Pawsitive Pawrents

09/04/2024

08/25/2024

Please vote! Thanks everyone

Find the best voted businesses in Canada voted by the people for Canadian Choice Award

08/15/2024

WEVE GOT CONTACT!

08/10/2024

I'm going to tell you how long, in my opinion, it takes to deal with reactivity. I'm also going to tell you the six things all reactive dogs need to make progress.

There are some caveats. The first is that every dog is different. The second is that every caregiver is different. The third is that every situation is different. And the fourth is that I'll be discussing dog to dog reactivity here, although I think the answers remain the same no matter the reactivity.

These are not cop out answers, they're just facts. All of these things will impact how quickly a dog progresses.

However, there are some simple things that need to occur, in my opinion, to see genuine progress. This is based on almost all of the dogs that I've worked with through their reactivity journey.

Firstly, they need consistency. Dogs can be reactive for lots of reasons, but the antidote for most of them is routine. Your dog is anxious because of the unexpected behaviour of other dogs? Develop a specific routine to help them decompress when we spot one. Your dog is desperate to say hello to every dog they see? Develop a routine that allows them the opportunity to so without getting overaroused.

Secondly, they need safe exposure. We build a plan around allowing your dog to process the things they're concerned about. Being able to watch, examine and perceive threats without it building to anything. Dogs can do these in classes, workshops, or walks in wide open spaces.

Thirdly, they need skills. Dogs should be dogs, and allowed to do dog related activities. But so many dogs don't have innate skills or behaviours to cope with the world around them. Teaching your dog certain behaviours and concepts will help them build resilience - Nosework is my favourite for this, but stuff like Loose Lead Walking and Recall is also beneficial.

Fourthly, they need bases covered. You can put all the time in the world, but if your dog has an undiagnosed medical condition, or dietary issue? It won't matter. You can't out train pain.

Fifth, they need downtime. You can't blitz anxiety or frustration. It's a process, and your dog will need time to rest in between those experiences. Most students have a day on (tackling problems) and day off (avoiding problems) cycle.

Sixth, you need support. Going this alone is hard as hell, and having someone in your corner to guide you can be the difference between making progress and stagnation.

If you have all six things? Then, in my experience, in a month? You'll understand your dog a hell of a lot better. In three months? You'll be doing stuff you thought you would never do. In six months? You'll won't recognise yourself. And in a year? You won't recognise your dog.

Again, I will stress, every dog and situation is different. But you can make far more progress than you think you can, I promise.

If you'd like more info on how we can make that happen together, check the links in the comments!

-Jack

07/31/2024

Zane is settling in pretty well ^_^

Zane is 10 months, a service dog prospect and needs some minor manner reminders. He's with me for 6 weeks :)

We are working along side Jessica from Pet Intel & emotional well-being as well as Jessica from sit n Stay.

07/24/2024

Who wants to play guess the breed!!!!

07/06/2024

Even when it's hot we're outside! Lots of shade and water time

07/01/2024

I don't post enough, so here is a dump of happy puppos

05/09/2024

So glad to finally have done this!

04/22/2024

🐾 Unlock your dog's potential with FREE SHAPING! 🐾

Ever wondered how to engage your dog's brain while building their self-confidence & relationship with you? Enter free shaping – the ultimate game changer in dog training! 🌟

🐶 What is it? Free shaping is a dog training technique that encourages the dog to offer behaviors spontaneously (making it their idea), without direct guidance from the trainer. Instead of giving commands or luring the dog into specific actions, the trainer rewards the dog for any behaviors that approximate the desired end behavior.

🔍 How does it work? Follow these simple steps:

1️⃣ Small Aquarium, Simple Goal - Start with a simple goal in mind and wait for your dog to offer anything close to that behavior. Keep the starting area or “aquarium” small.
2️⃣ Mark It! - Use a verbal Marker, such as “Yes,” or a click from a clicker (must have your clicker preloaded!), to let them know to keep exploring when they get near it! Think of the hot & cold game.
3️⃣ Reward! - Celebrate success! Reward your dog using high-value items like food, treats, engagement with you, or toys – whatever motivates them to keep working & problem-solving, when you click!
4️⃣ Increase the Standards/Expectations - As your pup gets the hang of it, raise the bar! Start waiting for more specific movements, cleaner or faster response times, and expand the area, or "aquarium."

Take this for example- You are in a small area, with a place cot & your dog. You want your dog to get on the place cot. You wait (say nothing do nothing)- as they get close - click, reward. When they go back and get closer- click reward. When they go back a third time, maybe you wait until they touch it- click reward. Before you know it, they're AMPED to get near that cot- AND it was THEIR IDEA! They self-discovered it.

💡 Why should you try it? Through this process, the dog learns to think and problem-solve independently, as they discover which actions lead to rewards. It's like a fun game of trial and error for the dog, where they become actively engaged in the learning process.

Free shaping ultimately fosters creativity, confidence, & a strong bond between the dog & owner!

Are you ready to unleash your dog's inner genius? Let the shaping adventures begin! Reach out if you want help exploring this type of training option! 🌟

04/12/2024

Please enjoy our friend Juno practicing being around people, things, food, dogs, wild life while we practice our "place"

We took advantage of the lovely weather and went out for lunch!

03/22/2024

Meet Juno.

Juno is here for 4 weeks to work on a few things. We will be going over:

- The 7 basic commands and proofing them
- proofing recall
- heel
- working through some separation anxiety
- neutrality around dogs
- socialization
- Cooperative care, to make grooming easier

I'm so excited to take this journey with Juno and her family.

03/11/2024

Nail on the head

🚩 Beware of the allure of quick-fix dog trainers! 🚩

In today’s fast-paced world, it's tempting to seek immediate solutions to behavioral challenges. However, true training is a journey, not a destination. It demands a daily commitment with any dog, requiring consistent effort and integration into daily life.

Choosing a quick-fix approach often yields temporary results or worsens underlying issues. Sustainable progress necessitates ongoing practice and reinforcement of learned behaviors. Just as with any skill, regular use is vital to maintain sharpness and precision. Ensure to inquire with your Trainer about practical integration of newly learned tasks into everyday life.

When seeking a trainer, prioritize factors such as:

🌟 Reviews
🌟 Education & Hands-On Experience
🌟 Experience With Your Dog's Breed or Specific Issues
🌟 Willingness to Answer Questions
🌟 Ability to Provide Additional References
🌟 Clear Explanation of Methods and Reasoning

These criteria should take precedence over price and turnaround time, as they vary based on individual goals and issues. Remember, transparency, communication, and setting clear expectations are key in your partnership.

Embrace the process, invest the time, and savor the rewards of a well-trained and harmonious relationship. 💛🐾

Do you need assistance training your pup? Reach out, I’d love to help! 🫶🏻🐾

03/08/2024

Got my hands on a gopro... this will be fun!

02/28/2024

I've said it once, I'll say it again cookies aren't the only thing that motivates a dog! Thank you Titan K9 Dog Training for writing this beautiful post.

✨Why Discovering What Motivates Your Dog Matters!✨

Understanding what motivates your dog is so important, for a variety of reasons!

Some dogs may be food motivated, while others may be more responsive to toys, engagement with you, verbal praise, physical touch, or even environmental situations.

Knowing and understanding what your dog is motivated by will help you choose the proper reinforcement tools and rewards, thus making not only training easier for you, but also help you to build the relationship you have with your dog.

Food 🍔: Using existential food in training is an amazing way to help supercharge training (using their breakfast & dinner). I've done a few posts on how powerful this is, and the benefits that come along with it.

Toys 🧸: Does your dog have a favorite toy? Why not use that toy as a strong reward system for training. A variable give and take, which enhances the value of you & the toy, by combining the two during training is an amazing process.

Affection/Verbal 🙌🏻: Some dogs crave that physical touch; nothing gets that dopamine going more, than seeing your hand coming in for a good long scratch behind the ears. Combining that with some verbal praise can be the winning combination for dogs that aren't food or toy driven, but prefer to engage solely with you.

Environmental ⛰️: There are dogs that aren't driven by ANY of the forementioned items, but instead are motivated by access to certain environments, such as going for a walk/hike on their favorite trail or being able to lay outside on their place cot watching animals (with or without you). Use that to your advantage! Engagement with training can be powerful in those moments-- bring the training to the environment they love the most! Even if that means they love the solitude of doing nothing at all.

It's so important to figure out what motivates your dog, and tailor your training approach accordingly. Imagine if someone gave you cake for a reward of a good job, instead of a financial raise you've been asking for-- and to make matters worse you are diabetic. What if you love solo hikes, and your reward for a job well done was instead inside watching a movie with a ton of people. None of that sounds fun right?

Understanding this concept while applying it to your dog will amp up your sessions, and the relationship you have with your dog.

Want help unlocking the understanding? Reach out; I'd love to help! 🐾💛

02/26/2024

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit

A settled tendency or usual manner of behavior

An acquired behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary

A behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance

There are the 3 definitions of the word “habit” in the Dictionary

One of them is

“A habit is something that is acquired from frequent repetition or exposure.”

Couple that with the last part of the 2nd explanation “a behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary” and you’ve got yourself a nice little recipe.

When they say it takes 21 days to create a habit...that’s doesn’t mean 21 days where you go all in and just not do it at all on certain days.

It means 21 FULL DAYS.

The same goes for breaking a habit (well, actually it depends on how heavily that habit has been reinforced and how long it’s been going on), but you MUST to be consistent with it.

Because if a habit is a reflex and completely involuntary response, breaking something like that is going to be hard.

So if you’re out there working with your dog, are you really building new behavior habits with your dog?

REMEMBER

Management can fail
Life becomes to challenging or too busy
Do not create a dog who becomes dependant on you for every decision

You want a dog that has strong habits and will CHOOSE to make GOOD habits.

02/20/2024

From a tired dog trainer.
You may think your dog is “just another dog in our day” but they aren’t. We think about each and every dog we see every day. “What can we do to help? This method of training didn’t work for this dog, maybe I should try this.”

We work 24/7, we lay in bed at night and our phones are blowing up with emails, texts, Facebook messages. We go out to dinner and our phones are ringing from a client who is having an issue or a question. Our minds are constantly going to see what we can do to make our program better, how to help pet parents, what else we can do to help dogs be the best they can be. Scheduling lessons every day, keeping track of package lessons, payments, dogs, owners numbers and emails, what each dog is working on, printing certificates, stocking up on different treats, printing weekly handouts, writing notes on each and every lesson, writing out homework for clients, sending confirmations.

Training shepherds one minute and a chihuahua next.
So when you think your dogs trainer puts the phone down and walks away and forgets about everything until the next day, your wrong. Appreciate your trainer, thank your trainer and most of all, be kind to your trainer.

-Anonymous

02/05/2024

check it out! do something fun ^_^ reach out directly to Tuckered Out Training

Dog Relationship Challenge!!

I had an awesome response so we are doing it!!

Entry fee: $20 +tax
Start date: February 12th
End Date: February 26th

Registration:
- If you said yes on my story you will Automatically get a short registration form! After this is filled, an invoice will be sent and once payment is sent you will receive the document with the tasks list and extra info!
- If you’re seeing this post first and would like to join, send me a DM!

Rules:
- Every person must upload there video and photos to show the completion of each task every single day, you will receive an info sheet on a couple options on how to do this. You can choose which is the easiest for you!

- If you miss 1 task at any point of the 2 weeks you will unfortunately not be eligible for the prize. This is to challenge you to find the time no matter what, make the effort to complete the task even when you’re tired, or when it’s cold, or raining! Challenge yourself during this period to make it a priority, find the fun in it!

- If you miss a task, I still encourage you to follow through and keep working at the tasks every day for the rest of the challenge!

- Have fun! You have the whole day to complete each task, maybe you’re getting frustrated, take a break and go back at it a bit later. Go back to kindergarten if things aren’t working out, take things slow, be patient and just have fun!

Info:
- If your dog doesn’t know how to play, or you’re unsure how to teach your dog a trick, etc. please reach out prior to the start date of the challenge and I’ll send you links to videos!

- This is a learning opportunity to explore, teach your dog how to play, teach yourself more skills, etc! There are NO wrong answers on how to complete each task as long as you’re trying and putting the effort in! The goal is for you to just get out there and do it/learn!

- Take this opportunity to level up your relationship! You won’t regret it!

-Tag me! If you post on your story, tag me! It’s super encouraging to see others working with their pups and putting in that work!

01/30/2024

Sometimes you just have to go back to basics

01/24/2024

Tw: animal abuse

I dont usually make these posts, but this is soooo important! This right here is why dog training should be a regulated job.

01/05/2024

🐾 Exciting News for Dog Owners! 🐾

As we step into the New Year, we're thrilled to announce OPEN BOARD & TRAIN spots for your furry friends! 🎉

Why choose Board & Train?
🌟 Expert Guidance: Our certified trainers provide personalized attention to enhance your dog's skills.
🏡 Home Away from Home: A loving environment ensures your pup feels comfortable and secure during training.
⏰ Time-Saving: Busy schedule? Let us do the training while you focus on other priorities.
🤝 Consistency: Dogs thrive on routine, and our structured programs promote consistent learning.

Helping real owners accomplish real things!
Give your pup the gift of education and behavior refinement in 2024! 🐶✨ Limited spots available, so book yours now! 📞📆

Www.pawsitivepawrents.ca
[email protected]

12/27/2023

Thank you everyone who supported me in these past few years

12/26/2023

Look at these little beans!!!

12/19/2023

Remember movement is your best tool! Why let the dog fixate and build up anxiety.

12/08/2023

Weve made it to top 5!

Thank you everyone who took the time to nominate me, I'm overwhelmed with all your support!

Please remember to fill out the feedback form! Link is below.

https://canadianchoiceaward.ca/nominator-feedback/?BusinessName=Pawsitive%20Pawrents&utm_source=sendfox&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=congratulations-your-business-is-a-finalist-for-canadian-choice-award-2024

Just one last step! Soon voting will open, keep an eye out :)