Fort St. James Dog Training

09/29/2026

You can now get my book The Other Dog at So Divine Artisan Boutique 🥰

Zelda and Shara Walsh came in today to drop off copies of their (okay Sharas) new book titled The Other Dog. Grab yourself a copy of this horror in store and online now!

09/27/2026

At last night's class we talked about "leave it" and how this basic skill could help save your dog from dropped medication or food that could be toxic to them.

You know your dog has achieved the advanced "leave it" when you can trust them in your car with your groceries. Yes, there was wrapped meat in there too.

09/27/2026

Thanks for training with me tonight, Group 6!

Today we learned all about impulse control and how to train stay! 😊

09/22/2026

Guide 1 has been added to my Patreon! You can now download the whole PDF for $25. This is my biggest guide and it is jam-packed full of useful information!

This guide includes:

BYLAWS & RULES
- things to be aware of when renting a home
- be aware of local bylaws for leash laws and cleaning up after your dog

WHEN ENCOUNTERING A DOG AT LARGE
- what to do when approached by a strange dog
- what to do when a strange dog acts aggressive

DOG BODY LANGUAGE
- learn how dogs communicate
- learn early warning signs to dangerous behavior
- learn how to determine if a dog feels comfortable and safe

DOGS AND CHILDREN
- learn how to introduce dogs to children of all life stages (baby, toddler, child and teen)

GAMES FOR DOGS AND CHILDREN TO PLAY
- lots of examples of games that are fun for dogs and kids to play together
- learn how to create rules and boundaries to make games safe for everyone

TEACH KIDS ABOUT DOGS
- teach kids how to safely interact with dogs

STRESS SIGNALS
- learn the early warning signs dogs give before a bite happens

CANINE FIRST AID
- common poisons and how to treat them
- common injuries and how to treat them
- common choking hazards and how to treat a choking dog
- learn your dogs baseline vital signs
- how to put together a first aid kit for your dog

VETERINARY CARE
- common diseases and how to vaccinate against them
- vaccination schedule by dogs age
- weight management; how to determine if your dog is over or underweight

GROOMING
- how to condition your dog to touch
- how to pick a good groomer
- how to maintain your dogs grooming between visits at home

NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
- nutritional needs by life stage (age)
- raw food vs kibble

Or you can sign up for my monthly subscription for just $5 and get access to ALL of the articles, including Guide 4: Puppy Training that is already available :)

https://www.patreon.com/fsjdogtraining/posts/guide-1-bylaws-170002574?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Please Note: individual articles are added for subscription members every 3 days. See the schedule to know when what articles will be posted: https://fsjdogtraining.com/patreon/

09/20/2026

Thanks for training with me tonight Group 6! All your lovely dogs did so well tonight.

And hey! I even got clear photos of Dixie and Teeter 😆

Tonight was all about Focus & Reliability, and the dogs learned recall! Well... the start of it. Recall is a long journey type of training that we always keep working on.

09/15/2026

Pack in the Park is happening this morning in Goodwin Park at 10am.

Please note: this is not a training class. It is a free exposure training event. Dog owners are welcome to come with their dogs on leash to practice tjeor training in a distracting environment and give their dogs a chance to learn to be calm and responsive in public places.

Let me know if you have any questions!

09/14/2026

FSJ Dog Training Articles are being added to Patreon!

I pride myself in making dog training available to EVERYONE by providing different services at a variety of price points (including free!). I'm bringing even more affordability to my services by adding all of my Guide to Dogs to Patreon.

You can either buy the digital copy and download it at your convenience for a select price (which has been discounted because I no longer have to email you copy - you can download it directly from Patreon!).

OR

You can join my membership tier for just $5 a month and gain access to the same articles found in the guides but without digital download copies (you read them off Patreon).

You can also join for FREE and you will receive my seasonal newsletter right into your inbox! The newsletter covers training, safety, care and community relevant news about our canine friends. It is jam-packed with info that comes to your email inbox for free!

https://patreon.com/fsjdogtraining/

You can find a list of upcoming scheduled posts here: https://fsjdogtraining.com/patreon/

I will be adding a LOT more to it. Over the last 4 years I have been writing and adding to SEVEN guides about dogs.

Fort St. James Dog Training can be found on Patreon! This is your one-stop-spot for all of the articles written for the Guide to Dogs. This is a book I’ve been writing for the last 4 years th…

09/13/2026

Thanks for training with me tonight Group 6!

What a fun class! This is the largest class I've taught as well as the first class to take place in my back yard.

Tonight we learned the Foundations of training along with Sit and Down. All the dogs and their people did great! I even saw some progress in just this first class 😊

09/06/2026

NEW ON THE DOG BLOG: Your Dog Isn't Ignoring You

Lean how to gradually build challenges and distractions to set your dog up for success!

Read it here: https://fsjdogtraining.com/2026/09/06/your-dog-isnt-ignoring-you/

09/03/2026

Not exactly training related, but this is dog related 😉

This summer I wrote a novella that stars my dog Zelda. It is written from her point of view and touches on the loyalty of dogs.

One day while folding sheets at work (the hotel), where I bring Zelda with me, I started wondering what my job looks like and means to her. Being a horror buff, of course this story naturally progressed to the supernatural.

If you like books about dogs and horror, you'll love this quick read. It is available on Amazon in paperback and ebook, and is called The Other Dog (by Shara Walsh). I will have a limited amount of copies available locally soon. Just waiting on my shipment.

If you grab a copy for yourself, I really appreciate the support, and I hope you enjoy it! And if you could leave an honest review after you read it that would really help me out. Thank you! 😁

THE OTHER DOG:

Zelda knows her Most Important Job: making her person happy and keeping him safe.

Todd is Zelda’s whole world. He feeds her, plays fetch with her yellow ball, takes her to work, and gives her a life filled with love. In return, Zelda gives him the one thing dogs give best: loyalty without question.

But after an encounter in the woods, everything changes.

Todd is different. The world Zelda knows begins to fall apart, and she can’t understand why the person she loves is becoming someone she no longer recognizes.

Because a Good Dog never stops protecting their person — even when that person becomes the danger.