We have a lot of dog training clients who are busy like everybody else.  If they aren’t rushing home from work they are rushing away to grab dinner, take the kids to soccer, piano lessons, or go grocery shopping.  Training the dog often takes a back seat to other daily activities.

The truth is…. I can’t blame you.  Today’s busy schedule leaves little time to get your canine buddy trained.

Just because it leaves little time, though, doesn’t mean that it isn’t critical that you get your dog trained.

At CommuniCanine we’ve developed a simple program we call ‘Integration Training’.  What that means is that you don’t need to take special time out of your day to train the dog.  Rather, you need to take advantage of the what you’re doing and integrate the training into your daily activities.

For example, here is a quick video of our head trainer, Joe, doing some training with some of our boot camp dogs:

Integration Training On YoutubeYou can do this style of training as well.  It will maximize your time and, even better, your dog will get trained to a higher level.  The reason being is that your dog gets trained as life happens, not in specified training times that don’t feel real to your pet.

Here are a few tips for integration training:

1. Always start out with your dog on a leash.  With all of our clients we start out with their dog on a leash, even around the house.  The reason being is that you are always in a position to guide, correct, motivate, etc. if your dog is on a leash.  If your dog isn’t on a leash then your only options are talking to your dog or trying to grab your dog.  Neither of those options are helpful.  Don’t be in a rush to have your dog off leash.  You can’t have an off leash trained dog until you have an on leash trained dog.
2. Use common activities to train.  I’m willing to bet you eat at least a meal at home every day.  Use that 10-30 minutes to train your dog to lie on his bed.  How many times do you go through doorways?  How about taking 5 seconds when you go through a doorway to have your dog wait? Have your dog sit before eating, use backyard ‘potty time’ to work on training your dog to come when called, and more.  Nearly everything you do can be a quick moment for training.
3. Don’t give commands you can’t back up.  One of the biggest mistakes people make is during training they back up their commands and then every day life they don’t back up commands.  Make sure that as you are integrating the training that you follow through on all commands.

We’re in the business of selling dog training to our Utah clients.  In doing so we make a lot of claims and promises.  We tell potential clients about how their dogs will be quickly obedient, will get over behavior problems, will overcome destruction and aggression and more.

Some of the dog owners who come to our company wonder if they, too, can get those kinds of results.  Many of our wonderful clients have often put up with bad dog behavior for so long that they are skeptical of whether or not there is a real solution.

Folks, dogs live very much in the present.  Their present is shaped by their past experiences but that doesn’t mean that if we don’t show them a new way that they won’t quickly start to improve their behavior and start forming new futures based on new presents  (seems very ‘zen’ doesn’t it?).

The following video shows the work of one such client.  She’s been driving in from the Uinta basin over the last few months to work with our head trainer, Joe Tomsich.  This was only their third session, meaning in just two sessions this wonderful dog owner had taken her dog from a couple of rowdy pups to dogs with amazing impulse control even in the face of heavy distractions.

Not only that but this dog owner is heeling with her dogs together, both of them off the leash.  Imagine if you could accomplish that in just a short time?

So how has she done it?

Simple.

We teach that everything within dog training is within your grasp if you have the right:

• Tools- You need the right training tools.  Most folks are walking around with flexi-leashes, harnesses, and all the wrong tools.  Our first training session is always geared to making sure our clients have the right tools for the job.  Would you try to pound in a nail with a shoe or a hammer?  If you choose the hammer you’ll get your job done faster and better.  The same is true with dog training.  So many tools actually prohibit your success.
• Techniques- Many dog owners who come to us for the first time tell us they are being consistent but they just can’t get good results.  Consistency without the right techniques gets you nowhere.  For example, if I want to lose weight and I consistently eat a large pepperoni pizza every single night I’m being HIGHLY consistent with my technique.  It just so happens I’m being consistent with a lousy technique.  That’s where most dog owners are.  Sure they’re being consistent, but with methods that aren’t going to bring results.
• Consistency- Our job at CommuniCanine is to get owners the correct tools and techniques.  The consistency is on them.  We teach a unique system of ‘integration training’ that makes the consistency much, much easier but a dog owner still must show a commitment to consistency.

Whether or not you ever have CommuniCanine be your dog trainers, if you can remember tools, techniques, and consistency you will have much more success in your dog training efforts.

A lot of our clients are fed up and frustrated with their dog’s behavior.  They live with it day in and day out that they get angry at themselves, their dogs, their situation, etc.  I’ve found that many people in this state of mind often think that their dogs are untrainable or their problems are unsolvable.

We’ll often hear skepticism about whether or not their particular brand of aggression can be overcome, or of their dog’s destruction can really calm down. Because they haven’t seen hundreds of dogs do a complete 180 in their behavior they find it hard to believe that their dog would be capable.

The reality (and I don’t usually like to rub this in) is that 99% of the dogs we work with are quite easy to train.  In fact, when we do our Boot Camp dog training programs within the first day we’ve got the dog under control and doing great.  The reason we keep the dog for a few weeks is to work through all issues, proof the training around various distractions, and more.

Every now and then, though, a really tough dog comes along.  For whatever reason, be it genetics or upbringing, we have a harder time getting through.

Such is the case with a recent client of ours.

The owners loved this dog and doted on him.  He didn’t always return the favor, though.  Try to put a collar on him and he’d attack.  Try to guide his rear end into a sitting position and he’d want to bite you.  He’d dominate you by jumping all over you.  With him we were starting from BEHIND the 8-ball because the simple act of putting him on a leash and collar just to START the training meant he’d try to attack.  His owners had scars to prove it.

After years and years of experience I don’t get worried too often but I was nervous about this guy.  How could we see progress if we couldn’t even get a collar on him?

Well, I’m pleased to say that with the work of two dedicated owners and our great training director, Joe Tomsich, they’ve been able to see dramatic turnaround with their dog.  To this day the owners continue to work hard to maintain his training but this dog has made a complete turnaround based on our training program.

So the next time someone is worried they can’t get their dog trained I want to show them the video of the dog who wouldn’t be leashed with some stellar obedience training.

Click here to see the video

We’re thrilled to have helped these folks out and are thrilled to accept their testimonial:

“I am the proud owner of the cute dog in the video above and am amazed by the transformation we’ve seen in him, with the help of CommuniCanine. Rufus has gone from rearing on his back legs, thrashing his neck around, and gnashing his teeth to the point of exhaustion when we would try to put a collar on his neck during our first visit with CommuniCanine to being one of the stars of our group training sessions each month.

He happily sits and waits for us to put on his collars, goes to his “place” when we have guests, and follows commands off leash. CommuniCanine by no means has a magic solution that solved his problems over night – they are simply great trainers with absolute devotion to developing happy, balanced dogs. They worked hard for months on training us to handle him and breaking through to him to get him to the point that he is today.

After our first session or two, we realized that we didn’t have the skills to train Rufus to overcome many of his existing issues (sensitivity to touch, anxiety, fear) that was holding him back from beginning his obedience training. He went to live with Joe as part of the boot camp for six weeks (three times as long as the average dog).

Joe spent a big portion of his day suited up in his bite suit, working with Rufus to overcome his issues and learn to trust in him. After a couple of weeks, Rufus was able to wear a collar with less of a fight and could finally begin his obedience training. Several weeks after that, we were reunited with Rufus who for the first time felt like a dog – carefree, happy, and seeking to please.

We have since done our best to remain consistent with his training and have continued to receive ongoing support from Joe. We are so grateful that we found CommuniCanine and that they were willing to work with Rufus who had always been turned away by others (groomers, vets, daycare centers, pet sitters). We don’t know where we would be if we did not have this intervention. Thank you for believing in Rue and sticking with us!”

We want YOU to be our next testimonial.  Contact us today to get started.

I am the owner of two very different huskies. My girl, Kona, is 2 and a purebred Siberian. She was typical husky in the sense of bolting and not coming when called. My boy, Makai, is 4 and a mix. I adopted him when he was about 2 and a half, and he and Kona got along perfectly. I was very happy with the adoption. But as time went on, he became aggressive towards certain dogs and even towards certain people. At home, with just me and Kona, he was perfect. He listened and seemed to be very happy, but when I took him out of the house, he became a different dog. It got to the point where I was always on edge whenever we were out. I got to the point, with both of them, that I just couldn’t take the lack of obedience and random aggression anymore. So, I called CommuniCanine. I decided to do boot camp. I spoke to Joe Tomsich, one of their trainers, a couple times before their start date. I was pretty skeptical that bad behaviors would be fixed in both dogs, but he was very calm and reassuring. I emailed him, a pretty long email, a couple days before he came to pick them up. When he got to the house for the pick up, he stood outside (in pretty cold weather, sorry Joe!)  with me and the dogs and talked about all of my concerns and how the program worked. He answered every question and made me feel very comfortable in letting my dogs go live with him for a few weeks. He told me I could call as often as I wanted during the time they were with him. I ended up calling once a week for a check up on their progress. And Joe sent a couple videos of their progress as well. When I called, I didn’t feel like I was a burden or annoyance. I felt important and Joe took the time to update me and answer all of my questions. When he brought them back, it’s like they were different dogs. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. They both came when called, walked off leash, stayed in the down position until released – it was amazing. Joe then spent a few hours with us, showing me how to use the e-collar, teaching me how he trained them, taking them out in public. It was a great experience. And now after a few weeks of having them back, we are a much happier household. I owe it all to Joe. I cannot express how much gratitude I have towards him for not only training my dogs, but treating them like his own.

Canine Good Citizen Class In Utah-

We’re proud and pleased to announce that CommuniCanine is now offering a Canine Good Citizen class in Utah.  The Canine Good Citizen (often referred to as the CGC) is a test that helps dog owners demonstrate that their dogs have good manners both in the house and in public.

From the AKC website we can read a more in depth description:

“The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.”

Canine Good Citizen Class In Utah- Who Should Do This

Many people out there who are already searching for a Canine Good Citizen Class in Utah are already aware of the benefits of this program.  For those who aren’t familiar with this program, however, here are a few reasons you may want to participate:

• It displays that your dog has passed a certain standard for training, temperament, and behavior.  I don’t want to come across as imparting any sort of legal advice but there have been cases in the past where dogs have been seen in a more favorable light when neighbor disputes based on dogs can occur.
• There have been cases around the United States where dog owners who have dogs who pass the Canine Good Citizen Class are required by law to be given home owners insurance.  This has come up in cases where breeds that are seen as dangerous were denied coverage of home owners insurance.
• Working on the Canine Good Citizen Class in Utah is fun.  It’s a good way to do some training, measure your results, hang out with other dog owners, and give your dog a job.
• This is considered a title that your dog can earn and it carries with it a certain feeling of accomplishment and a certain level of prestige.  Having your dog complete this test is a way of showing your skill in training your best friend.
• For many this is a first step in a ‘show or competition career’.  Those who wish to compete in conformation or in obedience titles often like to start with a CGC test as it is a good introduction into more difficult AKC titles like CD, CDX, UD, etc.

Caning Good Citizen Class In Utah- How Can You Get Involved?

We will be offering a few ways to get involved:

1. Our current clients who are enrolled in our Perfect Dog, Perfect Dog Plus, or Boot Camp dog training programs will be allowed to participate in this program at no extra cost.
2. New clients that enroll in Perfect Dog or higher programs will automatically be eligible to earn this title if they wish.
3. For those that aren’t regular clients but feel that they have achieved the level of training necessary to pass this test may come to one of our test days for an evaluation.  An evaluation fee will apply.

So come on out and get your CGC title and have some fun with your dog!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked over the years about which breed is best for a family that has small children, a family who has allergies to dogs, a family that is active, a family that isn’t active, etc.

For years I didn’t know how to respond.  There is such a variety in dogs within the various breeds that it can be next to impossible to say that this breed is better than that breed or this gender will perform better than that gender, etc.

I’ve come up, though, with an answer that I feel is accurate.  It requires a bit of homework on your part in the form of research, interview, etc. but I think it can help people determine just what is the perfect dog breed for their family.  As I’ve shared this advice with many potential dog owners they are sometimes surprised by the response, but I think they understand.

I wrote up a whole article on the subject over on our other site.  Go check it out-

Best Dog Breed For A Family

What Is The KSL Dog Problem?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a conversation that has gone like this between myself and a dog owner on the phone:

Dog Owner: We need help!  Our dog is two years old and goes to the bathroom all over the house!

Me: You’ve been putting up with this for two years and you’ve just now decided to find a dog trainer?  How have you been living?

Dog Owner: No, no, no.  We just got the dog two weeks ago from KSL (or it could be Craigslist, animal rescue, shelter, Humane Society, etc.).  I’m furious.  They said the dog was housebroken, but he’s not.  He goes potty in the house all the time and we don’t know what to do!

Folks, this problem is all too common.  I find that many of the dog owners feel like they’ve been cheated or lied to.  They think that the previous owners were fibbing when they told them the dog was house trained.  In some cases that’s true.  It’s not uncommon for irresponsible dog owners to lie about why they are giving up their dog.

Why Does It Happen?

But in many cases, these dog owners weren’t lying.  It’s entirely probable that the dog WAS house trained, it’s just that the dog was house trained in a different home.

You see, for many dogs house training isn’t a one-time, ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ type deal.  There are a lot of components that go into getting that dog housebroken in the first place.

Think about it, before the dog came to live in the new home it’s likely he or she was accustomed to a certain schedule and a certain way of doing things.  The dog got used to where the back door was, when the previous owners got dressed in the morning and took them out, the scents in the yard that were associated with going to the bathroom, the corrections the dog received in the previous house for going potty indoors, etc.

All, or nearly all, of those associations and training are completely gone once the dog goes to a new house.  Remove the associations and it’s common for the dog to revert in their training.

The big mistake that many people make is believing that the dog was house trained to understand that you never go to the bathroom indoors.  That just isn’t the case for all dogs.  For many dogs the act of them being housebroken and going outdoors was really a compilation of numerous other associations.

How Can You Fix It?

As an example, we’ve got two dogs who have been completely house trained for many years.  You could leave these dogs alone for hours in the home and come back with no worries.

That being the case, I’ve still taken precautions every time we’ve moved into a different home.  My female dog (now 10 years old) is so clean and good that you could put her indoors anywhere and she’d never go to the bathroom unless she was really sick.  My male, (eight years old) however, WOULD go to the bathroom in a new home if given the opportunity.  It’s not because he’s worse at house training or we did anything different with him.  It’s simply his personality is such that he doesn’t automatically recognize a new house as a clean place where you don’t go potty.

Now, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to put up with him going to the bathroom in the house.  In fact, every time we’ve moved we haven’t had a problem with him because I follow a few simple guidelines.

Every time we go to a new house we simply go back a few steps.  We supervise him very well for a solid month, when we leave we put him in smaller space (crate or bathroom) and that’s it.  Give that a few weeks and now he recognizes the new home as a home and he’s good to go.

You can do the same thing, too.  With our clients who find themselves in this position we typically start with a lot of leash training indoors and then move to more advanced obedience which allows us to supervise the dog with no problem.  Give that a bit of time and now we’ve got a dog who is completely house trained.

Dog Training- Commonly Heard

I love my job as a dog trainer.  Dog training is fun and enjoyable and it’s wonderful to be able to help so many dogs and dog owners.

As with any job, however, there are always certain quirks and things that frustrate or make you laugh.  One of these in my profession is a question I hear with frequency.  The question comes in different forms but it always ends in a similar fashion:

“My dog is really aggressive when he sees other dogs.  Do you have any tips?”

“My puppy keeps peeing on the floor.  What tips can you give me to make him stop?”

“My couch was destroyed by my dog the other day.  What should I do to get him to stop?”

The frustration behind these questions is, how can you boil down the required work, expertise, foundational training, and everything else needed to fix these problems into a few tips?

To me, these questions would be similar to asking a contractor ‘How do you build a house?’  Or asking a mechanic ‘How do you rebuild a carburetor?’  How would they answer that?  There are literally hundreds or thousands of moves required to build a house or rebuild a car part, how would you encapsulate that into a few tips?  You can’t, and the same is true for dog training.

Dog Training- Where The Problem Comes From

I’ve come to believe that this mindset comes from a couple different areas:

1- Dog Training television shows.  There are several dog training TV shows on the air these days where, seemingly, miracles are worked in mere minutes.  In these shows it seems like the dog trainer is able to transform a dog in mere minutes.

The dirty little secret in the dog training industry is that most dog trainers, even many of the under-qualified and less skilled trainers, are able to see quick results.  Quite commonly in our first sessions with new clients we find that these dog owners are amazed and the turnaround their dogs have in mere minutes.

While just about any trainer can see quick results, it’s the great trainers that are able to turn those into long lasting and solid results for their clients.

The sad part is, though, that many dog owners have been conditioned to believe that with a well timed treat here, or a harsh ‘shoosh’ over there you can get your dog trained.  That just isn’t the case.

2- Ill prepared dog owners.  In today’s day and age we want fast and complete.  Quick food, quick arrivals at our destinations, plumbers and cable guys that are at our home right away, etc.

I always tell our clients that we can see very quick results in their dog training efforts.  But for lasting results, though, that will take time.  Many dog owners just aren’t prepared to put the work in that is needed.

Dog Training- The Best Mindset

Instead of looking for quick tips to solve a dog training problem one must first look at the root cause and the foundation of the training and the relationship between the dog and the owner.

You wouldn’t try to cure pneumonia by treating symptoms, would you?  Of course not.  You want to go to the root of the problem and fix it from there.

The same is true with dog training.  Before asking for tips you need to make sure your foundation is right.  Do you have a dog that has been obedience trained?  That is the first thing we do when fixing any problem is work on obedience.  Have you worked on teaching boundaries?  Have you worked on the relationship between you and your dog?

If not, THOSE are better questions to be asking.  Ask ‘how can I get my dog to see me in more of a leadership role?’  Or ask, ‘I’m working on obedience but I can’t seem to get my dog to heel.  What can I do to help fix that?’

Those types of questions show that you are working on the problem and have got stuck.  Simply stating a problem and asking for tips doesn’t show initiative and it doesn’t show the mindset that is going to lead to a solution to your problems.

Free Feeding Vs. Scheduled Feeding

I know, I know.  Most people who see the title of this post are going to think it’s ridiculous that you need to be ‘taught’ how to feed your dog.  Isn’t it as simple as putting down a bowl of food for Rover?

Well, yes and no.  There is a right way and a wrong way to feed your dog.  The right way to feed your dog is to schedule feed.  The wrong way is to free feed.

Feeding Differences

Free feeding is when you put down a bowl of food and it sits there.  At certain points you fill up the bowl but it remains sitting there.  The dog typically eats when he feels like eating.

Scheduled feeding is when you put down the bowl of food, usually at roughly similar times, and give the dog 10-15 minutes with the bowl of food.  Whether or not the dog has eaten the food the bowl gets picked up after about 10-15 minutes.

Who Cares About The Difference?

Casual observers may say ‘who cares how you feed the dog?’  What does it matter if he or she is free fed or schedule fed?

There are a few main reasons why you want to schedule feed vs. free feed:

1- Health reasons:  Dogs aren’t meant to be ‘grazers’.  Dogs are carnivorous and carnivores generally eat big meals and then take long periods of time to digest that food.  That is the healthy way for them to eat.

In contrast, most herbivores (think cows, rabbits, etc.) are grazers.  Their metabolisms and bodies are set up to be continually pumping calories into their body throughout the day.  That is the healthy way for them to eat.

When food is left out (free fed) most dogs turn into grazers.  Because food is always there they have no motivation to eat it now and they’ll usually pick at it here or there.  This is not very healthy for the dog.

2- House training reasons:  For those of you who are house training a puppy or even an older dog it is much more beneficial to schedule feed.  When you know when your dog is eating you also tend to know when he needs to eliminate.  Keeping your dog on a scheduled feed makes it so much more easy to housebreak your dog.

3- Leadership purposes:  When food is left sitting out it has nothing to do with you.  Perhaps the dog saw you put it down in the morning but, by the time he’s eating it in the afternoon, that food has nothing to do with you.

You want your dog to see your in a leadership role.  This means that your dog understands your role as the giver of food.  When you control the food bowl by putting it down at certain points and then picking it back up again at a given moment the dog sees you in that role of the controller of food.  This is a good thing.

In conclusion, free feeding isn’t a huge error that means that you’ve screwed up royally with your dog.  There are better ways to feed, though, and you should be schedule feeding.

Puppy Classes In Utah

This past week I’ve had puppy classes on my mind.  The reason why is I had three phone calls from people with whom I spoke several months ago.  In each of these cases these people had called us when their dogs were young and, for whatever reason, decided not to move forward with training.

In each of these cases, however, they were now calling because their dogs were now adolescents or adults and were exhibiting some major behavior problems.  In one case the dog had become aggressive and had actually bit, and in the two other cases we were dealing with housebreaking problems that had now been going on for months and months.

I’m not the type of guy to say, “I told you so” so I refrained from doing so.  In each case, though, I thought how much different their life would have been had they decided to bite the bullet and hire us from the get-go.

Puppy Classes In Utah- Get Started Right Away

A common question I get is, at what age can I start puppy classes?  The answer is simple.  We want to start them pretty young.

As mom used to say, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’.  This is especially true when it comes to puppies.  It is SO MUCH easier to prevent a problem like aggression or house training from ever occurring than it is to ALLOW it to occur and try to fix it.

And don’t get me wrong, I did say that you are ALLOWING your dog to have these problems.  I know you aren’t doing it on purpose but when you choose not to get the proper education and training from a young age with your puppy you are essentially allowing bad behaviors to take root and blossom.  Don’t take offense.  Yes, you did allow these problems to happen.  It’s now on you, though, to get them solved.

Puppy Classes In Utah- Don’t Stop With Puppy Training

Puppy classes are great.  Unfortunately, though, that is where most people stop.  It’s quite unfortunate.  When it comes to puppies there is only so much you can do.  They are young, they have short attention spans, and you can’t ask for any advanced level obedience training from them.

You can, however, set the table and set a great foundation to achieve a high level of obedience once they begin to mature.  A good deal of our clients will do puppy classes but then will follow that up with a more advanced level of training once the dog matures.

Obviously we are the company trying to sell you training for your puppy so take my advice for what it’s worth.  Having said that, if you get started with a great training program from a young age you are in much better shape to avoid behavior problems as your dog matures.