Pups on the Coast - Training & Behavior

Pups on the Coast - Training & Behavior UW-AAB and CGC Evaluator 🐾 1:1 Training Sessions & Behavioral Evaluations

08/07/2026

Earlier this year I noticed Chance losing his muscle tone in his hind legs and getting little shaky after exercise, after getting some advice from a canine rehab therapist we got started on strength training to prevent injuries as he gets older (…don’t tell him I called him a senior 😅😅 oof)

If your dogs getting a little older (especially when you have a breed prone to hip and joint issues) you know this is truly one of our biggest fears. It really does hit you hard when you realize your dog’s not a puppy anymore and it’s our job to understand these changes and work with them. 💛

We’ve already seen a huge improvement in his balance and mobility with consistent intentional movement & joint supplements. A little goes a long way!!

Every dog’s needs are different, but here are a few things we’ve gotten started on implementing a few times a week:

🐾 Elevated stance - shifting his weight backwards to build strength in his hind legs. 3-5 reps a session, about 10ish seconds each.

🐾 Hind leg lifts (while he eats or works on a lick mat!) - Around 4-8 reps on each side for about 10 seconds each.

🐾 Figure eights - slow(!!) and controlled turns around objects. I use slow lures to make sure he’s not zoomin. We aim for 8-10 passes each right now.

Just a few of these exercises, just like human physical therapy, contribute to improving overall balance, core strength, and body awareness 💪🏼🐶

Again, every dog is different and you should loop in your vet or even a canine rehab therapist before starting something new, especially with any existing joint concerns

sandiegodogtraining

07/21/2026

Are you even homies if they don’t emotionally regulate with you

06/16/2026

If you’ve ever thought, “My dog knows this at home but won’t do it in the real world,” there’s a good chance a threshold is part of the answer.

the concept is actually pretty simple:

✨ A threshold is the point where your dog goes from being able to think, learn, and respond - to being too overwhelmed to think, learn, and respond.✨

Good training happens at or under a dog’s threshold. Little to no meaningful learning happens when they’re over.

It’s one of the most common missteps I see pet parents make. It doesn’t matter how much time they dedicated to training, doesn’t matter how much money they’ve spent.
Stalls will always happen if we’re always trying to train while they’re too nervous, excited, or stressed. This at times gets misinterpreted as “stubbornness” or “ignoring you”, but it’s truly not the case!

📚 Bear with me because this is where the science matters!! research in BOTH animal and human learning shows that elevated stress can impair information processing and learning.
When arousal goes up, the brain’s ability to take in and use information goes down.

✨It’s like someone trying to give you driving directions while you’re standing next to a live band, alarms are going off, and people are moving around you.

You might hear them, but you’re not actually able to process or hold onto what they’re saying.✨

And just like people - some dogs have a stronger resilience to recover from these situations, and some don’t. These variations are completely normal!

If a dog is repeatedly exposed to triggers at an intensity they can’t handle, progress often stalls because they’re practicing a stress response rather than learning new skills 😢

That’s why threshold evaluation is SUCH a core part of behavior modification.
It’s not just about training, it’s about controlling distance, intensity, and setup so your dog can stay in a state where learning is actually possible.

Once you adjust your game plan taking your dogs threshold into account, you’ll watch the progress flow 🐶

06/04/2026

Beyond excited to call Encinitas our new home 🌴

Chance spends his days sunbathin, snackin, and beachin and he wouldn’t have it any other way 🐶

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Encinitas, CA
92007, 92023, 92024

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