Playful Balance Dog Training

Playful Balance Dog Training Hello! I am Maleah, owner of PBDT. I am a balanced trainer serving Snohomish and King County, Wa.

05/06/2026

Consequences don’t always look the same but the result it yields is pretty dang consistent. When mama says do, you do.

02/19/2026

Teaching dogs not to run into the road irregardless of the humans presence

Dogs must learn to:
- automatically wait without prompting
- watch where the owner is going
- follow the owner on an indirect path

Do you have an invisible fence?
This is the exact same concept.
The only difference here is that instead of the collar and flags showing the boundary, I am the one ensuring the boundary is understood and consistently reinforced.

Neither option will ever be as safe as having a physical fence or the dog on leash, after all they are animals, but through repetition, any dog can learn a boundary.

01/11/2026

“Don’t touch an animal unless they touch you first.”

Absolutely fantastic demonstration if any of you are interested.

To keep it simple, teach your children “don’t touch an animal unless they touch you first”. This lets petting of a dog be lead by the animal, giving them freedom to choose contact or avoidance. This will also significantly lower dogs becoming reactive or aggressive toward children.

09/26/2025

Here is a video showing my 9mo chihuahua, Taquito, receiving a very appropriate correction from one of our cats. Watch to the end to see what led up to this moment.

This is a very real life example of a situation that can arise when raising a puppy in a home with other animals.

At 8, 9 or 10 months old, pushing boundaries is very natural and your pupy will push boundaries they have previously respected. While some pets are quite good at gauging an appropriate correction, it is not up to the other pets in your household to teach your puppy the necessary boundaries.

Your puppy should not be left unsupervised if they are giving any of this pushy behavior. As a general rule of thumb, I don’t give unsupervised freedom until a dog is 1.5-2 years old.

After Taquito received this correction, I remained near him to ensure he wouldn’t chase after the cat and further push into the cats space.

After this type of correction, my top two ways to ensure the puppy learns from this is to

1. Put them on supervised place and/or tether or
2. Put them in a confined space such as crate or exercise pen.

……………..

If you have a puppy you need help integrating with other pets in the household, please reach out! I offer private, in-home lessons for just this reason. Email: [email protected] or visit https://playfulbalance.com for more info.

08/29/2025

Coming from big dogs, I never thought I’d be teaching “table manners” but here we are🤷‍♀️

Rules are:

1. Respect the table/counter. This means no licking the counter/plate/etc and no paws on the counter

2. No licking/touching the cutlery or any part of MY food unless I explicitly give permission, “Taquito, get it”

3. If I say “get off”, you better damn well give me my space and remain on the ground no matter how open my lap looks.

…………

I’m just waiting for the day I work with some spoiled small dogs owner and get to say “Yes you can allow that but only when they’re respectful like so”🤭

Location update: We’re staying in WA!Starting October 1, I will be available to resume lessons after returning from my h...
08/18/2025

Location update: We’re staying in WA!

Starting October 1, I will be available to resume lessons after returning from my honeymoon.

With a few big life changes, we’re back to looking at the possibility of buying a house in western WA.

While I don’t have a permanent address yet, I will continue to be available for clients in Snohomish and King County until April 2026. Thank you all for bearing with me through these changes!

07/05/2025

How did I, as a trainer with a puppy, spend my 4th of July? Training of course! 

Whether July 4th or New Years Eve, fireworks cause a lot of distress in millions of dogs and while not preventable there are several things you can do to set your puppy up for success.

Start by exposing them to the noises. Overcoming scary things is part of building resiliency. One of my all time favorite ways to desensitize puppies is by playing for 5-10 minutes when the fireworks are starting. This is often before the big booms and helps them get use to the noises. If your pup doesn’t have high toy drive, below is a video of what I do with food. Engage them in sniffing for treats in the grass or on a sidewalk.

Secondly, movement is extremely helpful in getting a dog over mild anxiety. The worst way to help them through is sitting still trying to console them. Go for a short walk and keep it casual with low expectations. Take some treats and distract as necessary.

Inside, have a safe spot for your pup to relax when inside. Dogs that pace only end up working themselves up further. Crate train early so your dog has a dark cave to retreat to.

Lastly, prepare! Have some yummy bones or a treat filled kong to offer your dog in their crate as a distraction. CBD treats or trazodone are more medical routes you can discuss with your vet but PLEASE! do so more than a week before. Your vet will thank you.

…….

Ps. All puppy clients get detailed information on ways to train to prevent distress in big new experiences like fireworks or road trips. And if you have an adult dog who fears loud noises, I have handouts for you too!

06/03/2025

“Chopstick training”

When it comes to owning little dogs, boundaries are still just as important as they are for big dogs. However, a creative approach is often required.

Here you see me teaching the boundaries of the gate. While he can physically fit through, I am teaching him to not cross the threshold.

I reward behaviors that are NOT pushing the boundaries of the gate. Things like putting paws back on the ground, waiting patiently and laying down can all earn a treat.

As I navigate some exciting life changes, I am sad to announce I’ll be leaving the PNW and the outstanding clients I hav...
05/29/2025

As I navigate some exciting life changes, I am sad to announce I’ll be leaving the PNW and the outstanding clients I have had the pleasure of working with. You all have given me a wonderful start with this business and I can’t thank you all enough for trusting me to help you with your pups.

New clients, July 4th is your last day to sign up for training.

Existing and past clients, I will be available for single lessons until August 13th.
If any of you are in need of a referral to a local trainer to support you in future training, please message me.

04/09/2025

How to walk a puppy

For many new puppy owners, walking your pup comes with so many challenges. What are they picking up? Are they choking themselves on their collar? Will we ever walk in a straight line?

Puppy facts
1. They explore the world through their mouths just as babies and toddlers do
Choose your locations for walking wisely. I prefer wide open spaces with wider walking trails and low traffic. This allows me to pause or switch directions with my puppy as needed

2. They have a short attention span
Asking them to remain in a heel even with frequent treats, gets old after a while. In general, I let puppies pick up anything natural. Pine cones, sticks, grass, dirt, etc. Things like garbage (for those living in the city) I bring high value treats on my walks to trade the puppy for their find.

3. Structured walks aren't very fulfilling
Giving freedom to stop, sniff, run, etc all throughout the walk will create a lot less friction between you and your pup.

Here’s a few things I do for any puppy under 5 months old
1. I walk them on a harness (typically a y harness that clips in the back)
2. I bring high value treats (often 2-3 different kinds) to trade objects that could harm them
3. I use a leash 15-20 feet long

For me, walks are a place to practice so many things before I ever teach a formal "heel".
~ I build value in the dog staying near me through treats and engagement.
~ I build value in the dog coming when called by moving away from them when they are distracted.
~ I give the dog a chance to move away from things they find scary which helps the socializing we do throughout the walk be less taxing.
~ I get the dog used to pottying on leash, in new areas both close to me and far away from me

Address

King And Snohomish County
Duvall, WA
98019

Telephone

+14254198967

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