A short video medley of just some of the film and TV acting jobs that my dog Badger appeared in 🩵
In my latest online self-study course “Action! Train Your Dog To Be A Movie Star” you can get all the behind-the-scenes details of how these results were achieved.
The course uses actual examples from multiple films and commercials, starring my dog Badger as well as several other dog actors that I trained.
Link to the course is in the comments 👍
I’m super excited to be able to announce that my next online self-study course will be launched on Udemy very very soon - and here is a special sneak preview for all my Followers! 🥳
The course is called “Action! Train Your Dog To Be A Movie Star” and it’s my biggest course yet! Over 6 hours of video, with 60 lectures, covering basic training to advanced skills including stay, come, go to a mark, how to train silent cues, fetch and carry an item, pull on an item, go to sleep, speak (bark), wave, get in a box, follow a person, “puppy dog eyes”, prick up ears, paw at someone to get attention, jump through an opening, and much more. Examples of training equipment including target sticks, platforms and target mats, the movie trainer’s “Look Stick”, and how to use these in training.
The lectures use real examples from films, TV shows and commercials that my dog, or dogs I have trained, have appeared in, with all the insider tricks, tips and techniques of how to teach the acting skills to your dog.
But - guess what - even if your dog isn’t called up for an acting job, you will still have tons and tons of fun training your dog to perform these skills. I can’t wait to add the finishing touches and make it available to you 🤗
Check out this Preview and watch out for the Release Date 🤩
Tintin’s Training Tool 👍😊
Hands Free Leads - custom made in South Australia to my own design specifications by the clever people at Treat Your Dog. Perfect for training your dog to heel, as you can hold a clicker in one hand and give a food reward from the other hand. Ideal if you need your hands free to push a pram or carry your shopping. The Hands Free Lead is designed for medium to large dogs. It is worn over-the-shoulder and is adjustable from 100cm-200cm. The lead has a grab handle in case you need additional control.
Available in red, black or rainbow 🌈
Was $22 - now on special for $20
#handsfreeleash
Tintin’s Training Tip 🐾👍
Once your dog has learned to fetch a toy, you can start to incorporate some impulse control exercises into the game, which will help develop your dog’s listening skills and your ability to control your dog. Tintin must ignore my “fake” throws and wait until I give him his release cue “Get It” - then he can zoom off after the toy as I throw it. Start slowly, stay near your dog at first, gradually increase the distance and the unpredictability of your actions.
Happy Training 🤗
Hope all my Followers are having a lovely week and getting out and about in this gorgeous weather! I am enjoying a few days off work 🥳
Tintin practiced his listening skills by showing off his tricks to the seagulls on the beach today 😆
The more you practice getting and keeping your dog’s attention, and rewarding that focus, the better able you will be to control your dog in distracting locations and situations.
Happy Training 🐾🤗
Tintin having fun with his Go Arounds (outruns) at the local Soccer field. This is a great way to exercise your dog and develop attentiveness and off lead control. Perfect for Herding breeds as it utilises their instinctive ability to gather livestock by circling around them. But any dog can do it and enjoy it! I’m using a toy reward but use food if that’s what your dog prefers.
My online course “”Herding Games For Urban Dogs - No Sheep Required!” shows you in detailed easy steps how to teach your dog to do this, plus many more herding-based activities including pushing balls (livestock replacements), jumping over “fences”, and developing cooperation and impulse control.
The course is hosted on Udemy - here ⬇️ is a link to the course - three hours of video tutorials for only $29.99!
https://www.udemy.com/course/herding-games-for-urban-dogs-no-sheep-required/?referralCode=CAE6EB962A0A18FC3051
Some mental and physical games for my little old girlie 😍
Maddy is coming up for 14 years old, and is virtually deaf, but she still loves to participate in training. She had a health check recently and was given an all clear 👍
Here, I am using Mari Valgma’s Movement Puzzle method. Maddy is trotting through the Cavaletti (low poles) from food bowl to food bowl. This is great exercise that helps body awareness, physical coordination, muscle strength and mental activity. I am careful to stop the exercise when Maddy starts slowing down and clipping the poles, signifying that she is becoming tired.
Maddy also receives daily Krill Oil and Green Lipped Mussel supplements.
If you have an older dog, book a one-off consultation in which I can show you some low impact enrichment activities that you can do with your dog including scent work games, and gentle bowl-to-bowl exercises, to help keep them physically and mentally active as they age.
**If your dog has any mobility or health issues please seek Veterinary advice**
Wow - what a fantastic 2 days of learning at the Ford K9 Scent Detection seminar hosted by K9 Aus Capabilities 🐾🤩
Tintin exceeded my expectations, thanks to the skilled and enthusiastic coaching from Natalie Morris, and he searched happily for his target odour (Birch essential oil) in a huge echoing shed which was rattling in the strong winds, with lots of people, dog smell and pigeon-poo distractions!
My takeaways from the seminar are too many to list, but some stand out concepts that I will be working on are:
* Start teaching blank searches early in your dog’s training
* Reward for searching, not just for finding
* Train an End Of Search signal
* Diagnostics!
* Don’t “Telegraph” to the dog
* Train to Improve, not just to Rehearse
Lots more information for me to process! Day of rest today 😆
Thanks to Cathy and Donna for videos 👍
Kate’s Trialling Tip 👍🐾
Using toy rewards in ANKC Scent Work.
A toy may be used as a reward, but it cannot be thrown or dropped. Toys that make a noise are not permitted. If a toy is thrown or dropped in the search area or search area precinct, a fault will be applied.
In training, I often use a toy reward for Tintin. After a bit of tugging, he likes to hold and carry the toy so I allow him to do this after the search, on the way back to the car.
Remember that if you use a toy reward in a Trial, the toy must remain in contact with you, and must not touch the ground until you are clear of the search area precinct. So while balls might be great in training, they aren’t permitted in a trial, unless on a rope that you hold. I suggest using a toy with a short-ish handle, so if the dog drops their end, it won’t touch the ground. And if your dog is carrying the toy, make sure to keep hold of the handle until you are well clear of the search precinct 😄
Tintin’s Training Tip 👍🐾
Memory Finds in Scent Work Training
In this search, I did a re-send, meaning I repeated the search from the same start point, and the dog can either repeat the search or go back to the odour source from memory. Tintin has not shown much reliance on memory previously, but in this search he clearly went straight back to the odour on the re-send, and was much quicker to get his nose on the source. I was interested to see this development. Some dogs naturally use memory more than others, but it can also be a skill that the dog learns.
Sending your dog back to repeat the same search can be a useful training technique. It can help the dog develop confidence and understanding. It also allows you to mark and reward the “Find” on the first search, and you can then require the dog to give a longer “Indication” on the re-send.
Some dogs become demotivated if sent to repeat a search, because they think doing it over means they must have been “wrong”. Some dogs may start to experiment and give you other behaviours. Some dogs find repetition “boring”. So modify your use of re-sends to suit your dog and your training goals.
Strategic use of memory can aid in training search patterns. For example, in a Vehicle search, we want the dog to only search the lower sections of a car. We do this by placing odour on sills, wheels, number plates, tow bars (as per the Rules) - the dog will remember these hide placements and then learn to search only in those previously successful locations.
Happy Sniffing 🤗
Tintin’s Training Tip 👍🐾
When training for ANKC Scent Work, make sure your dog is not searching for “stuff you have touched”.
If training in a new location, place your (non-handled) odour hide out using tongs or tweezers, and then, using a clean hand that is not contaminated with odour, touch a few places in your search area. Then watch your dog search, and see whether they show interest, or disregard, the spots that you touched. This will help inform you and guide your training process.
Tintin briefly checked out one spot I had touched, but then continued searching and located the target odour (Birch).
When training at home, it’s not quite such an issue, as your odour will most likely be all over everything anyway, if you are training in your living areas. But dogs can pick up and recognise more recent (fresher) odour, so bear this in mind even when training at home.
Some sports, training methods or other activities may require your dog to find your odour - if doing multiple scent based activities, make sure you have different cues and rituals so your dog understands the task, and knows what odour they are searching for 🤗
Tintin’s Training Tip 👍🐾
Whether you are preparing for Dog Sport Trials, or for Real Life, whatever the skill is that you are training your dog, introduce distractions gradually, until the situation looks “real”.
Here, I am practicing Tintin’s scent detection training for the purposes of the sport of Scent Work. In a Trial, we will have to search for odour in an area where other dogs have just been searching, so the area will be heavily “contaminated” with other dog smells. A client and dog have just left, so I set up a couple of searches for Tintin to practice ignoring the smell of the visitors and doing what he has been asked to do - search for odour (q-tip infused with birch essential oil).
Yes, he is a bit distracted, but he manages to get back to his task, and locates both the hides nicely.
Whether you are training for a sport or for basic manners, the same principle applies. Whatever you are teaching your dog to do, work towards your end goal by introducing challenges and distractions gradually. For example, if you want your dog to stay on their bed while you cook a meal, start by teaching your dog to stay on their bed while you take a few steps away, then stay on their bed while you “pretend” to prepare food (open cupboards, chop imaginary food), then stay on their bed while you get out real food complete with enticing food smells. Now your dog is ready to stay on their bed while you actually prepare a meal.
Happy Training 👍🤗
