For the Love of Dog Training

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For the Love of Dog Training

Real-life dog training in Northern California, tailored to your family’s needs and goals. Specializing in Best Friends!

From puppy foundations to behavior modification, we help dogs and their humans build calm, confident, lasting partnerships. Board and Train Retreats
Behavior Modifications
Service Dogs
Board & Play Vacation stays
Zoom/online support
Scentwork

12/01/2025

Let’s talk liability as a dog owner, because some of y’all are out here acting shocked that your dog… does dog things.

Your dog was bred for a job. A real job. Not a “Pinterest craft night” job. And the moment they see an opening, they clock in like it’s their first day at Costco.

Guardian breeds?
They were literally designed to protect property, people, livestock, and your emotional stability (debatable). If your Cane Corso is posted at the window like a federal employee waiting for a vibe shift, that’s not “reactive.” That’s called being employed.
And if you don’t train or supervise that dog, the liability is all on you. Your dog warns the Amazon guy with a growl? That’s genetics. Your dog follows through because you let them? That’s you becoming besties with your insurance agent.

Then we’ve got herding breeds the Olympic athletes of “I didn’t ask permission, I just acted.”
Border Collies, Aussies, Heelers… they’re out here trying to gather anything that moves. Sheep. Kids. Joggers. Your Aunt Karen.
It’s not personal. It’s a Tuesday.

And when they nip a heel or body-slam someone because that person “walked wrong,” that’s not misbehavior. That’s a performance evaluation.
But again liability is on you. Because while the dog was born with the instincts, you’re the one responsible for teaching them how to live in a human world without reenacting a National Geographic special.

I love you, but your dog doesn’t care that you live in suburbia, that your HOA hates barking, or that your cousin Todd “grew up with dogs.”

Training isn’t optional. Management isn’t optional. Understanding your dog’s genetics? Also… not optional. Unless you enjoy filling out incident reports at 10pm on a Saturday and being on a first name basis with animal control.

Here’s the truth:
If your dog bites, nips, herds, growls, guards, lunges, charges, body-slams, or “just wants to say hi” with their entire body, YOU are responsible. Even if genetics started the party.

Your dog isn’t broken.
They aren’t “being mean.”
They aren’t “acting out.”
They’re doing exactly what they were bred to do with zero understanding of lawsuits, court dates, or deductibles.

So be proactive.
Learn your dog’s instincts.
Train daily.
Use management.
And stop assuming good intentions when your dog is literally built for a specific purpose.

Because if you don’t guide them… they’ll freelance.

11/24/2025

So you have not exactly been training like you meant to this year. It is fine. I am not judging you. I am also the queen of realizing a major holiday is next week and suddenly questioning all my life choices.

If you have been in my program, you know how to use place, you know how to use the crate, and you know how to politely tell relatives to keep their hands and stuffing to themselves. You are prepared. You are thriving. Proud of you.

This post is for the people who are staring at their dog right now thinking, “Oh boy. We are in trouble.”

Here are some quick wins you can put into action now so you do not spend Thanksgiving chasing your dog away from the turkey like it is a high stakes action film.

Start strong. Give your dog a job before anyone arrives. A structured walk or place duration session helps shift their nervous system into a calmer state. Science moment: structure supports the parasympathetic nervous system. Translation: dog chills out and stops acting like the doorbell is a personal attack.

Set up a quiet zone. Crate, cot, guest bedroom, laundry room. Somewhere safe where they can opt out when Cousin Kyle decides he is a dog whisperer after one glass of wine.

Manage the food thief tendencies. Counter surfers wait for their moment like tiny, furry ninjas. Gating off the kitchen or crating during meal prep could save your bird and your sanity.

Give them a legal outlet for all that energy. A safe chew reduces stress by releasing dopamine. Better they chew that than steal hot rolls and sprint into the sunset.

Advocate. If your dog is nervous or reactive, you are allowed to protect their space. You can say no pets. You can say he cannot try your casserole. Boundaries are free and save relationships.

Once the chaos ends, do a decompression walk. Sniffing resets the nervous system. Consider it the dog version of changing into stretchy pants after dinner.

Thanksgiving should feel good for everyone. A little planning right now can make the day peaceful and dare I say, enjoyable.

Which part of Thanksgiving does your dog usually struggle with the most? Tell me below so I can help you get ahead of it before Thursday. 🐾🦃

11/17/2025

Sniffing is amazing… when it’s actually calming. But here’s the thing people don’t talk about enough. Not all sniffing is soothing. Sometimes it’s a dog trying to investigate the whole zip code at once, and that has nothing to do with relaxation.

Calming sniffing is slow, soft, and rhythmic. The body is loose, the breathing is steady, and the dog looks like they’re just enjoying a casual stroll through the world. This is the stuff that helps them regulate and settle their nervous system.

Hypervigilant sniffing is a whole different sport. This is the frantic, scattered, “who was here, who IS here, and how do I secure this perimeter” energy. It’s adrenaline talking. Stress talking. Sometimes insecurity talking. And if we mistake that for calm… we actually feed the reactivity instead of reducing it.

A lot of dogs use sniffing as displacement too. Just like we check our phones when a conversation gets awkward, dogs drop their nose when they’re unsure. Not wrong, but not calm. And if you keep letting them rehearse it, that uneasy energy builds.

This is exactly why I am picky about giving sniffing advice online. One dog may need more freedom to sniff. Another needs structured patterns. Another needs a lot less because their nervous system is already redlining. Without seeing the dog, guessing can make the behavior significantly worse. Sniffing is the perfect example.

And look… I’m not speaking from a place of “I read a blog once.” I spent ten straight years training cadaver dogs, narcotics dogs, and diabetic alert dogs, on top of competing in scent work. I understand sniffing on a level that probably annoys my friends. I’m not anti-sniffing. I’m pro-purpose.

Sniffing should support your dog, not send them into an adrenaline spiral. So if your dog looks frantic, scattered, unable to check in, tail tight, scanning the world like it owes them money… that’s your sign to interrupt, reset, and help them regulate.

When sniffing is calm, thoughtful, and intentional? Let them enjoy it. It’s one of the healthiest outlets they have.

If you’re not sure which one you’re seeing, send me a video in a virtual coaching session. I’ll translate it for you faster than you can say super sniffer.

11/11/2025

People see search and rescue dogs and bite sport dogs and think it is all intensity and muscle. They see the bite suit, the helicopter, the epic rubble pile. What they don’t see is the calm thinking underneath it.

Search and rescue dogs are dropped into the worst moments of someone else’s life and expected to stay clear headed. Sirens. Smoke. Strange footing. Fear. Adrenaline. And the dog is over there calmly running a scent cone like a tiny four legged scientist. They are not just sniffing. They are problem solving. They are making decisions. They will stay in the task long after a human would have quit.

Bite sport dogs get labeled as aggressive. They are not. They are controlled power. They wait. They listen. They think. They have to hold intensity inside their body while staying clear enough in the brain to release the second they are asked. If you think that is easy, try sitting in front of fries and letting someone else eat first. I’ll wait.

Here is where pet dog land gets confused.

A lot of people come to me and say “My dog is so high drive” when what they are actually seeing is over arousal. There is a difference. Search dogs and bite dogs have high drive. They can channel energy into a task and still access their brain. Over arousal is when the brain leaves the chat. Spinning. Barking. Jumping. Zoomies of the soul.

Drive is energy with a plan.
Arousal is energy with no idea what it is doing.

And the number one sentence I hear from overwhelmed owners is “I just need to tire the dog out.” So they run the dog more. They add daycare. They play fetch for an hour. They create an athlete with zero regulation skills. The dog gets fitter. The humans get tired. Nothing gets better.

News flash: I own high drive dogs and I do not need to run them 6 miles a day to live with them. We don’t outrun arousal. We teach regulation.

Working dogs teach us that the goal is not exhaustion.
The goal is clarity.

If a dog bred for speed, power, drive, and bite can learn to think under pressure, your pet dog can learn to walk past a squirrel without detonation.

Your dog doesn’t need to be tired.
They need to be regulated.

And honestly, so do we.

11/07/2025

Just a quick public service announcement that I never thought I’d have to make.

I’m not a paid content creator. I don’t sit around brainstorming ways to go viral with dog hair stuck to my lip gloss. I share these videos to give transparency to people considering hiring me. That’s it.

If someone gets nasty, passive aggressive, or takes a cheap shot at me or another person in the comments, I’ll delete it and block. No dramatic exit music, no warning. Just p**f. Gone.

I’ve considered making comments available only to followers, but so many of you ask thoughtful questions that help me give more insight and education. I’d hate to shut that down.

So please, remember to be kind. This is dog training, not a summit on solving world conflicts. Yes, people have strong opinions. That’s fine. But behind this account is a real human reading the comments. And behind many of these dogs are families doing their absolute best.

We are all here for the same goal.
Better communication.
Better relationships.
Better lives for the dogs we love.

Kindness is free. Use it generously. 💛

11/03/2025

Most people think a schedule will fix the chaos.

Walk at 7
Breakfast at 8
Nap at 12
Dinner at 5

And then they look at their dog, who is still losing their mind like someone fed them a venti vanilla sweet cream cold brew and a conspiracy theory.

A schedule tells your dog WHEN things happen.
Structure teaches them HOW to exist.

There is a massive difference between a dog who knows what time dinner is and a dog who can chill on place while you answer an email, fold laundry, or contemplate why socks disappear in the dryer. A lot of dogs have a schedule. Very few have structure.

Structure is where the magic happens.

Structure is:
Rest when I ask you to rest
Walk politely instead of auditioning for Fast and Furious
Respond when I communicate
Regulate your emotions
Accept boundaries without melting into a wet noodle

When we pair structure with a predictable routine, dogs relax because their nervous system finally understands the assignment.

And here is the plot twist that nobody talks about:

Predictability is great
But too much predictability can create anxiety

If your dog can only relax when everything happens at the exact same second every day, that isn’t calm. That’s fragility wrapped in a routine.

Life will throw curveballs.
A meeting runs late.
Weather shifts your walk time.
Your toddler spills Cheerios everywhere and now the morning is a crime scene.

A structured dog can roll with it.

A rigidly scheduled dog falls apart.

I’m not aiming for a dog who only functions when the world is perfect.
I’m aiming for the dog who can still regulate when life gets messy.
Because it will.

I want your dog to:

Relax in a crate even when you’re home
Hold place while the world moves around them
Walk with you instead of walking you
Nap instead of pace
Handle changes without spiraling

Structure gives your dog emotional stability
Schedule gives your dog predictability
Together they create freedom

Freedom is earned.
Not given because the dog is cute or has big saucer eyes that say “rules are optional.”

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and thinking, “We do have a schedule, we are doing all the things, why are we still tap dancing on chaos,” chances are you added time blocks before you added structure.

Start with structure.
Layer in the schedule.
Watch your dog exhale.

Your nervous system will probably thank you too.

11/02/2025

Sometimes you just need a second set of eyes on your dog’s behavior, and you need it now.
Maybe you don’t have a great trainer nearby, or maybe you just need a quick game plan before things get worse.

In 45 minutes, we will dig into what is going on, talk through what is working and what is not, and leave you with practical tools you can use right away.

Perfect for:
• Puppy training first steps
• Tackling “bad manners”
• Basic training questions
• And those “what do I even do here?” moments

You do not have to guess your way through it. Let’s figure it out together. Comment HELP for booking link

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from our current retreat students. They’ve been very busy today deciding whether they’re spooky, sweet, or just here for the snacks.

If your dog is dressed up, I want to see it. Drop your costume pics in the comments so we can all admire your little pumpkin, shark, taco, or “I refuse to participate in this nonsense” dog.

Let’s make this the cutest comment section on the internet today.

10/27/2025

The truth about Littermate Syndrome is that it doesn’t actually require littermates at all. You don’t need shared DNA to share a codependency problem.

Take Pua and Basil they’re not siblings currently here for a board and train. They’re a year apart. But they grew up side by side, went everywhere together, and learned to rely on each other in every situation. When one felt unsure, the other immediately stepped in. Cute? Absolutely. Functional? Not so much.

What happened over time is something I see often. They became each other’s emotional comfort blanket. That sounds sweet until you realize one can’t focus without the other, one panics when the other walks away, and both forget how to exist as individuals. That’s what we call a behavioral dependency.

Dogs are social learners. Their brains mirror each other’s emotional states through something called social facilitation. Basically, if one reacts, the other’s brain lights up like “Copy that!” and joins in. So even calm dogs can become reactive or anxious if their partner in crime is.

The good news? It’s not permanent. Independence can be rebuilt.
When Pua and Basil came to me, we worked on short, structured separations. Solo crate time. One-on-one walks. Training sessions apart. And let me tell you, there were dramatic sighs that could win awards. But after a few days, both dogs started to realize they could actually breathe without the other. They began to make their own choices, regulate themselves, and find confidence as individuals.

The goal isn’t to break their bond it’s to balance it.
Two confident dogs make a calmer household than two dogs trying to borrow confidence from each other.

So if you’ve got dogs who act like they share one brain cell, you’re not alone. Start small. Rotate who gets the walk. Feed separately sometimes. Let them learn who they are as individuals. That’s where real confidence comes from.

And yes, they still love each other. They just also love themselves now.

10/20/2025

We spend a lot of time talking about triggers in dog training.
The skateboard that zooms by, the mailman your dog swears is an international threat, or that one dog across the street who apparently “started it.”

But what if we started talking about the opposite?

What if we put as much focus on glimmers as we do on triggers?

A glimmer is a micro-moment of safety, joy, or connection. It’s your dog taking a deep sigh on their cot, giving you soft eye contact, or walking calmly next to you for two steps before remembering they’re, in fact, part gazelle.

Those are glimmers. And they matter more than you think.

See, your dog’s brain learns patterns. If they spend all day scanning for what’s scary, that’s what they’ll keep finding. But when we start helping them notice safety and calm instead, we’re teaching their nervous system that peace is also an option.

That’s why when I catch those tiny moments of relaxation or engagement, I name them, reward them, and pause to really let it sink in. Because that one moment of calm is where emotional regulation starts.

And here’s the part that stings a little… the human side of this matters too.
If you’re constantly on high alert, waiting for your dog to react, they’re going to feel that energy. If you start catching your own glimmers, everything shifts. You start noticing the good more often, and so do they.

The truth is, triggers will always exist. Life is noisy. Skateboards will still roll, and the mailman will still have the audacity to show up uninvited. But glimmers are what teach both you and your dog how to handle it all without falling apart.

So next time your dog sighs, softens, or simply chooses not to react, pause. Take a breath. Celebrate it. Because that moment right there? That’s the real work.

✨ Find the glimmers. Grow the glimmers. ✨

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Oroville, CA

Telephone

+15303539294

Website

http://www.orovilledogtraining.com/

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