Good Dog Training ElPaso

05/29/2026

NEW PUPPY CLASSES start Saturday 8am, June 20th. 👩‍🏫🐾 Registrations open. One spot left. More info Gooddogtrainingelpaso.com

05/24/2026

Sunday recall class is a hit. There is nothing more effective in dog training than learning through games. We're desensitizing to distractions and adding value in returning to parents. No shock or prong collars! ALWAYS TRAIN POSITIVELY.

05/23/2026

We're so proud of Kenneth & his mom for being committed to his training and their reactivity education. Great progress was made! 🐾❤️👩‍🏫
Remember, reactivity is a response to an emotion! There's many reasons that can cause it so it's important to address it properly and kindly.

05/21/2026

Riley's dad knows, that because Riley is a Cane Corso, it's incredibly important that she gets a proper start. Out of all the options out there, he chose Science Based Positive reinforcement training so that it doesn't damage their relationship and her training isn't one based on pain.

05/19/2026

UNDERSTANDING RABIES & Why it's important to Vaccinate.
Note: Our southwest location is a bat migration corridor between Carlsbad and Mexico, so it's not unusual to find grounded bats in area. NOT all bats are rabid, infact, they're incredibly beneficial for bug controll, but for safety, NEVER touch or let your dog play with one. If you find a dead bat you can report it to animal services.

05/19/2026

It's really nice when students give me updates on their dog's progress, months after we finished one on one training. In training classes, the guardian always has more to learn about the dog, than the dog about the human. 👩‍🏫❤️

05/17/2026

Ace is acing his recalls. Using play and body language we're making mom & dad's call, a priority and ignoring various triggers like running dogs and wildlife. Absolutely NO prong or ecollars used.

05/15/2026

👩‍🏫WHY USING THE "PACK" MENTALLY IN TRAINING IS WRONG. LETS DEBUNK IT.
Dogs are social foragers rather than true pack animals because domestication shifted their behavior from rigid, hierarchical wolf packs to flexible, human-centered familial bonds. While wolves form strict, familial, and territorial packs, dogs are social, adaptive creatures that form "loose, transitory associations" for survival, making them familiar companions rather than hierarchical pack members.

Here is why this distinction is made:
Social Structure vs. Pack Hierarchy: Wolves live in strict, familial packs (breeding pairs and offspring). Dogs do not have a rigid hierarchy and are generally not bound by the same dominance-based roles found in wild canids.
Foraging vs. Hunting: Dogs are fundamentally opportunistic foragers and scavengers. They do not rely on cooperative, organized hunting strategies like wolves, making their social needs more flexible and less dependent on a specific pack unit.

Domestication Changes: Tens of thousands of years of domestication have removed dogs from the wild "pack" environment, focusing their social drive on forming bonds with humans and other pets for security, food, and social interaction. Loose Associations: Feral dog populations tend to form loose, temporary groups based on food opportunities, rather than stable, permanent pack structures.

Debunking Alpha/Pack Myth: Experts argue that treating dogs as, or training them based on, a strict "pack" structure is a myth. Dogs do not view humans as other dogs or as "pack leaders" in the canine sense.
Therefore, dogs are social animals that enjoy companionship, but they are not driven by the same innate, hierarchical pack behavior as their wild relatives.

Avoid trainers that use the word "pack" and train using a dominant based methodology.

05/14/2026

Please Share Chuy! Consider looking at Chuy for adoption. He's such a sweet smart boy.

05/10/2026

All to often, with the best intentions, people OVERWHELM their new adoption with human affection and sibling meet and greets. Dogs DO NOT PERCEIVE information the way a human does. Allow new adoptions time to PROCESS a new environment, scents, and sounds, with out getting in their space. They will need quite and patience. Allow them to make the first moves, give them choices. This will give them confidence and trust.

Their world completely changed.
And they don’t know why.

We see their quietness as coping or relaxing so we can accidentally expect too much, far too soon.

One of the hardest parts with newly rehomed dogs is their stress doesn’t always look dramatic.
We would recognise that easily, but some dogs become extremely still and quiet.

Some follow people constantly.
Some sleep more.
Some avoid all interactions.
Others become busy, mouthy, overexcited or unsettled.

We have a job to do from the second they arrive and it’s not about training.
It should be far more about observation.

We should be watching.
Learning who they are.
Recognising patterns.
Seeing what changes their emotional state.

What startles them?
What helps them relax?
What environments suddenly change their body language?
When do they seek distance?
What happens around food, visitors, handling or rest?

They are telling us who they are and how they are coping, often as clearly as they can and we have a duty to listen.

One thing nearly all rehomed dogs share? It’s incredibly easy to unintentionally overwhelm them.

And it’s usually done with the very best of intentions.