DogKnows Training

17/10/2024

Some fun ideas for you and your furbul!

Just because the weather is cooling doesn’t mean that you need to stay inside with your dog. Here are some activities that you can do together in the fall to build the bond you share.

07/10/2024

Step by step by step.

“Control” and “Obedience” should not be dirty words in dog training.

Look, we want your dog to enjoy lots freedom! We don’t think your dog should be a robot whose only purpose in life is to follow your instructions.

But, we also want you to be able to control your dog when it is important or useful for you. If you have the ability to control your dog when you need to, your dog is going to have a far better quality of life and the two of you are going to enjoy a much more positive relationship.

And in order to have control over your dog, you need to teach your dog to perform specific behaviors on cue, like Sit, Come, Settle Down, or Shush. And then you need to motivate your dog so they WANT to listen to your instructions and do what you ask.

We can show you how to develop this level of on-demand control and for the next few days, we’ll do it for free: https://dunbar.info/oct2024TDA

Join the Top Dog Academy with a 1-month free trial to get access to all of our online courses and we’ll provide you with personalized advice about how to resolve any behavior problems or achieve any training goals you are working on. You can ask your question via email, post them in our exclusive Facebook group or join our Live Q+As on Zoom, all exclusively for Top Dog Academy members.

In this document, we focus on a single, super useful behavior, Sit, and how you can train your dog to Sit in response to a verbal instruction, reliably, promptly, in any situation, without the need for any lures or special equipment.

Yes, there’s a lot of steps, so it’s essential that you make the training fun by incorporating it into your favorite activities with your dog. In fact, incorporating training with walks and play and everything your dog likes is the only way to truly motivate your dog so they WANT to listen to you and do what you ask.

If you want to learn lots more about the steps described in this document, we’ve got lots more info on this page: https://dunbar.info/supersit

Too many people get stuck on the first stage of this journey, using food to lure their dog’s behaviors. That’s great for the first session, or when you move to a new, more challenging environment, but one of the most important steps of the Lure Reward Training Journey is getting the food out of your hand and into your pocket. Try luring your dog with an empty hand. It will probably work and when it does, you can reward your dog with a piece of food from your pocket and your dog will learn an invaluable lesson. It’s worth paying attention to you even when you are not showing them a piece of food.

Another little trick we love to use to achieve high-level reliability is using a Formal Name. We’re humans after all, and as humans, we are often inconsistent and lazy. Most of the time we ask our dogs to do something, it’s really more of a suggestion, as opposed to a must-follow instruction. If the dog doesn’t want to do it, that’s fine. But there are times where we NEED the dog to listen to us, and right away, so we use a Formal Name to let the dog know when it’s important. This means that we only need to be consistent about following up when we use the dog’s Formal Name. We can be lazy and inconsistent when we use the dog’s normal name, and that’s fine, but when we use the Formal Name it means the dog WILL do what we are asking, we won't give up until they do, and if they do it promptly, they might get an extra nice reward.

Did you really read all this? Impressive! If so, let me know in the comments where you are with your own dog's Super Sit training. Does you dog Sit in response to a single verbal "Sit" instruction? While you're both outside? While your dog is at a distance? While your dog is playing with other dogs???

29/08/2024

Calling All DogKnows Family! This is Emily! She needs our help as she has been trying very hard save for her service dog. Any help her way would be very much appreciated!

Help Emily Obtain a Service Dog Hello, my name is Emily, an… Emily Darling needs your support for Support Emily’s Journey: Fundraising for Her Service Dog

12/08/2024

Who needs socializing when you can have a Smol-athon on the swing? Let's see how many furry friends can join the party!

10/08/2024

I’m absolutely 87% Good Boi!
(The other 10% is pure chaos with 3% anarchy).

06/04/2024

Hey folks. Spreading the word, yes, DogKnows Training website is down. I'm working with the host but there is only so much I can do. If you are trying to set up appointments, please let me know via text, phone or email and I'll get back ASAP!

Send a message to learn more

03/04/2024

Limited Dog Portrait Mini-Sessions & Just in Time for Mother’s Day!
This Mini-Session is the perfect opportunity to getting your pup in front of the camera! For this session we will be at DogKnows Unleashed on beautiful Camano Island. I have acreage that we are currently turning into a day park for clients which allows for relaxed, fun, and natural light images.
WHEN IS THIS?
Saturday, April 24, 2024
Sessions will be 30-minutes long and will focus solely on your dog.
WHAT DOES A MINI-SESSION INCLUDE?
30-Minute Photography Session
15 edited digital images for you to keep and share
A Treat-o Bag full of fun things to play and eat
Online gallery
Print release
https://pocketsuite.io/.../item/dog-mini-photo-session

29/03/2024

So glad the dog walkers we support are willing to make this massive sacrifice for all of canine kind!

Happy Easter! .secret.dog.walker

24/03/2024

Huh. Guess I’d better call my lawyer!

09/03/2024

"I feel nice!"

09/03/2024

Hey, folks! It's time for another "Keri Needs Your Help!" moment, but this time, it's not for me – it's for one of my teams. Let me explain.

One of my DogKnows Service Dog Teams needs to find a new home for their 9-month-old neutered male standard poodle. Being a service dog is a significant responsibility, and not every pup is cut out for it. Despite careful evaluations, thorough research on breeders, and plenty of training, sometimes things just don’t work out. Service dogs must meet high training standards to provide the independence their handlers need. In this case, it's a behavior-related concern – not bad behavior, but more of a "I don't like this, and I need a different kind of job!" situation.

He's very smart, extremely affectionate, and eager to please his people. During a long weekend with me, he interacted well with my dogs and other playmates. He's high-energy, has some leash difficulties, and would thrive in a family that appreciates an intelligent, active, and affectionate companion. Having owned a dog is a must.

He's great for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and exploring, and he handles bodies of water well. Structured jobs might not be his thing as he gets bored quickly, so keep training sessions short and sweet. If you're working on an AKC CGC certificate, he was on that path before the tough decision had to be made. Daily walks or access to a dog treadmill, or even both, are a must at this age – he needs both mental and physical stimulation. Plus, he has an adorable snore!

Currently residing in Washington State, he's up to date with medical care and shots, on a monthly flea, tick, and heartworm preventative, and professionally groomed every 6-8 weeks as needed for a woolly coated dog.

If you're interested in giving him a loving home, please reach out to me. His current mom is understandably upset, but she's making this difficult decision for the well-being of her dog. I'll only pass on serious inquiries. Feel free to share with people you know who might be interested.

- Keri Foreman
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.dogknows.co
Phone: 425-315-3932

22/02/2024

For folks looking for a Goldendoodle pup to add to your menagerie, King Family Doodles have puppies on the way! You will not find a more socialized, healthy, joyful pup then from this breeder! Their breeding standard are heads and tails (see what I did there?) above others, and these folks not oly talk the talk, they walk the walk!

We are so excited to see these puppies--a higher percentage of Golden Retriever genes and characteristics, but with the Goldendoodle fuzzy look we love. 🥰 Due April 19!

13/02/2024

Remember the smile of the leash and relaxed when working!

08/12/2023

The cute is strong with this one!