Elevate Canine Academy - Fargo

Elevate Canine Academy - Fargo We provide obedience training, with a focus on reactive / aggressive dogs. Elevate Canine Academy provides dog training programs in Fargo and Bismarck, ND.

A common reaction people have to a dog that is misbehaving is to try and bribe the dog with a treat. For example, a dog ...
02/12/2025

A common reaction people have to a dog that is misbehaving is to try and bribe the dog with a treat. For example, a dog is on leash and barking at other dogs, the owner will push a treat in front of the dogs face to try and redirect the dogs focus onto the treat. What people don't realize are the unintended consequences to offering up a treat. Positive reinforcement aka giving a treat, is something we do to reward a dog for behaviors that we want. If the dog is barking like crazy and then I give the dog a treat, what am I telling the dog? I am telling the dog they are a good dog and I like that behavior. The truth of the matter is you can't reward a dog out of a bad behavior. You have probably realized this already.

Sometimes the best lesson for a puppy is how to be around other dogs without having to interact with them. We worked wit...
02/12/2025

Sometimes the best lesson for a puppy is how to be around other dogs without having to interact with them. We worked with this puppy on having her stay in a down next to a neutral dog calmly. She was able to do this for twenty minutes without issue!

Did you know your dog loves sports just as much as you? Maybe not in the football sense but they will definitely love ou...
02/10/2025

Did you know your dog loves sports just as much as you? Maybe not in the football sense but they will definitely love our Scent work program!

Our Scent program is a class to teach your dog how to distinguish individual scents, we start doing this class by using a dogs favorite thing, fetch! The scent gets put into a tennis ball so when the dog is getting the ball they are smelling the scent they are looking for and then we work on seperating those two things! Its a fun way to work your dogs mind and bond at the same time. This is an open enrollement class so you can come to any class that works for you, class is adjusted to your dogs individual skill set! This class is held every Thursday at 6pm

These are some recent graduates of our Day Training program. Dog training isn't just for bad dogs. Training can make a...
02/08/2025

These are some recent graduates of our Day Training program. Dog training isn't just for bad dogs. Training can make a bad dog good. It can also make a good dog great. Most of all, it creates a healthy relationship between dog and their humans. Most struggles people have with their dogs are because of a dysfunctional relationship. These dogs and their owners have taken that step to create a healthy relationship. Can't wait to hear how things are going in the future.

What is the difference between a dog that listens all the time and a dog that listens only sometimes? 1/2 inch, that is ...
02/05/2025

What is the difference between a dog that listens all the time and a dog that listens only sometimes? 1/2 inch, that is it.
Let me explain. When I taught the place command for the first time, we had a dog bed on the floor that we used for place. The dog understood the concept and did it without an issue. I would correct him if he left place. What I started to notice first was one of his paws was off of place and on the floor. The next time he was put into place he had both front paws on the floor. Next time he went to place half of his body was on the floor. The final straw was when the only thing on place was one of his back paws. I then started to correct this behavior.
What I have learned through the years as I incorporated boundaries is that a dog will always test those boundaries, especially if there are no consequences. Imagine if I would have corrected him with a meaningful correction when the first paw hit the floor. He likely would have decided that testing the boundaries of place wasn't worth it.
I can give countless examples of my dogs and the boundaries they push. It is up to me to not even give 1/2 inch when I give a command.
I bring this up for a couple of reasons. First is I have developed a scoring system to rate a dogs behavior/obedience prior to training and then again at the end of the training. Being honest in rating my dog, he was way lower than he should be. So I have to tighten up the boundaries again as a reminder. Second reason I bring it up, I read a post today on a friend's FB feed. She is taking care of a dog that is a foster, for several days, while the foster family were going out of town. The foster family commented on the picture of the dog just laying relaxed in place, that the dog doesn't relax for them. Well she is a dog trainer and she set the boundaries immediately and isn't giving the dog 1/2 inch on those boundaries. I run into this all the time when I am doing dog training. The dog will be completely compliant with me, and when I hand the leash to the owner the dog is not compliant. The difference is that the dog learns pretty quick I don't give 1/2 inch, but they have no concern over correction from the owner. That becomes a good part of the training, is teaching the owners that they can't give 1/2 inch.
Want to fix your dog? Stop giving 1/2 inch.

I didnt know it was possible for a dog to smile 🤣🩷
02/05/2025

I didnt know it was possible for a dog to smile 🤣🩷

🤣🐾
02/04/2025

🤣🐾

Do you see dog training as a "diet" or a "lifestyle change"? When I think of a diet, my goal is not long term, it is to ...
02/01/2025

Do you see dog training as a "diet" or a "lifestyle change"? When I think of a diet, my goal is not long term, it is to drop a set amount of weight, with no long term plan to keep that weight off. I will likely go at a completely unsustainable pace for a short period of time. Compared to a lifestyle change which may include getting to the gym on a regular basis, watching food intake, and eating better foods. With a lifestyle change, it may take longer to get to my goals, but I am setting myself up to succeed beyond my short term goal.
With dog training you can follow either of the paths above. You can hire a trainer, and go through the curriculum of the trainer. You will learn a bunch of great ways to manage your dog, and get the best out of your dog. Once that training is over, you can toss the e-collar and prong collar in a drawer because you got to a point that you are content with. Or you can continue to put the prong collar and e-collar on the dog and work with the dog several times a week, repeating what was learned in training. The first path will get you back to where you started, the second path will continue to show progress above the foundation that has already been established.
Which route do you want to go, the "diet" or the "lifestyle change"?

We are now offering payment plans for our day training program, if that is something you may be interested in text or ca...
02/01/2025

We are now offering payment plans for our day training program, if that is something you may be interested in text or call us at 701-929-4160 or email [email protected] for more information!

I have had dogs for 24 years. Knowing what I know now, what would I have told my 22 year old self when I got my first do...
01/31/2025

I have had dogs for 24 years. Knowing what I know now, what would I have told my 22 year old self when I got my first dog?
1. If your puppy goes missing in your house, and it is quiet, you are about to find a wet spot by stepping in it, or that your dog didn't just p**p, but has diarrhea.
2. If you don't experience number 1, it means your dog is chewing on shoes, furniture, underwear, socks, or the kids American Girl doll.
3. When you take your dog for a ride in the car, you are going to find out your dog gets car sick, right after feeding them.
4. When you get a brand new vehicle with perforated leather seats, your dog that never throws up, will throw up on those seats and it will make it to the cushion.
5. When you take the dog on a road trip, the dog will decide to have explosive diarrhea in the vehicle, there is no where close by to get cleaning supplies to clean it up.
6. If you take your dog near a body of water, your dog will find a decaying fish on the shore line and will roll in it and you will be 50 yds away so you can't just pull the dog off. Rolling the windows down will not provide enough fresh air to stop the gaging.
7. When you receive a carrot cake for your birthday and it sitting on the kitchen counter when you leave, the dog will find a way to get out of her cage and enjoy the carrot cake.
8. If you empty the deep fryer into a container and set it on the patio to cool, your dog will find it and lick it up like water. The dog will wait until it is on carpet to throw it all up.
9. A continuation of 8, the dog will find butter on the counter and eat it all. It will then go to a carpeted area to throw up.
10. You will have to get up in the night to go to the bathroom, only to step in something mushy, of course it will go in between the toes. You then must navigate to a light switch by hopping on one foot to avoid making a bigger mess.
I would also tell myself that it will all be worth it.

Dog obedience is something you always have to work at. It is no different than dieting or exercising. If you stop watchi...
01/31/2025

Dog obedience is something you always have to work at. It is no different than dieting or exercising. If you stop watching your food intake, any losses in weight will disappear. If you are strength training and stop, any gains in muscle mass will be lost. If you stop training your dog, all the bad behaviors that you fixed in training, will ALL come back. It isn't a matter of if, it is a matter of when. If you are seeing the regression in your dog, get back to the basics of training. Work on sit, down, place, stay, leave it, wait for food, wait to come out of the crate, and wait to go out the door. All with a leash and a prong collar. There is no repeating the command, it is said once and then either leash pressure is applied or a correction is made. If you get back to those basics, you can stop the regression and get back to a better place with your dog.

We had a ton of fun at scent training last week! We will be holding this class every Thursday at 6pm. No prior experienc...
01/30/2025

We had a ton of fun at scent training last week! We will be holding this class every Thursday at 6pm. No prior experience needed, come have some fun and bond with your dog!

We will be having our scent detection class on Thursdays at 6pm. The cost is $30 for a 1 hour group session. This class ...
01/28/2025

We will be having our scent detection class on Thursdays at 6pm. The cost is $30 for a 1 hour group session. This class is an opportunity to have fun with your dog, while you learn to bring out your dog's natural abilities. You can do this for fun, or if you would like to compete, or if you would like to use your dog in a capacity for search and rescue, as an example. Any size dog, or breed of dog can participate. If your dog doesn't like to chase a ball, this program will be very difficult. If you would like more information or would like to attend, email [email protected] or give us a call at 701-929-4160

There are two major factors that nearly every dog issue stems from. Over excitement and not seeing their owner as a firm...
01/26/2025

There are two major factors that nearly every dog issue stems from. Over excitement and not seeing their owner as a firm pack leader. If you can control the excitement and be firm with boundaries, most problems tend to go away. It really is that simple in most scenarios.

This is a case where maybe we need to work on the "Place" command 🤣
01/25/2025

This is a case where maybe we need to work on the "Place" command 🤣

An obedient dog is made up of three things. Boundaries, consequences, and consistency. Like a three-legged chair, if you...
01/24/2025

An obedient dog is made up of three things. Boundaries, consequences, and consistency. Like a three-legged chair, if you remove one of those, your dog’s obedience will crumble.

The e-collar is one of our favorite tools for dog training. We do not teach the dog commands with the e-collar, we use i...
01/22/2025

The e-collar is one of our favorite tools for dog training. We do not teach the dog commands with the e-collar, we use it as a reinforcement tool for commands the dog already knows. Specifically, what I want to address in this post is the three communication methods we can use with an e-collar. Vibrate, tone, and stimulation. We many times have people that prefer to use tone or vibrate. They say the dog responds well to the vibrate for example. Then I will ask if the dog responds well to the vibrate when the dog is in drive or under high stimulation. The answer is nearly always no, in that case the dog isn't really responsive. There is a reason why, vibrate and tone are a fixed value. Meaning they don't go from soft to hard value. If a dog is relaxed the vibrate might be a bit harsh for the dog. However, if the dog is in drive, they will not notice it. We always teach using the stimulation. On the unit we use the range of levels is 1-100. If the dog is normally responsive at a 10 but the dog is highly stimulated, we can dial it up to a number that breaks their concentration on whatever they are focused on. That could be 30 or higher. This can happen within a second or two. Many times, when we have to dial it up, something really bad is about to happen. We don't have time to mess with a vibrate or tone to see if it might work, we have to go to the fastest method to keep the dog from running into the street or attacking another dog. This is a great communication device once you learn how to use it as a communication device.

01/22/2025

Dog training is so much more about training the owner then the dog, the dog is typically the easy part. Once things are consistent with the owner then you will see a world of change in the dogs behavior

Address

3029 13th Avenue South
Fargo, ND
58103

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 7:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 7:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+17019294160

Website

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Videos

Who needs training, the dog or the owner?
Who needs training, the dog or the owner?

Dog training is so much more about training the owner then the dog, the dog is typically the easy part. Once things are consistent with the owner then you will see a world of change in the dogs behavior #dogtraining #dogtrainingnd #dogtraininglife #DogTraining

Dog socialization is a super important part of dog ownership and its not quite what you think!
Dog socialization is a super important part of dog ownership and its not quite what you think!

#dogsocialization #dogtraining #dogtraining101 #dogtrainingtips

How to have a more relaxing walk with your dog
How to have a more relaxing walk with your dog

Here are some tips on how to have a more relaxing walk with your dog expecially with the weather turning icy, no need to go ice skating anymore! #dogwalking #dogtraining #walking

Tip Tuesday
Tip Tuesday

Do you ever wonder why your dog listens to your dog trainer better? Watch this video for a tip of what we do differently #FargoDogs #elevatecanineacademy #dogtraining

Introducing an E-Collar
Introducing an E-Collar

Kyle talks about how to properly introduce your dog to an e-collar! Its an important part of training with tools like e-collars. #dogtrainingnd #ecollartraining #ecollardogtraining

Using a safety clip when using a prong collar
Using a safety clip when using a prong collar

Tip Tuesday, utilizing a safety clip when we use a prong collar.

Discussing the belief that a dog was abused
Discussing the belief that a dog was abused

Kyle and Laurie discuss a common belief when people adopt a dog and assume the dog was abused.

Kyle discusses socialization. It means more than most people think of when they here the term socialization.
Kyle discusses socialization. It means more than most people think of when they here the term socialization.

Tip Tuesday, Kyle discusses socialization. It means more than most people think of when they here the term socialization.

Discussing human energy and how we are creating behaviors from our dogs
Discussing human energy and how we are creating behaviors from our dogs

Kyle the owner of Elevate Canine in Bismarck, and co-owner of Elevate Canine in Fargo, along with Laurie co-owner of Elevate Canine in Fargo and owner of Who's Walking Who KC Dog Training in Olathe, discuss human energy and how we are creating behaviors from our dogs.

Interview with Dave, our instructor for dog sports
Interview with Dave, our instructor for dog sports

Interview with Dave, our instructor for dog sports. Dave is a former police K-9 handler, and is training our scent, tracking, and bite-work programs in Fargo.

Why our dog doesn't listen
Why our dog doesn't listen

Tip Tuesday, why our dog doesn't listen.

Kyle and Laurie discuss thier thoughts on dog parks
Kyle and Laurie discuss thier thoughts on dog parks

Kyle and Laurie discuss their thoughts on dog parks.

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