Dogs learn in pictures, if you get the dog’s attention and show them the correct picture, reward the right behavior, then repeat that correct picture/reward again and again, your dog will learn to connect a certain action with a command word. Experts say a dog can take up to 2,000 times of the correct action to truly understand a command.

This is why our dog boot camps are so successful, we only take a few dogs at a time and use method called “flooding”, in which your dog receives hours of training each day, seeing the correct picture in daily dog/people situations.

At K9 Coach Dog Obedience Camps we use affection & verbal praise as our number one reward for proper dog behavior. Running a close second is playtime with toy as a reward for correct dog behavior. As a responsible dog owner, you need to be wary of the numerous dangerous toys on the shelf at the pet store.

We highly recommend spending a little more when it comes to your dog (and yourself) and buy quality. When it comes to dog products I strongly encourage you to buy made in the USA toys & holistic food, with human grade ingredients from the USA.

Here our my top toy recommendations:

• Kong (but leave out the treats, my favorite is their new ropes through a Kong)
• Nylabone (even if you have a small dog my favorite is their “Galileo”)
• Planet Dog (any size Orbee is the top pick here, but they have tons of great toys)
• Katies Bumpers (I love the new recycled fire hose throws)

For those of you who would like to use our years of experience training dogs to do the right thing, the easy way, our Dog Obedience Training DVD will show you how to train your dog, at home with our help!  You’ll get great support through Live Webinars and our private online learning center.  K9 Coach provides simple dog behavioral solutions: exclusive dog training camps or training you can do at home! Woof!

If you are looking for quality dog training for you and your family, then we are the trainers for you! A truly happy and well-trained dog is certainly an investment, but one well worth it in the long run. Proper training can help prevent expensive vet bills, home repairs and carpet cleaning, not to mention the peace of mind and rewards that come with a companion who is faithful, loyal and always happy to see you!

Let’s talk about how dogs learn. It is essential to understand that dog’s live in the present; they do not dwell in the past or future as we humans do. Dogs need a purpose in life to be happy, obedience training and structured exercise can provide the “job” they need. Dogs do not reason or have logic in their decisions, they are lead by instinct and “habit” created by the human emotions and actions in their home. The most important thing most people do not understand is that dogs do NOT need painful correction or harsh voices to learn, because they learn in pictures or snapshots of action.

We all pretty much agree dogs learn through repetition, however, most trainers do not grasp the fact that dogs learn much like a child with Autism. Dogs have a very, very short attention span, but if shown the correct action or “picture” in the seconds when a situation is occurring, then this correct “picture” is presented again and again and again, some experts say up to 2000 times until an action & command are truly solidified, dogs will understand what it is we expect of them.

This is why our dog training camps at K9 Coach are so successful. We take the time to “flood” a dog with the correct pictures and they have a solid foundation of learning when they come home. We then teach your family how to take over & communicate with your dog for the happy, obedient, well-balanced dog you always wanted!

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.

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.

Diesel, a Min Pin who came to Dog Training Camp through our Temecula location was able to get some training tips by Robin, the owner of the professional dog trainers school, That’s My Dog, located in Hazel Green, WI

Teaching people to read a dog’s signs of behavior is important in the case where a dog has had issues with other dogs and people. Many of the signs are evident in a dog like Diesel who at one point in his life was attached by another dog and severely injured way before he actually displays the unwanted behavior. Reading his behavior helps redirect it to what he should be doing before he goes into that state of fear.

His training has taken him a long way in his ability to trust other dogs that come near as well as how to deal with people. There is a certain amount of introducing the situations to him in a new way and getting Diesel to the point that he knows enough obedience that he can be brought back to doing his newly learned behavior or commands. This will in turn allow him to feel safe in his surroundings with a leader who will protect him but who will also have him follow through with his end of the deal. That being preform the command or task he was asked to do.

Learning to read his body language and then projecting what he should be doing BEFORE the scenario takes him to a place he doesn’t need to be is key. K9 Coach Dog Training Camps teach your dog the correct behavior and how to learn to become confident. Then its a matter of continuing to practice those behaviors. Practice does make permanent.

He became boss of the house. Just did sort of what ever he wanted to, cute as he is…. even so far as to chase children from his spot on the sofa. Diesel had developed some atrocious manners and was out of control. His owner knew it and loves him so much she has come to K9 Coach for help and Diesel is so much happier for it and very glad he came to Dog Training Camp. He lives in San Diego but is at our Temecula location. We are happy to travel as we have one trainer who is very good with small dogs, and one who is very good with big dogs at each location.

Diesel is learning how to behave much better around other dogs as you can see in this short clip of training sessions with Spencer. Way to go Spencer you are such a good dog!

Exercise, mental challenges and affection as a reward are a part of Diesel’s rehabilitation. He is doing a great job and improved his manners around other dogs and people. He has not had one accident on his potty training! Obedience is hugely rewarded and the Min Pin is responding very well.

Way to go Diesel.

Leroy came to Dog Training Camp with a habit of growling at other dogs when on leash. We’ve now been all over Encinitas and other dog friendly areas of San Diego searching out dogs on leash to practice his new ability to be a great dog while on leash.

I keep singing Bad Bad Leroy Brown to him because how can one not with a chocolate lab named Leroy? The good thing is the bad, bad part has turned into the fact that Leroy rocks! He is doing so great. There are times we walk by dogs now and he completely stays on task, doesn’t even really acknowledge the other dog.

Even better than that he’s made it through incidents where a dog was completely out of control at him and the owner made the comment, wow, what a calm dog! Yep, Leroy does rock on and off leash.

His other issue, not coming when called… well that goes almost without saying… he rocks at that too. He goes out on the trails in Encinitas, Dog Beach in Del Mar, and many other dog friendly places in San Diego and comes when called, even when he’s intent on playing with another dog.

Leroy is one of those labs that you just love when you look at him. He’s got a big huge smile, a wagging tail, and he’s all dog! He’s really cool. I’m very proud of him. He’s a star at K9 Coach Dog Training Camp.

Leroy the Chocolate Lab who lives in Encinitas came to K9 Coach Dog Training Camp San Diego so he could get over his developing leash aggression. And the great news is, he’s coming along quite nicely. Dog Training Camp has been a big success for him so far.

He’s been walking right next to another dog on leash to desensitize him of his fear of the leash and other dogs near him. He’s also been doing a lot of walking by himself on a leash and with his new found attention to what he’s asked to do even with all kinds of distraction of other dogs approaching him while on leash. His improvement is huge.

Tonight we went on 45 minute walk around a trail with many other dogs, both on and off leash… some approaching him and some walking right past him. Leroy has been taught in a clear picture how to pay attention to what he’s supposed to be doing and did a great job of it all the way around the trail. Huge success. No lunging. No growling. Awesome.

Off leash recall is his other big thing. He’s also doing great at that. Now it’s a matter of continuing to add more and more distraction and having him do the same thing… come when called… no matter what!

Labs are well known to need a lot of exercise. It’s always a catch 22, if your dog doesn’t come to you when called or pulls your arm off while walking or running on a leash it’s not that easy to get enough exercise for your dog. The investment of dog training for the ability to get your dog enough exercise is not only the fairest thing you could do for your dog, but will be the best thing you’ve done for yourself. It’s an investment in your health as well as your dog’s.

Leroy is a Chocolate Lab who lives in Encinitas here in San Diego County, and he’s got the best life. His owners love taking him out and about, they live near trails, and he gets to go to dog park at least 3 days a week. He’s come to dog training camp because he has two main stumbling blocks, otherwise he’s a great dog. Leash aggression and when he’s distracted with anything from other dogs with tennis balls to rolls of toilet paper at home he won’t come back when called.

Both can be very frustrating. Going to dog park is so fun for him, but so irritating for the “family” when he won’t come back when it’s time to go. Lately he’s taken to just taking off down the street. Not cool.

Leash aggression is an issue that is becoming much more prevalent in dogs. Lots of reasons, but for now lets just say dogs weren’t really designed to be on a leash in the first place. When not trained properly to feel safe on a leash… the behavior comes out. The dog feels restricted, vulnerable to dogs not on leashes… or dogs that appear to be lunging at them at the end of another leash.

The good news is leash aggression can be resolved with good dog training. Leroy has already come a long way in his learning to walk on a leash and feel as though he’s not vulnerable. He needs to feel like he’s being lead by the person handling him and not out there to defend himself, even though he’s the one that has tried to pull out on his own and lead.

It’s as though he has been given a new job and he becomes focused on that job rather than the need to fend off the other dogs. It’s really cool actually.

Confidence in knowing what he’s supposed to do is the key. We’ll follow up with more stories on how well he’s understanding the term “come”, even in distraction… on and off leash as the week progresses.

Labrador Retrievers rock, we love them at K9 Coach!