Gentle Touch Dog Training

10/20/2025

Pay attention to dog body language...

A dog's tail held down is an appeasement sign that can indicate nervousness, fear, or stress. The exact feelings depend a lot on context signs.

10/15/2025

Your dog's reaction to your training is your feedback loop. However, sometimes their initial reaction seems like what you wanted, but later reactions to the same or similar situation show that nope...not it or not quite it or oops nope now it's different but not what was wanted. Why? well their initial reaction may not be actually in response to whatever you thought it was responding to. Or they thought they got rewarded for something different than you thought they did. So yes, look at your dog's reaction to see whether you're on the right track for getting a behavior you want, but this also needs to be evaluated for each time subsequently...is this the behavior I was intending to reward and aiming to get. Yes, it's a process. Kinda like asking AI to make a picture of something...

10/14/2025

We've got room for you...
Canine Good Citizen prep & test starts Sat. Oct 18 @ 6-7pm.

10/06/2025

Next STAR PUPPY class will start Nov 11th and end Dec 16th. Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm on Tuesdays.

09/25/2025

The upcoming STAR PUPPY class (Sept 30) is full. The next class available is Canine Good Citizen Prep & Test which starts Oct 18th, Saturdays at 6-7pm, 1hr/week for 8 sessions. $240. You can sign up with a message or phone call.

Photo of Kendra R. and Guster (who's a regular in CGC classes)

09/24/2025

Watch the dog's body language in videos of trainers...

Aversive dog training methods rely on force and intimidation, both negatively impact a dog's brain chemistry and welfare.

This treatment of dogs causes stress, leading to the release of cortisol and adrenaline, which can result in anxiety and fear. Over time, chronic stress may impair the dog's ability to learn, develop trust, and form healthy bonds with their guardian.

Increased stress also suppresses serotonin production, a neurotransmitter crucial for mood regulation, ultimately diminishing the dog's overall well-being and happiness.

Become a force free dog trainer with The ISCP https://www.theiscp.com/challen.../online-dog-trainingcourse

09/20/2025

Here's the STAR PUPPY video of the final 4 items graduation review. :) https://youtu.be/88wibygopeQ Again: Congrats to the handlers and pups!

AKC STAR PUPPY is a socialization, training, activity and responsibility class with 6 sessions and 20 requirements for passing. This video is a sample of the...

09/18/2025

Congratulations to the new AKC Canine Good Citizens! Did testing last night and YES they did it!!! Julie and River, Lea and Dizzie, and Rosie and Oscar. The next CGC prep and testing starts on Oct. 18th Saturdays at 6pm-7pm (skips the Thanksgiving weekend) and ends on Dec. 13th.

09/17/2025

Congrats to the STAR PUPPY grads. Great job! Here's some photos...Tara, Addison and Bailey, Jon and Sadie, and Jonathon and Moose. Everybody really did good work & had fun with their pups! The next STAR PUPPY class starts on Sept 30th and the one following that on the 11th of Nov.

09/11/2025

How often should you train? How long? Short sessions are more effective than long ones - so depending on your animal's focus level it may be 30 seconds or 15 + minutes, also depending on what you're working on. And how often...one (1) time a day on a new/not-well-understood thing is optimal. Multiple sessions on the same thing on the same day are likely to be counter productive. But you can train different things in different sessions. So when I used to do board and train, I'd schedule 5 sessions per day... 1) walking on-leash with lots of treats for heeling/sitting/fast/slow/breaks to potty/sniff. 0ther walks were just non-pulling walks with about-turns 2) playing new game and review of game play 3) new trick, review of tricks 4) feeding/interactive toy 5) body awareness exercises/calmness/staying in place. Here's a resource

... why less is sometimes more.

09/09/2025

Puppy Checklist (or what I'd have ready): 1) crate, I like good quality wire crates, but I have both wire and plastic. It should be large enough for your pup as an adult. You can partition it for when they are small. Get two crates if you have a two story house, you can always use the spare for travel and as a training tool (i.e. crate games) 2) Puppy play pen - choose a sturdy one that your pup won't be able to jump or climb over. 3) Collar/harness with ID tag...your name and cell phone number. 4) Cheap puppy bed - they love to chew, so it likely will need replacement 5) Puppy food and treats - feed the same food as the breeder. Change foods slowly to avoid stomach upsets...like diarrhea. Treats- high quality. 6) Food and water bowl - the water bowl needs to be non-spill. The food bowl dishwasher safe, but mealtimes are also training and enrichment times...so food dispensing toys and games. 7) Chew toys - you want safe, but fun toys. This tends to depend on your pup's chew intensity. You don't want them eating inedible parts. Kong has several food dispensing - Kong Tires and Original Kong or West Paw Zogoflex Toppl, and durable plush toy - Outward Hounds , no stuffing, Snake squeaky. These are all very good for strong chewers. 8) Book a vet check (within a week of getting your pup) and attendance in a puppy class - best age is before 5 months.