Welcome to OCEAN4DOGS

Home to OCEAN Foundations, Complete Guide to Mark Training,
Loose Leash Walking, Channel Heeling and More...

What is OCEAN?

The OCEAN acronym provides a simple road map for fast and fun learning

Observe Your Dog
Connect with Compassion
Engagement with Joy
Attitude Before Anything
Never Stop Learning (about yourself and your dog)

OCEAN deepens the bond between dogs and people by improving two-way communication and tailoring training to the dog's perspective resulting in fast and fun learning for dogs and people. 

OCEAN solves  perplexing performance problems by identifying the root causes of your dog's problems and then providing simple solutions and clear paths to progress.

Discover How OCEAN Transforms the Lives of Dogs and People

OCEAN is based on the following premise: When communication flows freely and equally in both directions, dog-training becomes a shared language between dogs and humans. -- Dev Sperber

OCEAN takes SEEING to a whole new level, so you can respond to the subtle ways your dog communicates her ever-changing mental and emotional states, which leads to happier, more satisfying dog-training experiences for dogs and people

OCEAN unlocks each dog’s highest potential by uncovering miscommunication blips that may be stunting your dog's progress and success.  

OCEAN solves perplexing performance and behavior problems by helping people identify the root causes and providing simple actions that create clear paths to progress.

OCEAN transforms impulse control from drudgery to a source of upbeat motivation, resulting in increased resilience, better teamwork, and a whole lot more fun for dogs and people!

OCEAN improves 2-way communication through simple actions designed to help people notice and respond to the subtle ways their dogs communicate their ever-changing inner states (through body-language) before small ripples turn into tsunamis.  

OCEAN deepens the connection between people and dogs by providing simple, positive training techniques you can start doing at home, to build a foundation on which progress and growth happen naturally.

OCEAN provides a supportive community of like-minded individuals. Once you embark on the OCEAN Journey with your dog, you'll recognize fellow OCEAN Goers by their easy and relaxed manner with their dogs and the joyful engagement being expressed in both directions.

OCEAN deepens the bond between dogs and people by improving 2-way communication and creating more joy and spontaneity in training, for better teamwork and a deeper connection, so that progress becomes a natural byproduct of joyful collaboration. 


Here are Four Popular OCEAN Specialty Classes that are FREE to OCEAN Members
(Scroll down to see the complete list of free classes)

Loose Leash Walking Made Simple is not about teaching dogs to walk on a 100% slack leash. It's about teaching dogs to simply respond to the tactile experience of leash pressure the moment it occurs instead of pulling steadily on the leash.  

You'll learn simple leash handling techniques that transform the leash from a source of conflict into a telephone line with communication flowing equally in both directions.

This class exemplifies OCEAN-style dog training from the inside out and how simple actions produce astonishing outcomes when you know what simple actions you need to take!

Click link below to access the curriculum.


The Complete Guide to Mark Training is a newly expanded Mark Training Course that is part of OCEAN Foundations but is also available as a stand alone course.

Whether your dog is new to Mark Training or already knows how to put his or her front feet on a raised surface, this course will teach you how to use Mark Training to build and balance your dog’s: drive + thoughtfulness, enthusiasm + impulse control, and independence + focus.

You'll also learn about the physical benefits of Mark Training and how to use this simple yet profound training technique to develop your dog's independence and confidence at any distance. And last but not least, you will learn about the profound effects this simple action can have on the mental and emotional states of dogs.

Click link below to access the curriculum.


Channel Heeling is a fun and easy way to teach enthusiastic, connected heeling. Whether your goal is circle work for agility, flashy freestyle routines, precision figure-eights, or joyful, connected heeling for everyday life, the channel heeling method will teach your dog the physical skills needed to maintain heel position through a variety of tight turns and gentle arcs on the shorter and longer path.

What makes this method different is the innovative use of props to create channels. The channels make the right choice easy and the wrong choices hard. By minimizing errors (forging, lagging, drifting wide, and swinging out), the method allows your dog to practice speed changes and rear leg side stepping while you practice training mechanics and provide your dog with clear feedback.

Channel heeling is to teaching moving heel position what platforms are to teaching stationary positions. And as Ken Ramirez likes to say: Advanced training is the basics done really well.

This course is appropriate for new trainers, experienced trainers, or anyone who wants to increase the level of joy and enthusiasm their dog brings to heeling.

Click link below to access the curriculum.


OCEAN Foundations is a six week class designed to jump start your OCEAN Journey through a series of simple actions and experiments that will help you see your dog (and any performance and behavior problems you've been struggling with) in new ways so you know what simple actions to take in order to create a clear path to progress that will also result in a deeper relationship with your dog.  

OCEAN is based on the following premise: When communication flows freely and equally in both directions, dog-training becomes a shared language between dogs and humans. -- Dev Sperber

OCEAN Foundations provides the fastest and funnest ways to improve 2 way communication with your dog.  

Click link below to access Free Lessons.


***All OCEAN Specialty Courses are Included in Your OCEAN Membership***
Contact dev@ocean4dogs.com to Get Coupon Code