Don't worry, he's friendly; he's never bitten before. Famous last words that many of us have heard time and time again. As a dog trainer, I look back on the many times I have taken other people's word on this and honestly cannot believe that I haven't found myself in more trouble. These days, I consult with numerous dogs of varying degrees of dominance and aggression every week, making a point to ensure each one is secured properly on lead, never taking a moment to 'get to know' any dog by … [Read more...] about Don’t Worry, He’s Friendly (he’s never bitten before)
Camellia Saunderson
Why I Became a Dog Trainer with
Why I Became a Dog Trainer I never dreamed of being a dog trainer, in fact, it was never something I even considered until the day I decided to become one. So what lead me to that point? In 2012, I opened a pitbull rescue which quickly became known for taking in difficult cases; that’s when I met my soul mate. In late October, I walked into the city pound and noticed this big-eyed blue beauty named Tank. In awe, I placed my hand on his kennel door and stated that if he was dog friendly, I was … [Read more...] about Why I Became a Dog Trainer with
Dog Food- A Simple Guide to your Ingredient List
The first thing you need to know is that every ingredient in your dog food is listed on the bag in descending order. This means that the first ingredient holds the most weight, the second ingredient holds the second highest amount of weight, and so on. Meat vs. Meat Meal: For the purpose of this blog, 'meat' refers to protein such as Beef, Fish, Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Etc. Avoid anything referred to simply as 'meat' on the bag. Meats listed on your dog's food are weighed prior to the cooking … [Read more...] about Dog Food- A Simple Guide to your Ingredient List
Chino and Java’s Rehabilitation
Java and Chino came to train with Camellia at Unleashed Potential- The Valley because they were getting into fights with each other in their home. Java, who's issues were insecurity with dogs and pushy controlling behavior, stayed for 4 weeks, while Chino, who's issues of dog aggression and generalized anxiety were much more extensive, stayed for 9 weeks before he was ready to go home. Today, both dogs live together without issue, something their owner wasn't sure could be possible. The … [Read more...] about Chino and Java’s Rehabilitation
Training Small Breed Dogs like Jake the Shih-Tzu
Recently I noticed that all of my clients are large breed dogs; does that mean that there are more large breed dogs with behavioral issues than there are small breed dogs? I don't believe so. I feel that many people see small breed dogs as being easier to manage than large breed dogs, so often times they get tucked away, picked up off the ground, left at home, and have excuses made for their behavior, rather than actually dealing with it. Jake is a 7 year old Shih-Tzu who came to me as an … [Read more...] about Training Small Breed Dogs like Jake the Shih-Tzu