Spot On Training

04/25/2022

04/25/2022

07/14/2021

Do you have a dog that behaves beautifully in the training classroom....but it all falls apart once you walk out the door? We’ll help you get a dog that listens to you anytime, anywhere with our new classes Outdoor Manners: Manners for the Real World.

We’ll cover:

✅ Basic obedience to get your pup focused and following your direction
✅ Problem solving to make short work of distractions like squirrels, trash, and other dogs
✅ Problem prevention to ensure your dog is the envy of all your neighbors – friendly, relaxed, well-behaved, and fun.

Outdoor Manners kicks off this Saturday, July 17th. We'll meet 7/17, 7/24, 8/7, and 8/14 at Senate Park, across the street from Union Station.

Scamper over to www.spotondogtrainingdc.com to snag your spot.

07/12/2021

Taking a walk with your puppy doesn't have to be a push me- pull you of frustration! Whether you have a puller, or a staller, work out the kinks on your leash walks.

This 4 week class will focus on fun training games that teach your pup the rules of the road. You'll learn the secret to:

🐾 Increase their focus on you vs. what's up ahead.
🐾 Build impulse control muscles to help resist distractions like garbage or other dogs.
🐾 A dog who chooses to walk by your side instead of pulling you to the chiropractor.

"Who's Walking Who?" is coming your way this Saturday, July 17th. Class meets 7/17, 7/24, 8/7, and 8/14 at Senate Park Union Station.

Walk on over to www.spotondogtrainingdc.com/group-training-schedule/ to sign up

07/05/2021

"Say Please" is a training strategy that uses everyday situations to reward good manners and practice obedience without setting aside hours of special practice time.

Applying the principle of Say Please is simple. Whatever your dog wants, he has to work for.

From now on, doors are not opened willy-nilly; balls are not simply thrown. For those, and countless other privileges, ask your dog to say please by sitting, doing a down, spinning or performing whatever trick he knows.

With this strategy, you and your dog both win. You get a well-trained, polite dog and he gets what he wants (his belly rubbed, his leash taken off at the park). What’s more, you have laid the foundation for an enjoyable relationship for a lifetime.

Here's how to use it:
Step 1. Make a list of all the things your dog wants and enjoys.
Step 2. Vow to yourself never to give those things away for free again. See them all as training opportunities and ask your dog for an obedience behavior or trick you want strengthened.
Step 3. Give him what he wants as a reward for that behavior.
Step 4. Repeat, every day, everywhere.
When to use it.
Before throwing a ball, Frisbee, rope-toy, etc.
Before giving him a toy.
Before putting the food bowl down.
Before handing over a treat or chewie.
Before opening a door.
Before putting on a leash to go for a walk.
Before taking off a leash at the park or beach.
Before dishing out a belly rub or good ear scratch.
Before hopping into or out of the car.
Before allowing your dog onto the couch with you.

Training Tip
Be patient. Practicing cues in new situations can be a challenge. For instance, a sit at the door when your dog is eager to get out for a walk is harder than a sit in front of you.

07/02/2021

Did you know a tired puppy is a GOOD puppy?

Puppies are a lot like children. If you don’t give them something fun to do, they will make their own fun—and often not in ways you approve of. 😡

Give your pup plenty of physical and mental exercise, and you get a happier, healthier, better-behaved dog.

Well-exercised puppies bark less, chew less, sleep more, and rest easier if left home alone. They are also much less likely to rummage through the trash or attack the couch cushions.

Wanna *really* wear your puppy out? Sign up for our Online Puppy Manners Class that starts Monday, July 5th!

Our Puppy Manners class will help your pup grow into a well adjusted dogs that knows your household rules. We’ll give you tools you need to create a strong foundation while focusing on socialization skills, good manners, and confidence building.

Your puppy will learn:

✅ How to pay attention to YOU, instead of other people, dogs, or squirrels
✅ How to say "please" instead of jumping up or barking
✅ Basic Obedience such as sit and down
✅ Walking calmly on a leash, instead of pulling you down the block
✅ What to do about that non-stop puppy biting
✅ And More!

Sign up for Puppy Manners at www.spotondogtrainingdc.com/classes/

06/28/2021

Fact: No matter how many dogs there are, there's always room for more!

Speaking of which, we've got a couple spots left in our Puppy Manners and Family Manners classes that start Monday, July 5th 🥳

Our Manners classes help you create good doggy habits that last a lifetime through manners, socialization, and fun!

Puppy Manners will help your puppy grow into a well adjusted dog knows your household rules. Young puppies are very impressionable and their experiences can have lasting effects on their behavior. We’ll give you tools you need to create a strong foundation while focusing on socialization skills, good manners, and confidence building.

Family Manners helps you establish and maintain a happy and healthy relationship between you and your dog. Dogs have special training needs as they hit sexual maturity entering the ‘teenage years’ and then grow up into mature adults. This class provides an opportunity to continue learning basic skills and good habits to help your dog understand your household rules and expectations so you can BOTH enjoy life.

You can register for our Manners classes that start Monday July 5th on our website, www.spotondogtrainingdc.com

Class runs for six weeks and is held entirely online. Our virtual, semi-private environment allows for individual attention and personalized instruction.

06/27/2021

Who has conversations with their dog literally all day long? 🙋‍♀️

06/26/2021

Happiness may start with a wet nose, but it gets even better when the dog with that cute nose actually listens!

One of our favorite cues to help your dog pay attention to *you* - instead of the squirrels, trash, and other pups out on the street - is Watch.

Watch helps you get your dog’s focus with a single word. You can distract him from enticing trash in the street, or keep his eyes on you when walking past another dog.

Plus, dogs that are rewarded for paying attention do it more. And attentive dogs are easier to train. Win-win! 💕

Here's how to train it:

Step 1. Grab a bunch of small, delicious treats. Face your dog—he can be sitting, lying down, or standing.

Step 2. At first, praise and treat your dog for looking at your feet or for turning in your direction. Next, wait for something a little better, maybe your knees. Once you have something better, don’t reward for anything below that point.

The progression might look like this:
Dog looks at your feet. Praise and treat.
Dog looks at your knees. Praise and treat.
Dog looks at your waist. Praise and treat.
Dog looks at your face. Praise and reward with a big jackpot of many treats.

Progress can be fast or slow, depending on the day. But your dog doesn’t know what you want until he has been rewarded for it many times, so keep practicing.

Step 3. When your dog figures out that looking at your face earns him a treat (when he gets his treat and immediately looks at you again), begin to train a longer watch. Do this by pausing a second after your dog looks at you before you praise and treat. Next, pause for two seconds before you praise and treat, and so on. When your dog can hold eye contact for 3 seconds, he is ready for the verbal cue.

Step 4. First praise and treat your dog for looking you in the eye to get him interested in the training. Then, a second before he looks at you (you have to anticipate the moment), say, “Watch.” When he looks up, immediately praise and treat. Repeat many times.

After a few practice sessions, try telling your dog, “Watch” at a time when he is not expecting it. If he immediately looks you in the eye, you have successfully trained watch. Otherwise, keep at it.

🐶 Training Tip 🐶
Place your treats somewhere behind you or out of your dog’s view, so he doesn’t look at the treats instead of you. If he continues to look at the hand you are treating from, just wait. He will stop trying that eventually and look back up at you.

⚠️ Troubleshooting ⚠️
If your dog seems bored or distracted, you may be asking too much too soon. Lower your standards so you can praise and treat more often. Getting something right and being rewarded is fun for your dog and keeps him interested in the training.

06/25/2021

Want more fun doggy facts? Keep reading 👇

🐾 Stray dogs in Russia have learned how to ride the complex subway system, and get off at specific stops in search of food. Meanwhile, most humans have trouble figuring out the Metro 😆

🐾 Your dog can smell your feelings. In fact, your dog’s sense of smell is approximately 100,000 times better than yours. When a human is fearful, they perspire, and a dog is easily able to pick up on this change.

🐾 Petting a dog can actually benefit your physical and mental health. Studies have shown that petting a dog for 15 minutes can lower blood pressure by 10%, can help lower feelings of stress, depression, and combat loneliness (did we really need studies proving what dog owners have known forever??)

🐾 Dogs can be trained to to detect cancer, low blood sugar, and even specific strains of bacteria in humans. Dogs may even be able to sniff out cancer cells simply through smelling someone’s breath.

🐾 Dogs can only sweat out through the pads of their paws. Their main form of cooling down is panting.

🐾 45% of dogs sleep in their owner’s beds. Wonder how many hog the sheets...

🐾 The “dominance” theory of dog training has been disproven. The idea that you need to show your dog “who’s alpha,” with methods such as eating before your dog, making sure you’re always in a higher position than them, or punitive behavior, is outdated and ineffective. Of course, you need to set a routine and make sure your dog understands rules and boundaries, but avoid traditional advice about displays of dominance.

06/21/2021

It's common for guardians to feel Burn Out from dealing with their dog's barking, lunging, or destruction day after day.

Many also feel isolated and overwhelmed from life-altering behavior problems that can interfere with work, relationships, social lives, or even result in guardians never being able to leave home.

Family, friends, and the Internet offer well-intentioned advice (plus the occasional guilt trip), but with challenging behavior problems, it's hard to know where to begin or what even works.

Here are 3 ways to start changing your dog's behavior, so you can find peace and restoration:

1️⃣ Create a Daily Routine. Dogs thrive when they know what to expect day-to-day and are less likely to demand things from you by barking, whining, or getting into mischief. Unclear rules, such as letting your pup sleep in the bed some nights but putting her in the crate on others, confuse her - which she'll let you know by barking all night long.

Create AM and PM routines that include potty breaks, physical exercise, mental exercise, alone time, and attention from you. Be sure to allow flexibility in your routine - to keep your own sanity, and so your dog doesn't become dependent on following the exact routine, every day.

2️⃣ Teach your dog to Say Please. Say Please is training strategy that uses everyday situations to reward good manners and practice obedience without setting aside hours of special practice time.

Applying the principle of Say Please is simple. Whatever your dog wants, he has to work for. From now on, doors are not opened willy-nilly; balls are not simply thrown. For those, and countless other privileges, ask your dog to say please by sitting, doing a down, spinning or performing whatever trick he knows.

3️⃣ Train 1-2 easy cues that can be used in many situations. Your dog is more likely to perform an easy behavior such as sit, and by practicing in many situations, you'll strengthen the cue so you can use it during more challenging times.

Some of our favorites? Watch, Find It, and Sit.

06/19/2021

Happy Juneteenth from everyone at Spot On Dog Training!

06/18/2021

🔑 What if I could give you the key to a well-behaved dog?

For puppies, that key is Early Socialization. In this video we show you how you can start to socialize your puppy to new places, people, and dogs.

When you watch this entire video, we walk you through all the steps of socialization so you end up with a happy, calm, confident adult dog

We cover in this free on-demand video training:

✅ Why proper socialization makes your puppy less likely to have fear or aggression problems as an adult

✅ The key ingredients for successful puppy socialization

✅ How to not only reduce the likelihood of problems like stranger aggression or separation anxiety, but also help your puppy become a delightful companion

✅ The one thing you MUST do if you have an older puppy or adolescent dog

✅ The easy way to tell if your puppy "loves it" or "hates it" when experiencing new things

✅ Plus actual video footage showing how to train your pup to love new places, people, and dogs (including what to do if you have kids!)

🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴

There’s no bones about it, dog training can be HARD.

That’s why Spot On Dog Training Offers Virtual Basic Manners and Puppy Manners Classes!

Our Six Week Puppy Manners class is designed to help puppies grow into well adjusted dogs that enjoy life and know the household rules.

Young puppies are very impressionable and their experiences can have lasting effects on their behavior.

We’ll give you tools you need to create a strong foundation while focusing on socialization skills, good manners, and confidence building.

Classes kick off Monday, July 5th. Head over to www.spotondogtrainingdc.com to Learn More!

06/17/2021

Anyone else have a dog who was a sentry in a former life? 🙋‍♀️

Barking generally falls into five categories. To cut down on any kind of barking, give your dog plenty of exercise and arrange for mental stimulation when he is left alone. Feed him using puzzle toys or stuffed Kongs.

🐕 Boredom Barking happens when a dog is left alone often and doesn’t get enough exercise or mental stimulation. Dogs are like kids. If you don’t give them something fun to do, they entertain themselves—often in ways we don’t appreciate. So, step up the doggie workouts and get out the puzzles.

🐕 Separation Anxiety Barking is characterized by constant home-alone barking usually coupled with other behaviors such as house soiling, visible anxiety upon departure and arrival, and destruction around doors and windows.

In this case, barking is a symptom of the underlying anxiety, which is what needs to be addressed. Contact us right away if you think your dog suffers from separation anxiety.

🐕 Barrier Frustration Barking often comes with posturing such as snarling or baring of teeth. The three most common occurrences are: Dogs left in a backyard too long, dogs in cars, or dogs on leash that would be perfectly comfortable with whatever they are barking at (most often other dogs) if they were off leash.

With very social dogs, more time spent playing with other dogs and less time spent behind a barrier will greatly improve the problem. Not-so-social dogs first need to learn to enjoy other dogs. In the meantime, avoid unsupervised time in the yard or car.

In either case, always give your dog a treat when he sees another dog but can’t say hi.

🐕 Demand Barking occurs in dogs that have learned that barking gets them what they want—balls thrown, doors opened, dinner, or attention. To curb demand barking, immediately stop rewarding the barking: Ignore your dog or walk away when he barks.

Pick times when he is quiet, tell him “Nice quiet,” and pet or treat him. If your dog barks when you work at the computer or talk on the phone, preempt his behavior. Settle him in his crate or on his bed with a toy or stuffed Kong before you sit down to work.

🐕 Watchdog Barking is triggered by sights and sounds such as passersby, slamming car doors, or a cat on the lawn. Watchdog barkers were sentries in a previous life.

Teach your dog to respond to noises by getting a toy or barking once, then coming to find you. Keep blinds closed and don’t put your dog’s bed or his confinement area anywhere near a window or bay door. Crating your dog can be a great way to signal to him that he can take time off from his patrol duties.

Spot On Training stands for positive-based training with evidence-based outcomes, for dogs who thrive and are happy and healthy.

06/16/2021

In this video, I explain how you can use Learning by Association to change your dog's negative feelings about something into positive feelings.

We use this a lot with Reactive Dogs - dogs that bark, lunge, and snap when they see another dog while out on walks.

In this technique, we use carefully timed food treats to teach a dog that the thing she fears is nothing to be afraid of and is in fact quite fabulous.

❓How does it work❓

1. Choose your dog’s favorite treat. You might even go all out and pick something she has never had before that you think she will love. The meatier, softer, juicier the treat, the more impact the training has.

2. Cut the treats into bite-size pieces no larger than an M&M. Put them in an easy-to-get-to container like a bait bag, an old f***y pack, or an apron pocket.

3. Begin treating your dog as soon as the object she fears, or dislikes comes into her sight.

4. Continue treating your dog at a rate of about one treat per second for as long as the object is in view.

5. The moment the object disappears, abruptly stop the stream of treats.

6. Repeat the process every time the object appears.

👍Rules of Thumb 👍

Don’t treat your dog with the special treat when the scary object is not in sight.

Make sure the scary object doesn’t stay in sight for too long.

If your dog seems fearful, isn’t taking treats, or doesn’t become more relaxed after several repetitions, increase the distance
between her and the scary object. These exercises only work if your dog is comfortable and relaxed enough to learn.

Treat every time your dog sees the scary object.

🐶 Examples of when to use this technique 🐶

With dogs that growl, bark, or lunge at other dogs.
With dogs that growl, bark, or lunge at people.
With dogs that are afraid of cars, bicycles, skateboards, etc.
With dogs that are afraid of garage doors, revving engines, etc.

06/15/2021

One of the main ways puppies learn is By Association - what is safe vs. what is dangerous.

And a lot of puppies learn that the groomer means DANGER ⛔️

Think about it from your puppy’s perspective: She will be left with a stranger for a good part of the day. That stranger will handle her a lot—holding her still, touching her all over. There will be new objects like scissors and nail clippers. Also, a bath. And loud, potentially scary things like clippers and hair dryers.

In short, unprepared, a puppy might find the grooming salon alarming. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you want your puppy to grow up loving every visit to her groomer—instead of stalling out and refusing to enter, and then shaking and shivering the rest of the day from the experience— you can use Learning By Association to your advantage and teach her that the groomer is SAFE.

You can do that by:

🤲 Handle your puppy, and get others to handle her, too.

Think about all the ways the groomer will need to handle your pup: holding her feet, ears, and tail, touching her all over, and restraining her. Do these things yourself on a regular basis. Teach your dog to love this kind of handling by noting any areas of discomfort (when she shies away, pulls her paw away, tries to leave) and pair them with treats.

✂️ Introduce your puppy to the equipment.

Don’t let the first time your puppy sees nail clippers or hair clippers or hears the hair dryer be at the groomer’s. Introduce her to these things gradually at home.

🛁 Make bath time fun.

Of course, a big reason you are taking your puppy to a groomer, is so you won’t have to bathe her yourself. But doing so a few times before the professional takes over can go a long way toward successful grooming trips for the length of your dog’s life.

🐶 Pro Tip: Always go at your puppy’s pace. Make sure she is wagging her tail and having fun. If she seems stressed or nervous, back off to an earlier, easier, less scary step.

We'll teach you how to prepare for the groomer - along with how to socialize your puppy and train her for lifelong good behavior - in our Puppy Manners Class. Find out more at www.spotondogtrainingdc.com

Spot On Training stands for positive-based training with evidence-based outcomes, for dogs who thrive and are happy and healthy.

06/14/2021

Being in a happy moods helps us all learn better - even dogs!

But it's tough for our dogs (and us) to be in a happy, laughing mood when we only focus on "correcting" them.

One of the main ways dogs learn is by forming associations. They know when the food bowl comes out, it means dinner soon follows. Or if mom pulls out the leash, it's time to go on a fun walk.

They also form negative associations. One bad run-in with a smooshy-face dog (like a Boxer) can make your dog afraid or aggressive towards ALL smooshy-face dogs.

Everything we do around our pups influences the associations they make - including their associations with us.

If we're doling out lots of punishment, our pups learn that we're not safe to be around. They may choose to stay far away from us, or may tell us to back off by growling and snapping...or worse.

And being afraid of us, their guardians, means our dogs are constantly feeling stressed. When we're under stress (even us humans!), we don't learn as well.

So using punishment can be lose-lose. Our dogs learn to be afraid of us, and they don't learn as well how they should properly behave.

Lucky for us, there's a better way. We can help our dogs form positive associations with us and the world around them, AND we can teach them what behavior we'd like to see from them instead. Win-win!

Want more on how your dog learns, and how you can use these to train her? Check out our NEW webinar "How Dogs Learn", available under "Videos" on our page.

06/02/2021

If you thought puppyhood was challenging, you’re in for a wild ride with...

The Terrible Teens 😱

Dogs hit the adolescent phase of their life at about 6 months. Adolescence can last up to 2 years, when dogs officially become adults at 2.5 years.

The adolescent time is typically the hardest for owners (yep, more difficult than potty training) and it’s when most dogs are given up to shelters because owners are fed up and frustrated with their dog’s behavior.

Essentially, they’re the equivalent of a human teenager. Just as human teenagers want it their way, think they know everything, test boundaries (or create their own rules) - adolescent dogs do too!

Your dog is learning that he is faster than you, thinks he’s smarter than you, and figures out he can be independent. That cute puppy that followed you around now dashes off when something more exciting comes around.

Dogs at this stage need consistent boundaries and household rules. Set firm limits now to avoid behavior issues; the rules can always be relaxed later on as good habits are established.

Dogs want structure and routine, as it makes their world manageable and predictable. It’s not fair to make up rules as you go, or make occasional exceptions.

Some guidelines:

✅ Be fair, teach your dog to ask for things.
✅ They need stimulation - mental enrichment!
✅ Don’t make the mistake of letting your guard down with socialization efforts, it’s just as important during this time. Adolescents are very vulnerable to quick changes in the environment, unfortunate incidents with other dogs/persons, and traumas can have lasting effects on their behavior.
✅ You must monitor play to ensure he is playing appropriately and not learning bad habits or becoming a bully.
✅ Don’t assume ALL dogs want to say hello. Even though dogs are social creatures, that doesn’t mean they all want to say hello and be around other dogs. Just think about the different human personalities: social butterflies, those who prefer a tight circle of friends, and wallflowers. Please always ask first before letting your dog greet another dog.
✅ You must become an expert in canine body language.
✅ Dogs aren’t defiant! What we ask them to do has no importance to them and is very unnatural. Humans value sitting and lying down, quiet, no jumping, walking slowly, waiting, and leaving gross things alone.

Dogs, however, value chewing and digging (it's a good way to find treasure and it feels SO. GOOD.), jumping on counters (duh, there's yummy food up there!), sniffing things to gather information, jumping on people to say hello (it worked when they were a cute little puppy!), and eating dead things is FUN.

Spot On Training stands for positive-based training with evidence-based outcomes, for dogs who thrive and are happy and healthy.

05/28/2021

"Say Please" is an amazing training strategy that uses everyday situations to reward good manners and practice obedience without setting aside hours of special practice time.

Teaching your pup to Say Please is simple. Whatever your dog wants, he has to work for. From now on, doors are not opened willy-nilly; balls are not simply thrown.

For those, and countless other privileges, ask your dog to say please by sitting, doing a down, spinning or performing whatever trick he knows.

With this strategy, you and your dog both win. You get a well-trained, polite dog and he gets what he wants (his belly rubbed, his leash taken off at the park).

What’s more, you have laid the foundation for an enjoyable relationship for a lifetime. Now that's what we call a win!

Here's how to do it:

Step 1. Make a list of all the things your dog wants and enjoys.

Step 2. Vow to yourself never to give those things away for free again. See them all as training opportunities and ask your dog for an obedience behavior or trick you want strengthened.

Step 3. Give him what he wants as a reward for that behavior.

Step 4. Repeat, every day, everywhere.

Ask your dog to say please:
Before throwing a ball, Frisbee, rope-toy, etc.
Before giving him a toy.
Before putting the food bowl down.
Before handing over a treat or chewie.
Before opening a door.
Before putting on a leash to go for a walk.
Before taking off a leash at the park or beach.
Before dishing out a belly rub or good ear scratch.
Before hopping into or out of the car.
Before allowing your dog onto the couch with you.

05/27/2021

Got a wild 'n wooly pup that jumps on guests, runs off at the park, and barks at literally every leaf?

We've got our "Family Manners" and "Puppy Manners" classes starting next week 😍

Your pup will learn:

✅ How to focus on *you* (not squirrels or other dogs)
✅ Impulse Control (say good-bye to dashing out the front door)
✅ Polite Greetings *without* pulling or jumping
✅ And much, much more!

Oh, and did we mention classes are 100% Virtual? No getting stuck in traffic or fighting for parking spots - you can even show up in your PJs!

Get your spot at www.spotondogtrainingdc.com/group-training-schedule/

05/25/2021

Just a quick reminder - you’ve only got a couple days left to sign up for our Emergency Recall webinar!

If you want a dog that zooms over to you in any situation - no matter how dangerous or enticing - this webinar will teach you how.

It’s perfect for those times your dog accidentally gets out the front door and decides to take off after the mailman or a jogger.

You can snag your spot at www.spotondogtrainingdc.com/live-webinars/

05/24/2021

Did you know TWO of our trainers are Certified Separation Anxiety Trainers?

If you’re headed back to the office and afraid you’ll come home to destroyed curtains or noise complaints, we’ve got you covered.

Check out our comprehensive, 100% virtual Separation Anxiety program. We start with a virtual consultation to assess your pup’s Separation Anxiety. Then we’ll guide you, step-by-step, through the entire training process. We’ll get you from those initial baby steps, to going out to dinner with friends guilt-free, to leaving for an entire workday, panic-free.

Learn more and sign up here: www.spotondogtrainingdc.com/separation-anxiety/

Spot On Training stands for positive-based training with evidence-based outcomes, for dogs who thrive and are happy and healthy.