The Human Dog Team

The Human Dog Team In Person family pet dog training in San Diego, options for virtual sessions available

08/19/2026

One of the things I love most about the e-collar is being able to give dogs more freedom without losing communication.

These four had just chased a squirrel up a tree. I didn’t need to yell, repeat myself, or even get up off the ground. Just a small gesture and a calm whistle to say, “Hey, tune back in.”

But this doesn’t start with the e-collar.

I teach this first by creating engagement through movement, especially on a long line. I want the dog to learn to naturally check back in with you while they’re exploring and having fun. From there, we move into basic e-collar work.

It really doesn’t have to be complicated.

Build the engagement, then slowly build up the 3Ds. Then use the e-collar to keep that line of communication when the leash comes off.

06/26/2026

One of the biggest mistakes owners make is asking for behavior after behavior without ever giving the dog a chance to make a choice.

The goal isn’t to see how long your dog can obey, it’s to understand what they choose when they’re free.

After your dog completes what you ask, release them.

That release isn’t the end of training, it’s time for both of you to process information.

Does your dog choose to offer the behavior again? Do they stay engaged with you? Or do they need a moment to process something in the environment?

Those few seconds tell you far more about your dog’s state of mind than keeping them under command the entire time.

Out of all the markers I use, “Good” (Stay) is the only one that has duration. It tells the dog, “Keep doing what you’re doing.” It functions much like a stay.

Every other marker includes an implied release. I want my dogs spending as much time as possible making choices rather than simply remaining under command.

06/25/2026

With recall training, you have to reward whatever step you’re currently working on.

If I’m at the stage where I say “Come” and the dog is moving slowly or hesitating, then my goal isn’t anything fancy yet, I’m simply trying to build speed and enthusiasm.

“Come.”

The dog comes in front of me, gets paid, and we repeat.

We’re building a simple connection: when you respond quickly, it’s worth it.

As soon as the dog becomes more reliable and enthusiastic at that level, we can start asking for more, sitting at front position and collar grab for a release.

At first the dog comes in, gets rewarded, and then immediately gets released back to whatever they were doing.

The release is important because it teaches the dog that coming to you doesn’t always mean the fun ends.

If the dog doesn’t come back after being released, don’t keep pushing forward with more advanced training. If this foundation isn’t solid, there’s no point in trying to teach advanced skills or change more difficult behaviors.

Step one is always building a great recall. Once that looks really good, we can begin introducing what I call the Team Recall.

The dog comes directly into position in front of me. I can drop the leash or collar, and the dog chooses to stay engaged.

One of my favorite signs that a dog understands the exercise is when they look away at something interesting and then voluntarily choose to look back at me.

In this example, the people the dog wants to visit are behind me. The reward isn’t that the dog ignores them forever. The reward is that the dog notices them, thinks about them, and then chooses to reconnect with me first.

That’s the beginning of my team recall.

06/24/2026

This clip is from Ozzy’s first few days with me back in April. Once we had worked on these basics in my backyard, it was time to see how he responded to distractions in the real world.

One of the things we were working on was the difference between obedience and requests.

A request is a way of checking in on your dog’s state of mind. For example, if you’re unsure whether your dog wants to play fetch, you can simply ask with a cue like, “Play.” There is no consequence if the dog chooses not to engage. Their response gives you valuable information about their mental, emotional, and physical state.

Two of my favorite request cues are “Touch” (nose to hand) and “Focus” (eye contact, non verbal). These simple behaviors create connection, help you gather feedback, and allow your dog to participate without feeling pressured to obey.

Using request cues before a walk, training session, or play session can build focus, optimism, and engagement because they often predict access to something the dog enjoys. It’s a simple but powerful way to strengthen the relationship and create a better human-dog team.

06/23/2026

Ozzy first came to me in April as a 7- to 8-month-old puppy for a Board & Train focused on confidence, social skills, and puppy foundations.

Now, a couple of months later, he’s back for boarding, and it’s always fun to see how much a young dog has changed.

He’s more confident in urban environments, more comfortable around people and dogs, and much better at navigating distractions without feeling like he needs to be involved in everything.

Like most teenage puppies, though, he’s still learning how to handle excitement, frustration, and those big emotions that show up when life gets overwhelming.

That’s the part many people forget about puppy training. Confidence is important, but learning self-control, emotional regulation, and appropriate social skills takes time, repetition, and maturity.

Overall, I’m really proud of this little guy and excited to watch him keep growing up.

(Just as long as he doesn’t spend too much time in piranha mode.)

06/21/2026

A lot of people end up managing their dog all day long, and management absolutely has value. It prevents bad behaviors from being rehearsed and keeps everyone safe while you’re working through a problem.

But if all we ever do is manage the dog, we’ll get stuck in a loop of management. We’ll always need the crate, the gate, the leash, the routine, or whatever system we’re using just to keep things under control.

What we really want to do is train the dog. Training teaches the dog what to do instead.

First, you teach the behavior. Then you practice it. Then you add the right management so the dog has the opportunity to succeed while learning when and where that behavior is expected.

Management protects the training. Training creates the change. If all we do is manage, the dog never learns. If all we do is train without management, the dog rehearses the problem. The best results come from using both together.

06/20/2026

People don’t recognize that management and active training have completely different strengths.

Management is excellent at preventing problems. It stops the dog from rehearsing unwanted behaviors and prevents them from finding those behaviors rewarding. Crates, leashes, gates, tethers, and routines are all forms of management. Management protects progress.

Active training is different. Active training requires your time, your attention, and your skill. It is the process of teaching the dog what to do instead. You’re guiding them, helping them, building understanding, and creating new habits. Training creates progress.

The mistake many people make is relying on only one. If all you do is manage, the dog never learns. If all you do is train without management, the dog keeps practicing the very behaviors you’re trying to change.

Management prevents the problem. Training solves the problem. The best results come when both are working together.

06/19/2026

What Is the Meaning of Dog Training?
These days, everybody seems to be a dog trainer.
In reality, anyone who owns a dog, communicates with a dog, or handles a dog is training a dog, whether they realize it or not.
Dog training is simply the act of teaching a dog something new. That could mean teaching a dog not to pull on the leash, stay on a bed, come when called, or even change how they feel about something scary.
One of the ways I like to think about training is by separating it into active training and inactive training.
Active training is when you’re intentionally working with your dog on a skill, behavior, or exercise.
Inactive training is everything your dog learns from daily life, routines, boundaries, and the habits you allow them to practice.
Understanding the difference helps people stop feeling overwhelmed and start focusing on what will actually get them to their goals.
Because whether you’re actively training your dog or not, your dog is still learning.

05/19/2026

There’s lots to unfold when it comes to human-dog play time together.

The biggest benefit is learning about each other, all while enjoying our time together.

Through play, we build communication, real-world skills, and a relationship that learns to honor both the human’s needs and the dog’s needs.

Play is more than just tiring a dog out or creating aimless excitement. It’s an opportunity to work on timing, emotional regulation, engagement, boundaries, reward systems, problem solving, confidence, and recovery. It teaches us when to encourage, when to guide, when to slow things down, and how to bring more energy into the interaction.

A lot of the most important training moments don’t happen during formal obedience. They day to day interactions where both sides are learning how to communicate clearly under real-life conditions.

The better we get at playing together, the better we often get at living together.

One last tip, don’t get too caught up in what other people are doing during play, or the advice from someone online who has never actually met your dog.

Instead, focus on learning what your dog truly enjoys. Pay attention to the activities that naturally bring out engagement, confidence, and connection, then start incorporating those things into your play sessions together.

The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s relationship with their dog. The goal is to build your own.

05/10/2026

OK, OK, OK… hear me out. Use whatever tools help you feel safe and in control with your dog. Safety matters. But it’s important to understand that some tools are designed for management rather then effective and natural communication.

Management is where I begin when working with a dog that is untrained, over-aroused, reactive, or difficult to control. However the goal is building communication, clarity, and understanding.

With walking tools, I want my students to focus on pressure and release (guide and release), not constant restriction or physical manipulation. The goal is to teach the dog how to move, focus, and make better choices through clear communication.

There are many useful tools; martingale collars, slip leads, prong collars and ecollars, that can be used thoughtfully and fairly when the focus is guidance, timing, and release.

Once you understand proper leash guidance and the timing of pressure and release, the right tools for advancing communication with your dog become very obvious and a pleasure to use.

When done intentionally, we build skills that both the human and the dog can understand how to respond and move willingly, INSTEAD OF SIMPLY BEING PHYSICALLY CONTROLLED BY THEIR HEAD OR NASAL AREA CONSTANTLY PUSHED ON OR TWISTED.

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4414 33rd Street
San Diego, CA
92116

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Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 7pm
Sunday 9am - 7pm

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(619) 919-1099

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