Up-level Your Dog Training!

Up-Level Your Dog Training

Take your dog training to the next level!

~ Karen Burleson, Trainer, APDT Certified Member

You’ve been through basic obedience with your dog and are wondering “What Now?” Well, it’s time to up-level your dog training! Put those basic obedience skills to use and learn new ones by joining us on our fun, relaxed Outdoor Adventures.

Walk with a group of like-minded dog lovers at different locations around the Valley. It’s the best time of the year to get outside and enjoy the weather while we can. This class is more relaxed, allowing socializing and sharing stories as we walk along; even while we practice more advanced training.

Some places our adventures take us…

Kierland Commons-where they get exposure to elevators and talking street crossing signs
El Dorado Park for skateboarders and bicyclists
Gilbert Riparian Preserve for a bridge, pond, ducks, rabbits and with luck horses
and many more locations!

Locations change weekly, so boredom is never an issue!

On these walks we practice loose leash walking, basic sits and downs, as well as some advanced Rally skills. The chance to up-level your dog training doesn’t get more fun than this! You can expect to practice skills such as backing up, moving come arounds with and without turns, walking on the right side and more! All with the distractions found in everyday, normal life.

Classes are Sunday mornings from 8:00-9:00 am with a brand new class starting Saturdays in March from 8:00-9:00am. See class calendar.

Class size is limited (as is our weather window in beautiful Arizona) so call us to sign up soon for a fun new way to expand your dog’s training. 602-237-6775

Do Dog Board & Train Programs Work?

Dog Board & Train Programs

If you haven’t yet heard of Dog Board & Train, let me tell you what it is before we get into whether it works or not. To be simple, Board & Train is just as it sounds. You board your dog with a professional accredited trainer and they train your dog while your pet is being boarded. It really works out well for all those involved. The dog stays in the home with the trainer, and has the expertise and oversight of that trainer, the entire stay. A specific lesson plan is charted and is followed to address training issues, obedience and /or polite behaviors. The dog’s family gets some relief from any issues you might be having with your dog.

Your dog gets to go stay in a loving, professional environment while going through intense, crash-course training sessions.
Dog family is relieved from the stress of having to go through months of training classes and train the dog themselves.

If you are a busy individual and are having general or specific issues with your dog, Board & Train could be a great option for you to consider. This is also a great option for a newly adopted dog or young puppy. After the stay, your trainer will review all the cues and obedience that was put in place or reinforced with the guardian’s family member. If you reinforce consistently, your dog will be the polite canine you are hoping to have around the house . The training takes place very efficiently and is accomplished faster than when a lay person is applying cues.

Now, does it work? Why don’t you see for yourself. Watch as Jessa documents her Board & Train time with Rudy, a fun-loving lab.

Check out AZ Dog Sports Board & Train here!

Check out how you can become a professional dog trainer too!

Have a question? Give us a call 602-237-6775

Service Dogs

Service Dogs
New Training Program at AZ Dog Sports

Dogs With a Job!

In today’s world dogs are included in more households than ever before. And not all dogs are just pets anymore. More and more people now have a working dog! Working dogs can have multiple rolls in the community such as, mobility assistance, diabetic alert, facility dogs, detection dogs, search and rescue, and many more.

Mobility Assistance Dogs

Mobility Assistance dogs are used to help people with household chores and create independence. Some chores include retrieving objects, assisting someone in getting dressed, bracing to stand or balance, opening and shutting doors, cabinets, and light switches.

Diabetic Alert Dogs

A life saving career that is relatively new for some highly sensitive and social canines is the role of diabetic or seizure alert dogs. In the case of type 1 diabetic individuals, these animals are trained to detect and alert when blood sugar levels become too high or too low for the person to withstand safely at any given time. Seizure alert dogs can alert prior to a seizure allowing them to take safety precautions. Seizure response dogs are trained to assist their owner recover from a seizure or get help. It is the super scent detection of dogs that allows them this superior ability to detect and/or alert health changes before they occur.

Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs are another category of workers. Therapy dogs belong to everyday people who train their dogs to visit people who are medically fragile and sometimes help work towards a therapeutic goal. Therapy and emotional support dogs are utilized in assisted living homes, cancer wards, hospice, court rooms, and schools.

Service Dogs Help the General Public

Even greater skill and drive can be used for scent detection in airports, schools, public buildings, subways, and court houses. Everyone has seen police dogs, border patrol dogs, drug enforcement, and search and rescue canine companions working with first responders and public service officials.

Training Service Dogs

The demand for Service Dogs is high, and the ability to train these dogs requires a very specific skill. A level of commitment, training hours, and a monitoring system are required every step of the way to insure the success of the canine-human team.

How Does AZ Dog Sports Help with Service Dogs?

At AZ Dog Sports, we have always trained individual teams for specific tasks. Due to a high demand from our clientele and the public interest, we have now formalized a program to allow motivated people to participate in training their own Service Dog in conjunction with our team of professional trainers. We follow all APDT training guidelines.

We look forward to providing this new exciting Service Dog training to our clients for mobility and diabetic alert dogs.

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE, READ HERE

or

Call us for more information 602-237-6775

Holiday Hassels For the Pet Owner

Pets & The Holidays

Ahhhh, the smell of cool winter days…

The chill of the morning breeze on your face during your morning walk with the dog…

The scent of pine from your live tree in the living room…

The cheerful sounds of being surrounded by family…

The ACCCCKKKKK and COUGH of your dog throwing up in the next room… (that’ll wake you from a dead sleep for sure.)

There are many things to be thankful for around this time of year. There is so much to take in and enjoy, but having to rescue your pet from a holiday disaster is certainly not part of anyone’s plan. I have put together a list of questions that might be running through your head, and found some trusted sources with answers to help!

You might be wondering:

So, what should we do? What is the takeaway here? Well, in short, trust your instincts. You know your dog better than anyone else. Layne Kizler once told me, “don’t set your dog up to fail.” (I have a terrible memory but I have never forgot that statement. It makes so much sense.) If you are not sure how your dog will react in a situation or what sort of trouble she might get into, then save her from herself. Don’t force your dog to be in a situation where he has no choice but to act on his dog instincts. This will only cause trouble, perhaps force you to react badly, and probably not be a healthy situation for your dog.

For a list of things to watch out for and to help you prepare for the entire holiday season, click here.

Check out our Pet Emergency Contact Sheet here and keep it handy!

Happy Holidays from everyone at AZ Dog Sports & AZ Dog Smart Academy!!

(By the way, if you did get a new puppy….AZ Dog Sports is here for you! See how we can help here.)

Journey to Finding a New Puppy

~ by Jaymie Cardin

How Will I Find the Right Puppy For Me?

About eight months ago I started the quest to find a new puppy for me. I knew that Marshall, a golden retriever that I trained to be a service dog, wouldn’t be with me forever. So, I decided that after he went to his new partner I would find one of my own. This time it would not be temporary.

Journey to a new puppy , az dog sports, dog training phoenix, puppy training, dog trainers — MARSHALL AT 3 MONTHS!

I started by making a list of all the things I wanted to do with this new dog- therapy work, agility, demo dog for classes, rally, and I wanted to train him to the level of a service dog.

Then I moved onto temperament characteristics; goofiness, ability to make me laugh, high drive, able to chill with me on lazy days, cuddly, will think I’m the center of the universe, dog-friendly and human-friendly, and most importantly trainable. Although many of these traits can be trained I wanted a dog that was genetically predisposed to having them.

Finally, I looked at physical characteristics, larger than 55 pounds, fluffy, dark in color (I went back and forth on that one) and male.

Searching for the Perfect Puppy

After I knew in my mind all that I wanted out of this dog, I started Googling. And, I came across the “perfect” breed quizzes. I think in total I took about seven different ones, and many I took more than five times. This gave me a base for what breeds to start considering. I already knew I didn’t want a terrier or a hound because the independent and feisty temperament of a terrier was not suited for my purposes and activities. And I was pretty certain I wanted a dog either in the sporting group or the working group. The results of the quizzes varied, but not as consistent as one would expect. I got multiple that told me, Golden Retriever and Bearded Collie, some said Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Newfoundland, Flat Coated Retriever, Berger Blanc Suisse, Airedale Terrier, Irish Setter and so many more. Some I eliminated right away and others I had never heard of before. The one that intrigued me the most was the Berger Blanc Suisse or White Swiss Shepherd. After learning more about the breed and their temperament, I was nearly dead set on getting one. That is until I learned how rare and expensive they are, for the well-bred ones at least. So, it was back to the drawing board.

Links to the Breed Selector Quizzes

https://www.selectadogbreed.com

http://www.animalplanet.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds.html

http://www.akc.org/find-a-match/#slide1

http://dogtime.com/quiz/dog-breed-selector

Eventually, I had it narrowed down to about five breeds. Golden Retriever because no matter how much I tried to pick a less popular breed I kept coming back to them. Flat Coated Retriever, because they were just different enough from the Golden that they didn’t seem basic. Leonburger, because who wouldn’t want a lion for a dog. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, because they are little red fluffy rocket dogs that were bred to look like foxes. Finally, Berger Blanc Suisse, because I just couldn’t shake this star of a breed and thought maybe there would be some miracle that allows me to possess one. Oh, and I kept re-thinking about a Bernese Mountain Dog. So, I guess that makes six.

Contacting Puppy Breeders

The only next plausible step after months of research and going back and forth between breeds was to contact breeders. Was I certain of what breed I wanted yet, not really? But I knew that I needed to somehow have a deciding factor; which boiled down to price, temperament, and attainability. I think I contacted a total of ten, if not more, breeders. Some readily got back to me and others never did. I asked them about health, price, puppy socialization process and availability. I also used the resources available to me as a professional dog trainer and picked breeders that were recommended by my peers.

My New Puppy!

Some breeders had puppies available, but only female. Others wouldn’t be breeding for another six months and some were simply too pricey for what I could afford. In the end, only one breeder really had what I was looking for. I went with a Flat Coated Retriever breeder near Chicago IL (location of breeder wasn’t of much importance to me). The puppies were born September 30th and I will be going to get my puppy the beginning of December.

If you are thinking of getting a puppy or have already started the process my advice to you would be –

make sure the breed you choose will fit your lifestyle
know ahead of time how you will care for the puppy as far as training, diet, veterinary care and home life
don’t set unreasonable expectations upon other people in your life
take your time

Ultimately this puppy is for you and will be your new companion for the duration of their lifetime. So, use my experiences to help guide you in the right direction and don’t be afraid to take a step back and evaluate. Which might mean saying no to the first puppy that gets handed to you.

My journey to finding the right puppy was long, I wasn’t even sure I would really be getting one when I first started. Somehow I ended up in the place I am and am getting a great puppy out of it.