Red Dog Blue Dog Training

12/13/2025

“Socialization” isn’t about learning how to make friends.
It’s about expanding what your dog considers normal.

12/13/2025

No class tomorrow!

It’s going to get pretty cold this weekend, with some dangerous windchills to match. Everyone stay inside and keep those paws and noses toasty warm. Hopefully next weekend will be warmer again.

12/09/2025

’Tis the season for… antlers! 🦌🎅
One of our go-to options (and easy holiday gifts) for dogs who can turn anything into confetti — but there are some important rules to keep in mind.

• Bigger is better. Antlers become a dental hazard when they’re too small and start to wedge between the back teeth. Size up, always.

• Density matters. Moose is the softest, elk is the middle ground, and whitetail is the power-chewer tier. Match the antler to the dog, and consider split antlers for introductory chews.

• Supervision is key. Even the right antler can be a problem if your dog is an over-committed gnaw-er. Pull it if they’re getting too intense or hitting it like a nutcracker. 💂🌰

Know what else makes a great gift for the holidays? Red Dog Blue Dog! All Red Dog Blue Dog services are available as gift certificates (and custom amounts are available too!) ❤️ 💙

12/06/2025

December is here, but cold days doesn’t mean the training has to stop. Come out to see how you can continue to keep your dog active mentally and physically through the winter months!

Message or email us to register.

Board and Train Dogs - Free with program
All Other Client Dogs - Pack Walk: $15 each, Spot Check: $25 each

12/05/2025

🎄🐾 Our Donation Tree is officially up
Every year, we’re reminded how many sweet pups spend the holidays without a family to call their own. So this season, we’re hoping to spread a little extra love their way.

With a $5 donation, we’ll gift a toy to a shelter dog — something to bring them comfort, joy, and a reminder that they’re not forgotten. ❤️

If you’d like to donate, just ask a staff member at checkout and we’ll add it on for you.

Thank you for helping us brighten their holidays. Your kindness truly means the world to us, and to the dogs who will feel it most.

Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary
We carry the best for pets!

12/05/2025

Hi friends, this is a reminder to be extra cautious with your dogs around even familiar bodies of water (pools, neighborhood ponds etc.) during the winter months. Landscapes can look unfamiliar due to the snow and it is easy for a dog to misjudge the edge or terrain and fall in. And as we in the Midwest know, ice thickness is as unreliable as it is unforgiving! Frigid water and winter winds means the situation can become life threatening in moments. ❤️ 💙

12/02/2025

Looking for a great holiday gift that never goes out of style?
No fads, no gimmicks — just real lasting value. We’ve got you covered!

Everyone knows a naughty dog, and some frustrated humans, who could use a little help — and what better way to show them you care (or maybe send a not-so-subtle message 😉) than with a gift certificate from Red Dog Blue Dog!

Gift certificates are available for all Red Dog Blue Dog services — and now in custom amounts.
Message us to grab yours today. ❤️ 💙

12/01/2025

We don’t.
What we do get to is the phase where we don’t need the same level of payout. We don’t need the roast-chicken jackpot or the favorite tug every time. We build to the point where your relationship becomes part of the reinforcement, and a simple “good dog” carries weight.

Rewarding your dog isn’t about walking around with a treat pouch welded to your hip. It’s about making sure your dog knows when they got it right — in a way they actually feel and understand. That’s how behavior sticks.

Your dog doesn’t label things as “good” or “bad.” They’re putting together what benefits them and what doesn’t, which is how they form a sense of what’s appropriate moment to moment. If you never mark the wins, you’re basically expecting them to do a thankless job with no feedback. That never works — not for humans, and not for dogs. They don’t know what the “right” behavior is unless you tell them, and the reward is how we do that.

This is why we teach multiple reward systems. Food, toys, praise, engagement experiences — different tools for different situations. So even if you forget the treats at home or leave the toy in the car, you can still acknowledge their success and keep momentum.

That’s the real goal: a dog who listens because the communication makes sense — not because you always have snacks in your pocket. ❤️ 💙

11/17/2025

Alright friends — you know we train blind dogs, deaf dogs, and dogs with documented emotional or learning disabilities. Today, we want you to meet a pair of rescue boys who bring their own very specific challenges and the human who shows up for them in a way most dogs can only dream of.

Gilligan (white) is a three-legged cancer survivor who spent most of his life living in a yard and intermittently at large before landing in his forever home. Understandably, the world is a lot for him. New sounds, fast movements, people — most things read as “potential threat” until proven otherwise, and we can’t blame him. But with patience and consistency, he’s starting to learn what safety feels like.

And then there’s Woody (blue). You’ll notice he’s also missing some factory parts — both back feet, gone shortly after birth. He often wears custom prosthetics, but today he was running au naturel. Woody started out as a dog who could not stay calm and definitely didn’t appreciate dogs invading his space. Now? He lives as part of a peaceful and functional three-dog household.

These boys have a pretty great life, and we were out today to help make sure it stays that way. Gilligan and Woody like each other a lot — but they don’t always love sharing mom, and they can absolutely build enough momentum on their remaining limbs to body-check each other and hurt some feelings. So today’s focus was recall, sharing space, and building more positive interactions.

Everyone crushed it.

We’ve been working with this family for a while now, and being part of their journey has been one of the highlights of our week every time. Dogs like these don’t need pity — they need skill, structure, and people who don’t give up on them. And that’s exactly what they’ve got. ❤️ 💙

11/16/2025

11/16/2025

Why did the chicken cross the road?
She didn’t have to, because she booked with Red Dog Blue Dog — and we came to her.

With Private Lesson sessions and Board & Train pick-up/drop-off, you don’t sit in traffic, hunt for parking, or drag your dog across town. We show up at your door so you can get real behavior change without rearranging your life to make it happen.

If you’ve been putting this off, consider this your nudge. The only punchline here is waiting any longer to get the training that actually moves the needle.

Message us to get started. ❤️ 💙

11/13/2025

Hello, friends.
Look at your couch, now back to the dog, now back at your couch, now back to the dog.
Sadly, this dog isn’t on your couch.
But if you adopt the lovely miss Winter - she could be ❤️ 💙

All dogs adopted from Pit Crew IL Rescue receive 20% of their training with Red Dog Blue Dog!

WINTER WEDNESDAY!
Winter loves being with her people and will be your shadow in hopes for a quick hug or scratches. She is crate trained, potty trained, has great leash manners and is eager to please. At 3 years old, she is waiting desperately to find her furever human and be the princess of the home💜