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The Human Dog Team

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The Human Dog Team

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In Person family pet dog training in San Diego, options for virtual sessions available

10/12/2026

Maybe I’m a little selfish for sharing all the fun stuff and not all the hard work that goes into getting here. But honestly, these outings are some of the highlights of what I do.

Every dog in this video has a story, and every one of their owners has put in the hard work to get where they are today.

Some of these dogs came to me for redirecting toward their owners, others for resource guarding. One dog had already gone through training before suffering an injury that required surgery, and is now working his way through rehabilitation. We even had another dog at the outing who didn’t make it into the video, who had a history of breaking out of her crate and was there to practice recall.

These are dogs and owners who have faced very different challenges, and seeing them all enjoying an afternoon together is something pretty special.

We start with private lessons, move into group classes, and spend a lot of time practicing, building communication, and learning how to work together as a team.

And once owners aren’t constantly stressing about how to communicate with their dogs, we get to do things like this!

Someone recently gifted me two paddleboards, and I figured, what better way to enjoy them than to share them with my students?

These outings aren’t really about teaching. They’re about celebrating how far everyone has come, enjoying each other’s company, and challenging ourselves with new activities and hobbies alongside our dogs.

One thing I especially enjoyed about this outing was getting to stay relatively stationary and observe the dogs’ personalities. I often encourage movement to help dogs release tension, so it was interesting to watch how they handled a different kind of experience.

At the end of the day, dog training isn’t just about focusing on the behaviors we don’t want. It is about creating opportunities to enjoy more of life together.

That’s what I strive for when guiding each Human Dog Team that comes to me.

09/14/2026

Students who continue maintaining their dogs’ training receive lifetime invitations to group adventures like this one get you more freedom, new places, good dogs, and great people.

My programs include private sessions, group classes, ongoing support, and much more. But one of my favorite parts comes after graduation: continuing to see the dogs and people I’ve helped and getting to share adventures like this with them.

09/05/2026

Dog attacks can happen incredibly fast, and once they start, our first instinct is often to reach in with our hands. That can make an already dangerous situation even worse.

Here are three things I think are worth considering before you ever find yourself in that situation:

1. Carry pepper gel.
Having a defensive tool available can give you another option when you need to create distance and protect yourself or your dog.

2. Carry an extra leash.
An extra leash can give you another tool for creating separation or gaining control without immediately putting your hands near a dog’s mouth.

3. Develop your footwork.
This one might sound strange, but I recommend soccer—or really any sport that teaches you to move your feet, stay balanced and react quickly. Soccer has helped me tremendously because I’m comfortable using my legs and positioning my body without instinctively reaching toward a dog with my hands.

None of these are about wanting to hurt another dog. They’re about being better prepared, preventing a bad situation from becoming worse, and protecting everyone involved.

08/26/2026

Ozzy has officially earned couch privileges. If he’s polite, keeps himself calm, and remembers his manners, he gets to hang out on the ottoman. The goal was never to keep him off the furniture, it was to teach him how to handle the freedom. Good choices earn more access.

I believe this is Ozzy’s third time back with me for boarding, and every time he comes back, he’s better behaved and more mature.

That credit goes to his owner. The work that happens at home between visits is what makes the difference. It’s really nice to see the consistency paying off and to be able to give Ozzy more freedom each time he comes back.

08/25/2026

I believe the last video I posted was from about a month and a half ago, when Archie was a lot smaller and finishing up his e-collar training.

The best part of proper e-collar training is that you won’t need to rely on it.

We’ve already trained here. We’ve already practiced these skills. We’ve already made expectations clear. The e-collar helped us reinforce what they already knew.

Now, they can do the same things without it.

I still like having the e-collar available when new situations come up. It gives me a way to redirect or correct when needed.

But today? We had the whole field to ourselves… except for a few owls. 🦉 So there was no reason to rely on it.

The tool helped with the training.

The training is what stays.

08/19/2026

One of the things I love most about the e-collar is being able to give dogs more freedom without losing communication.

These four had just chased a squirrel up a tree. I didn’t need to yell, repeat myself, or even get up off the ground. Just a small gesture and a calm whistle to say, “Hey, tune back in.”

But this doesn’t start with the e-collar.

I teach this first by creating engagement through movement, especially on a long line. I want the dog to learn to naturally check back in with you while they’re exploring and having fun. From there, we move into basic e-collar work.

It really doesn’t have to be complicated.

Build the engagement, then slowly build up the 3Ds. Then use the e-collar to keep that line of communication when the leash comes off.

06/26/2026

One of the biggest mistakes owners make is asking for behavior after behavior without ever giving the dog a chance to make a choice.

The goal isn’t to see how long your dog can obey, it’s to understand what they choose when they’re free.

After your dog completes what you ask, release them.

That release isn’t the end of training, it’s time for both of you to process information.

Does your dog choose to offer the behavior again? Do they stay engaged with you? Or do they need a moment to process something in the environment?

Those few seconds tell you far more about your dog’s state of mind than keeping them under command the entire time.

Out of all the markers I use, “Good” (Stay) is the only one that has duration. It tells the dog, “Keep doing what you’re doing.” It functions much like a stay.

Every other marker includes an implied release. I want my dogs spending as much time as possible making choices rather than simply remaining under command.

06/25/2026

With recall training, you have to reward whatever step you’re currently working on.

If I’m at the stage where I say “Come” and the dog is moving slowly or hesitating, then my goal isn’t anything fancy yet, I’m simply trying to build speed and enthusiasm.

“Come.”

The dog comes in front of me, gets paid, and we repeat.

We’re building a simple connection: when you respond quickly, it’s worth it.

As soon as the dog becomes more reliable and enthusiastic at that level, we can start asking for more, sitting at front position and collar grab for a release.

At first the dog comes in, gets rewarded, and then immediately gets released back to whatever they were doing.

The release is important because it teaches the dog that coming to you doesn’t always mean the fun ends.

If the dog doesn’t come back after being released, don’t keep pushing forward with more advanced training. If this foundation isn’t solid, there’s no point in trying to teach advanced skills or change more difficult behaviors.

Step one is always building a great recall. Once that looks really good, we can begin introducing what I call the Team Recall.

The dog comes directly into position in front of me. I can drop the leash or collar, and the dog chooses to stay engaged.

One of my favorite signs that a dog understands the exercise is when they look away at something interesting and then voluntarily choose to look back at me.

In this example, the people the dog wants to visit are behind me. The reward isn’t that the dog ignores them forever. The reward is that the dog notices them, thinks about them, and then chooses to reconnect with me first.

That’s the beginning of my team recall.

06/24/2026

This clip is from Ozzy’s first few days with me back in April. Once we had worked on these basics in my backyard, it was time to see how he responded to distractions in the real world.

One of the things we were working on was the difference between obedience and requests.

A request is a way of checking in on your dog’s state of mind. For example, if you’re unsure whether your dog wants to play fetch, you can simply ask with a cue like, “Play.” There is no consequence if the dog chooses not to engage. Their response gives you valuable information about their mental, emotional, and physical state.

Two of my favorite request cues are “Touch” (nose to hand) and “Focus” (eye contact, non verbal). These simple behaviors create connection, help you gather feedback, and allow your dog to participate without feeling pressured to obey.

Using request cues before a walk, training session, or play session can build focus, optimism, and engagement because they often predict access to something the dog enjoys. It’s a simple but powerful way to strengthen the relationship and create a better human-dog team.

06/23/2026

Ozzy first came to me in April as a 7- to 8-month-old puppy for a Board & Train focused on confidence, social skills, and puppy foundations.

Now, a couple of months later, he’s back for boarding, and it’s always fun to see how much a young dog has changed.

He’s more confident in urban environments, more comfortable around people and dogs, and much better at navigating distractions without feeling like he needs to be involved in everything.

Like most teenage puppies, though, he’s still learning how to handle excitement, frustration, and those big emotions that show up when life gets overwhelming.

That’s the part many people forget about puppy training. Confidence is important, but learning self-control, emotional regulation, and appropriate social skills takes time, repetition, and maturity.

Overall, I’m really proud of this little guy and excited to watch him keep growing up.

(Just as long as he doesn’t spend too much time in piranha mode.)

Address

4414 33rd Street
San Diego, CA
92116

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 7pm
Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 7pm
Thursday	9am - 7pm
Friday	9am - 6pm
Saturday	9am - 7pm
Sunday	9am - 7pm

Telephone

(619) 919-1099

Website

https://www.thehumandogteam.com/contact/

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