How to Tell If Your Dog Is Overweight The holidays are wrapped up and we are officially in 2023. The new year is a time for setting goals and reflecting on how to better ourselves. Two of the three most popular resolutions according to Forbes are to exercise more and eat healthier. After indulging during the holidays, the start of the new year is a perfect time to reset with a clean slate. But what about our dogs? Approximately 25-30% of dogs in America are obese and many as 54% of pets are overweight. This dog has a stocky build, but is still overweight. This day he needed to take br ..read more

Dog Crate Training: It’s Not Just For Puppies We first published a version of this blog post almost a decade ago when our founder returned from a visit to Cesar Millan’s workshop. Every trainer at the workshop agreed: the crate was, without question, the most underutilized tool by pet parents. The same holds true today. For that reason, we’re publishing our second crate training post this year. This time, we’re focusing on adult dogs. The white dog on the left is overweight, but the tan dog on the right is at an ideal BCS. Look at the line along their belly from front to back legs. Im ..read more

Whether you stay home with your dog on trick or treat night or take your dog trick or treating, we’ve got you covered. Halloween is one of those holidays that brings out the inner child in many of us. There is only a short part of your childhood to enjoy trick or treating (I was told at age 12 I was too old and never went again). As an adult, you can relive the fun by accompanying the kids in your life or staying home to hand out candy. These days the whole family joins in on the fun and taking your dog trick or treating can be an enjoyable experience, but not for everyone. Whether you stay ..read more

Canine Peace of Mind Begins with Conscious Choice As a dog owner, your mind, energy and behavior ultimately determine your dog’s behavior. Responding with your conscious mind versus reacting with your unconscious mind is the key to a successful relationship with your dog. If we take responsibility for the mindset we are in moment to moment, we can start to piece together how and why our dog is displaying unwanted behavior. We want to acknowledge that there are many differing opinions regarding the specifics of the subjects below. The unconscious mind, conscious mind, and other scientific o ..read more

We have been working hard behind the scenes to organize an exciting new addition to our programs. We are proud to officially announce that we will be holding small group workshops, dog socials for both our graduates and potential new clients, and off-leash socials for CPM Graduates. Workshops Each workshop will be held in a different location and focus on different skills. Our goal is to provide owners with the opportunity to meet other graduates and socialize their dogs together. CPM trainers will oversee each of the workshops to guide you on leash handling and reading dog body language ..read more

Overcome Your Puppy's Fear of Fireworks Did your puppy have a fearful first experience with fireworks? Are you worried that your puppy will forever have anxiety when hearing loud noises? Maybe you’re even considering sedatives or boarding over the holiday. Fear no more. These are common concerns, but with a little bit of knowledge, patience and leadership, you can teach your dog or puppy to conquer the fear of fireworks and other loud noises. Understanding Your Role In order to help your dog or puppy overcome their fear of fireworks, it’s vital that you understand your role as your dog’s ..read more

Safely Introducing My Dogs to My Newborn Baby Hi Everyone! My name is Frida Covarrubias. I’m a dog trainer and a new mom. Recently, I safely introduced my dogs to my newborn baby. I’ve decided to share my experience in order to help other new parents as they begin a new chapter. In this post, I offer up advice for before, during and after your new baby’s arrival. Before Baby Arrives I started by preparing my dogs before the baby was even here. Leading up to the baby’s birth, I worked with the dogs to set boundaries, introduce new distractions, change up their routines, and reward them ..read more

It’s Okay to Say ‘No’ When Socializing a Puppy With People Early phases in a puppy’s development are extremely important for exposure and socialization. Socializing a puppy with people and dogs is known to most, but not fully understood. Dictionary.com defines socialization as: a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position. The British dictionary defines the verb socialize as: to prepare for life in society. A dog’s response to new people is shaped early in life. Soci ..read more