Welcome to Birch Bark!

Helping the dogs and people of Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, and San Marcos

Group Classes

Group classes offer expert coaching and advice over weekly sessions. Dog learn to engage and perform in busy environments while humans learn from each other!

Behavior Modification

Birch Bark specializes in working with dogs with more severe issues. We are happy to work with dogs displaying fearful, anxious, reactive, and aggressive behaviors.

  • A Meditation on Death

    As many of you already know, Shine, my oldest dog, has a tumor in her lungs.  It showed up on an X-ray that I requested because her breathing had been off recently.   Shine is dying.ย  It might not actually be the tumor that causes her death (or, more likely, the reason I decide to humanely……

  • Goals, Intentions, and Invitations

    In many yoga classes, students are encouraged to set an intention at the beginning of practice. Intentions are not quite goals.ย  I see goals as some kind of finish line, a completed achievement. ย  In the context of yoga, a goal could be to be able to accomplish a particular feat such as touching your……

  • The Role of Ego in Dog Training (Part 3) – Finding Peace

    In Part 2 of this series, I described how ego (Buddhist, not Freudian) can show up and insert itself into the ways we live with, train, and generally interact with our dogs, to the detriment of everyone involved. Here we will examine how to acknowledge when and where ego appears, why itโ€™s detrimental to both……

Why You’ll Love Us

Birch Bark offers dog training and behavior modification rooted in science & practiced with mindfulness.

We are:

  • Force-free
  • Breed inclusive
  • Judgement free
  • Dual-certified
  • Excited to meet you!
Learn More

Want training tips, cute dog pics, and to be the first to hear about new classes & workshops?
Join our mailing list!


There are a lot of things you can put on your to-do list for Saturday, but we hope that attending Bark and Bend is on the list! #barkandbend2023 Don't let Teacher Stormy look down her nose at you for not doing your homework! The September newsletter has landed in your inbox like an apple on Teacher's desk! ๐—•๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ & ๐—•๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฒ๐˜€!! Like a splatter of watermelon juice on a cattle dog's picnic blanket, the August newsletter has landed in your inbox! Harley the #goldenretriever has clearly mastered the "sit" cue. ๐Ÿคฃ Is this a photograph of separation anxiety?

ยฉ Lindsey Lieberman 2021.
All rights reserved