Pawgress Dog Training

01/07/2022

January is National Train Your Dog Month. To celebrate, Pawgress is donating 10% of all sales from our HALF-OFF, self-paced Basic Manners dog training course to Friends of Berkeley Animal Care Services in support of the animals at Berkeley Animal Care Services! Check out the details here:

Dog training isn't complicated, but it is complex. It isn't hard to teach your dog how to sit or come when called, but there are a lot of details that go into the process.

12/23/2021

Exciting things to come!

Psst ... We have big news! If you are planning to bring home a new dog this holiday season, got a pup who could use some refresher training, or are just looking to improve your own handling skills, you'll want to hear about our exciting new partnership with Pawgress Dog Training. We'll share all the details the first week in January, which just happens to be National Train Your Dog month. Sign up for our newsletter at friendsofbacs.org or simply check back right here. Come. Sit. Stay ... tuned!

03/29/2021

Dog training isn't complicated, but it is complex. It isn't hard to teach your dog how to sit or come when called, but there are a lot of details that go into the process. Learn how to teach your dog 10 reliable behaviors from an award-winning trainer in just 15 minutes per day.

07/01/2020

More than a year in the works, I’m excited to announce that I have officially joined the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior as a Faculty Advisor for aspiring dog trainers!

06/03/2020

Police brutality is just one symptom of the underlying cause of systemic racism. Just like stopping a dog from barking, growling and lunging on the leash won’t change the dog’s underlying emotional response toward a particular trigger, stopping police brutality will not end systemic racism.
When I walk in my neighborhood, I do not feel suspicious to others. When a police officer sees me, I do not fear for my life. If I were on trial, I would not fear a more severe judgement than that of another citizen who committed the same crime. I do not fear that my vote will be lost, suppressed or deemed fraudulent. I do not fear a lower wage in places or employment, or that I will be denied equal opportunity when applying for a loan or renting/buying a home. These are just a few of the things in which I do not fear. The benefit of doubt, presumption of innocence and all of the tools and resources of the American system lean in my favor because of the color of my skin. This is not justice, and that is the fight.
How we can do better:
1. Donate: here is a place where donations can be split among more than 70 organizations, including community bail funds, mutual aid funds, and racial justice organizers, https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bail_funds_george_floyd?refcode=cwg (link also in bio)
2. Educate: read or listen to a book or watch a movie, like White Fragility, to learn how to recognize, identify and talk about racism and the micro-aggressions that people of color experience on a daily basis
3. Vote: elect public officials who have publicly committed or have a public track record of supporting and implementing civil rights policies
4. Support: local businesses owned by people of color
5. Interact: make a friend with someone who doesn’t share your skin color.
As renowned organizational psychologist and New York Times Bestselling Author says, “Zoom out for purpose. Zoom in for progress.” @ Oakland, California

08/15/2019

Sometimes training is unintentional. The other day while I was responding to emails, Franky got bored and began pacing around the room, methodically trying to earn my attention by moving in and out of my line of sight. I looked up when he plopped underneath the window and the curtains draped over his head. It was adorable, so I grabbed my camera and captured a picture.
Well, it turns out that I captured two things here: a picture and a new behavior.
Because I rewarded Franky with what he was looking for as he was pacing around the room (attention), he now plops under the window and sits patiently with the curtains draped adorably over his head every time he gets bored.
Trainers are frequently asked how to eliminate unwanted behaviors, such as whining, jumping, and barking. The moral of my story with Franky is that we cannot overlook how our behavior affects the behavior of our dogs, whether this is intentional or not. This particular behavior from Franky doesn’t bother me, but there are plenty of unwanted behaviors that I could “capture” by inadvertently rewarding the wrong thing. Notice that food wasn’t even present here.
So the next time your dog does something you want to eliminate, ask yourself, “What is (s)he trying to accomplish?” Only after you know the answer to this question can you design an effective plan to modify the behavior.

08/11/2019

Shasta is easily distracted on walks by her strong desire to chase things. “Touch” is a great cue to redirect her attention away from distractions and keep her next to me. But if I ask Shasta to “Touch” while we are walking, I know her desire to chase things would trump the treats I can offer her for touching my hand.
Fortunately, behavior is predictable, and I don’t need more or better treats to improve Shasta’s “Touch.” In this video, I am rewarding Shasta for touching my hand with the opportunity to chase a flirt pole. Shasta is performing a less probable behavior in order to engage in something more probable, just like when dogs drop balls to continue playing fetch. This is called the Premack Principle, and it is constantly being demonstrated all around us. Can you think of some other examples?

08/02/2019

Congratulations to Hubert the vizsla, who competes in the AKC show ring under the name Kizmar GJ Horton Hears a Hubert JH. He recently took home first place in the Del Monte Kennel Club competition in Carmel! Hubert's handler initially contacted us to help address his fear of being handled by the conformation judges, which can reduce his overall score in the show ring. I could not be more proud of how much Hubert and his handler have made!

07/27/2019

Finn showing off his super fast, eager and bouncy distance recall in Puppy Kindergarten.

07/16/2019

Now offering group classes at Pet Food Express in Rockridge! Visit www.pawgress.dog to register!