Jackson has come to Dog Training Camp here in San Diego from his home in Arizona. His family comes here for a few weeks in the summer and since the house they are renting won’t allow dogs (what is wrong with some people!) it was a great time to send him for some much needed in kennel dog training.

This Labradoodle is young, 11 months, and when he first came to dog training camp still had a few potty training issues. He’s all the way through that one though… it is a very simple step by step process. And its one of those that makes people happier than one can even say… when the dog knows to go outside to go to the bathroom.

Everything we teach is laid out so that anyone can understand how to keep their dog in “trained mode”. Dog think differently than we do. But they do think in a way that is simple to teach.. and in the long run can teach us as humans to be much better people in our own minds!

We’ll be talking more about Jackson and how he’s learned such great things at dog training camp on our live webcast. Come join us. Love to answer your questions…. and the truth is we developed this new training dvd and membership training area so that all of those people who aren’t in the San Diego area, or who don’t have the option of our exclusive camps, can get the same training for your dog, with the same great trainers.

Live Webcast Sunday, July 27. 3 pm Pacific, 5 pm Central, 6 pm Eastern.
www. GoTrainYourDog.com

Stella is one of the coolest dogs in the world now, but it sure was a good thing she was so cute before her training. Talk about a wild thing. After her Dog Training Camp right where she lives in San Diego her life changed. For the better all the way around.

Stella being a Chocolate Lab was one of those that could be described as a “pretty good dog”… you know what I mean…. you love her but she does this stuff that just irritates the crap out of you … a lot.

She did stuff like bark like crazy at other dogs. Or she’d run out the gate when you open it just slightly and you don’t have a good hold on her. Or how about the way she likes to run up to people and gets so excited about it she jumps up with wild abandon and it’s all the person can do to stay standing?

I want to know your biggest dog training challenge. What is the number one thing that your dog does that you wish you could change.

The really great thing about what I do is show you how to have your dog do exactly what Stella is doing in this video. It’s so great for every one and the true best friend of your dog becomes your reality… instead of the nightmare that the reality show of the bad dog was playing out in front of you and your neighbors eyes.

Put it in the comments so we can make sure and feature your question here on the blog.

Dogs are so cool and they are such great friends. I love to hang out with my dogs, exercise with my dogs, and make them a real part of what is my family…

It’s the simple things and the daily moments that make up our lives… and a great trained dog is a life time of memories.

K9 Coach loves small dogs! Check out two of our latest coolest dogs…
Daisy & Finnegan.

I have so many people tell me that they love how the big dogs are trained, “but I own a small dog and she can’t really learn the way big dogs do… so I just pick her up.”

The truth is, that drives you about as crazy as when someone’s big dog does the same thing. It’s just that its a bit more in your subconscious… like, not so much in your face sort of thing.

All the same it is there and it’s one of those things that nags at the back of your mind you wish was better but feel at a loss as to how to fix it.

That’s what is so cool about what we do. Carla loves small dogs and she’s able to spend the time to show them the correct picture… in a way that dogs learn, and in a way that allows you to be able to easily do the same thing.

“It’s so much more real life training than anything I’ve ever tried.” That was the comment from Daisy’s owner months after she came home from K9 Coach Dog Training Camp.

That’s what makes what we do so cool. Happy dogs, happy owners.

Maddie is an 8 month old Puggle who was fairly new to her second home when she came to K9 Coach Dog Boot Camp. Her new family loved her, but did not know how to get her to calm down. She loved to run and play rough, jumping up and knocking down the small children in the house and chewing on anything she could get to, including the beautiful wood trim in the house. Here is what Maddie’s people think now.

Ok - I have been meaning to write you - we are sooooooo happy with Maddie. She listens really well with using the collar, and I think we are getting used of using it now, so it seems smoother. Walking with her is going great. We took her to the lake this weekend and it was a really good walk. Sometimes when I couldn’t get her attention I would just have her sit until the dog passed and she didn’t move. She does respond really well to sit and down. We are not having the jumping up problems anymore. She still gets the crazies sometimes but steps it down when we use the “Easy” command.

We’ve been checking on her at lunch and she is doing really well. I came home the other day for lunch and my husband was here visiting her, I think this has made a huge difference in how he feels about doggy

Thanks!!!
Melanie & Maddie

Read about other great dog success stories and look for our new DVD Membership Just Right! Dog Training Site coming July 10, 2008

When Finnegan first came to K9 Coach Dog Training Boot Camp of San Diego & Temecula his attention span was non-existent at times. He had a hard time focusing, all of the time, with his tons of nervous energy. This 12.5 lb, 8 month old Yorkshire Terrier male, was fine playing with my big dogs, but he could not stop trying to climb all over the small girl (puggle) Maddie, 8 month old female Puggle camper. Mouthing, chewing, jumping up & playing rough, whining, barking and trying to destroy everything in his path where his favorite pass times.

He was such a lucky dog to have a family who did not give up on him, they knew the puppy they first loved & enjoyed, in spite of everything, was somewhere in all that nervous energy. We used a lot of exercise to channel his nervous energy into positive. Usually when a dog is a wild boy like Finne, it takes at least a week to see results from the exercise, but in 5 days he was making real progress, and was having a blast playing nicely with the other dogs.

You could hold him and he didn’t flip out of your hands, blasting back & forth down the hall, he laid there calmly while I pet him, he just turned into a little sweetie, literally overnight. Finne is so smart; he could walk on leash nicely, and respond to his commands. He calmed down considerably.

Finnegan is still a puppy & has a high energy level, but now his energy level is fun, just plain puppy energy, instead of borderline psychotic, nervous energy. He still has a lot of maturing to do, but his people are thrilled with the new attitude Finnegan gained at K9 Coach Boot Camp. He went from a puppy, the vet prescribed Prozac for his hair-pulling behavior, to the lovable, well trained pup anyone would be happy to have as a part of his or her home. Good Job Finnegan!

Carla C Weed
K9 Coach

Lou & Kona are both lab rescues that have been lucky enough to be adopted by a very active couple who live in San Diego. They want to be able to do things like run with their dogs on and off leash, take them out to coffee shops and hang out, and visit friends homes with well behaved dogs. So they have come to K9 Coach Dog Training Camp.

Some of what these two dogs need are exposure, and they need to clearly know what the rules are. Lou is a bit afraid of men… we don’t know why but the important thing is to get him around a lot of men doing things that he knows well. Like sit, heel, lets go, come and that type of thing. While he is concentrating on preforming what he knows we set up the training so that these men can also deliver a wonderful tasty treat to him…. ahhh… it becomes clear that all men are not scary! Pretty cool for Lou.

Kona doesn’t have quite as much energy as Lou but she still has that hesitation about new things and will tend to head out the door if it were left open. That changed big time for her during her dog training camp. She is a super star now about waiting at the door, and walking or running on a leash beside you.

These labs ended up in a very good home, with active owners. They are now about to have the time of their lives with an off leash recall, able to run and take their owners arms off, and generally so much better behaved.

K9 Coach Dog Training Camp works for those dogs who need help in obedience, in behavior modification, and in finding ways to get enough exercise. With a San Diego & Temecula location your dog will get the best of real life training. We love dog training and so do they.

Ajax, a very handsome Rotweiller, started Dog Training Camp last week. He lives in San Diego and his owner wants him to be able to enjoy the outdoors and all the dog things there are to do.

Dog Training Camp for Ajax is a road to learning how to contain his tendency to be overly dominant. He’s great with people but when he sees another dog he loses focus of anything but the dog.

Training for him consists of LOTS of exercise and obedience work that becomes a job he is proud to preform. Once he gets clear on what he’s asked to do, it’s about a lot of repetition. And again back to HUGE amounts of exercise.

He’ll need to not only be walked outside but have the treadmill added to his exercise regime. He’s a young dog with a lot of energy and it’s a great way to “take the edge off” of his need to be so dominant with other dogs.

Discipline, exercise, and play time with his owners is the kind of attention a Rottweiller like Ajax needs. Dog training camp for Ajax is going well. He’s a working dog and does enjoy using his brain and his body.

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.