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

Take the 21 Day Walk Your Dog Every Day Challenge!

Seriously, it is true that if you practice something for 21 days in a row you can make it a habit. So, lets all get some exercise for you and the dog. Most of us dog owners know that we really should get the dog out to walk every day. But instead we do things that seem to take the place of it. Like throw the ball for the dog 10 times or so, or even take the beloved family dog to the “dog park”, stand there and watch him run around… or not.

The great thing about this challenge is if you do it, you will see great improvement in your dog’s behavior. That’s right, by go on a minimum 20 minute walk a day with your dog you can get the calm, happy trained dog you had hoped for.

Why is it different to take the dog on a walk then throw the ball or let him run around the dog park?

Well, its simply a matter of leadership. Walking with your dog allows you to practice heeling, walking (or running) with a loose leash, and the attention of your dog to sit at street corners, stop when you do and go when you do.

There’s lots of cool stuff to do with your dog on a simple 20 minute walk and if you do it daily (starting with our 21 day challenge) you will feel great as well.

So, starting tomorrow, get up, get the dog, and get out and walk 20 minutes for the first day of the 21 Day Walk Your Dog Every Day Challenge.

Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GoTrainYourDog for fun tips and tricks we are doing daily.

It’s just after the holidays and time to settle into the gifts and what to do with them! Getting a new puppy or dog for Christmas is a great gift because it keeps on giving…

At K9 Coach we get all kinds of questions about everything dog, including “what should I name my new puppy or dog?” So we thought it would be nice to post a list of dog names we have compiled to help you out with naming your new best friend.

As a side note, if you got a dog that already had a name and you really aren’t into it, you can re-name your dog, no problem. No, it will not mess the dog up at all! If you’d like some free tips on how to do this, go to the contact page and send us a note. We’d be happy to send you some dog naming tips for free.

On to the list of cool dog names…. here are a few that can get your creative naming mind going….

Apollo, Abby, Abracabra, Babbette, Baxter, Baccarat, Baldwin, Betty, Chantilly, Ceasar, Calvin, Charlotte, Dante, Dude, Digby, Dudette, Elroy, Einstein, Fenway, Fedora, Gatsby, Gertrude, Goober, Heidi, Harvey, Ignatious, Inky, Jethro, Jet, Karma, Katmandu, Laker, Larry, Lilith, Marilyn, Macintosh, Newton, Neptune, Ollie, Ophelia, Otis, Pebbles, Pandora, Pinto, Quinn, Quatro, Remy, Radar, Ruby, Richochet, Sammy, Savannah, Sherwood, Tank, Tattletale, Tinker, Trilogy, Uma, Velcro, Wanda, Zeke, Xavier
And for more fun stuff follow us on Twitter at 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
Follow us on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gotrainyourdog

Honestly I think that is one of the reasons we have dogs… they make us smile… and they make us smile in the most interesting of times. Tonight we bring you our version of dog behaviors that you don’t have to train for… the behaviors that you just enjoy about your dog.

We have a great video with a dog named Tommy and the fun he has with something as daunting as snow shoveling. Wait till you see the bubble blowing episode….

While training is a fantastic thing, and we believe that it truly is the thing that develops a strong fulfilling relationship with your dog… having time to watch how a dog can make the littlest thing fun, is important to that relationship as well.

Most dogs end up giving back to us the most just by making us smile on a daily basis. Knowing how to make something “fun” out “simple” is a cool thing to study, really.

We’ll be on live at 5 pm PST, 7 pm CST Wednesday. Go to this link and watch! And the really cool thing we would like you to do is join in. There is a place where you can type in you dog funny stories or cool things they have done. Or you can use it as an opportunity to ask how to train for something with you own dog.

Anyway… go ahead… click the link and be there tonight Live at 5 (pst) Dog Trainer Guru Chicks.

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.

As we are cruising back into San Diego after a 4,000 mile road trip in 14 days with 3 dogs in an RV, reflections of the trip are not only already such great memories but some very interesting learning experiences as well.

We were very proud to have our friends tell us how great our 3 dogs behavior was. How awesome it was that we could let them out with no leash and not worry they were going to run off into unknown territory. How great it was that we could introduce them and not have them jump up and leave some nice paw prints on dinner attire. And how fabulous it was that they would quietly hang out in their kennels while we went to dinner with friends.

We were able to do so much with them simply because they have some basic training and dog manners. We took them to a park and taught them the new game of frisbee without worrying they were going to take off after someone’s neighborhood cat…. ya know, dog things like that.

What was even more amazing to us was how miserable it would be to have dogs that are untrained. How it honestly can effect friendships. For instance, we stayed with some friends who have four dogs. Sounded like great fun in the beginning. Dog people hanging out with dog people… until we realized what kind of a nightmare we had walked into.

First the dogs start barking at the sight or sound of anything, jump up on us and simply will not get down. Then there was the idea that we should take them all out, get a little exercise. Oh my, what a nightmare that was. Put them all on leashes… some sort of front harness contraption that’s supposed to stop a dog from pulling. How funny was that… watching these people trying to hang onto these dogs as they proceeded to drag the owners down the street towards the park.

Wait, let me back up though… lets talk about trying to even get out of the house. One has to barely crack the door, hold all the dogs back and slide out without one escaping, while the owners stand there and basically do nothing simply because this is “normal” behavior to them.

Anyway, lets put it this way, it ended up being a very long 3 days, we couldn’t really “do” anything with the dogs, it became obviously a very stressed situation for everyone, and we did hear the comment more than once… “it’s hard to get friends who understand the dog thing”!

What’s sad about all of that is it would just take a little very basic dog training for these people to gain back many of their friends or make some really great new ones.

Be sure to plan ahead, to reduce the likelihood of last-minute decisions, which often infuse activities with an unnecessary sense of urgency.

Take advantage of online shopping, so you don’t have to leave your companion animals alone for extended periods of time. And try to take care of multiple errands during each trip. You’ll not only save gas (and therefore, money), you’ll also spend less time away from home.

Consider planning more events at home, so your companion animals can be a part of the celebration. If you plan to have many visitors in your home, consider keeping your dog on lead inside the house. You’ll be able to keep an eye on her or him at all times, reducing the likelihood of possible injury amidst a gaggle of unfamiliar feet. Additionally, keeping them close-by may reduce your pet’s level of stress. Alternatively, if you have an anxiety-prone dog or cat, consider confining them to a safe zone (like a bedroom, or even their crate) for the duration of in-home celebrations.

Leave a note on the front door reminding visitors not to allow your pet to run out of the house. Nothing puts a damper on festivities like turning a holiday party into a search party.

To cope with heightened expectations of visiting family members, take time to consider how you might simplify the preparation and execution of seasonal parties and gatherings. For example, instead of a menu of eight items, prepare only five. Or, combine family and colleague get-togethers. By simplifying, you’ll help to eliminate some performance pressure off yourself, and thereby, your whole family.

Don’t try to do everything yourself, but rather assign specific tasks to other family members, even your children. You may be surprised at how seriously they take on the new responsibilties, and they’ll learn a lot in the process.

Remember that nothing is perfect – striving for perfection in all of your celebrations can have the unfortunate effect of increasing stress, not only for you, but for the rest of your family.

By implementing just a few of these measures, you can reduce stress for you and your companion animals.

The holidays are here and though people seem to be traveling less these days, shorter car trips are on the agenda of many people this season. We are going to share some traveling tips to take your dogs along with you from our trip from San Diego, CA to Taos, NM.

We’ve traveled almost 2,000 miles in 7 days. Started in San Diego, CA to Vail, CO. From there we went on to Telluride, CO… one of the coolest dog places in the world in our opinion… and it rocks for people who like the outdoors as well. As much as we wanted to stay there, we went on to Durango, CO where we met our good friends Marv & Marty, proud owners of a Tibetan Mastiff. (Next time they’ll bring the dog now that they see how cool it was to travel with ours!)

From Durango, CO we headed to Taos, NM where our we have a fabulous place to live too… The dogs have to acclimate a bit from being total beach dogs in San Diego… but as you can see from the pictures they dig the snow and are quite adaptable.

So here are some traveling tips… make sure to stop every few hours, depending on the age of your dogs. Ours are all grown up and have been traveling with us before so anywhere from 2 to 3.5 hours in between stops seems to work well.

We also travel with crates. It’s just makes it a lot safer. Many times stop lights or unpredictable drivers can cause you to have to step on the brakes hard, throwing dogs all over the place. Dogs also don’t necessarily “get” the driving thing and may decide at the most inopportune moment to try and get in your lap. The crate or kennel solve these accidental moments completely.

Bring water and food with you and feed them on their normal schedules. We tend to get them a bit of exercise every time we take them out for a “potty break” and give them a bit of water after exercise.

Make sure to pick up after your dog no matter where it is that you stop with them so more places can remain “dog friendly”.

You can go on the internet and find many dog friendly hotels or motels to stay at… we traveled in a small RV and were able to keep them in there. Since we were traveling in cold climates we had heat available for the dogs overnight. Though they can withstand temperature change more easily than we are, make sure to keep a comfortable climate for them.

Make it easy, and every one will have a lot of fun. We have our dogs trained to an off leash recall through our dog training camps in San Diego and Temecula. Having your dog come to you no matter what takes the stress out of traveling with them in a very big way.

Our dogs have become more and more part of the family. Traveling with them not only saves boarding costs but the family connection gets even better. Have a great Holiday Season and get out and have some fun with your dog!

Long before we were Dog Training for San Diego County we tried many dog foods & feeding methods over the years searching for what’s best for our loyal companions. We have dogs in their teens who are still healthy, active & happy, due to proper training, exercise & maintaining a holistic diet.
When contaminated dog food became a problem in the US, we were not surprised. What also not surprising to us, is when a year or so later the same contaminants were found in human food supplies. This chemical is what ”laminates” your laminated furniture, Melamine, that tough plastic type coating on your cheap shelves & cabinets… is in our human & dog food supply.
Do you think your dog food is safe? If your dog food company claims it is safe now, so what? Do you realize all of the bad stuff most dog food is made of and it’s perfectly legal? Are you just going to forgive & forget when dogs have died & suffered horrible illness, so these companies could maximize profits?
In an effort to help all dog owners provide their pets with safe holistic foods in order to build a strong foundation for a long and healthy life, we are proudly offering Life’s Abundance Premium Health Foods for Pets!
This dog food includes only human-quality ingredients, to ensure the health and well being of dogs and cats. It contains no wheat, corn, potentially harmful chemical additives, artificial colors or flavors. You can be confident that you are feeding your dog advanced nutrition. Choose a food that reflects your love for your companion.