MK9 Dog Training

12/01/2024

What part of the vet visit is hardest for your dog?

At our last vet visit, Mayhem thought the eye checking part of the exam was weird so we've been working on it at home.

I don't have one of the scope things they use, but I do have a reading light 😂 We get creative with what we use for practice!

11/29/2024

After a minor cut to Mayhems mouth while on a walk last week, I realized I hadn't spent alot of time on mouth handling.

I have been playing with pattern games such as 123... And thought why not combine it with cooperative care?

Mayhem knows the counting leads to treat and I think that predictability helps with holding still. Time will tell though 🤷

Kinder K9 Pet Intel. & Emotional Well-being

11/01/2024

Super excited to be joining this team!

11/01/2024

Proud to announce I have earned the CPDT-KA certification!

Continuing my education is something I am very passionate about, so you can bet there will be more certifications in my future!

08/17/2024

It's been a hot minute since I've posted anything so I figured I'd give an update 🤣

This has been a BIG summer for us.

Graduated Canine Foundations training academy & booked my CCPDT certification exam! (Sept 7!!)

Scent, scent, scent. This summer is ALL ABOUT SCENT. My dogs have participated in 6 trials this summer (mayhem 5, Bobby 1) one of which was last night and we have a 5 hour drive to our next trial tomorrow!

Titles earned so far:
Mayhem - Started & Advanced both with special designations.
Bobby - Started with a special designation.

Mayhem is working towards her championship & getting trial hours under our belts so we can hopefully start excellent next year to work towards some big ribbons!

If you'd like to get involved with Scent either to compete or just for fun get on Competitive K9s Dog Training mailing list!

That's all for now, have some photos of trial snuggles & moments for tax ;)

07/03/2024

Enrichment recipe:
Celery ends & peanut butter.

Slather peanut butter on the scoop end, pop the other end into the peanut butter & freeze! (Or don't)

I like this recipe as it's easy, a quick snack & removes some of the waste from my veggies 🎉

06/19/2024

It's a HOT one this week.

Reminder that the humidity is the hardest part of the heat for our dogs & sudden changes can create problems for dogs who aren't acclimated at all.

Remember that everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to playing in the heat. Also, some people struggle in the heat & aren't comfortable going out for their own safety. Whatever your comfort level is, there are ways to keep safe, cool & still have fun during this toasty week!

We have the usual recommendations:
- Try to do activities during the coolest times of day
- Have lots of fresh cool water available
- Stick to the shade / take lots of breaks
- Given frozen treats / the freezable toys! (supervise for safety of course!)
- Play games inside / work on training

Some other recommendations:
- Kiddie pools!! A wading pool is such an easy to set up & quick way for dogs to cool down.
- Hose (if your dog is comfortable) their inner thighs & under bellies.
- If you can't hose them, have a bandana or cloth that you can wipe their inner thighs and belly with cool water
- Swimming! (with precautions of course!)
- Sniffing & searching activities (especially if YOU are struggling in the heat!)

Keep safe during this heat wave!

For tax, here's Mayhem enjoying the kiddie pool at her obedience class last night. The pool trips left her invigorated & ready to do some fun things!

05/30/2024

A thought that's playing in my mind today:

What kind of relationship do you have with your dog?

Employer / employee: the employer has a set of tasks the employee must do, the main function is the employee works for / does things for the employer.

Acquaintance: surface level, pleasantries, can inhabit the same space.

Surface level friend: you do activities together and talk about interests but don't get into any of the deeper emotional stuff.

True friend: you know they've got your back no matter what. You have fun together but also dive into the deeper things.

Enmeshed: maybe a bit codependent, their feelings are your feelings and your responsibility.

Other: what other category fits for you??

How do you feel about your relationship? Are you happy with where it is? Would you prefer a different category? Why or why not?? 🤔🤔

05/03/2024

This week I faced something I was afraid of:

DUN DUN DUNNNN

Home Renovations!

Renovations can really turn a household on it's head and cause chaos! Being prepared for how this would disrupt my house really helped me plan for how to help my dogs through this week.

Here's what I did:
- Spent the first day of renos home so I could be right there to support everybody
- Prepared frozen food toys for calming activities
- Prepared room temperature food toys
- Gave the dogs the front half of the house so no one has to enter their space
- Treat jar at the gate for tossing food to help dogs regulate
- Park visits to run off steam as much as possible
- Play / special 1-on-1 time to help reset / recover
- Scent work after the crew leaves
- Crate dogs when there's alot going on for comfort / security / safety.

Each day the dogs are getting more comfortable and I need to support them less.

Renovations don't have to be SUPER stressful for you and your dogs!

04/17/2024

A great post from Kinder K9 !

It's starting to get nice outside which means we want to bring our dogs on adventures 🎉🎉

Ensure you are prepared with everything you need before heading out & think over whether your dog has had the training required to prepare THEM.

How many times have you regretted taking your dog somewhere? It still happens to me. They just look so sad to see me go that sometimes I make a decision I later regret and take them along with me. It generally leads to me feeling uncomfortable and them feeling stressed....or vice versa! The most important part of this great CAPDT infographic for me is the concept of always being prepared to leave. A critical part of every safety plan is having a planned emergency exit! MK9 Dog Training