Better Bond Dog Training

04/06/2026

Happy Easter!

11/03/2025

10/27/2025

PLEASE, crate train your dogs.

The number of puppies and adult dogs we see who are absolutely manic in a crate breaks our hearts. More and more, it seems like people are giving up on teaching this skill to their dogs because they feel their dog is happier free in the house, sleeping in bed, or gated off in an area. But here’s the problem —

You are setting your dog up for huge amounts of stress later on if you don’t teach your dog to settle in a crate.

Dog need surgery? Now they’re stressed about medical treatment, AND being confined.

Need to go out of town? You’ll either need to find a facility that doesn’t care about barking (which means, little to no sleep for your dog and a lot more anxiety from the constant noise), or hire an in-home pet sitter.

Want to do a board and train where your dog lives with a trainer *inside their home*? They’ll need to be crated, and the barking will need to be controlled. They may even get turned away if the barking is excessive, or refused for future stays.

Traveling? Staying in a hotel or Airbnb? Crating your dog should go without saying.. it’s not your home, and unless your dog is absolutely bomb proof about staying off furniture, not having potty accidents, and is not at all destructive, leaving them loose and “seeing how it goes” is how all of us lose the privilege of dog-friendly accommodations if it goes wrong.

I have other peoples dogs in my home almost every day of the year. It’s a 24/7 life, and the *most* draining part is when dogs arrive here unprepared for the crate. I feel bad for the dogs who are in a new place, stressed about being away from home, and now expected to be crated when it’s never utilized at home. But also, selfishly, I also feel a little bad for myself.. as I also deserve to be able to relax and get a full nights sleep in my own home.

So, please, crate train your dog. Help them be happier when away from home, whether that be at a vet, a groomer, during boarding, or on a vacation.

Quick tips: Feed your dog in their crate to build a positive association. Practice different types of crates (plastic, wire). Practice when you’re home during the day. Daily reps will get results, fast.

10/21/2025

Happy 3rd birthday, Sparty! So glad we got to have an agility lesson together today!

10/01/2025

Shout it louder for the folks in the back!

09/20/2025

09/06/2025

Congratulations to Better Bond grad Lisa Ramos and Sparty for taking 3rd place in our Worldwide Toss n Fetch frisbee competition today!

Sparty has been for from an easy dog who once ran Lisa's life and didn't listen to anything Lisa said.

I'm not sure Lisa even knew much about dog sports but now they can be found playing agility, doing nosework, or playing Frisbee.

Sparty has now proven to be off-leash reliable even in a brand new, non-fenced in environment with tons of new people and dogs around.

Please help me congratulate this amazing team!

09/04/2025

08/31/2025

Yup...you can be teaching your dog to ignore you.
No one likes to be nagged.
We are just so impatient!
Give them time.
Let them actually process what you have said before you say it again.
Bite your tongue a bit before you repeat, it helps.
Count to 4 (in your head).
After you ask....take a breath....watch what happens.🏆

We slip into these bad habits and they do require recognition from us that we have actually fallen into them.
So easily done and it starts as early as those first few days at home when they're pups.

Say it once?
No.
You may need to repeat especially if there are distractions, temptations or they are struggling with focus....but even then, don't get into the habit of nagging.

You will turn yourself into background noise.

08/23/2025

A brilliant example of how dogs don't naturally generalize and they learn through pictures.

08/21/2025

Did you know that the tiny vertical groove between a dog’s nose and upper lip actually has a purpose? It’s called the vegetal groove (or philtrum), and it’s not there by accident!

Each time a dog licks its lips, a bit of saliva collects in that groove. Through a process called capillarization, the moisture travels up to the nose — helping keep it damp.

And why does that matter? Because a moist nose is much better at capturing and holding scents from the air. 🌬️✨ That’s part of what makes a dog’s sense of smell so incredibly powerful!

Nature’s design is always so clever, isn’t it? 🐕💛