On Point Dog Training LLC

09/17/2025

Imagine this:

It's a sunny, gorgeous, fall day. You want to take your sweet pup for a walk at the park. Unfortunately, the park isn't within walking distance of your home. Good news, it's just a short car ride. Bad news, you can't get your dog into the car and he's too large for you to pick up.

Getting into the car isn't really something that we think about being challenging; after all, most of us have been riding in the car since a few days after birth. It isn't scary for the vast majority of us. So why would our dog be afraid? Shouldn't that "All American Family Dog" want to jump right in? You're taking them somewhere fun, so why wouldn't they? Why don't they get it?

This is actually a fairly common issue. There could be several reasons and most of the time we will never know exactly which one. This can be overcome!

In just a short three weeks, this gentle giant is making enormous strides of progress! I could not be any prouder of how brave and willing he is. When you let the dog lead the session and ensure that they are comfortable and confident with each step before continuing, these are the results you get. We still have a long way to go (closing the door, going for a ride, getting back in). But this progress is absolutely incredible. I can't wait to see what happens at the next session! Stay tuned!

09/16/2025

You just never know what you'll see when you're out for a training trip!

It looks like Nux is pulling, but he's actually sitting perfectly still. I'm not sure he even noticed the giant camel! I was holding the leash tightly just in case!

Nux was a great boy. We went on a Saturday morning. Not only was the camel there, but a farmers market was also going on. He sat perfectly still for every pet that he got and even waited patiently in a sit while we picked him out some new gear!

09/13/2025

You never know what you might find while you're training!

Yesterday while training a chocolate lab named Lincoln, I found this precious little baby on the sidewalk of a popular public park. I gently moved him to the other side so nobody could harm him! This is a non venomous baby gray rat snake. They can her 6-8 feet in length at full grown!

*I have been professionally trained in handling non venomous and venomous snakes. Please just let snakes be when you aren't sure what species they are. It can be very confusing and it is very easy to misidentify.*

08/07/2025

This is so exciting! This is the first time that my business has been nominated for a community vote! I would greatly appreciate you taking a minute out of your day to nominate On Point Dog Training LLC! Thank you to anyone who nominated me, and thank you for voting for me!

Official 2025 Community Voting Awards Platform for Birmingham, AL. Where the community votes for their favorites every year.

07/21/2025

How many of your pups go get pup cups? Let's see yo ur videos and pictures! This is just too cute!

1.3M likes, 2287 comments. “🐶: Hi, I need a pup cup!!”

05/30/2025

Hello!

I am sharing a list for a few more puzzle feeders and bones for my boarding dogs! If you feel so inclined, the dogs would appreciate some new toys! These toys help keep the precious pups occupied on days that I have to work when they're staying with me.

Puzzle Feeders/Bones - Amazon Gift List -

05/14/2025

Adele and her mom have been working SO hard to get this walking thing down pat!

Today was Adele's first outing during a session and she did fantastic! Even when she got ahead of herself towards the end of this video, a simple and quick leash correction put Adele straight into a sit; a great settling behavior to help refocus.

Adele first learned proper walking manners in her own neighborhood with a low amount of distractions. Her mom worked SO hard to really instill in Adele the power of eye contact. If you can't get your dog to make eye contact with you, you will fail in every other way. It's a simple step but one that cannot be skipped over. You simply won't make it past distractions without it.

Can you believe that just two weeks ago, Adele's mom was feeling defeated when it came to leash walking? This video is proof that consistently doing your homework and making an effort pays off.

Stay tuned for Adele visiting Home Depot and really being challenged when it comes to behaving amongst super tempting distractions!

Leash walking is one of the biggest requests that I receive. If your walk is no fun and is a constant game of dragging or tug of war, I can help end that!

05/07/2025

I'm going to be very raw here.

If I find out that you, as the owner, are not doing your homework between lessons and on top of that have the nerve to complain that progress is not being made, I will fire you as a client.

Your dog deserves consistent effort being put in.

Your dog deserves to reach their full potential.

You dog deserves for you to learn the basics of dog training.

Your dog deserves for you to learn how to lead them.

Your dog deserves the best and fullest life.

If you can't give that to them, please consider rehoming them to an owner who can.

If you don't vibe with me, no hurt feelings here. If that's the case, your dog deserves for you to find a trainer who can get the point across better.

I can tell if you've done your homework and if you haven't. I can tell if you're being consistent and if you're not.

What I will NOT do is watch a dog who has an immense amount of potential, not reach it because you aren't putting the effort in.

Half of my job is to teach the owner how to train (at least the basics) and how to understand their dogs brain better. You'll never learn that if you don't want to. You WILL be training your dog for their entire life and that's the reality. If you don't bother to put the effort in and learn it, you'll be struggling for your dogs entire life. Period. I cannot stress enough how pertinent it is to learn this stuff.

If that means less money for me, I could care less. I'm not in it for the money, I'm in it for the dogs and for you. For that bond that I can foster between you and your dog. To help the both of you reach your full potential, together as a team.

If you can't commit, I'm not either.

I am not Ms. Make My Dog Do Everything in 6 Lessons. Soak in the information. Ask questions. Take my advice (I have plenty to accomplish just one goal). Train your dog. Put in the work. I'm here to GUIDE you. NOT to do your homework for you. I can't accomplish training a dog everything they need to know in six hours. Literally nobody can do that. It takes TWO YEARS to get your dog where you ideally want them to be. This is why in actuality, I teach the people more than I teach the dogs.

Maybe this is unprofessional, maybe it isn't. But it's something that more dog trainers need to say. I've always been the one who stands up for others, and says what nobody else will.

So here I am, saying it. I will fire you.

04/13/2025

Two of my clients live next door to each other and regularly have play dates.

I think it's safe to say they get along well and wear each other out!

Stay tuned for videos of these sweet babies in class next week 😊

04/11/2025

Luke is my right hand man today!

Sometimes my dogs get to join in on the fun!

My dogs can serve as guides, a distraction or help with socialization skills.

It's always a blast when they get to meet my clients dogs!

04/07/2025

Meet Finn and Mac! Mac was adopted by his now owners from someone who kept him confined in a crate for nearly his entire life. When Mac was adopted, his owners also had a dog named Luke. Mac and Luke ended up being friends, despite Mac's lack of socialization with his previous owners. Sadly, last year Luke crossed the rainbow bridge. This year, Finn joined the family. As a precaution, his owners hired me to ensure a smooth transition. If you have an existing dog and plan on bringing in a new puppy, you need to have a plan in place on how to introduce them.

Tips for bringing in a new puppy:
1. Learn dog body language, particularly precursors for the established dog. Whale eyes, side eye, a stiff body, a furrowed forehead and pinned ears are just a few examples of what to look for. Intervene appropriately and as needed when these behaviors are observed.
2. PUPPY MUST BE ON LEASH! My general rule of thumb is that a puppy must earn the right to be off leash in the house; this especially applies when there are other animals or children in the home. Because will not have verbal control over your puppy yet, the only form of control you will have is the leash. Not only is it unfair for your other pets or children to get clobbered, it is your job to make sure that everyone stays safe and to set everyone up for success.
3. Teach basic behaviors ASAP. Recall and place are priority.
4. Any form of controlled interaction is beneficial. Side by side training sessions or walks together are a great example.

The more that you practice and train throughout the day, the faster your success will be. I often get asked "how many sessions will I need" or "how long do you think this will take"? Those questions are limited by two factors: each individual dogs personality and the amount of work that you put into meeting your goal.

Jamie has put an immense amount of work into these two pups and it shows. It's only been three weeks since our first session. Additionally, Finn is only 12 weeks old. This is incredible progress for a puppy of that age. This is also remarkable progress for Mac, who couldn't even be in the same room as Finn when we met (he was unsure and avoidant; that made Jamie uncomfortable). When you do your homework, it pays off, y'all. This is proof.

*Not all dogs will progress this quickly even with hard work; some dogs are going to take longer than others and every case is different. But if you don't consistently complete your homework, it will take even longer*

03/14/2025

This your last warning!!!!

Today is the day to prepare!

Wouldn't you rather be prepared and nothing happen, then to not be and lose your beloved pet?

-Set up crates in your basement.
-Collars AND harnesses on (with ID tags); even better if your pet has a microchip BUT make sure they are registered with correct information!
-Leashes in front of or attached to crates!
-Pets into crates at the issue of a tornado watch OR sooner! A bit of anxiety won't kill your pet; but a tornado could!

It may not be a crate but at least Wrigley is trying to set a great example by preparing for the storms! 💕