K9 Behavior Modification

Seeing as we’ve had quite the discourse going in regards to e-collars and recall training, here’s my stance.

In 18 years, and several thousand dogs trained, I’ve never sent a client dog home without clear instruction that for any off-leash work besides the house or fenced yard… all dogs wear an e-collar. Period.

Is it because the dogs aren’t trained to recall without one? Nope. Will the dogs almost certainly still recall without it, regardless of circumstances? Yep.

Then why the rigid reliance on e-collars for all my clients when they take their dogs anywhere off-leash?

Because dogs are dogs, and reality is unpredictable and unforgiving.

Because even the most highly trained dogs:
-Get distracted
-Get spooked
-Get overwhelmed by a prey opportunity
-Get overwhelmed by a play opportunity

And when reality shows up, and it will show up, I will not allow my clients and their dogs to be at the mercy of hope.

Hoping that you can get your dog back, because you’ve “Done serious training and proofing” with food, toys, and affection… is not only foolish, it’s wildly irresponsible.

It’s placing your dog’s life in the hands of hope. And I want nothing to do with hope. I want my clients to have every possible advantage they can have. When that heart-stopping moment inevitably occurs, and the s**t hits the fan, and the immaculately trained dog is for some reason momentarily absent… I want my clients to be able to remind their dog that recall is not optional, and it will happen right now.

Because, as many who’ve been through this horrible moment without an e-collar will tell you, you often don’t get a second chance. You only need your dog to make one mistake out of a thousand perfect recalls to have it be life altering or life ending.

Can I train a dog to recall extremely well without an e-collar? Of course. It’s not rocket science. Will I ever suggest my clients risk their dog’s lives by being off-leash without one?

Never.

Because ego, ignorance, or blind adherence to delusional orthodoxy will get your dog killed.

The Good Dog Way
Gig Harbor, WA
Phoenix, AZ

Looking to rehome Oakley for a friend 💛

Oakley is a 4-year-old female (born March 29, 2022) looking for a loving, stable home. Due to unexpected life changes and housing instability, her owner is making the difficult decision to find her the best possible home where she can continue to thrive.

Oakley is incredibly sweet, affectionate, and loves to cuddle. She does well with kids and enjoys playing with them. She can do well with other dogs and new people when properly introduced. She is kennel trained and currently kenneled when left home due to some anxiety.

She would benefit from continued training and confidence building, as she still pulls on leash and can bark at dogs or people on walks. Oakley is also microchipped but is not spayed and will need updated vaccines soon.
This is an extremely hard decision, and the priority is finding Oakley a safe, patient, and loving forever home.

Anyone interested, I’ll do a week of board and train for free to help with her leash manners and the basics.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone 🐾

Lux is making HUGE progress & continues to impress me every day. 🐾
His confidence is growing so much, and his submissive peeing has minimized significantly already. He’s also doing amazing with socialization & has proven himself to be a very social, reliable boy with the other dogs. He plays appropriately, responds well to corrections, and is learning how to exist calmly and confidently in different environments.
We’ve been focusing heavily on foundational obedience, leash work, recall, and building consistency with all of his commands — and he’s catching on FAST. His tone recall has been especially impressive, immediately turning around & coming back when called.
Lux is becoming such a fun, confident, & well-rounded dog. I’m excited to keep watching him grow. 🖤

June availability for 3-4 weeks Board and Trains!
Dm to book!

Do it!!

✨ NOVA SAYS “GET YOUR NAIL TRIMS TODAY” ✨

Dog and cat nail trims today 5/18

$30 per pup which includes a standard clip and dremel
$20 per kitty which includes a standard clip

I can also trim the fur on the paw pads $20

I come to the comfort of your home so you don’t need to take your pet to the groomers/vet

If interested please send me a message with what type of pet you have and if you have multiple, along with your address and time that works best for you!

This of course isn’t just a dog training phenomenon, this occurs in all areas of human interest. We love ourselves some novelty.

Most of us have heard the famous quote from Bruce Lee: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

What was Bruce getting at? Mastery — and the brutally difficult challenge of resisting human nature.

While novelty, exploration, and MORE definitely have their place, when we’re trying to accomplish a clear task or goal, we almost certainly would be better off with focusing more narrowly on less.

When it comes to dog training, I see the novelty focus everywhere, and I see the quality focus (and its result) very, very rarely.

And yes, this focus comes from both owners and trainers. But, if I had to point a finger, I’d point it at the trainers. Why? Because they create the perception of what owners think is valuable and worthwhile. And very, very often I see trainers absolutely consumed with the newest, latest, most personally stimulating trick or command or protocol, and completely disenchanted with the simplicity that most owners and their dogs actually need.

What do they actually need?
1/ A bomb-proof Recall
2/ A bomb-proof Heel
3/ A bomb-proof Place
4/ A bomb-proof Down
5/ A bomb-proof “No”

That’s it. If owners actually had these 5 commands on tap and at the truly bomb-proof level, their dogs could go anywhere, do anything, be included wherever desired, and thus would have much bigger and happier lives — and you owners would be pretty thrilled as well.

So ask yourself: Self, do we have these 5 commands at the bomb-proof, holy smokes, jeez my dog is amazing, I never have to worry level? If not, stop focusing and giving time and energy to the other stuff UNTIL you get these where they need to be. And trainers, if your clients can’t answer with a resounding “Yes!”, to the above, then perhaps it’s time to re-think your priorities. I mean, your client’s needs are your priorities? Right? Even if they are boring and you’ve done them 10,000 times with other dogs? Right?