Services | Bliss Dog Training Llc

Services Provided

Preparing for the Arrival of Your New Puppy or Adult Dog

Whether you are getting a new puppy, or an adult dog, proper preparation makes all the difference for making your experience a success. I will show you how to do such things as physically preparing (dog proofing) your house, tell you what the necessary things are to get for your dog (such as crates, food, toys, dog gates, leashes, etc), and explain the correct means to teach your dog, so as to make the initial first few weeks as pleasant and successful as possible.

Puppy Training

All puppies should be trained, so as to provide a successful basic foundation for the rest of their lives. The best age range for puppy training is from 8 weeks to 5 months. Puppy training is not the same as adult dog training, as puppies have specific needs of their own. Puppies respond very well to positive reinforcement, especially the use of treats or toys as a reward.

In puppy training I teach such things as:

Name recognition
Puppy socialization and puppy fear
Puppy play
House breaking (potty training)
Crate training
Sit and Down
Come
Leave it
Loose leash walking
Wait and Stay

“Rebellious teenager” training

From about 5 months age to 7 to 9 months, before becoming an adult, your puppy might become a rebellious teenager. This is the time that your dog, after having been so good and responsive, suddenly stops paying any attention to you. You might ask him to do something, and get this look which says: “I know what you want, and I’m not going to do it”. This is quite common, and is not indicative of faulty training. I work with dog owners, and help guide them through this sometimes difficult time.

Adult Training

A dog becomes an adult from the age of about 9 months. This is the time to firmly establish, and expand on, the training your dog received as a puppy. If your dog did not receive adequate training as a puppy, the situation can always be rectified. No dog is ever too old to be trained. The saying that “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, is completely false.

In adult training I teach such things as:

Sit and Down
Come
Leave it
Loose leash walking
Walk to heel (a step up from loose leash walking)
Wait and Stay
Dealing with undesirable behaviors, such as Jumping, Nipping, Chewing furniture, Digging, Begging, or Counter surfing

Addressing problematic, undesirable behaviors

Sometimes behaviors considered undesirable for humans can be natural behaviors for dogs. I will help you understand the reasons for the behavior, and work with you to fix these issues using scientifically proven positive training methods.

Undesirable behaviors that I deal with include things like:

Jumping
Chewing (of furniture, shoes, etc.)
Incessant barking
Accidents in the house
Running out the door
Leash pulling
Stealing food and counter surfing

Nervous Dogs, Resource Guarding,
Aggressive Dogs and Separation Anxiety

I work with nervous dogs, aggressive dogs, and dogs with separation anxiety. I will assess your dog, and make a diagnosis. I have found that many times the dog might not be suffering from these issues at all, or only moderately; and regular training will be all that is required. If these symptoms are present, then usually the underlying cause is the same. The dog has an underlying fear which expresses itself in various ways. The treatment is usually to get the dog to realize that he has nothing to fear, and that the owner is looking out for him. I will show the owner how to do this. (If necessary, if they are very severe, I can refer to the appropriate organizations for specific treatment for these issues.)

American Kennel Club

Canine Good Citizenship Certificate

“By training in CGC, you and your dog will deepen your bond and become a more connected team. Not only will you and your dog learn the basics of dog training and master skills like sit, down, and stay, but your dog will become a welcomed community member when out in public. The CGC title is a prerequisite for many therapy dog certifications, as well as a great introduction to more advanced dog sports and activities.” (From the AKC website)

The CGC Certificate is commonly becoming a requirement to have dogs in apartments or condos.

I am a AKC certified evaluator. As well as testing, I prepare dogs for the Canine Good Citizenship and Star Puppy requirements. The Canine Good Citizen Requirements include:

Accepting a friendly stranger
Sitting politely for petting
Having a neat appearance, and be accepting of grooming
Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
Walking through a crowd
Sit and down on command, and staying in place
Coming when called
Reaction to another dog
Reaction to distraction
Supervised separation from owner