Copper is a 2 1/2 year old Viszla who has come to K9 Coach Dog Training Camp in San Diego. He lives with his really cool outdoor runner-type owner in Fullerton, CA. Copper is one of those dogs who is the sweetest boy… when he knows you.

When he doesn’t, he has fear aggression, which to most just looks like full on aggression. And the thing is, he has it with both people and dogs. Not so cool.

What is way cool though, is his owner loves him very much and researched to find someone to do training for this type of behavior. So, Copper is here at K9 Coach Dog Training Camp in Encinitas, CA and the really great news is he is doing awesome.

Copper is a very stately Viszla and is here for the 4 week program. We’ve started with obedience and getting it perfect, along with a lot of exercise. Once we moved through that phase he’s being exposed to people coming to the house, dogs that live in the house, and then strangers on outings.

He also has been doing some training with other dogs he does not know on walks and runs as well as at the beach. Keeping Copper on task has helped him a great deal with his fear of both people and dogs.

Another key in Copper’s training is that he is not picking up fear, uneasiness, or trepidation from me and so he is not on alert that there should be anything to be wary of.

In many cases fear aggression is perpetuated by the owner in that something has happened in the past, and the fear of it happening again is so high for many reasons, that the projection goes right to the dog and he acts accordingly. I call it the “oh shit, here comes another dog” revolution. That feeling goes straight to your dog’s leash and then the whole cycle starts.

Instead I stay in charge of the dog, and of the fact that I am in charge. The dog feels it and starts acting accordingly.

Ever hear the idea that if you want something to happen act as though it already is? Well this is true to a certain degree with training your dog as well. Dogs do in fact pick up on emotion before they pick up on anything else. Being in charge is important. Not being fearful is important… for you and your dog.

You’ll see in the video how well Copper is doing with both people and dogs. He is a way cool dog and the fact he is doing so well is what its all about for me.

Ranger came to K9 Coach Dog Training Camp for general obedience and a way to get him the much needed exercise he requires. He pulls on the leash and is very strong so taking him out for walks was a struggle.

Keep away was another favorite game of Ranger’s. The only thing it was usually with things of yours, shoes, dish towels, whatever he thinks he can get away with. And greeting people, well, he gets very excited about it and jumps up.

That’s all quickly changed at his Dog Training Camp. He’s come to our San Diego location and is learning to walk the trails of Encinitas without pulling on the leash, and to stay on a “place” when he’s asked, even in distraction.

The game of keep away has been replaced with playing with a toy and dropping it when he’s asked so it can be thrown again. And he’s learning to sit in front of people for attention rather than placing his paws on their shoulders!

Ranger like many dogs has awesome owners that want to provide the best for their dog. Both owners work and so he is home alone a lot. Getting him enough exercise is key so we are teaching him how to run on a treadmill in addition to being able to walk nicely on a leash.

German Shepherds are working breed dogs and need a lot of exercise to feel like they’ve got their job done. It calms them and obedience becomes a very easy thing for them when they well exercised. Not to mention the health benefits for people by getting out and walking their dog on a daily basis. The number one way to loose weight, a battle many have, is simply more exercise.

Ranger is having a great time at K9 Coach Dog Training Boot Camp and will continue to learn more as the days go on. It’s so great to see a working dog like a German Shepherd be a fulfilled happy dog with great manners.

Its fun to have “The Dog Coaches” here sometimes to help me out with the dog boot campers that are in training. My very good friends who happen to be world class triathletes themselves each have dogs, that I’ve trained of course. Gidget belongs to Paula Newby Fraser and Paul Huddle of Multisports.com. She’s the rotty cattledog mix. I resuced her from a shelter, trained her for 18 months and then gave her to what has turned out to be the best home in the whole world. She is a very lucky dog.

Morgan belongs to Roch Frey and Heather Fuhr, also of Multisports.com. Roch is one of the premier coaches in the triathlon industry, and Heather, well, she owns the second most Ironman Titles right behind Paula in the world! Morgan was also a rescue. She didn’t make it through an explosives detection program. Roch and Heather gave her a home because they were the ideal people to have a Belgian Malinois. They need ALOT of exercise and this was definitely the home for her.

They’ve turned out to be model dogs and when their “parents” travel as they quite often do as the director of many North American Ironmans now, Gidget and Morgan come to stay with me. I love it. They are part of my family. All of them.

Gidget and Morgan along with my dogs get a key element in great dog behavior… a lot of exercise. We are all very active and with well trained dogs we also take our dogs a lot of places with us. Not long ago Gidget even went out on a stand up paddle board. It was awesome.

We all love our dogs very much. It’s such a great thing to come home to North County San Diego, no matter what your mood… the dog is wagging his or her tail and all it reminds us that in the moment, all is well.

Rasta & Puka, Lab Border Collie mixes came to K9 Coach Dog Training Camp in San Diego with very sweet dispositions but not able to contain themselves about anything! Sitting & staying; impossible. Walking on a leash; yikes shoulder surgery might be required. Barking at any little noise in the back yard; neighbors were pissed off!

Wow, what a difference after coming to K9 Coach Dog Training Camp! They’ve been around Encinitas, Carlsbad, Cardiff, & Del Mar’s finest dog friendly places and are well mannered. Walking on a leash without pulling makes a huge difference in taking any dog out, let alone two at a time. Sitting in distraction, not jumping on people when they get greeted, it’s all what everyone wishes for their dog.

Most of us get a dog with the idea that Lassie is going to arrive, and find out, oh my, I guess Lassie had a lot of dog training to get where she was! She didn’t just show up in the movies that way.

Dog training is really about taking the time to not only communicate in a way a dog understands; more in pictures than logic, but also following through with showing them what to do repeatedly until they just know it.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
~Aristotle~

Rasta & Puka have gone home and their family was very excited about their new found knowledge. Yes a dog can actually learn if taught in the way that they clearly see the picture of what they are supposed to be doing!

The family will have great fun with two sweet dogs that need exercise, discipline and then get affection. K9 Coach Dog Training of San Diego & Temecula believes strongly in that formula.

Poodles Max & Lou go to Dog Training Camp in San Diego to learn house manners, walk on a leash nicely, and to come when called. Their camp ended up being in Temecula where our other location is but they don’t know the town and are quite happy with the training!K9 Coach does camps from both locations and since we limit ourselves to two dogs at a time so your dog gets round the clock training we sometimes use both locations, even if your dog is from San Diego!

Max (6 yr old) & Lou (3yr old) are 2 miniature male poodles who are super smart and with tons of nervous energy. They like to bark and jump on people which is typical of the poodle that was originally breed for bird hunting before the breed was downsized for companion purposes.

The poodle makes a great buddy & many owners feel this dog understands speech in an eerie way. The poodle will feel slighted when left out of family activities. Many poodles are used for the circus due to their amusing & clever ways.

Max & Lou have high-strung tendencies, even though Max is shy & Lou is outgoing. They have done a good job of channeling that energy toward walking on the leash properly & sitting in times of excitement. They are experts at “Place” & will sit or lie down and wait on place while I am working on the computer or preparing a meal in the kitchen. It’s a great way to use their energy.

Yesterday, we went to a dog park and met up with Prima, a dachshund pup. They did great with recall from other dogs in the park & they played nicely with the pup. Good job Lou & Max!

Lou & Max both struggle for dominance of each other. Their training at K9 Coach Dog Camp will allow their family to establish themselves as the leaders once back at home & they will be able to manage this behavior. Everyone will be much happier.

Spike has come to dog training camp for general obedience and he is doing a great job of it so far. Spike is an adorable Pit Bull who loves people. Like many Pit Bulls when shown the right training they do really well and are very sweet.

Early training is key with this breed simply because they are big and strong, as well as there is a reason they are described as a “bully breed”! They are sort of like football players, they just bust threw the front line to get to whatever has their attention. Might be a ball, might be a leaf blowing across the street, or a new person they’d like to get some attention from.

This is true of any breed really, except for the fact that some aren’t as muscle bound and have a different make up for strength. For this reason teaching Spike to walk nicely on a leash without pulling to get at anything makes it possible for him to get the exercise he needs as well as the companionship he desires.

Much of what I’ve done with Spike is teaching him how to walk calmly without pulling so that he can make that one of his jobs. Within that job he also is learning “spot”, which means to sit on something I’ve targeted for him and hold it, no matter what kind of distraction comes along.

Amazingly enough this exercise actually uses a lot of energy and for a young dog like Spike its a good way to burn all the energy he has. It’s work for a dog to hold a spot in distraction. They have to put their brain to it, and they have to physically do it. The combination directs energy in a very constructive way.

Spike is doing so awesome at K9 Coach Dog Training Camp. He’s been all around the Encinitas, Cardiff, and Carlsbad area doing all kinds of activities. From beach to trails he’s doing really well.

Rasta and Puka are Labrador Border Collie mixes who have come to our San Diego Dog Training Camp for the same reasons many dogs need training… for urban living. They tend to bark too much for the neighbors liking, jump up on you as a greeting, and pull your arm off on a leash!

These two siblings are still young, 18 months old so they have a lot of energy… and being siblings they tend to play off of one another. Puka is the one appears to be the “pleaser”, yet truly she is looking for safety. She tends to jump up or paw for attention… a lot. When in a situation that she’s not sure about she will cling to you.

Rasta is more of the aggressor of the two. She will step out and do her own thing as well as show a much stronger will when she wants her way. At least she did when she didn’t have a clear set of rules to follow.

The interesting thing in training these two types is that Rasta the stronger of the two is easier to come around to things. It simply that she has more confidence to start with. Puka being unsure of things will tend to run or duck away or cling to you.

In both cases leadership and communication so they can understand in dog terms is required. It’s a matter of getting their attention and then showing them the correct picture every time. Puka for instance has to learn to sit in front of people instead of jump and paw at them… it’s what we’ve been working on and she’s coming along well. She even automatically starts a sit at doorways since that’s the rule around here. No just running out the door. Sit, then get the ok to go out.

Rasta is doing excellent at that type of behavior. She is working on recall in big distraction already and she is doing great with that. She quickly has caught onto sitting for attention. She isn’t such a clinger so it was easier for her to grasp.

As with most dogs, Puka and Rasta need exercise, and due to their breed, really the more they get the better they are. They have learned to not pull on a leash in the last few days so getting them out for exercise is a much easier endeavor!

They are doing great. It’s just practice, practice, practice. Practice does make permanent. K9 Coach of Encinitas, San Diego, and Temecula believes in teaching a strong recall, a lot of exercise, and practicing good dog manners every day!

Spike is a lucky dog. He was rescued here in San Diego by a women who loves him and she’s doing all the right things for him. She knew that because he is a Pit Bull she wanted him to be a great example of a well trained dog, so she has enrolled him in K9 Coach San Diego Dog Training Camp.

He’s only been at camp for a day, but he’s doing very well already. Pit Bulls tend to be a quick learning breed and Spike certainly lives up to that. He’s already walking on a leash very nicely as well as is on his way to learning “spot”, which is a way to teach a dog to stay.

Pit Bulls many times get a bad rap when the truth is treated correctly, and especially trained correctly they are very sweet dogs. They are loyal, and they can be trained to a very high level.

Unfortunately many of the stories you see in the news are more a problem with the people and what they did to or for the dog (or actually the lack of what they may have done in training)…. but that is for another story. Like people, there are good ones and there are bad ones and it really doesn’t matter the breed!

Spike is curled up in his bed now, while I write his blog… he had a big day. All the dogs we train at K9 Coach get a full day of training. We don’t believe in training for a short 15 minute session and then putting the dog up in a kennel until later in the day. Instead we have them out all day long, teaching them house manners, how to walk on a leash… because exercise is key to a well trained dog, and all the other things that come in a day of the life of a dog living in an urban setting.

More on Spike as he progresses in his San Diego Dog Training Camp in the Encinitas location.

Joey came to his San Diego Dog Training Camp a bit of a wild boy… and now he’s like Super Dog! The contrast from the first day of training camp and now is amazing! He not only walks and runs really nicely on a leash, but he has an off leash recall that rocks!Being a German Shorthair Pointer, Joey is a working dog and most certainly needs a job to keep his mind entertained enough to keep him out of trouble as well as not being one of those “hyperactive” dogs! He’s got that now. He has learned many things and now can practice all of them daily with pride.

He’s got the concept of “spot” down well. I use “spot” to teach dogs a solid “stay”, but it can be used to target dogs to go away from you to somewhere you designate, or stay in a certain spot. The video shows him doing “spot” in several different instances. It can be anything you designate really which is what is cool about it. It becomes a game when you are out and about with your dog.

For instance you could be at a park and see people coming, you can tell your dog “spot” and have him get on a large rock that is placed in the park for decoration. He’ll hold it while people or dogs walk by.

You can use it as a place for him to stay while your family is eating dinner, or on a trail while other dogs walk by. People are amazed at how well your dog is behaved… and its all because he’s learned a job and is preforming it well by practicing it all the time.

It gives your dog a sense of accomplishment, and he actually “knows” something. Many people discount what a dog can actually learn and those poor dogs usually end up not so happy, simply because they are not trained.

For Joey, life is great. He’s smart and he likes working. He is a gorgeous Pointer and with the skills he’s learned at K9 Coach Dog Training Camp in Encinitas his life is going to only get better and better. He has a family who is really into him and the things that they can do with him now are many fold.

He is a special dog. There’s no doubt about that. I’ve enjoyed every moment of training and being with Joey. Dogs can teach us things as well and Joey worked some of his pure joy for life on me.

Dublin is a very lucky Rhodesian Ridgeback in that as a puppy she was adopted by a really great incredibly active family here in San Diego. Ridgebacks are working dogs and need activity to be happy and certainly to be a well trained dog. Dog Training Camp was in the plan for Dublin from the start.

Her family knew before they even got her that they wanted to have a dog that had good manners and that meant training from the very beginning. Her family did a great job of educating themselves through K9 Coach on all the things to do for a new puppy, including an ever important aspect of socializing her.

Dublin is now 6 months old and has a very strong will about her. Good thing her family started some formal training with her at 4 months old. Just the basics but it’s helped in a huge way. The main thing she started was a recall… or to come when called. She started early on with that ornery look in her eye. She has her own agenda and wants you to know it! So, working on recall from an early age was incredibly important for her.

It’s paid off! Dublin’s come back for a few more days of training now that she is a bit older and can be expected to learn more things. The great thing is she does come when called now. It’s great. Because of that she’s been able to do things like go to Dog Beach, just one of the great things that you can do with your dog here in North County San Diego.

We’re working on things like staying off the counters. With her size she tends to get herself up on things he shouldn’t like the kitchen counter where she smells food! She needs to start containing herself a bit and the best way to do that is to learn to “stay”.

K9 Coach teaches “spot” which is a way to target a dog to stay on something. It makes it very clear where the dog should stay. It’s an exact “spot” to send the dog back to if they mess up… and so the picture becomes very clear what stay is.

Dublin is also starting to learn how to “down”. We call it “park it”. She’s in the beginning stages of these things but the great thing is she gets such great follow through from her family that by the time this 6 month old pup is a year old she’s going to be a very well trained dog and a best friend for the family her whole life.