you work so hard to get to that final reward. In this case, fresh chicken!
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Bliss lives in a unique situation where she needed to move away from instant gratification (greeting someone at the door) and into her crate which needed to be open, and then remain there until released, all without any prompt besides a knock on the door.
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Bliss is 10 years old. This was a safety issue, as Bliss cannot go through the door for any reason until on leash. Yes, this took a long time to teach, especially because of the level of excitement she experiences when people come to the door.
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But no one can tell me old dogs can’t learn new tricks! She’s got it, excited girl that she is. 😆
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03/10/2022

The Canine Coach is now Best Friend Dog Training!
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I’ve been working on a new face and focus for The Canine Coach for a few months behind the scenes. Many of you know that I left Instinct Dog Training earlier this year, and I really thought about what I most enjoy doing with dogs: working with families and puppies, and helping people to find a dog that really fits into their lives seamlessly.
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I’m so glad you are on this journey with me! Now I’m off to help families find and train their best friend. 🐾

11/08/2022

Cooper is CGC certified! Still learning my CGC ropes as it’s quite different than the Public Access Test for service dogs. Thank you Cooper for brushing up my skills!

27/07/2022

Seve is moving to NYC! He has some big feelings about dogs just out of reach on leash but he has some new skills to help him adapt. Good luck, Seve! (Also pictured: Angel taking an impromptu nap 😆)

25/07/2022

I am very grateful for my education and experience with CATCH Canine Trainers Academy. CATCH is very thorough and really helps you to prepare for the big trainer tests. Shout out to my mentor Arminda, who went through a few rollercoaster events with me in my training journey over the last 2 years!

13/06/2022

Happy Pride to all my fellow qu**rs and ally clients! You are noticed and appreciated this Pride month. 🐾 🏳️‍🌈

23/05/2022

06/05/2022

What do you see?*
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Here Luke is showing a great example of showing when a dog is soliciting for more tug, and when they are finished and want to play with the toy on their own. First, he comes back with the toy when she loses her grip. Then he changes his mind and mouths his toy and puts his body over it. He is saying “I’d like to be alone with my toy now.”
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I often see people playing tug far longer than their dog wants to. Dogs run away with the toy or lay down to chew it and the owner snatches it up again, causing the dog to snap for it. Listening to your dog’s communication builds trust. Trust helps with all areas of your relationship with your dog.
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*Please note that tug is a short and highly supervised game in our house. My kids have years of experience around many dogs, and I wouldn’t trust just any child with those bitey mouths.
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20/02/2022

Give your pet some love for me on day! Also this is a guinea pig fan page now 😆💁

14/02/2022

My friend and I are organizing a small event at a private residence in North County to host ! It is geared towards trainers, but shelter staff/volunteers and pet parents are welcome! Please message me for additional information.

23/01/2022

I’m back after a hiatus (which usually means my training clients and videos are over on my work page, ) and my ENTIRE FEED is videos.
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I am struggling with this new move towards TT-style videos and the slow death of IG. How are other trainers coping/moving with the trends? How do you clients feel? Are these videos useful to you?
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My goal here has never been to attract new clientele. I only want to educate and spread humane dog training knowledge. But video is just so not my thing…
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Pictured: me teaching a class and falling in love with Cowboy.

01/12/2021

Now 👉 Then! Not much has changed and everything has changed. I always thought my sister would be the one who would go on to do dog training as a profession, but she always said she didn’t like people enough 🤣 (it’s a very people-y job!). Training service dogs is still one of my passions. It’s the dogs and clients I build the longest relationships with, the people who let me into the difficult parts of their lives, let me see their messy side, and invite me in as part of the family. I love you all. You make it all worth it.
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12/11/2021

(🔊Sound on!) Classical conditioning doesn’t just apply to dogs!
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You know how your dog suddenly gets excited when you say the magic “walk” word or grab the leash? That’s classical conditioning at work! Your dog has learned that one thing (the word or leash in your hand) always leads to outside time, something they love!
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Here my guinea pig Hazel is demonstrating some classical conditioning. I normally give him a bowl of veggies within 1 minute of greeting him in the morning. This morning he was chattering up a storm because I changed the routine and didn’t immediately come back to feed him. His conditioning said that was all wrong, where is the plate of veggies?! And he stood at the door and chattered about it.
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Classical conditioning can be used to our advantage as an enjoyable routine for everyone. Such as asking your dog to sit at doorways before the door is open. Recognizing how you are knowingly and unknowingly using classical conditioning with your pets can be a really helpful catalyst for change.
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03/11/2021

One of these days my divorce will be final and my legal name will be Carlson 🤣 Anyway, proud to have conquered this certification! After everything else I’ve done with and my IAABC cert, I was more than ready. But I’m a life long learner, and there’s so much more to know! I am proud to be one of many who are hoping this industry will one day be as regulated as the hair industry. 😉😉 Hire certified professionals!
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27/10/2021

The Flash and Jovie are here to give you an “out” from your dog’s costume. If they aren’t enjoying it, that’s OK! Opt for a cute bandana or seasonal collar instead. If you really want your pup to enjoy costumes in the future, consider spending next October doing some counter-conditioning and helping them to enjoy the festivities!
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18/10/2021

Made this little graphic to remind us: energy HAS to flow SOMEWHERE.
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We know this. We know that when we stuff our feelings they explode seemingly out of nowhere on those around us. We all know a person with “anger issues” that we have to tip toe around just in case it’s unleashed in our direction.
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So next time you’re considering how to ask a different behavior from your dog that is exhibiting a BIG emotional response (be it excitement, leash reactivity, or sudden fear), try to think: where can the energy go?! It’s there, it has to GO SOMEWHERE. Into a toy, into a fast run away from the scary thing, etc.
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I can’t tell you without working with your dog what your dog needs. But you can’t ignore these emotions once they are there. Once they are there, they need to be channeled into a constructive outlet. If you can remember that, you are well on your way to meeting your individual dog’s emotional needs.
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*Stepping off soap box*
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15/10/2021

There’s a reason they don’t make TV shows out of positive-reinforcement-based dog training. Finding it unethical to really show the before-and-after (because why put the dog in a reactive episode if it’s not needed?), most of our training is calm and almost boring to the casual eye.
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I watched this little pup today showing several stress signals and just thought, how can I help you to feel safe? I have to be incredibly stressed to not be able to eat, and I see the dogs display this behavior all of the time. Bit by bit, this girl is feeling understood and she’s letting her guard down. Today she chose to use the lick mat. Her mom and I just sat there and talked and pet her. No pressure. She is only 2 feet from her door, where she usually lets her guard down because…she feels safe.
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Feelings. They matter. Sitting and observing a dog’s emotional state is a huge component of training. It doesn’t look like much, but miss this step and you miss the why behind the behavior.
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24/07/2021

Breakfast at our house! 😋
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You don’t have to have your dog boarded with a dog trainer to give them exercise, enrichment, and breakfast all in one. Just get creative with the cardboard you have lying around!
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And I should note, with most dogs my kids are trained to never approach around food. This pup is an exception but know your kids and dogs and most importantly, train those kiddos!
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15/07/2021

The ge***al sniff! Do you see the little one in the corner? 😁
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A great habit to get into when greeting dogs on leash is to get within leash distance of the other dog and then hold only the handle of the leash. This gives the dog as much room as possible to perform their natural greeting rituals which are considered polite in doggie language.
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Leash frustration is common even among social dogs! So reduce tension in greetings as much as possible. And whenever safe and possible, greet new dogs off-leash!
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29/06/2021

I could not be more proud of myself as a single parent with a full time job for earning this accreditation! I signed myself up for this thinking it was going to be just one more professional certificate for the books, but I was wrong! The testing was thorough and rigorous. By the end I had typed 25 pages of answers and spent roughly 100 hours on it. Even though I have a couple other certifications in the works, I will remain very proud of this one and the rigorous standards the maintains. 💪
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26/06/2021

I’m so privileged to be a part of the new . Instinct is SUCH an incredible company that I just have to share a bit with you all!
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Besides being the best team ever (formerly Synergy Dog Training), Instinct gives a level of support to dog parents that I’ve never seen. This inclusive and caring company gives 110% with zero judgment, which is not what we always see in the dog training world. I hope you join the socials and follow along with us as we grow right here in San Diego and across the country, making a kinder world for dogs and humans. ☀️
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20/04/2021

Look at that eye contact 🤩 is showing off all her hard work with her amazing service pup in training, Katana.
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Eye contact is the #1 most game-changing factor in helping to communicate to your dog in public what you DO want them to do, before any unwanted behaviors start. How do you do it? You start by rewarding them any time they look at you and 🧀🧀🧀 (treat, treat, treat!)
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25/03/2021

R had never NOT lunged for the food (or inspected the grocery bag) until this day! The right motivation and clear communication was all he needed to succeed. Your food-loving pup can too! 👏
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http://Bestfrienddogtraining.Substack.com/, http://Bestfrienddogtraining.org/

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Videos

( 🔊 Sound on!) I am so proud of Bliss. Back-chaining is an incredible thing, where you work so hard to get to that final reward. In this case, fresh chicken! ⠀ Bliss lives in a unique situation where she needed to move away from instant gratification (greeting someone at the door) and into her crate which needed to be open, and then remain there until released, all without any prompt besides a knock on the door. ⠀ Bliss is 10 years old. This was a safety issue, as Bliss cannot go through the door for any reason until on leash. Yes, this took a long time to teach, especially because of the level of excitement she experiences when people come to the door. ⠀ But no one can tell me old dogs can’t learn new tricks! She’s got it, excited girl that she is. 😆 ⠀ #backchaining #sandiegodogtraining #positivereinforcement #positivedogtraining #clickertraining #dogtrainersofsandiego #catchcta

Have you ever tried using a toy instead of treats as a reward during training? ⠀ Tug helps Luke to redirect frustration. When we were sitting outside of the shelter trying to get him adopted, he was too overstimulated to take food. But tug? He is up for tug anytime! ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #caninecoach #positivetraining #positivedogtraining #sandiegodogtraining #clickertraining #dogsofsandiego #dogtrainingtips

What do you see?* ⠀ Here Luke is showing a great example of showing when a dog is soliciting for more tug, and when they are finished and want to play with the toy on their own. First, he comes back with the toy when she loses her grip. Then he changes his mind and mouths his toy and puts his body over it. He is saying “I’d like to be alone with my toy now.” ⠀ I often see people playing tug far longer than their dog wants to. Dogs run away with the toy or lay down to chew it and the owner snatches it up again, causing the dog to snap for it. Listening to your dog’s communication builds trust. Trust helps with all areas of your relationship with your dog. ⠀ *Please note that tug is a short and highly supervised game in our house. My kids have years of experience around many dogs, and I wouldn’t trust just any child with those bitey mouths. ⠀ #rulesoftug #sandiegodogtraining #positivereinforcement #positivedogtraining #clickertraining #dogtrainersofsandiego

(🔊Sound on!) Classical conditioning doesn’t just apply to dogs! ⠀ You know how your dog suddenly gets excited when you say the magic “walk” word or grab the leash? That’s classical conditioning at work! Your dog has learned that one thing (the word or leash in your hand) always leads to outside time, something they love! ⠀ Here my guinea pig Hazel is demonstrating some classical conditioning. I normally give him a bowl of veggies within 1 minute of greeting him in the morning. This morning he was chattering up a storm because I changed the routine and didn’t immediately come back to feed him. His conditioning said that was all wrong, where is the plate of veggies?! And he stood at the door and chattered about it. ⠀ Classical conditioning can be used to our advantage as an enjoyable routine for everyone. Such as asking your dog to sit at doorways before the door is open. Recognizing how you are knowingly and unknowingly using classical conditioning with your pets can be a really helpful catalyst for change. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #caninecoach #classicalconditioning #positivedogtraining #sandiegodogtraining #clickertraining #dogsofsandiego #dogtrainingtips

Breakfast at our house! 😋 ⠀ You don’t have to have your dog boarded with a dog trainer to give them exercise, enrichment, and breakfast all in one. Just get creative with the cardboard you have lying around! ⠀ And I should note, with most dogs my kids are trained to never approach around food. This pup is an exception but know your kids and dogs and most importantly, train those kiddos! ⠀ #behaviormodification #sandiegodogtraining #positivereinforcement #positivedogtraining #clickertraining #dogenrichment

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