Welcome to Flash Dog Training's Customer Portal! Your one stop area for before, during, and after program training information.
The first section pertains to necessary information to read and understand before dropping your pup off at Flash, along with lodging.
New Client Information and Expectations
Welcome to the Flash Family!
We can’t wait to get started helping you create your ideal relationship with your dog. There are many things that affect your dog’s behavior. Some of them are: environment, genetics, diet, and lifestyle. We will be discussing all of these factors at your drop off consultation and in your lessons. Our goal is to give you a dog that is in the best mental and physical health possible upon completion of our board and train program.
Food:
Training is very physically and mentally stimulating and some dogs will eat more food than normal while training.
Due to significant changes in their environment and mental stimulation, dogs may loose a few pounds during the training process. Most dogs are already in need of loosing weight when they come in. If your dog already struggles with keeping weight on, please inform us prior to your drop off, so we can recommend additions to their diet for you to bring.
- For your dog’s stay, please bring one weeks worth of extra food than the length of their stay. We can easily accommodate raw diets with our deep freezer, so no hesitation if your dog is on raw!
- Please package your dog’s kibble in an airtight container – no pet food bags!
- Bring 2 bag of treats per week for the length of your dog’s stay.
- Please bring single ingredient treats that your dog enjoys such as: freeze dried liver, chicken, lamb, lung, etc.
Kenneling and Adjusting to the Environment:
- Some dogs may need more time than others to adjust to a new environment. If we feel your dog needs more time because it took them awhile to come our of their shell, we will contact you.
- Dogs who are not crate trained and even those that are but may not be used to a boarding environment, may cause minor injuries to themselves like: rubbing their nose, breaking a nail, or licking their front paws. Although it’s rare, these self inflected injuries may happen. We do our absolute best to destress the dogs every moment of their stay, but we cannot control what dogs do at night in their kennels.
Personal Items:
- If your dog has resource guarding issues, please bring items that your dog deems valuable. For other board and train dogs without resource guarding, please do not bring any personal items.
- Organic chews like raw marrow bones, bully sticks, or cow hooves is all we allow dogs to chew while in our care. Please make sure bones are of an adequate size for your dog. No rawhide, Nylabone, or smoked bones of any kind will be given.
Here are some treats we recommend!
- Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Beef Tripe Treats
- Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried Chicken Hearts
- Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Rabbit Treats
- Please upload your dog’s vaccinations records to https://www.dropbox.com/request/V0qyBLMAs6UAn5gh5RPW
You may receive an email from our Office Administrator Josanne, in regards to vaccination records and will come from Josanne@flashdogtraining.com
Other Requirements
- If you have a long-coated dog or a hypoallergenic dog please get them groomed prior to their training program. Shorter cuts are preferred. If your dog has long hair over its eyes, please shorten it up so they have a full range of vision. This can GREATLY affect your dog’s behavior.
- If you can hear your dog walking on the floor, we NEED YOU TO HAVE THEIR NAILS CUT/DREMMELED prior to their program start date. This is a must! Long nails affect how the dog virtually moves and it is unfair to train a dog with long nails and expect the dog to change its behavior if they are uncomfortable while walking.
- Long nail discomfort fuels reactivity and other aggressive behaviors. If you can’t cut your dog’s nail on your own, please send your dog to a vet or groomer prior to their program.
- If your dog comes in with long nails we need to trim them before we start the training process. This service is $30 – $80 based on the difficulty, amount of people needed and time necessary for the trim. For this fee, your dog will receive 2 nail trims; one at the beginning and one at the end of the program. If your dog comes in with appropriate nail length, your dog will receive a complimentary nail trim at the end of their program. We have grooming slings here to make the experience as stress-free as possible. This does not apply to puppy programs.
Drop Off:
- Our Arvada Facility is located at 13022 W. 75th Pl. Arvada, CO 80005 WE WILL NOT BE READY TO MEET YOU AND YOUR DOG ANY SOONER THAN YOUR SCHEDULED DROP OFF TIME.
- Please park in the driveway or in the street in front of the home.
- If you are going to be more than five minuets late please call 720.458.0416 and let us know. We would love to be working with a dog while we wait!
Graduation / Pick-Up
- When you pick up your dog from the board and train, it is going to be the closet moment to the day you first brought your dog into your life. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS! It is truly the time to create new rituals and patterns with your dog in your day-to-day life. We will have already started those healthy new patterns for you, so we encourage you to keep them up!
- The ‘’place’’ command is the fundamental core of your dog’s training. We recommend Kuranda dog beds, the most durable place cot made for dogs. At your dog’s drop off session, your trainer can pair your dog with the correct size for you to order.
We recommend two brands of dog beds.
Kuranda and K&H.
Updates and Exceptions about correspondence:
- You will receive a first night update and one detailed half-way update via email about your dog’s progress in the program, as well as projections about your dog’s training after the program and how to prepare for homecoming.
- If you don’t already, follow us @flashdogtraining on Instagram. Photo and video updates are posted multiple times a week at random on our IG Stories.
- If there is anything concerning about your dog’s health or behavior, YOU WILL BE CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY.
- If you email us to ask questions about your dog that aren’t urgent, please allow 24-72 hours for a response. Our trainers have different schedules and different days off from work. Your email may arrive at the start of your trainer’s weekend. All dogs are trained every day, but your trainer will only be available for regular correspondence during their five day work week. All staff members have access to emergency contact information.
- Please do not worry! We will absolutely contact you immediately if there is something concerning going on with your dog.
Payment Timeline:
- Payment 1: $500 Deposit ($1,000 for payment plans) is due when you receive the invoice and is used to hold your future training spot.
- Payment 2: Is half of the remaining balance and is due before or at your drop off. Trainer will take payment at time of appointment if not previously paid via online invoice.
- Payment 3: Is the remaining program balance and is due before or at your go home lesson. Trainer will take payment at time of appointment if not previously paid via online invoice. Additional training, food purchased by Flash or additional tools needed for your dog are due at the go home lesson.
*Drop Off and Go Home lessons will not be conducted if payment is not made prior or at time of appointment.
We couldn’t be more excited for you and your dog to enjoy the benefits of this training after the program. Thank you for choosing Flash Dog Training, we can’t wait to begin this journey with you!
Gratefully,
FDT Crew
Tools your trainer may recommend
This leash can be purchased in-person at Flash Raw Dog Food
This item can be purchased in-person at Flash Raw Dog Food
Please watch all videos below prior to your Go-Home lesson
Congratulations FDT Grad! Here are some tips and reminders to help your dog maintain their training after the program.
Please text us at 541.800.1889 for any reason whether you need remote training help or to book boarding for your upcoming trip.
Congratulations! Your dog is officially a Flash Dog Training graduate. What this means for you is that you’ll now be able to more harmoniously enjoy your lives together and include your dog in ways you never dreamed possible.
You made the investment, which means we did all of the repetition for you. Now at home, it is all about quality of transactions. Your job is to use your dog’s training in your daily life to make living together easier and more enjoyable. When you say something, it happens. Period. End of story. If you do not have time to reinforce the command, don’t say one!
STRUCTURE WHEN YOU FIRST COME HOME:
For the first month your dog is home you should do a ratio of 70/30.
That means 70% of the time your dog is either:
- Training with you
- Out walking
- In the crate
- On place command
Only 30% of the time will your dog be loose to roam and mill around the house or yard.
Please take this seriously. It’s so easy to affection-dump when your dog comes home, but showering your dog with excitable affection after a board and train is a sure way to invite your dog to go back to exactly the way things were. IF NOTHING CHANGES, NOTHING CHANGES. The more unearned affection your dog gets before you build a new history of handling and living with him differently, the harder you will make it for your dog to be successful. Essentially, your dog’s success is based on your own self-control.
PLACE COMMAND:
Place is really the foundation of all of the training. There are no toys, petting or excitement on place. It’s his time! Your dog should not need to be pacified with a bone or toy; it defeats the point of the exercise. It’s all about doing nothing: relaxation, meditation and an off switch.
If your dog breaks a command you sharply mark with a verbal “No!” and repeat the command. If need be, you will reapply body pressure, leash pressure or E collar pressure. Most dogs will self-correct just off the verbal “No” and repeat of command because we have conditioned that for you, so remember to use “No!”
E-COLLAR:
For your E collar training, the objective for the first 4 to 6 months is to push the button within your dog’s working range, with command until completion of command. It is SO important that your dog understands the E collar and that he has control of the pressure as a universal language and not just as a punitive tool. The 3 to 4 weeks spent with us is a drop in the bucket in terms of learning, and this consistency will create lifelong results.
ENCOUNTERING TRIGGERS:
If you have a reactive dog, which 90% of you do, as soon as you see a trigger you are to start giving your dog information. Tap, tug, talk! REMIND your dog that he is in a heel command. Automatically go up a few levels higher on your E collar when you see the trigger coming because you’ll need it. Correct the dog and redirect into a command before there was actually an explosive behavior to correct!
PRONG COLLAR:
The goal is to only use the prong collar if needed. There’s nothing wrong with coming in quickly with a novel prong pop, but for the reactive dogs, the more we can talk and control the dog through the E collar, the looser we can keep the leash. Therefore, we are setting our dogs up to be more successful passing triggers because our arm is not starting to brace and shorten the leash. When there’s zero option of flight, you’re going to see fight!
REWARDS:
Always remember that the more motivation a dog has to do a behavior, the less pressure we will ever have to use on them. We don’t want be dependent on food, but at the same time we want good work ethic out of the dog. If your boss didn’t pay very well, you wouldn’t have much interest in working for them. If your dog will be 100 times more successful with you carrying some boiled chicken in a bait bag, just do it!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- Please contact us the second things start to go awry. If you’re experiencing a speed bump in your training the sooner you can let us know about it the more quickly we can help you mitigate the issue and come up with a solution.
- Always remember that training is a process, not an event. Training is a life-long journey that you and your dog will be on, forever. No different than going to the gym and getting in shape. If you don’t keep doing it, your body is going to go back to the way it was before you started working out.
- All dog and human teams are different. Each of you is on your own unique path in life together, but the core fundamentals of how to train and relate to your dog are always the same. Always remember, too much freedom equals failure. Do not let your dog be the decision-maker of your home. If your dog has stranger-danger, he cannot be left loose to man the fort when you’re gone. He must be crated in your absence, always.
- Practice simple exercises at home like your dog staying on place command while you throw food on the floor. Your dog looks up at you, asking permission to get the food, then you release him to do so. These are the building blocks of your dog looking at you for information when he sees a trigger, instead of just reacting.
- Always remember that the basic fundamentals are truly the foundation of your training. Without a proper foundation, a house cannot stand. Without practicing the basics we cannot expect to be successful in areas where our dogs struggle the most. The ABC’s and 123’s are everything.
- Have intention. When you say something, mean it and the dog will buy it as believable; or he won’t. Act like you have all day even if you have five minutes. Make your discipline and structure JUST AS BELIEVABLE as the affectionate side of you. Your dog needs that most of all. He needs a guide, a leader and someone who is simply in control of the environment so he does not have to take matters into his own hands.
- For those of you with dogs with stranger-danger, always remember MOTION is your best friend in a greeting, whether it’s with dogs or people. Do not just stand in front of someone and have your dog take food from them. Have them approached the dog, toss a piece of food and walk away. Then have them re-approach, toss two pieces of food, and walk away. Rinse and repeat building duration onto how long they stay.
- Give feedback! The less engaging and interesting we are to the dog, the more they will physically and psychologically disconnect from us. Especially on a walk. If your dog is reactive give them a tug and a tap remind them of the command they are in, increase your speed and jolly them into your happy little world full of food rewards and excitement. You should be essentially correcting your dog when you see another dog coming even BEFORE they may see it.
- Always remember that your equipment sits on the dog’s neck in this order: ears, prong, e collar, flat collar.
We are so excited for you and your dog’s continued success. You have your 6 months of lessons after the program, as well as unlimited phone and email support for the life of your dog. We are so grateful that you chose to work with Flash Dog Training and become a part of this family. Send us updates, we love them! We wish each and everyone of you the happiest of lives together.
Paws Up,
FDT Team
Puppy Go Home Resources
For the first three months your puppy is home you should do structure/freedom ratio of 70/30. That means 70% of the time your pup is either: training with you, walking, in the crate or on place command/tether. Only 30% of the time will your puppy be loose to roam and mill around the house or yard. Please take this seriously. It’s so easy to affection-dump when your pup comes home, but showering your puppy with excitable affection after a board and train is a sure way to invite the puppy to go back to exactly the way things were. IF NOTHING CHANGES, NOTHING CHANGES. The more unearned affection your puppy gets before you build a new history of handling and living with them differently, the harder you will make it for your dog to be successful as an adult.
Potty Training:
•Give puppy about 10 minutes to potty outside
•If they potty outside reward with praise.
•Allow a little play time.
•Then, back to the crate for down time. It’s important they learn they can relax in their crate with and without you home-this prevents separation anxiety!
•If they don’t potty, put them back into the crate.
•Try again in 30 minutes
Crate Training:
•Puppy should be crated when unsupervised.
•Build up a positive association to the crate by tossing a treat in every time they go in.
•Give a chew that they only get in the crate like a stuffed Kong or bone.
•When supervised, the puppy can roam the house on a leash with you during their 30% free time.
•You can tether puppy to the place bed as we do at the facility. Never leave the room for more than a moment.
If puppy whines in the crate, try the following:
•Ignore it
•Cover the crate with a blanket
•If the whining is escalating (screeching, barking, etc.), hit the top of the crate
with your hand, paired with “No” and walk away
•Take pup out to potty (if choosing this option, wait for them to stop crying then
quickly open the crate door, avoid opening it mid cry)
Meals:
•Puppies should be fed by hand as much as possible!
•This gives YOU value because you supply all the good stuff!
•Use their food for training and reward any behaviors you like and want to see more of
•Ex. Sit at the door before going outside, coming to you, settling/relaxing/laying down on their own
•If food is not fed by hand, give it in the crate.
Essential Puppy Pack (EPP):
•Toy(s) (fluffy, squeaky, and rubber toys)
•Treats (high value: boiled chicken, mid value: freeze dried liver, low value: kibble)
•Chews (bully sticks, benebone, kong, rubber toys)
•Verbal Praise
•Physical Praise (pets, snuggles)
Essential Puppy Pack (EPP):
•Toy(s) (fluffy, squeaky, and rubber toys)
•Treats (high value: boiled chicken, mid value: freeze dried liver, low value: kibble)
•Chews (bully sticks, benebone, kong, rubber toys)
•Verbal Praise
•Physical Praise (pets, snuggles)
Commands:
•If your puppy breaks a command you can sharply mark with a verbal “No” and repeat the command. If need be, you will reapply body pressure, leash pressure until the pup is back in position. Most dogs will self-correct just off the verbal “No” and repeat of command because we have conditioned that for you, so remember to use “No!”
•Remember that the obedience your puppy learned here is just a foundation. Be realistic about how long a puppy can hold a stationary obedience command and consider if the distractions in the environment you’re working in are too much to handle. Typically 30 seconds for a sit and a couple minutes for down are maximum for duration at this stage of your puppy’s training.
•Never drop your leash and walk away. Your puppy completed an on-leash only program.
•When you want your puppy to mentally turn off, be calm or still put them on place with a tether. Your puppy can tether up to the length of a movie.
•Tethering and crate training are the fundamentals of conditioned relaxation, so after a walk or play always have them calm down and decompress on tether or in the crate when you come back inside.
Puppy Management:
•When roaming at home or out in public, always have the essential puppy pack on you!
•Always be the biggest source of entertainment and fun with your puppy! Do this by always having toys, food/treats & chews on you to keep your puppy focused and creating positive associations with you in new environments.
•Always reward positive interactions with other dogs, people, loud sounds, and other
intimidating scenarios. You can reward with your EPP!
•Advocate for your puppy if she seems nervous or unsure about a situation, maybe even reward with the EPP to raise her spirits.
•Advocating can look different depending on the scenario, it can be removing the dog from the situation due to various reasons, rewarding the dog for doing well when a loud sound happens or other scary situation your puppy conquered, managing socialization time by stepping in when a rowdy dog or overbearing person is being too much, stepping in when your puppy is being too much for that person or other dog, and so on.
•If the puppy is chewing on something or is doing something they shouldn’t like biting your hand too hard, correct the behavior by tugging the leash paired with a “No”.
Canine development through maturity (~3 years old) is a roller coaster ride. It is normal for your puppy to experience fear periods. They can also act too big for their britches at times. It is normal to see a lot of ups and downs in your puppy’s behavior as they mature.
Please keep us in the loop as we are here to guide you and answer any questions you have about your puppy’s training.
We can’t wait to watch your puppy turn into a balanced, confident adult dog!