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About Games-Based Training

Let's say you're in the middle of a 6-week obedience class and the time has come to demonstrate that your dog Max can lie down - instantly. The process goes something like this:

(1) "Max, down!"

(2) Max does not lie down, but instead proceeds to sniff around.

(3) You're instantly frustrated. Max knows this cue. You've practiced it extensively. He does it perfectly at home, so why not here?

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That's because traditional approaches to dog training focus on training in specific situations and often rely on the environment to train your dog. They follow the process of (1) asking your dog to perform a behaviour, (2) your dog performing that behaviour, and (3) delivering a piece of kibble directly to your dog's mouth - in a very boring way.

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That's right, boring.

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Training doesn't have to be boring! Why should Max sit or lie down on command? What's so great about it? When does he get to do something fun like chase a ball or go play with his dog friends?

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That's what we do at Naughty & Nice Dog Training! We approach training in a fun and unique way and train our dogs by playing games with them, which reinforces general concepts like focus or calmness so your dog has the skills to cope with situations that come up in every day life, rather than training a specific "trick behaviour" that only really works in specific environments. Playing a game with your dog for just 3 minutes a day will improve your dog's focus, relationship, and eagerness to perform the behaviours you want and forget about the ones you don't. We do this by reshaping your dog's brain to change their behaviour, rather than just put a bandaid on it and mask their behaviour. Plus, it's a lot of fun to just play games with your dog and instead of saying "Ugh, I have to train my dog", you'll quickly find yourself saying "YES, I get to train my dog!"

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So what are you waiting for? Are you ready to become a gamechanger, get real-life results, and transform your dog through games? Contact us and we can get you on the right track!

Our Team

My name is Nicole and I first started using games-based training with my own dogs Joey and Mia in January 2021. These two have been my biggest inspiration to take on new adventures with a smile, and jump into everything I do feet first. They have taught me more than I could ever hope to teach them in their lifetimes and have made me a better human and a better dog trainer.

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Joey is a Great Pyrenees X, born in 2020. He loves everything and everyone and he is always ready for a nap, but is also ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. His favourite things are liver treats and giving everyone bear hugs - and kisses.

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Mia is a working Australian Shepherd, born in 2021. She is incredibly excited about life and is always ready for a new adventure. Her favourite things are - anything and everything! If it involves food, running, or hanging out with you, no matter what it is, she is 100% all in!

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Mia is currently being grown as a demo dog and while she still does struggle with some real life situations, she is my little rockstar and she would love to show you how games-based training has and transform her into one of the best little dogs a person could ask for!

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Nicole Hurtado

Pro Dog Trainer

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Joey

Senior Face Licker

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Mia

Demo Dog IN TRAINING

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Certifications & Achievements

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Our Team

You can rest assured that I've gone through extensive training to become a Pro Dog Trainer and continue to update my own learning to help you and your dog overcome your training struggles.

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