Last weekend Atlas and I did a private session with Jamie The Dog Trainer. Jamie has such a wonderful way of engaging training from the dogs perspective. His lure techniques are out of this world. He gets amazing precision with just the smallest movements. Atlas and I learned a lot. In this video Jamie was showing us how to move between sit and stand and down without Atlas moving his front feet. This keeps his positions nice and clean, without him shifting forward.
Back from holidays and ready to go. Atlas and I were back at agility over the weekend learning some new skills. This time around the course we practiced had obstacles closer together. Man! That jump out the first tunnel was a tricky one! We are having loads of fun playing and will continue to practice. #goldenretriever #positivereinforcementtraining #dogtraining #dogsofwollongong
I love to play around with Atlas and teaching him new skills. Mostly just figuring out the steps and making it a game. Atlas loves to learn new things and it helps to reinforce for him that training is fun.
In this video I am working on an emergency stop. As Atlas moves toward me I want him to STOP when I cue it. He's doing really well and we've even started to add in a skill at distance. To start this behaviour I simply created a pattern where I throw a treat, and when Atlas returns to me I throw another treat. A great recall game on it's own! Once he was returning I would fist my hand, raise it above my head and say STOP. Then immediately throw that treat, I did not wait for him to stop. It only took him a couple of repetitions to see that raised fist and wait for the treat to be thrown.
What do you think?
Follow Me part 2
This video shows how this game becomes even more fun adding in spins he follows. You can also clearly see how this shapes a loose lead as he follows at my side.
Have a play and let me know in the comments how you go
Being able to enjoy a pleasant walk with our dogs is an ideal many dog owners share. A walk is an easy to physically exercise and enrich your dog on a regular basis. But... if you have a dog who is pulling you down the streat and reacting to other dogs and people it can be an unpleasant experience and a real chore to motivate yourself.
Try this training game;
Follow Me puts you in front of your dog helping them to focus on you. And easily following you around on lead, better yet a loose lead. It is a great way to encourage your dog to engage with you. Once you have a dog who is engaging with you shaping a loose lead walk is that much easier.
How to play?
Simply stand facing your dog, move away 2 to 3 steps encouraging them to follow. Mark and reinforce once they move toward you. Change direction and repeat. You can gradually add in more steps, move away quickly or slowing. You can even change direction a couple of times before reinforcing and see if they are really focused on following you.
Nothing too complicated. The point of the game is to get your dog moving with you on a nice loose lead, to be engaged with each other and of course to have a bit of fun.
Meet Oreo!!
Oreo is a young Labroador, adopted by her family just a few weeks ago. She was doing g well in so many areas but mums shoulder was sore from the leash pulling.
Here is a video that Oreo's mum has shared of where she is at now. Starting in the backyard and the moving to the front driveway. Now street walking. She's come so far in such a short time. As mum says "look, just one finger".
Absolutely nothing wonky about this video it showcases some amazing leash walking !!!
Would you like to enjoy your walks more, reach and Activate your training.
Beach trips are great fun in the summer, it is cool and refreshing. We are fortunate to have a selection of great dog beaches across the Illawarra. To use the beaches it is important to ensure our dogs have good recall but also PROXIMITY. proximity my dog stays close enough to hear any directions I give. Here's a few tips to improve your dogs proximity;
🟢 Capture those check ins. Anytime you dog moves close to you reinforce it. Play, treats, praise.
🟢 Play with your dog. Be fun and engaging. If you switch off so will your dog.
🟢 Use a long line or have a good recall. Call your dog back if they move too far away or use the lead to manage distance.
🟢 If you see a person or dog approaching, place your dog back on lead until you can be sure they wont run up to stay hello.
💦Water play is a great way to stay cool this summer. ☀️
Sprinklers and hoses can provide a lot of amusement to dogs who enjoy the water. It has the benefit of providing dogs an outlet for physical energy and helping them to stay cool.
What is some of the games you enjoy with your dog during the summer?
There are dogs who just love to shred things!
A simple activity suggestions for those looking for non food enrichment ideas. Yes, you guessed it. Provide your dog with some cardboard boxes and or paper to shred. I have a couple pro shredders here getting my boxes ready to be recycled.
My boy Atlas loves the grocery shop because he gets to shred the bags when we have finished unloading the groceries. He will sit quietly while I read catalogues and then shred those too. Yes I have some messy clean up to do but the smile on his face is totally worth it, as is the hour or so of quiet I have because he's busy.
One thing to keep in mind. This is a shredding activity and not an eating one. Watch your dog and if they look they are eating it, swap it out and redirect to the larger pieces for shredding. If you find over time the continue to rip and eat then this is not a suitable activity for your pooch unless supervised.
There are times on a walk or adventure we come across a scenario that is just not a good idea for our dog. Perhaps I'm walking my excited puppy and there is a group of people coming up. Eeek, last thing I want is puppy pulling to and jumping all over them. Perhaps I have a dog who lunges and bark at other dogs and there is a dog heading our way.
It is ok to say, my dog is not ready for that life event. The best thing I can do for them is to avoid or escape until we are. If you simply went ahead and hoped for the best, there is a good chance they would simply practice a lot of undesirable behaviour and send your training plan backwards. Here are a couple of strategies you can use to navigate past these distractions.
1. Treat scatter - move off the path, create space and scatter treats on the ground for them to sniff out.
2. Treat magnet - move off the path, grab a handful of treats or get your food tube ready, place it on the dogs nose and continuously feed as you move past the distraction.
3. Treat bowling - move off the path, take a large treat, show your dog and bowl it in front of you. Keep bowling treats in front of you as you move past or away from the distraction.
As you read creating distance and or moving behind a visual barrier is also key to avoiding mishaps.
Have you tried giving your dog an egg??
Scrambled, runny or mixed in with kibble it is always a great hit. Here is a video of Atlas, with just a plain ole egg from the fridge. I haven't boiled it so when he did finally break it by dropping it on the bricks he got to enjoy a tasty treat. in the meantime he spent quite a bit time prancing with it in his mouth and pawing it around.
Try it out with your pup and let me know how they liked it.
Find what motivates your dog!
Every dog is different. There are food lovers and play aficionados out there. Dogs who like their cuddles and verbal encouragement. Whatever it is get specific and find out what really interest and excites your dog. Don't be worried about what anyone else thinks and get creative.
Here's my tip; don't just say food. Food is a broad category, get specific. What food? Atlas here is trotting along for a lick of fruit puree. He also enjoys baby food and it makes for a great reinforcer! No mess or slobber on my hands 😜
Using games to improve your dogs skills is a fun way to do training each day.
Here is ‘Through the Tunnel’ a recall game…
Called many things by many trainers this is a great game to play and practice skills with your dog too. Here’s how…
1. Count out 4 to 8 treats.
2. Show your pup the first treat and toss it between your legs. We want the dog to go after the treat.
3. Move away, turn and get ready.
4. Mark the moment your looks toward you
5. Reinforce by tossing the next treat between your legs
6. And repeat..
7. The last treat isn’t the end, after your pup has chased after the last treat let your dog run toward you and give them a big pat/wrestle.
Have fun with it, we want our dogs to have fun with it too but keen to run toward us. Have a go! Play the game!
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Pet Friendly Locale
It can be so hard to find places to go with our dogs at times.
MM Beach, Port Kembla.
Like any space it has its pros and cons but in general is a fun place to spend some time with your pooch.
As a 24hr beach it is possible to find quiet times to go down with your dog and enjoy the space. If you've got a dog learning their recall a quiet beach is great space to practice.
There is plenty of parking up at the street, poop bags and bins provided at the north entry.
The beach is relatively sheltered, and about 300m in length. There are rock at either end, where dogs cannot go according to council regulations. Like any beach look out for sharks, blue bottles and dead fish.
If you think you and your dog would enjoy time together at the beach head on down.
Is MM a favourite of yours? Do you have a favourite beach? Share you story below...
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Summer has arrived. The weather has been quite warm these last couple weeks. Not to mention that humidity, which feels like it's in full swing today.
Be sure have ways for your dog to stay cool this summer. Behaviours like digging can see an increase as our dogs try to find cool places to rest. To avoid this outcome have places your dog can go to be nice and cool.
Atlas is not a fan of the heat. He loves his pool though so we make sure it's nice and ready for him on a hot day.
#dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogtraining101 #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogwalking #dogbehaviour #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementdogtraining #rewardbasedtraining #obediencetraining #dogtrainingisfun #puppy #puppytraining #dogtrainersydney #sutherlandshire #sutherlandshiredogs #dogsofillawarra #theillawarra #dogsofwollongong #illawarrabusiness #smallbusinessau
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Would you believe that teaching your dog to catch treats can actually help your training go more smoothly??
For small dogs being able to catch treats means I can work on delivering cues while standing. Without, bending over so much and tiring my back.
And, for dogs who can be rough taking treats from hand, having them catch can save my fingers. It also allows me to work on other skills while teaching them to take treats more gently.
Meet Miss Elizabeth. She is a short dog and an enthusiastic treat taker. Catch keeps things running smooth. Here's a couple of videos with her learning and succeeding to catch the treat.
Training Tip; get them sitting and looking up and try to drop the treat directly in to their mouths
I love kids playgrounds as places to adventure with my puppy. There are ramps and bridges and unsteady to surfaces to interact with.
As part of building his confidence I focus a great deal on teaching him to be aware of his body and what he can do. I keep him off lead so he has the freedom to move and make his own choices.
We've been working on slides. A difficult challenge. Check it out!!!
Practicing the recall. One of the most important skills for you dog to learn and you need to practice regularly.
Atlas and I had a quick session earlier in the week. He's getting better and better with plenty of room for continued improvement and pf course continued fun.
For a bit of fun my partner and I decided to teach Atlas to catch a treat. So sharing with you, in slow motion, Atlas catching a treat.
Almost everything you teach your dog could be used in a practical way but it doesn't have to. It's OK to just have fun :)
