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Many Muddy Paws Dog Training

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Lethbridge, AB
Many Muddy Paws Dog Training

Many Muddy Paws Dog Training Positive Dog Training Solutions for Real Life Problems. Serving the Lethbridge Area

~ Over 18 years of experience
~ Group, and Private Lessons Available
~ Pet Level and Competitive Classes
From the well behaved family dog to the high scoring Obedience trial dog, positive methods have proven to work! We use dog-friendly, balanced methods that make training not only fun, but effective!!!

02/03/2025

Let’s talk quick about things you can do with your dog inside, when it’s too cold outside!

1. Train! Practice things your dog already knows, or maybe teach something new! There are so many great tutorials on YouTube for tricks and things! Check out the kikopup page!

2. Searching! If your dog has a favorite toy, or even person you can make a pretty fun game of search! If your dog isn’t into that then cookies are the easy solution! Put a couple smelly pieces of cheese in a container and hide it in plain sight first, then make it progressively difficult

3. Enrichment activities! Food puzzles, frozen kongs, lickmats, kibble scatters. The list is endless!

What are your favorite things to do?
Post in comments!

Photo of the beautiful Poppy!

02/02/2025

The focus and fun class graduated this last week. I haven’t run a beginner type class in a long while so it was a refreshing change! And, everyone did amazing. The changes in just a few short weeks was so good! Focus isn’t just getting the dog to look at you, it’s getting the dog to *think* about you. And you all did it. I’m so proud of you all!

Most of the videos and photos are courtesy of Skyes mom! So, a big thank you to her for capturing some of these moments.

01/30/2025

Practicing Sit Stays to get in the vehicle, and out of the vehicle. Having the dog learn to be patient in and out of the vehicle is a safe habit to get into!

Good Job Hadley!

01/27/2025

Just an adorable Zoey this morning to cheer up your Monday!

01/23/2025

When we are working with our dogs its it’s Important to slow down and wait for the dog to process what you want. Sometimes we nag, or “help” the dog too much and actually slow the process down.

This is Echo and today we worked a lot on offering eye contact in our heel position. This is a short clip of one of the sessions.

He generally struggles to keep his feet and mind still- being a busy baby boxer! But look at this!

Take note that instead of reminding him right away to look at me, I waited a second for him to do it on his own. This made each repetition stronger and stronger. Such good work!

This is great learning for the dog- he’s figuring out that good choices and being thoughtful has big payout! Creating a thinking dog is always the goal.

01/22/2025

Your dogs favorite sleeping position?

For my corgis it’s usually upside down or flat out on their bellies!

Post it in the comments!

01/21/2025

Third Edit: So many great comments. I hope everyone had a chance to read through them! I also love that everyone remained civil and polite even though there were differing opinions! It really comes down to safety and responsibility. As with any item or tool it can be used improperly and can cause extreme issues!

——

You know what I think is an underrated dog training tool? A flexi leash! I love my flexi (retractable) leashes! They are great for adventure walks in the coulee, recall practice at the park, and those potty breaks while traveling!

Here are some tips on how to use a retractable leash properly, and some warnings too!

- practice the mechanics of using the lock button smoothly. Without the dog at first!
- attach to harnesses or collars, not head harnesses like gentle leader.
- walk alone at first! Learn how to control the leash and the dog. Don’t use your hand on the cord. Rope burn really really hurts with these things!
- take cookies. Practice emergency recalls, and stops at a distance. It’s important your dog is trained before attempting to use a flexi leash where you could run into people or wildlife!
- choose your walking spot wisely. If your dog is not a great listener choose a place with a good view all around so you can reel your dog in if needed!
- remember that it is not your right to interfere with with other folks on their walks. Your dog is not allowed to engage with people or dogs unless you have permission. The running into other people’s space and being rude is part of why flexis have a bad name. Don’t be one of those people.
- a flexi leash should not be used at busy locations like Henderson unless you and your dog are skilled walkers. Having your dog barking at the end of a flexi leash just shows the rest of us how little training you have done…
- a retractable leash is a great way to give your dog a bit more freedom to sniff and interact with their environment. Be sure to interrupt once in a while and call the dog over for a reward or a pat! The longer they go uninterrupted the harder it is to get focus back. 😉

Happy Walking!

Edited: I feel like I’ve opened a can of worms. Already some messages and such.

So, here’s a disclaimer.

Don’t be one of those people with your out of control dog at the end. 16 feet is the average length of a flexi leash. That’s a lot of freedom if your dog doesn’t deserve it!

Some examples of wrecks caused by a flexi that I’ve personally witnessed:

Dog hit by car. Legit. It was terrifying. The person was crossing mayor Magrath and the dog was ahead of the owner. Car turned and didn’t see the dog or leash…

Dog takes out biker. This happened at Henderson when I was there doing a lesson. Small dog lunged to end of the flexi at us as a biker went by. Person on bike went flying. Lady dropped the flexi, dog continued to charge and bark at us.

Rope burn on the back of the legs. Personal experience with this one. Dog spooked at something and darted behind me. Burned the back of my leg bad….

Dog running scared with a flexi flopping around behind him. This happened in my old neighborhood. The dog ran for blocks before finally stopping. Scared dogs run- be mindful of that!

So there. The bad stuff that can happen with a flexi is unlimited really but these are examples. I choose to educate people on how to use them properly because I see the frustration of a dog who isn’t getting enough exercise. It’s a balance. If you are going to try. Practice first. Have a plan. Be responsible!

01/20/2025

Before I was an actual dog trainer I just loved dogs! Training my own dogs was my hobby. My passion for dogs and dog training started when I was a kid thanks to one of my grade school teachers who shared that with me. (Thanks Judi!) And it wasn’t long until I was obsessed. Since the beginning I have had a chance to try lots of different type of activities and trained my own dogs in a variety of sports. I learned so much! I took any class I could- from good dog trainers- and bad ones… Any opportunity was a good one to learn! I attended seminars, I read all the books I could get. Mostly this was before the internet (which makes me feel very old) so learning new things was a challenge.

When I was a teenager I started assisting another trainer in some sport classes. Teaching agility taught me how to really teach people and as I gained confidence I branched out into some very beginner obedience classes and lessons. I started teaching agility pretty hardcore and that turned into teaching workshops and seminars all over- from agility stuff to clicker stuff. At that point anything behavioral I still passed on to someone with more experience. Aggression, resource guarding, Anything complicated I sent to someone else. The idea of giving bad advice and potentially ruining someone’s dog terrified me. It would be many many years after becoming a “dog trainer” that I felt confident enough to address these things.

I grew my experience slowly and carefully and had some pretty great opportunities. I worked at boarding kennels, grooming shops, pet supply stores and dog daycares. Fitting in dog training when I could. These jobs really helped me grow because I learned about dogs. About breeds of dogs. Nutrition, care and health. The relationship part of dogs. Dog behavior- good and bad. These experiences were key to my growth.

At the beginning Competitive dog sports- obedience and rally and agility were my passion. With a side of beginner classes and private lessons. Ten years later and Now it’s evolved to Rally, Scent Detection and limited private lessons. It’s only in the last 8 years that I took on dog training as my main work. I work almost every day of the week. I am busy, There is never a shortage of dogs and people who need good help. I do my best for every client, and if my best isn’t good enough I refer them on to someone I know. I know this work is a privilege. Not a right. I’m grateful for those that have trusted me with your dogs. I never take this trust for granted.

This has been my journey. And my story. It’s not the same for everyone- it doesn’t make me better, or worse than anyone else. I share it because At the end of the day I’m proud of the work I’ve done, and the work I will continue to do. 💙 No short cuts. Just lots of work and time.

Photo of my originals. Tina and Kate. My dogs have always been my biggest teachers. These two were not the most ideal first dogs. But they were good dogs.

01/18/2025

Just a bunch of cuties today!

01/17/2025

Let it be known that Rally classes are never boring. We have a great time!

This is my “heeling games” class tonite working on proofing people! At a dog show we expect our dogs to give us a lot of focus with a lot of things going on around them! Ya never know when a flash mob is gonna appear! ;)

Great work tonite teams!

01/16/2025

It’s windy out there! A reminder to double check your gates before you let your dog out for a potty break!

Not a bad idea to ensure there’s a collar on too and up to date information in case your pup gets spooked and wanders off.

01/15/2025

Continuing on from yesterday- you will only see progress if you train for progress!

When you practice, or train you need to ensure that you are sticking to a plan while you are working towards a goal. Otherwise we get stuck working the same step over and over again.

The only way to train is to have a plan. Write it down. Break your end goal behavior into achievable (and practical) steps!

For example if my goal is to have the dog be able to stay on the mat while someone comes to the door what are the steps? How do I achieve the goal?

1. Teach the dog to get on the mat. (All four feet so this alone could be a few steps)
2. Teach the dog to find the mat and go there themselves.
3. Teach the dog duration on the mat. This is a VERY big step.
4. Teach the dog to handle distractions on the mat.
5. Desensitization to door sounds on the mat. (This is its own step!)
6. Putting it together and adding real people.
7. Proofing and Challenging the dog in controlled set ups.
8. Real life!

Each of those steps could probably be broken down into a few extra too. Depending on the dog you might need to break them down a bit more.

This is just an example of how teaching your dog a skill or behavior is more difficult than you think. And if we skip steps or lump things together you’ll get stuck! And that means you end up practicing the same thing each time with no actual progress.

01/14/2025

Progress. Not perfection.

In dog training Perfection isn’t practical, but progress is! Small improvements and little steps towards your goal is how we measure progress! Taking an honest look back at your dogs behavior or skill and comparing it to now is often a way to realise just how far you and your dog have come!

This beautiful girl is River, and I’ve got a great feeling about her journey with her new owner! Step by step she’s going to get there!

01/11/2025

The focused and fun class is doing so great! Lots of good work and the dogs are learning that training and engaging is fun! Missing from the photo collage is Gracie!

01/09/2025

Sometimes dog training looks boring. Or it should!

Anytime you are working with overexcitement, overarousal, overstimulation (all the over the top behavior) one of the first things you should work on is toning those feelings down.

This is Echo. He’s a baby boxer and as most baby boxers go he’s pretty typical. Life is a party and there are places to go and dogs to meet! He’s over the top.

Today is his first time at stay and train and after a bit of supervised dog time now we are working on just hanging out and not actually engaging with dogs. In fact anytime he engages with me I calmly reward him and we go back to watching dogs together.

He’s doing great. And getting the hang of it. It does require some management. You can see he’s on a leash- but it’s loose leash! We also have some space between us and the dogs.

Look how relaxed! What a good boy!

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Videos

Focus and Fun Graduation

The focus and fun class graduated this last week. I haven’t run a beginner type class in a long while so it was a refreshing change! And, everyone did amazing. The changes in just a few short weeks was so good! Focus isn’t just getting the dog to look at you, it’s getting the dog to *think* about you. And you all did it. I’m so proud of you all! Most of the videos and photos are courtesy of Skyes mom! So, a big thank you to her for capturing some of these moments. <3

Rewarding offered behavior

When we are working with our dogs its it’s Important to slow down and wait for the dog to process what you want. Sometimes we nag, or “help” the dog too much and actually slow the process down. This is Echo and today we worked a lot on offering eye contact in our heel position. This is a short clip of one of the sessions. He generally struggles to keep his feet and mind still- being a busy baby boxer! But look at this! Take note that instead of reminding him right away to look at me, I waited a second for him to do it on his own. This made each repetition stronger and stronger. Such good work! This is great learning for the dog- he’s figuring out that good choices and being thoughtful has big payout! Creating a thinking dog is always the goal.

Rally Class Shenanigans

Let it be known that Rally classes are never boring. We have a great time! This is my “heeling games” class tonite working on proofing people! At a dog show we expect our dogs to give us a lot of focus with a lot of things going on around them! Ya never know when a flash mob is gonna appear! ;) Great work tonite teams!

Boring.

Sometimes dog training looks boring. Or it should! Anytime you are working with overexcitement, overarousal, overstimulation (all the over the top behavior) one of the first things you should work on is toning those feelings down. This is Echo. He’s a baby boxer and as most baby boxers go he’s pretty typical. Life is a party and there are places to go and dogs to meet! He’s over the top. Today is his first time at stay and train and after a bit of supervised dog time now we are working on just hanging out and not actually engaging with dogs. In fact anytime he engages with me I calmly reward him and we go back to watching dogs together. He’s doing great. And getting the hang of it. It does require some management. You can see he’s on a leash- but it’s loose leash! We also have some space between us and the dogs. Look how relaxed! What a good boy!

Christmas time

Officially time to start setting up the Photo Booth! I had lots of help yesterday.

Practicing for Halloween photos. Willow, the Labrador gets really into it. One might say she’s maybe a little too enthusiastic. 😉 👻 #headswillroll #halloweendogs #gooddogs #enthusiasm

Good Morning!

We are always a bit slow to get going after a holiday Monday, but Wren is raring to go!

Stay

Dog Logic! A stay is still a stay if the cookie came to you and you didn’t really move? Good job Bella!

Fast Sits

Dog training isnt the same for all dogs. Some common things that change depending on the dog- rate of reinforcement, expectation, repetition, break downs, backchaining, even consequences. And those are just ones I thought of right away. Don’t be fooled into thinking that your dog can learn the same way your neighbors dog can. It’s just not a thing! The dogs in the video are all part of the day train program and yesterday we worked on “fast” sits in heel position. You could see there are varying levels of skill going on and yet everyone got rewarded for their efforts! That’s dog training.

Reactivity Training

Reactivity is a struggle. It makes walks feel like a chore sometimes! This is why for some dogs a training session might be a better option than just a walk! Pick a spot and train! This fella is Ziggy, and he is quite dog reactive and sensitive to his environment. For this session we worked in a quiet area where it was unlikely to encounter a dog close up. But it’s important to change locations all the time- challenging the dog as they make progress. Here we are working on a loose leash, building focus and calmness by practicing things he’s already good at! I call it the Theory of Five. Five things that the dog and handler can do basically on autopilot if needed. Lots of opportunity to reinforce the dog and build good habits and patterns. It’s a win win for everyone. These sessions are usually super short. This clip is almost the full session! We took a break to sniff around and then did the session again! Easy Peasy. Notice how I don’t discourage him from looking. I let him look and then reward his work after. No big deal. Good work Ziggy!

Staying still is hard for puppies!

Staying still is hard for dogs- especially puppies! Here are some tips to a solid stay: - Be sure you are reinforcing the correct things! Reward the dog in the position. - have a clean release! Use a word and not movement to release. (Okay!) - take it slow. Duration before distance. - I like to use sideways motion before backwards motion. - reward a lot! I suggest at least two cookies with time in between to build predictability! Watch the video closely and you’ll see that! Little Holly is well on her way to being a good citizen! Happy Training!

Jumping into the week like…

Jumping into the week like…. 1. Kona the Setter cross. Cautious but optimistic. 2. Norman the Frenchie. All in, reckless enthusiasm. 3. Bailey the doodle. In for a good time, but by herself. 4. Lydia the Eurasier. Maybe. If there are snacks. 5. Hailey the little white dog. Absolutely not.