Santa Monica Puppy Coach

15/11/2024

If you feed Tiki brand, I have some unfortunate news. 😕

Another small brand purchased.

17/10/2024

Agree 100%

26/08/2024

The nonsense about grain-free dog food causing DCM has been soundly debunked. The veterinarian who alleged this as on the payroll of Purina and Waltham.

Don’t take my word for it.

Evidence shows that risk factors for DCM is multi-faceted and is not related to a grain-free diet.   INTRODUCTION: ...

20/08/2024

You don’t need a yard to easily house train your puppy to eliminate outdoors!

“The greatest house training benefit of a patio or balcony potty is proximity to an exit. Puppies need instantaneous reinforcement for learning, and they need the environment to be calm to avoid being distracted.”

I’ve had great results coaching puppy guardians on using real or artificial grass pads for house training.

25/07/2024

No animal on earth benefits from a 100% processed food diet, including puppies & dogs. The reason vets recommend this has nothing to do with what’s *best* for our companions’ health and EVERYTHING to do with marketing.

Does your vet just happen to sell the food they insist you feed your puppy or dog?

If your pediatrician had a McDonald’s franchise in their lobby would that make you believe their food is “healthy?”

Real food is the very best thing any organism can ingest. If you’re not ready to completely change your puppy’s diet, add whole foods to their kibble.

Kayla Kowalski Nutrition is an excellent page to follow for learning more about healthful feeding for your belived companion.

17/07/2024

Pure, unmitigated JOY.

Puddy the Dog gets the Zoomies after her morning walk

16/07/2024

Easiest way to help puppies enjoy their crate sooner? Never put them inside!

“When we pick a puppy up and place them in the crate, we eliminate their ability to choose (aka agency) to go inside. While putting a puppy in a crate may be faster or more convenient for the human, more often than not doing this creates resistance around the crate for the puppy.

“Resistance manifests in several ways, with barking, whining and pawing at the gate being the most common. These are signs of discomfort and potentially distress.”

The single most important behavior for puppies learning to enjoy their crate is the ability to walk into the crate on their own steam.

15/07/2024

The biggest mistake most puppy guardians make when crate conditioning (training) is “putting” a puppy inside.

The single most important behavior for puppies learning to enjoy their crate is the ability to walk into the crate on their own steam.

10/07/2024

A reminder that frozen eggs or egg yolks can make a cooling treat for dogs that tolerate dietary fat.
Beat the eggs, pour into ice cube trays. Done!

09/07/2024

Good Morning! I’m Bagel. This is my first day of puppy school.

08/07/2024

I cannot understand why so many people believe correcting a puppy teaches them anything.

TEACH your puppy by showing them and rewarding the behavior you want.

Punishment is often ineffective in dog training because it can create fear, anxiety, and confusion rather than teaching the desired behaviour. Dogs may not understand what they are being punished for, especially if the punishment is not immediately linked to the unwanted behaviour.
This can lead to a breakdown in trust between the dog and the carer, making training more difficult. Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, encourages desired behaviours by rewarding the dog, fostering a positive and trusting relationship, and promoting a more effective and humane training environment.

03/07/2024

If you know, you know.

21/06/2024

RECALL: Barkworthies and Best Bully Sticks Green Tripe treats! Possibly contain metal shards.

Richmond, Va. - TDBBS LLC is voluntarily recalling 3,551 bags of Green Tripe dog treats due to the potential presence of foreign metal objects in the dog treat. The recalled product was distributed between February to May 2024, and sold nationwide in retail stores and through online mail orders. T

19/06/2024

The best puppy raising advice I have: slow down!

There is often a lot of pressure to make sure your dog can do 'this' by a certain stage of training, or 'that' by a certain age, but who actually makes these ideas?

Whatever you are working towards with your dog, do it at your own pace.

Don't compare yourself, or your progress, to others.

And if your dog doesn't know 30 tricks, that's fine.

If they still pull on the lead sometimes, but you are working on it, that's fine.

If they still want to jump up at your guests but you are working on it, that's fine.

If they are unsure of certain situations, but you are working on it, that's fine.

There is no set timeline of when these things need to be ticked off your list.

Be calm, be consistent, and most importantly, be kind to your dog ❤️

So, give yourself, and your dog, a break, take the pressure off, and just work together as a team at your own pace 🐾

18/06/2024

Controversial opinion:

Leash “training” is an obstacle to your puppy learning to happily walk *with* you.

Please allow me to explain…

Leashed walking is the puppy skill that guardians who contact me seem to struggle with the most. Few puppies are taught what we want them to do before they