The Canine Connection, Chico CA

06/06/2026

How I love this post! One thing we trainers at The Canine Connection like to encourage is going for sit-relax-watch outing with your dog so that every outing isn’t high octane. Quiet relaxation and calm observation are important skills to learn and practice, for us and our dogs 😀.

In our busy lives, it’s easy to focus on getting our dogs exercise, training sessions and enrichment games, but dogs have a natural need to observe their surroundings. Often, modern dogs have few opportunities to practice simply watching the world go by — so why not give them the chance? 🐾

Sitting together on a porch or relaxing in the park, gives our dogs the chance to take in sights, sounds, and smells without the pressure of interacting. This relaxed observation provides low arousal mental enrichment and helps dogs process their environment. Slowing down and sharing quiet moment together is an underrated skill 🩵

06/06/2026

🐾 Trainer Nancy and her copilot Boone are stocking up on their favorite training treats in preparation for a busy and fun weekend of positive training. Where are they shopping?

🎾 They’re at one of Chico’s oldest and most beloved small businesses, ! What a fun, dog-friendly place to shop!

✅ Be sure to stop by there to grab great supplies that your dog will love (and they have so much other cool stuff too!).

🐶 Tell them Boone from sent you!

06/06/2026

DOGS OF THE DAY! 6-5-26. We had so many amazing dogs in our midst today that we couldn’t possibly choose just one to highlight. Plus, it looks like our daycare “Littles” have been working on their sit-stays with Canine Coach Christina so they could show them off to the puparazzi! What a great group of petite pooches! If these pics don’t make you want to hug a dog then you’ve landed on the wrong page, my friend. These Dogs of the Day serve up more irresistible sweetness than a carton of Ben and Jerry’s in your favorite flavor. Enjoy!

06/05/2026

DOG OF THE DAY! 6-4-26. Meet Watson! If ever there was a dog who deserved to be followed by the puparazzi, that dog would be Watson! Though she is a large Bernese Mountain Dog, she acts like a puppy, prancing and dancing her way through life. Of course, because of her size, she plays with the larger dogs, but she has never met a stranger, big or small. Watson is a regular with us at PEP Camp and also has been an academy student where she has learned her foundation skills. One of her super powers is that she brings out the play bows in other dogs. Though she is bit clumsy herself, wherever Watson goes, she brings her “let’s play” vibe with her and there just seems to be this sparkle of happy energy around her. Watson is wonderful and we’re so proud to have her and her human in our family of friends! 🩷🐾🎾🌺

06/04/2026

It’s said that “every dog has its day.” Well, today is National Corgi Day! We have quite a crew of these high-spirited low riders in our Canine Connection community. In this photo, we have VIPs Gem, a Corgi mix (left) with Hakuba and Harvey beside her. Corgis and most every dog that carries Corgi DNA are typically VERY spunky dogs. They are members of the herding dog family which translates into a high level of alertness, responsiveness to movement, intelligence, and energy! There are actually two types of Corgis: Pembrokes and Welsh Corgis. The Pembrokes tend to be a bit smaller with docked tails that shows off the wiggle in their wagger. Welsh Corgis are typically larger and they are defined by their long swishy tail. So there you have it… your Corgi Information Byte! To all our Corgis and Corgi lovers, Happy National Corgi Day!

06/04/2026

This is Reah, one of our new private training students, working with Trainer Nancy. Isn’t this shepherd-husky girl beautiful? Yes, yes, yes!

Rhea grew up in a shelter, and is plenty smart but a little cautious about what humans might be trying to get her to do. She learned “sit” from the shelter workers, but not much else. But that’s okay because our hallmark curriculum will give her a solid foundation of good manners and improved confidence.

At her first lesson, Rhea and her human covered a lot of ground!

✅ Her human learned some force-free, fear-free training games to help Rhea enthusiastically engage and learn the benefits of “checking in” with him and responding to her name—the foundation of a solid recall.

✅ They started teaching / learning a “down” behavior, on cue.

✅ Her owner learned a cool exercise to teach Reah the fundamentals of walking in a “heel” position —without a leash!

✅ Reah also got fitted for a martingale collar (so we could toss her chain slip collar and not worry about her slipping free).

🎾 Rhea also got a new squishy ball to play with!

It was a great first private lesson, and Nancy, Rhea, and her new loving human are looking forward to their next session together.

Private training lessons - as a standalone approach or to augment group class participation or daycare / boarding - can really help a dog and their human push ahead. Through focused attention and an individualized approach, dogs and their people often make significant progress toward training goals. But, there is always homework and practice involved!! If you think you and your dog could benefit from our private lesson program, reach out. Our website is in the bio and you can always call / text our training coordinator at 530-228-2822 or email [email protected].

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06/04/2026

DOG OF THE DAY! 6-3-26. Bohdi is handsome, sweet, funny, playful, and fun. And almost everything about him is huge! He is a huge German Shepherd Dog with a huge, beautiful coat of fur, huge paws, and a huge heart. He is hugely popular at PEP Camp, the dogs love him, the humans love him, the squirrels lo…. Well, maybe not so much. In fact, probably not since he has a huge stride and can make it to… anywhere… in about two seconds.

Bodhi bounded into his mom’s life as a precocious pup, His mom knew all about our training and daycare, having brought another beloved dog through our program, so she and Baby Bohdi dove into training. Through Puppy Kindergarten and continuing education classes they excelled as a team. To see them together today - Bohdi and his loving mom - is to see an impressive partnership.

Sometimes, we have to pinch ourselves to believe it’s really true… we get to hang out with Bohdi. Every day with Bohdi is a good day. Bohdi, you’re the best. 🩷🎾🐾

06/04/2026

Meet, Lula! This darling gal recently joined our positive training community and we’re thrilled to be helping her and her humans meet their training and behavior goals.

Lula is a 5 year old rescue who is currently working with Trainer Anna (Certified Dog Behavior Consultant) to help her achieve greater confidence around new people and dogs she sees when out and about.

Lula and her people are doing a wonderful job creating clear “check in” behaviors such as voluntary eye contact, and practicing observing worrisome things from a safe distance where Lula feels safe and can gather information that will help her feel comfortable and secure. This is so important because how dogs behave is a reflection of how they feel!

Lula blew us all away at this past lesson in the park where she handled herself like a pro, checking things out and observing people and dogs while maintaining calm and confidence!

We are so impressed with you, Lula! Thank you for being part of The Canine Connection - and thanks to your humans too!

06/04/2026

We have some early June birthdays in our PEP Camp crowd! Happy Yappy Birthday to Surf, Benzi, Guinness, and Rocky! May you catch every frisbee, get every treat, and fall asleep on the softest couch. Your families and your Canine Connection crew love you! 🎊🌺🎾⭐️🐶🐾🥳

06/03/2026

We’re so proud of these awesome, accomplished, and adorable grads from our foundation Life Skills program! Way to go pups and peeps!!