October 2023 In Review
Lately I’ve been having a blast putting together reels (short videos) for Facebook and Instagram. You may have missed some, or you may not be “on the socials.” So here’s a...
Dogs Learn in Pictures
One of my mantras in dog training is “dogs learn in pictures.” Dogs take a snapshot of what their environment looks like when they get rewarded for doing something. (The “reward” is anything the...
Ten Steps to Prepare Your Dog for the New Baby
Your dog has been by your side for years. Her wet nose and wagging tail have helped you through the ups and downs of life. But now there’s a huge change on the horizon… you’re expecting a...
Wakey’s Dance (and why FUN matters)
I was asked to be a mentor at an event last week. It’s called the Nontraditional Employment for Women Workshop and it’s a pretty awesome event. This event hosted 300 high school...
Your Guide to Collar Safety
As you can imagine, safety is my primary concern when I have a dog in my care. And what’s the number one piece of safety equipment? Your dog’s collar. I’m talking about what...
Aggression or Frustration?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the “dog reactive” dogs. We see a lot of them. I don’t use “dog aggressive” to describe these particular dogs…...
6 Tips for the Greatest Dog Photos
Primarily, my profession involves training dogs and their humans. But secondarily, I take a TON of dog photos. Over the years, I have several tricks that I have employed to get a just right photo...
2 Rules for Using Treats with Come
There is a reoccurring theme that I hear every time I teach come: “I need my dog to come every time I tell them to, BUT I don’t want to use treats.” Honestly, a reliable come is your number one...
Teaching “Drop It”
“Drop it” is one of the most useful commands your dog can know. Not only because it’s hard to play fetch with a dog who never drops the ball, but also because you need a word that means “Yuck!...
The Power of Play
Training your dog isn’t something that happens during a group class or during a walk. You are training your dog ALL THE TIME (whether you know it or not). Every interaction. Every glance. Every...
Day Training = Faster Results
Here at Flying Colors, our flagship program consists of nine days of Day Training. We call it the Rock Star program. It’s the fastest way to see the best results with the least stress to the dog...
Field Trips for Success
If you want your dog to behave at the vet, the lake, and the park (and most of our clients DO want that!) it’s important to practice in a million different locations. Maybe not a million. Maybe...