Tazmanian K-9 Training

09/03/2026

🐾 September is National Service Dog Awareness Month! 🐾

At Tazmanian K9 Training, we’re celebrating the incredible service dogs who help their handlers navigate everyday life with greater independence, confidence, and safety.

This observance grew from actor and animal advocate Dick Van Patten’s support for guide dogs in 2008, followed by a national Guide Dog Month campaign in 2009. His visit to Guide Dogs of the Desert in Palm Springs, California, inspired an effort to raise awareness and funds for these life-changing dogs. Today, September is a time to recognize service dogs and the people whose lives they support. ❤️

Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for people with disabilities, from guiding someone with vision loss to retrieving needed items or responding to a medical episode. For a handler, that support can mean going to work, running errands, or participating in their community with greater independence. Behind every team are hours of training, dedication, and trust.

We’re proud to train service dogs through Tazmanian K9 Foundation!

Help us celebrate by sharing this post, and remember to give working service dogs space to focus on their handlers!

08/20/2026

Today, we worked with the future service dog puppies generously donated to Tazmanian K9 Training! 🐾

Consistent training from a young age is one of the best ways to establish good habits and build a confident, well-mannered dog. The basics, like crate training, potty training, routines, boundaries, and positive reinforcement, create a strong foundation for a lifetime of success.

Remember: it’s NEVER too early (or too late!) to begin training your new puppy! Start small, stay patient, and be consistent. Every training moment is an investment in the incredible dog your puppy is becoming. 🐶❤️

08/11/2026

Sharing this from our grooming-partner's page because nutrition matters in training, too! 🐾🌈

Dogs learn best when they feel their best. A complete, balanced diet helps support steady energy, comfortable digestion, healthy skin and coat, and overall well-being...all of which can affect how comfortable, focused and ready to engage a dog feels during training.

Nutrition isn’t a magic fix for behavioral challenges, and every dog has different needs. But when a dog isn’t feeling well, concentrating and learning can be much harder. Good training begins with looking at the whole dog: nutrition, sleep, exercise, enrichment, health and emotional well-being.

Check out the original post for easy, budget-friendly ideas for adding small amounts of dog-safe, colorful whole foods to your dog’s regular meals. 🌈

When dogs feel better, they’re often better prepared to learn. 💛

“How can I help my dog’s dry skin?”
“What can I do about my dog’s tear stains?”

As a groomer, I hear these questions all the time...and nutrition can be one piece of your dog’s overall wellness puzzle.

I am not a veterinarian, and this post is NOT medical or nutritional advice. 🚨

That said, some of the best nutrition advice I ever received came from my aunt, [Susan G. Wynn, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)](https://www.thefarmersdog.com/digest/veterinarian-bios/susan-g-wynn-dvm-dacvim-nutrition/?msockid=1453d0193c136fc63b2cc6dd3dc56ef2)

You don’t have to afford an expensive fresh-food plan to add a little variety to your dog’s bowl. Try choosing a dog-safe whole food from every color of the rainbow and incorporating small amounts into their weekly feedings!

❤️ RED
Strawberries • Raspberries • Seedless watermelon • Red bell pepper

🧡 ORANGE
Carrots • Plain pumpkin • Cooked sweet potato • Cantaloupe

💛 YELLOW
Banana • Yellow bell pepper • Pineapple • Cooked yellow squash

💚 GREEN
Green beans • Cucumber • Peas • Broccoli • Zucchini

💙 BLUE
Blueberries

💜 PURPLE
Blackberries • Purple cabbage • Small amounts of cooked beets

🤍 BONUS: WHITE
Apple or pear flesh • Cauliflower

Serve everything plain and in small, bite-sized portions (without butter, oil, salt, sugar or seasoning). Wash produce and remove pits, seeds, cores, rinds and tough stems where appropriate.

These colorful extras should complement (not replace) a complete and balanced dog food.

🚫 Never feed dogs grapes or raisins, onions, garlic, chocolate, macadamia nuts, xylitol-sweetened foods, alcohol or caffeinated products.

A healthy coat begins with good overall care: balanced nutrition, hydration, regular grooming and veterinary guidance. 🐶✨

Save this rainbow list for your next grocery trip! Which colorful snack does your dog love most?

08/10/2026

I constantly see posts like:

“My husband says we have to get rid of the puppy because it’s destroying everything.”

Or:

“We bought my elderly grandparents a Labrador puppy for companionship—but it has so much energy!”

As a professional trainer, my job isn’t only to address behavior; It’s also to educate owners before preventable problems become heartbreaking ones.

Here are a few honest reminders:

1. Crate-train your dog.

When introduced properly and used responsibly, a crate is not a jail cell. It gives your puppy a safe place to rest, supports potty training by helping establish a predictable routine, prevents destructive or dangerous behavior when supervision isn’t possible, and teaches your dog that calm, independent downtime is normal.

The key words are “introduced properly.” A crate should never be used as punishment or as a place to leave a dog for unreasonable periods of time. Make it comfortable, build positive associations, and use it as one part of a balanced daily routine that includes exercise, enrichment, training, affection, and bathroom breaks.

2. Please stop surprising people with puppies.

Your granddad who served in Vietnam and just lost his soul dog of 12 years does not need a brand-new yellow Lab puppy “to keep him company.”

He needs peace. He needs time to grieve. He might** eventually need a calm, older companion, but he does not need a four-legged tornado dragging him across the living room at 6:00 a.m.

Puppies bite. They jump. They have accidents. They wake up during the night. They need frequent bathroom trips, daily training, exercise, socialization, veterinary care, and near-constant supervision. A high-energy puppy can create a serious fall risk for an older adult and may quickly become overwhelming.

If you genuinely want to help someone find companionship, involve them in the decision. A calm adult or senior dog may be a much better match, or they may not want another dog at all.

Research. Research. Research.

Before bringing home any dog, learn about the breed’s typical energy level, size, temperament, grooming needs, health concerns, training requirements, and working purpose. Then take an honest look at your schedule, finances, household, physical abilities, and long-term plans.

A puppy isn’t a cute surprise for Christmas morning. It is a living animal and a commitment that can last 10–15 years.

Choose the dog for the life you actually live....not the life you imagine you’ll start living once the puppy arrives.

— Thank you for coming to my ted talk! ♥

08/03/2026

This is so important! Please ask your groomer if they are providing this service! 🐶

08/01/2026

So proud of the team we’ve built! From the dogs we train to the groomers and veterinary partners. 🐾

07/15/2026

We are still looking for puppy rasiers!! ♥

Specifically for labradoodle puppies! All vetting and grooming is covered!

Every service dog starts as a puppy with someone willing to open their heart and home. 🐾

Tazmanian K-9 Foundation is looking for dedicated Puppy Raisers to help shape the next generation of life-changing service dogs. You'll provide love, guidance, and basic training while making a lasting impact on someone's future.

Could you be the beginning of a hero's journey? 💚

📞 Learn more: 404-388-5809

07/10/2026

Every service dog starts as a puppy with someone willing to open their heart and home. 🐾

Tazmanian K-9 Foundation is looking for dedicated Puppy Raisers to help shape the next generation of life-changing service dogs. You'll provide love, guidance, and basic training while making a lasting impact on someone's future.

Could you be the beginning of a hero's journey? 💚

📞 Learn more: 404-388-5809