How has the life of a dog changed in our American family?  Well, we used to see the dog outside the back door, bowl of scraps and water, and a dog house.  Now.  Dog lives in house, all natural dog food, nice dog bed… and in more cases than not they sleep in our beds with us!

It brings joy to our lives in so many ways…. except when you have the dog that needs a little extra help in the training… then we tend to have a love hate relationship… and we’d really like like to drop the second part of that and just go with the love part!

The “good dog” gets to do more and brings way more fun, joy and peace to our lives.  Many times the thought of “dog training” can seem like such a daunting idea in the midst of the rest of our lives, that it just doesn’t get done.   Unfortunately in the end, everyone misses out including the dog.

Many people get overwhelmed with how to get a well trained dog and tend to start at the wrong end of things.  Start with simple.  Seriously simple.

Try this:  Start with a simple “sit” for anything and everything.  Sit to get any attention.  Sit to get a treat.  Sit at the door.  Sit before getting in bed with you….

Make it very simple for yourself and for your dog.  Even if for a second the “sit” will establish the first step.  Then build on how long you can get your dog to sit.  You can add distraction when the simple sit becomes routine.  Most important, start today and don’t put it off for more complicated dog training.  You can always contact us at K9 Coach if you get stuck and need some help!

For more dog training tips & tricks, fun dog photos, & cool dog news follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog

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That was one of Omar’s famous games. Steal something he wasn’t supposed to have and then run, enticing you to chase him which turns into a great game of “catch me if you can”. Omar is quick, can dodge and dash… and catching him was not an easy task.
Now, not only will he come, but he’ll drop whatever it is he has in his mouth, and he’ll even add a really nice sit at the end of it all. Much better behavior for sure!

Because Omar is a working breed he does have a tendency to want to chase after small fury moving things, and birds… now there is something that perks his interest above all else, birds. The great thing about working with a dog like Omar is the ability to teach him how to come in the distraction of all those things he digs so much. And the reason that its so cool… because with a dog that has instincts like that, taking it all away just isn’t going to work.

Instead, now Omar can be out on trails, or at the beach and be able to play a little chase game with a bird, yet the confidence when he gets too far knowing he will come back when called is there.

What does that mean for this Retriever? Simple. Freedom to be a dog.

Omar doesn’t have to be tied to the end of the leash, his only outlet the speed you can walk. I guarantee no matter how fast you walk or run, it isn’t enough to suffice sufficient exercise for Omar.

My advice to anyone with a dog that comes from a working breed, get an off leash recall. And get that recall (come when called) in major distraction.

As always the steps to do this start with the basics. Get your dog to come to you from short distance with no distraction consistently. Then add distance. Then go back to short distance and add distraction. Then start adding distance and distraction.

It’s that easy really, but with a busy life, limited time, and the frustration of not getting it right due to inconsistency a Dog Training Camp by K9 Coach like Omar got to come to could be your answer to freedom for your dog and you to have a really good time.

For more dog training tips, fun dog photos, & cool dog news follow us on Twitter www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog

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If you have been following this Curly Coated Retriever’s story you can now see it in video format. He arrived with some habits that can be funny to watch in the beginning, and then they get really annoying.

For instance the chase game. That’s where he takes something of yours, like your shoe, and runs with it. He’s quite crafty at his maneuvering though he has some size to him so catching him is nearly impossible.

Or how about the drag you down the street trick he was so fond of? Now that’s a habit any dog enthusiast is over quick! Lucky for Omar’s owners, they decided to get him into K9 Coach Dog Training Camp… and the results mid way are awesome.

His training has been a combination of obedience… ya know, like sit, down, stay, come, drop it, heel (I use let’s go for that), and that type of thing. That is really about repetition. Another key element to teaching dogs to be good is the calm factor. Many people don’t even think of that as part of being a well behaved dog, and only concentrate on obedience.

People can benefit by this practice as well. Being calm. It’s part of the dog training camp and a good way to get from Base 1 to Base 2! The third element is exercise. And with puppy training like Omar’s, exercise is an important part of the ingredients for a really great dog.

For those of you who are working at achieving these things with your own dog, make sure to spend some time in all three of these areas. The calm factor is one that isn’t taught a lot even to people. My best tip for you is if you have a dog that a little wild, put him or her on a leash or tether to something that can’t be pulled around. Then don’t react by upping your energy when your dog is jumping around. Instead be very calm a let your dog settle. Once the settling occurs don’t go over and reward with a bunch of wild praise, only to rile your dog up again. Instead, toss a treat in reward for being calm and continue on with what you were doing.

Dogs do think in pictures. When beginning this exercise just keep rewarding when your dog is settled. The idea comes quickly. Dog thinks, “I lay here and don’t do anything, I get a treat”. That keeps happening, the thought to settle occurs more often and soon becomes a habit.

Good stuff!

For more cool dog tips, dog photos, and interesting dog news follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog

What an awesome birthday present. Omar the Curly Coated Retriever turned one year old on Saturday and the best present in the world was his parents bought him a very cool dog training camp in San Diego.

Omar lives in the hills of Ramona, with plenty of trails and outdoor activity to keep him well exercised and entertained. The problem was he did not get the idea of “come here” at all. And when he saw a bird, squirrel or any small moving object… well… game on!

He also had a fantastic habit of grabbing his owners shoes, looking straight at her, going into a play bow, and then racing around in a game of catch me if you can. When the confines of the house was too small for his game, he’d just head right out the dog door and continue his game in the yard! Frustrating to say the least. He had a lot of habits, like getting into the garbage and nicely “decorating” the entire house. And can we talk about the pulling on the leash. You could easily end up with skinned knees by this Retriever, no problem!

Lucky for Omar, he’s lovable, and an incredibly smart dog as well. With a little research his owners found K9 Coach, an exclusive dog training camp in San Diego where he gets one on one training in the house, out on trails, with other dogs… he even went to get ice cream (not for him) last night! What great training for a dog. Out on a sidewalk, tables, food, people wanting to pet him, little kids running by, and other dogs out with their owners.

Stay tuned for more updates on Omar. We about ready to head to dog beach and practice getting him to come away from all the other dogs when called.

Practice makes permanent. As his dog training coach, showing him the same picture over and over and following through is key. Don’t put your dog in a situation you know they can’t do, without showing them clearly what to do many times first… big tip of the day.

For more tips, tricks, fun dog photos, & cool dog news follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog

And look for our new Dog Training E-book series soon as well as the introduction of Everest Dog Training, the team of Gary Guller & and Jt Clough, dog trainer and Mt. Everest Summiteer.

The first day of our 21 Day Walk Your Dog Every Day Challenge finds one of our dog training clients taking it seriously getting out for the walk with their Belgian Malinois Morgan even though they spent the day traveling to Cedar City, UT from San Diego, CA.

This breed of dog always needs a little extra exercise, and the fact the Morgan has had such good dog training means she is awesome on leash and off leash. Once arriving in Cedar City, UT in all the snow her owners put her new outfit on, a dog coat and doggie boots and off they went. Two projects, walk the dog, & shovel the driveway so they could park.

It’s a bit different climate from the San Diego beach runs that Morgan is used to, thus the new dog outfit. Doesn’t she look awesome?!

As you can see from the pictures all the activity found both Morgan and her owner Roch of Multisports.com very happy with themselves.

Join our 21 Day Walk Your Dog Every Day Challenge and send us your story and photos. We’d love to see you on our blog.

Follow the Walk Your Dog Challenge & other fun dog stuff on Twitter @ www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog

What do San Diego Trained Dogs do in Taos, New Mexico? They get to go pretty much everywhere off leash! It’s very dog friendly here in Taos, and with a well trained dog, off leash is certainly an option.

Going to the mountains when one is used to the beaches of San Diego means climate change and special precautions should be taken for things like hypothermia. Boots for feet can help with a dog that is used to the warmth of hanging out on the beach.

We’ve heard from several of our K9 Campers over the holidays and found that simply put, the dogs who have some solid training get to do more things. The dog photos that have come back to us are priceless.

The difference in having a dog stop at street corners, stay with you and not pull on a leash, and that can be obedient in the presence of other dogs and people, get to go lots of places and have a much better life.

The joy of watching the dogs learn to retrieve a frisbee, and then take it to the next level and find the frisbee in the deep snow, or amongst many dogs at the beach comes with knowing that off leash, they will listen. It’s so much fun for you and the dog.

Our tip for getting this kind of behavior quickly is by remembering your dog thinks in pictures. So always follow through with the entire picture… most people stop before the dog completes the task. Or they give the dog more than one task. Simply put, complete one task all the way repetitively… and you are on your way.

For more help contact us at www.SitK9Sit.com
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Buddy, an Am Staff, came to camp as a very strong young dog.  A puppy still really.  He just turned a year old, but never the less is incredibly strong.  Too strong for his family to hold onto the leash and take him for the much need exercise he requires.

He’s just about done with dog training camp and he’s done so very well.  He has hung out on the trails in Encinitas, parks in San Marcos, and gone on nice walks on the beach here in San Diego.  He’s been learning to play ball in a “nice” way.  A dog like Buddy sometimes doesn’t get how strong he is being with other dogs… he’s built sort of like a little tank and sometimes over powers other dogs and people’s arms while at the end of a leash without even knowing it!

It really is all about focus.  Getting your dog to focus on what to do rather than things that they shouldn’t be doing is the key.  In Buddy’s case he has a somewhat extreme case of A.D.D., like many of us!

K9 Coach Camp teaches dogs to focus first than leads them into the behavior that is all good.  Its really a much better way to be.  Getting rid of all that negative language… like NO, Stop THAT… Bad Dog, No, no, NO….  Ya know that kind of thing.

Instead, when a dog is taught focus and to concentrate on doing a few simple tasks, like walking nicely on a leash, being able to “sit”… no matter what is going on around the dog, or hold a “place” which means to stay even if the door is wide open the whole story changes for every one.

First, it’s much more fun for everyone.  Second, the idea of having a well trained dog changes everyone’s feelings from “what I wish I had”, to “I have exactly the very cool dog that I thought I was going to get.”

A happy well trained dog is priceless.  In our times of unrest, having the dog wag no matter what is so endearing…. giving the gift of teaching your dog a few obedience tricks is well worth the joy you get back.

Last week I wrote about Clyde and what a cool dog he is.  So much fun to train.  A Viszla with a lot of energy and a lot of personality.  He went home the other day from dog training camp and there are some dogs I REALLY miss when they go home.  Clyde fits in that category.

The cool thing is when he got there his owner was so happy about his training, and the pure joy of seeing her enjoy him so much just made my day, or week I guess.

Later that afternoon I got a phone call… it was Clyde’s owner.  She’s spent some time with Clyde, there had been people come to the house…. no jumping, he was out in the yard, no running off.  He was coming to her every time she called him.

Again, I was so happy to hear how pleased she was with her newly trained dog…

And then she said, you know, I’m wondering if you will take Moshi, my other dog…  like today?  It was so funny.  Of course I said sure.  And yet I knew that it wouldn’t be like Clyde… like I said I really like Clyde.

So Moshi came home with me… and it turns out that Moshi is a very special dog as well.  He was rescued and he came with only 3 legs.  He may not have the energy that Clyde has, but he has the personality, and his attitude is awesome.

Working with him brings me smiles too.  He has lessons for us people to “get” as well.  He has adapted so well to only having 3 legs… he gets around just fine… but what strikes me as so likable about Moshi is he is sooo happy.  It really is a great thing to rub off on you.

Moshi being a rescue has his “things” he needs to work on.  One of which is a bit of fear aggression when he’s on the leash.  We’ve started training for it though, and Moshi being the dog he is, adapts well so I’m looking forward to my work with him.

More on Moshi in the week to come.

Clyde is a Viszla who came to our San Diego Dog Training Camp because of the regular Viszla stuff!  Jumping on people, whining, pulling on the leash, eating furniture… ya know, all the things that you really don’t want your dog to do.

The thing for Clyde was redirecting his energy into what he was supposed to be doing rather than trying to run around after him and fix it up AFTER he already did it.  Considering the fact that Clyde has a lot of energy as most Viszla’s do, redirecting really is pretty easy once you understand the thought process of a dog.

Which is much different than a human.  They are so much more in the moment.

The cool thing with Clyde is that he has an awesome off leash recall since coming to Dog Training Camp and for him its huge in the exercise area.  Considering his energy, being able to run hard is really helpful for a dog that moves as fast as Clyde.  Even someone like me who has been a runner for many years can’t keep up with him.

Being able to let him off leash where he can run and use all that energy, yet knowing that you can call him back at any time, in any kind of chaotic environment… kids, other dogs, food, that kind of thing changes everything.  It’s way cool.

I just love Clyde.  I guess I really like the Viszla breed as well, being a Weimaraner owner myself… the personalities are unique and very expressive.

They aren’t for everyone, especially people who don’t like to get out and get exercise.. but that’s for another blog article…. breed choice for lifestyle.

For now, enjoy Clyde’s video and I’m going to go back to hanging out with him in his last couple of days of camp.

It’s the way it is with most dogs. They really need a place to put their energy… and obedience training is a most fabulous solution. Our Dog Training Camp is becoming a very popular thing simply because its not like all Boot Camps. Its got it’s own style…

It really is like sending your dog to summer camp.. and along with all the fun that goes on, by default your dog actually learns something… and the way we teach…..

Thats the really cool thing. It sticks… or the dog really “knows” it. No bribing or pleading. Instead it’s a true learning experience. I found it becomes a true learning experience for the dog and the owner.

Teaching a dog, and then showing the owner how the dog thinks.. and having them both get it……

Now that is the best job in the whole world.

There will be more on Clyde the Vizsla. Videos to come. More stories. He’s going to do great… I already know that.

It’s off to bed for all of us. We’ll all be well rested for a big day of dog training while cruising around San Diego beaches and trails. Clyde will be the star of many videos to come.