Positive Partners Dog Training, LLC

Positive Partners Dog Training, LLC Enjoy life with your dog again. At Positive Partners Dog Training, we offer simple, effective, and f

I evaluated Ellie and she would make a fabulous addition to an active home! She's very sweet and intelligent, but has ha...
04/29/2026

I evaluated Ellie and she would make a fabulous addition to an active home!

She's very sweet and intelligent, but has had very little structure in her early life.

She just needs a little polishing up to be your new best friend!

04/27/2026

As our dogs age, we sometimes have to help them do things they've always been able to do on their own, or teach them to tolerate weird things.

When Knox (my Great Pyrenees) was an old man, he had to learn to tolerate wearing a lifting harness on his rear legs so I could help him get up off the floor or give him extra support when he got tired on potty walks.

As Brody ages, his little legs make it hard for him to jump into and out of vehicles, especially the Kubotas on the farm.

He's learned to navigate a ramp into and out of the car, but he does need to be lifted out of the Kubota, so I taught him 'elevator'.

He used to HATE being lifted out of any vehicle and would back out of reach. Now that he knows what is happening, you can see he actually moves forward and into position! This has been especially helpful because occasionally he has a rough day and needs help finishing going up or down the stairs, and I can ask him if he wants an elevator. If he wants help, he'll stand still and let me carry him. If he thinks he's got it on his own, he'll keep going.

He is 56 pounds, so it's also a good incentive for me to keep strength training at the gym 😆 Carrying a nearly 60 pound dog is no simple feat!

What are some skills your senior dogs has had to learn?

04/23/2026

Walt is a big teenage boy, with lots of big teenage feelings.

He's very friendly, and very BIG about how friendly he is 😅

He wants to say "HIII!!!!" to every dog he sees. He eveng gets super excited to see people, because people usually have dogs with them. He's not dangerous or aggressive, but his exuberance for making friends looks like jumping, lunging, and even escaping his collar to run over.

No matter the size of the dog, that's not appropriate behavior. It's definitely not appropriate for a dog as big as Walt!

On our first field trip we worked on a lot of things, but the most important one was "Down for the Count" where we focused on helping Walt relax and watch all the activity in the parking lot of the park. A big challenge for this guy - but he did excellent!

04/23/2026

Chester would like everyone to know that he finally learned how to lay down!!

Teaching "down" to small dogs with short legs can be a challenge- they are already so low to the ground that typical luring doesn't always work.

This week he had a break through, and we're all so excited!

04/20/2026

Is it true you should never share your food with your dog?

I say: FICTION!

It’s perfectly okay to share a small amount of your meal with your dog—once you’ve established some clear ground rules.

Your rules may vary based on your lifestyle and goals, but here are mine:

-I don’t mind if my dog is nearby, but he’s not allowed to actively beg.
-No barking, pawing, or pestering.
-He should be resting quietly… puppy dog eyes are acceptable 😉

I also wait until I’m almost finished eating before sharing anything. That way, if he starts getting pushy after a taste, it’s easy to wrap things up, put the food away, and move on.

Removing the possibility of getting food is a quick way to stop annoying begging.

Let's face it - puppy biting is one of the worst parts of raising a puppy. We all know that it's part of raising a puppy...
04/15/2026

Let's face it - puppy biting is one of the worst parts of raising a puppy.

We all know that it's part of raising a puppy - but that doesn't make the bruises, cuts, or tears in your clothing any more pleasant to deal with.

Luckily, there is one simple thing you can do to dramatically decrease your puppy's land shark tendencies!

Make sure they are getting enough sleep!

Puppies need 16 to 18 hours of sleep EVERY DAY.

That, of course, includes overnight resting (about 7 to 8 hours), but that also means your puppy needs to sleep another 6 to 8 hours during the day! Most puppies will not just lay down and rest on their own, so it's up to you to make sure they are taking naps at appropriate times.

Based on guidance from Jane Killion (creator of Puppy Culture, an excellent puppy-raising program), I recommend that my clients follow a schedule where their puppy naps for 2–3 hours after every 60–90 minutes of activity.

I also recommend putting your puppy to bed early. Most puppies struggle in the evening—especially when they’re kept up too late. Aim for a bedtime around 8 pm, even if it means gently waking them for one last potty break before you go to bed.

Happy Birthday, Walker! Walker turned 1 today, and celebrated by joining us for Adventure Club! He's grown and matured s...
04/13/2026

Happy Birthday, Walker!

Walker turned 1 today, and celebrated by joining us for Adventure Club!

He's grown and matured so much since I first met him last summer 🥰

04/13/2026

Connection > control

This is what that actually looks like 👆

Notice:
✨ the check-ins
✨ the soft body language
✨ the frequent reinforcement

This dog isn’t being forced into position—they’re choosing to stay engaged.

That’s the difference.

When we focus on connection first, the behavior follows 💛

Walt is such a handsome guy! He's working through some big teenager feelings, but in just two sessions he's already choo...
04/13/2026

Walt is such a handsome guy!

He's working through some big teenager feelings, but in just two sessions he's already choosing to hang out, relax, and watch the world go by!

04/08/2026

Loose Leash Walking starts before you even BEGIN your walk.

No, I'm not talking about training it at home. I'm talking about starting with connection!

Whether you're walking at home or out at the park, starting your walk with a few simple pattern games can help remind your dog you're on the other end of the leash and that this walk is a group activity - not an Iditarod race.

Game One (in the video): The Up & Down Game

At home, this will be pretty easy. Out and about, it may take some time for your dog to reorient to you, and they may get distracted. That's okay! With Up & Down, we are allowing them to take in the environment and gather information. We are rewarding our dogs for choosing to check in with us, and teaching them that voluntary eye contact pays big!

1. Simply place a treat on the ground about 12 to 24 inches in front of you for your dog to eat. They do NOT need to wait for you to tell them to eat it.
2. After they eat the treat, stand quietly and wait for them to look back up at you.
3. As soon as they look up, say "yes!" and reward them by placing a treat on the ground in the same spot as the first treat.
4. Repeat! (I like to keep the pattern going for several repetitions after my dog can eat the treat and look back up at me within a few seconds before starting a walk or training session)

At home, this will be pretty easy. Out and about, it may take some time for your dog to re-orient to you and they may get distracted. That's okay! With Up & Down, we are allowing them to take in the environment and gather information. We are rewarding our dogs for choosing to check in with us, and teaching them that voluntary eye contact pays big!

Game Two: The Orientation Game

This game is similar to Up & Down, but is played on a long line and is much more energetic! You should have your dog on a 15 foot leash and a harness. Have several light colored treats that are about the size of a nickle.

1. Start with Up & Down
2. Once your dog is readily offering eye contact, toss a treat about 5 feet away and tell them to "get it!" (I suggest using an underhand throw, and throwing the treat similar to bowling a bowling ball. If your dog is not used to chasing treats, toss it right in their eye line so they can easily track it)
3. Once your dog eats the treat, quietly wait for them to look back at you.
4. As soon as they look at you, say "yes!" and toss another treat about 5 to 6 feet to one side of them.
This one is SUPER simple. You should start teaching this at home in a low-distraction environment first. s the treats further. After several tosses, your dog should be able to follow a tossed treat and offer eye contact from 15 feet on either side of you and running from one side to the other - meaning they are running 30 feet with focus!

This game not only reinforces eye contact and makes it very fun with treat tosses, but also teaches your dog to check in before chasing something and helps burn off some energy before the walk!

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Boone, NC
28607

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