Genie Tuttle CPDT-KA CNWI

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Genie Tuttle is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and a Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).  Genie has a Bachelor's degree in Communication from California State University, Northridge and has been training dogs of all breeds for more than 25 years.  A lifelong dog lover, she has worked for private training companies, Parks and Recreation departments and a big box pet supply chain prior to launching her own business, Dog Genie in 2003.  Dog Genie is a training company specializing in teaching people how to successfully use positive communication techniques with their dogs for a lifetime of happiness and understanding. From group clicker training classes, to customized private lessons, Genie enjoys teaching people in and around Southern California the power of positive reinforcement.  Her background is in Corporate Communications, Public Relations, Marketing Operations, Fundraising and Event Planning.

Genie has been a greyhound owner since 1993 and serves on the Board of Directors for Homestretch Greyhound Rescue & Adoption, an official 501(c)(3) charity located in Fillmore, California where she serves as the Director of Media Relations and Training.

Genie can be reached at:  [email protected] or www.doggenie.com

Blog posts by Genie Tuttle CPDT-KA CNWI

Greyhound dog stretching on a fit ball next to cavaletti poles

Fitness Routines for Dogs

It happened one day when I wasn’t looking. Time snuck by and suddenly my “new dogs” turned into my “aging dogs” seemingly in the blink of an eye. We adopted them from a greyhound rescue on the same day 9 years ago, when both were 2 years old. The thrill of getting to know them and show them the world was captivating and certainly something all dog-lovers understand. So much to learn and do, so little time. But we never looked at it that way.

 
Greyhound participating in a Nose Work Class

A Sighthound's Adventure in Nose Work

When you are the parent of an older, somewhat impaired dog, it can sometimes seem like the fun and games are over for the most part and that all you can do is love them to pieces while you can. Enter K9 Nose Work for companion dogs. This sport has been around for about 5 years now and is a fun activity to do with dogs of various abilities and skill levels.

 
Dog Owner in Crate with Dog Relaxing Outside Crate

Time Outs for Dog Lovers

Dogs are amazing, we all adore dogs but how much is too much? Is there such a thing? Some dog/owner teams get the balance just right while others seem to be in need of an intervention. We talk about “hyper vigilance” in reactive dogs but many owners act the same way when it comes to fussing over their canine’s every perceived need or behavior. Much of the time dogs would be just fine if not for the stress cues of their owners. Can humans make their dogs more neurotic/aggressive/fearful or anxious by behaving a certain way? Is there such a thing as a codependent relationship between an owner and his or her dog? Most dog behavior professionals would say, “Yes” on both accounts.

 
Photo of a dog bone shaped sign near front door that says, "Welcome, Sit, Stay"

Dog Trainer’s Salute

We’re sometimes known as bossy

Yet never need a posse

To help a dog be understood

What we do is find the good

And go from there to depths explore

All about the canine core

Nature, nurture and beyond

Sometimes we have a magic wand

Though some rely on books and lecture

Giving way to sheer conjecture

 
Orange QUARANTINED ANIMAL sign in window

Dog Training and Dinner Disasters

I was just cooking dinner the night my newly adopted retired racing greyhound delivered a level 3 bite to the meaty part of my right hand. Pots were on the stove, the TV was on, and a nice meal was the only thing on the agenda at the end of a relaxing rainy Sunday. I wasn’t dog training. Preoccupied by the timing and ingredients of the recipe, I marched over to the new black dog sitting on a dog bed in the corner to take a rawhide chewy away from him, like I’d done dozens of times before. It plays like slow motion in my head to describe it now. I reached in, and without a sound he nailed my hand, hard. OMG. I could NOT believe it. After letting out a primal guttural shriek, I rushed to the sink and knew it was bad.

 
Photo of hands holding the Earth

"Earth to Space... Earth to Space... Come In Space"

As a diehard dog trainer, I've found that more often than not I'm inhabiting my own planet when it comes to understanding dog and human interactions, interpreting behavior on both ends of the leash and avoiding dangerous doggie situations whenever possible. Thankfully I share this planet with many brave souls like you who speak the same language.

 
Retired Racing Greyhounds at the Homestretch Greyhound Rescue & Adoption facility, consider playing in the yard on a rainy day.

Going Greyhound

While innocently surfing TV channels one Saturday afternoon in the early '90s, I came across an alarming undercover expose' on the plight of racing greyhounds. The dramatic footage showed emaciated dogs inside a dark trailer, standing up in crates stacked two-high with their heads held low, yearning eyes glowing from the light of the camera. Most of the dogs inside the pitch black trailer were still alive. Subsequent scenes featured audio of gunshots followed by dead hounds being tossed unceremoniously into a dumpster. Call it destiny, fate or divine intervention but that was it for me, time to get involved and Go Greyhound.

At the time, I had never met a retired racing greyhound up-close and in-person and didn't know the first thing about them or their intricacies. Now, nineteen years and five hounds later, here's a little bit of what I've learned about this remarkable semi-exotic creature.

 

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