Diana Simonsen Dog Training

04/18/2025

Totally agree!

You know that social media meme that’s like “you’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation…” then cuts to an increasingly chaotic series of events? I had a moment like that wandering through the woods with my dog Petey recently. I found myself marveling at the maniac before me...

04/18/2025

📢 🐈 💐 Easter and Mother's Day are around the corner, and if you're celebrating with lilies, it's incredibly important to know that most varieties are extremely toxic to cats.

It only takes the ingestion of a small amount of lily pollen or a sip of the water the flowers are sitting in to send a cat into acute kidney failure and you rushing to the emergency vet.

Learn which lilies to avoid and how to recognize signs of exposure in your cat. https://www.preventivevet.com/pets/lily-toxicity-to-cats-and-dogs

04/14/2025

04/02/2025

🍎 Support the Rescue: Food Drive at PCC Market 🍎

We're thrilled to announce we have partnered with PCC Market for a food drive happening at PCC Market (7504 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103) from March 28, 2025, through April 4, 2025!

During this week-long event, you can make a difference by donating items purchased at PCC. A designated donation table will be set up inside the store, making it easy for you to drop off your contributions while shopping.

Every donation goes directly to helping the rescue. It's a simple act of kindness that has a powerful impact. Let’s join together to make this food drive a success!

📩 Spread the word and stop by PCC Market before April 4 to show your support. Together, we can make a difference!

04/02/2025

The trick dog training and coordination in this video are amazing! Thanks for sharing, Andrea!

04/01/2025

I’ve been getting ready for our Constructional Training course, which starts later this week.

To prepare, I’ve been re-reading some of my favorite articles about the constructional approach.

The following quote comes from a 1970 article by Dr. Israel Goldiamond:

“New behaviors can be established which increase the range of actions available to the person and thereby increase his freedom.”

Of course, this quote can apply to both people and animals!

When a learner has a small repertoire of behaviors, the learner may have limited ways to access important reinforcers.

For example, a child may engage in “aggressive” behaviors to get another individual to go away.

These behaviors work to accomplish what the child wants.

However, there may also be costs for the child, both short term and long term, for engaging in this behavior.

Why is the child “aggressive?”

The child may not know any other way to get the other person to go away.

Punishing the child wouldn’t help.

The child still wouldn’t know what alternative behavior TO DO.

Instead, the child could be taught social skills that help them express their desires and needs when interacting with other individuals.

When our learners have more skills, it gives them more freedom.

They have more freedom because they have new and better ways to access the things they want, as they interact with the world.

Want to join us as we explore more about what it means to be constructional?

It’s not too late to sign up for our upcoming course!

You can visit the Behavior Explorer website to learn more.

** In the image, I’ve taken the liberty of substituting the word “individual” for “person.” Dr. Goldiamond was primarily writing about humans in this article. However, I imagine he would agree that this idea applies to any individual, human or animal.

03/26/2025

📢 Get Ready for Obedience run-throughs at Diana Simonsen Dog Training! 🐾

Calling all obedience enthusiasts! Join us for an Obedience Run-through at our training facility on Saturday, April 6th! This is a fantastic opportunity to practice your obedience skills in the virtual courses and earn AKC obedience titles in a calm, relaxed location.

We'll have **TWO** great courses set up for you:

* **AKC Beginner Novice Virtual #2**https://www.akc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AKC-Virtual-Beginner-Novice-2.pdf
* **AKC Novice Virtual #2**https://www.akc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AKC-Virtual-Novice-2.pdf

Here's the best part: We'll take videos of your runs! These videos can be submitted to the AKC to earn Obedience titles through the virtual program.

Want to learn more about the AKC Virtual Obedience program? Check out our website: https://dianasimonsen.com/obedience-virtual

Ready to join us at our training facility on April 6th and work towards those titles? Register your spot today! 👉 https://pocketsuite.io/book/simonsendog/item/obedience-virtual-runthroughs

Don't miss this chance for valuable in-person practice and the opportunity to earn those coveted AKC Obedience titles! We can't wait to see you and your dogs! Let's get those perfect heeling patterns! 🎉

Online appointment scheduling and payments for Diana Simonsen Dog Training

03/25/2025

📢 Get Ready to Rally at Diana Simonsen Dog Training! 🐾

Join us for our AKC Rally Virtual Run-throughs at our training facility on Saturday, April 6th! This is a fantastic opportunity to practice your Rally skills on full courses and earn AKC Rally titles in a relaxed and quiet environment!

We'll have **TWO** challenging and fun courses set up for you this month:

* **Rally Advanced Virtual #2** (See course in the comments!)
* **Rally Excellent Virtual #2** (See course in the comments!)

Here's the best part: We'll take videos of your runs! You can submit these videos to the AKC to earn their Rally titles through the virtual program or use them to improve your training.

Want to learn more about the AKC Virtual Rally program? Check out our website: https://dianasimonsen.com/rally-virtual

Ready to join us at our training facility on April 6th and work towards those titles? Register your spot today! 👉 https://pocketsuite.io/book/simonsendog/item/rally-virtual-runthroughs

Don't miss this chance for valuable in-person practice and the opportunity to earn those coveted AKC Rally titles! We can't wait to see you and your dogs! Let's rally! 🎉

Online appointment scheduling and payments for Diana Simonsen Dog Training

03/21/2025

😂

Dream Test😴🤔