PAWSitively Happy Home: dog training and behaviour solutions

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PAWSitively Happy Home: dog training and behaviour solutions

PAWSitively Happy Home: dog training and behaviour solutions is a full-service dog training and beha
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PAWSitively Happy Home: dog training and behaviour solutions is a full-service dog training and behaviour modification specialist. Private lessons, puppy classes, group classes, reactive and aggressive dog specialist

09/04/2024

Happy Bark to school kids!!
Ham is THRILLED to be back to our regular teaching/training schedule. 🏫 🎉
If you’re like me and fell out of your training routine over the summer September is a great time to get back in to the rhythm of things.
What training goals do you have for the month?

We have some heeling work to do, some still feet on our stands and some grooming work to do after I accidentally quicked a nail

08/17/2024

Lemmie was having a great time in the mud this morning 😂

08/03/2024

We had a great day doing a paddle and pups event with some clients! Putting my 2 favourite activities together- dogs and paddle boarding. Paddling with your dog is so fun! Have you done paddle sports with your dog?

07/29/2024

Welcome Lemmie to board and train!
She’ll be staying with us for the next 4 weeks.
Follow along in stories and watch her grow 🌱 and learn 📚

Questions about puppy raising let me know

07/16/2024

“ Puppy Blues” are normal.

Did you know feelings of regret, guilt, overwhelm, sadness, anger can absolutely be normal after you get a puppy?

Puppies are WORK and some puppies are harder than others. Having negative feelings about your puppy or the experience is nothing to be ashamed of.

Reach out for help. A dog training professional can help you with the management and training of your puppy to make the process more positive for both ends of the leash.

Even if you have raised several puppies over the years. As the dog changes and your lifestyle changes the challenges change.

We won’t judge you if you share with us your struggles or negative feelings. Your feelings and thoughts are normal and they matter a lot and we want to help

07/15/2024

Today from 10-1

Choose indoor play session or an indoor sniffy room enrichment experience
DM for details
$30 for 30 min tax included

07/14/2024

One year ago (+ one day) I got a call someone assuming I was a rescue org. I usually refer people to rescues I love but this person was overwhelmed so I chatted with them for a bit and all I knew was they had an 11 week old puppy and they were unable to give it the care it needed while providing for themselves. No idea what the dog was I asked her to drop it off to me in a couple of hours. My plan was to foster and connect with a rescue. I drove to the shop to meet her and this shaking adorable little guy was there unable to walk he was so nervous.
We wrapped him in a blanket. He sat next to my son who asked if we could name him Pretzel 🥨. Within 20 min I knew he was not going anywhere. Weeks prior to this I was actually looking for a small chi x to adopt.
This is the picture I sent my husband to let him know we had another dog joining the family (don’t do this 😅 it’s irresponsible but if you marry someone who works with animals you should expect it )
All our dogs immediately were in love with him.
He’s been a perfect fit for our family.

Anyways happy 1 year gotcha day ( a day late) to my pocket sized adventure buddy!

07/08/2024

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY BIRMINGHAM 🎈
(Hammy, ham, hambone, hammer, Hammerstein, doodlebutt )

Happy birthday to my best friend, my favourite adventure buddy, the sweetest playmate to fearful dogs, model extraordinaire, the dog with the best ears, demo dog of my dreams.

I am so grateful to spend life with you.

We love you to the moon and back! Have picture of your dog with Ham???? Tag us in your stories to wish him a happy birthday. I’ll give him 5 extra cookies for each one 😂

07/04/2024

Kiko heads home today and we’re all a little sad 😢 he is so he sweetest, most gentle, handsome pup there ever was 💕we’re so lucky we’ve gotten to share the last month having adventures with him!
Kiko has been hiking all over sw Ontario , to the beach, paddle boarding, to classes, played with dozens of dogs of all sizes, worked as a demo dog, visited shops. He becomes more and more controlled and focused each time.

I’m so excited for Kiko and his family to be reunited today 💕

Great job Kiko

06/27/2024

Happy last day of school to all students in our area! Happy summer 💕

06/25/2024

When Pretzel came to me at 12 weeks old he was terrified of everything. His first couple weeks he shook in fear or slept from exhaustion. My priority was building confidence and well…. I may have overshot my goal a bit because now he runs in to so many situations with such a lack of self preservation and I have to put the breaks on constantly 😂😂😂. Pretzel… a little fear is a good thing. It’ll keep you alive 🙄🤷🏻‍♀️😂

Anyways. Confidence building is one of my FAVOURITE things to do with dogs so if you have a fearful pup. Reach out!
Why is it my favourite? It has all the best parts of dog training
✅ scent games
✅ time in nature
✅ safely introducing novelty
✅ counter conditioning and desensitization
✅ teaching skills
✅ teaching communication
✅ collaboration with the health team
✅ a high concentration of species and breed appropriate activities
✅ it has one of the biggest levels of satisfaction watching a dog grow and gain confidence
✅ I get to be creative in coming up with appropriate challenges that push the dog but not too far
✅ owners have the best time watching their pup grow.

Anyways. It’s super rewarding and fulfilling

What has been your favourite thing to train???

06/24/2024

Starting off the week with what may be a little controversial. But your dog does not benefit from large playgroups of 20, 30, 40, 50+ dogs. And in most cases they're harmful. Now, I am a fan of small group social play in dogs for dogs who like dog-dog play. Well paired playmates can be great, it can give your dog a social outlet if they enjoy dog- dog play. But once we get in to extra large play groups of dogs the risk of injury, overwhelm, chronic stress, and behaviour fall out becomes great. (behavioural fall out like reactivity, decreased frustration tolerance, increased fear response, rapid escalation in aggressive responses) Nothing about large play groups are natural or beneficial to our pet dogs. They are popular amongst many day care providers simply because they are profitable. Charging $30-40 per dog per day requires several dogs to cover the expenses of running a day care operation.(it's expensive y'all!) Your dog should not be forced in to small quarters, and transport situations with dozens of dogs, they should always have space to opt out of social interactions, and play mates should be with dogs your dog enjoys spending time with. Not ones merely tolerated. If you need day care be sure to vet your provider, ask about group size, space to play, rest opportunities as well as dog to handler ratios

06/16/2024

Small dogs deserve adventure too!
Since puppyhood Pretzel has camped, hiked, paddle boarded, kayaked, went to classes, met appropriate play mates, dined, done long road trips. He can do anything a large dog can do
Break the small dog stigma Tag us in adventures you love to go on with your small dogs!

06/13/2024

Too soft, too kind, too loving isn't the problem. You might be inconsistent, not have adequate skills, maybe you haven't taught a skill to fluency yet. But you don't have to change your personality to train your dog. If you're not a loud, harsh person .... you don't need to be.

06/08/2024

TRITON THE ROCK STAR
Let’s talk about when your management training comes in handy BIG TIME
Triton is the newest member of our walk and train, he’s also a graduate of our reactive dog boot camp he is real big excited when he sees dogs.

My plan for my and Triton’s first walk together was some decompression and some simple relationship building to make sure his skills transferred to a new handler. Well the world had different plans and spoiler alert. His skills transfer to my handling just fine

We arrive at a park, new to me so we sit and observe the culture of the park. How busy it is. Etc. (a good idea when walking a new place with a reactive dog). The place seems perfect. Quiet, low traffic. A wonderful place. We start our sniffy walk enjoying the beautiful day. We get 500m down the train, a dog. Ok! Great. We’ve got this. 10/10. No issue.

Then no word of a lie within 3 minutes we deal with 8 DOGS!! EIGHT!! 8️⃣ as soon as one passed another appeared (sometimes there was 2 at once )

Triton was phenomenal and needed a little management help (because that’s a LOT)

Triton could
✅disengage
✅scatter feed
✅ walk in heel with a magnet hand
✅ move off the trails
✅ be redirected from a dog barking and lunging at him

He had 0 reactions and the training and skills his handlers have been work on in were really apparent.

So proud of Triton and his owners.

I’m truly blessed to work with handlers who commit the time and effort (which I know is HARD to find the minutes required to train some days) to their dogs training and behaviour modification 💕

06/05/2024

Do we place fair expectations of neutrality on our dogs?

Someone, (a whole adult human) squeals “PUPPY!!!” In excitement at a dog they see. The dog jumps up and is immediately corrected.
A dog growls at a toddler who’s harassing him and is met with scolding and yelling.

Our dogs are expected to be behaviourally and emotionally neutral in a world that is anything but.

This isn’t a post to advocate to not train your dog how to behave in circumstances they encounter. You should. It’s your responsibility as a guardian.

However a reminder to offer your dog grace, place realistic expectations on them and boundaries on not only our pets but the people who interact with them.

Example if I have a dog who is excited by my guests, and my guests cannot show restraint to set my dog up for success. It is not my dog’s “fault” they respond in kind! I can put my dog away from that interaction and that person does not have access to my dogs. Because in my opinion, we should not consistently be expecting more from our dogs than we do from humans.

For your dog all their behaviour is morally irrelevant. They’re just being dogs, and honestly I love them for it 💕

06/03/2024

Your dog bit someone? What happens now?   Dog bites are traumatic to victims and the dog’s family. But what happens after your dog bites someone? (This is the system for what typically happens in London, Ontario)

1. Once the dog is put away from causing any more harm, tend to the victim of the dog bite. The victim should seek medical attention for any dog bite that breaks skin. The medical professional is to report the bite incident to the Health Unit. Victims who don’t seek medical attention may still report the bite.   2. The health unit will call you, most dogs will be placed on a 10 day quarantine. During that time your dog is to stay on property and not interact with the public. (If you can not safely quarantine the animal at home, speak to animal control about your options)

3. At the end of the quarantine an animal control officer will come to your home to ensure the dog is in good health and discuss the incident with you. They will get information from the file and you to determine the risk that your dog may present to the public and if there is an ongoing safety concern.   Depending on the circumstances you may be issued a caution (a warning letter) or a muzzle order. This will have specifics about when and in what circumstances you may need to take extra safety precautions with your dog.  
4. you should seek assistance of a professional team. A vet check if ensure that the dog is in good health and there isn’t an underlying medical issue that is causing the aggression (dogs hide medical issues really well-and aggression can sometimes be the ONLY sign that something is wrong). Also seek the assistance of a canine behaviour professional. They will help with working appropriately with your dogs triggers, teach you to understand your dogs body language and how to intervene quickly and safely to prevent issues   5. If the victim was seriously injured and requires compensation (such as time off work, physic therapy etc) This would be a legal proceeding that would go through your homeowners or renters insurance.

If your dog is showing signs of aggression please contact a canine behaviour professional in your area.

06/01/2024

Happy pride month to all our 2SLGBTQIA+ friends! At PAWSitively Happy Home we’re dedicated to an inclusive and supportive environment for all pet guardians.

Please bring yourself and/or your family however you are.
❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

05/30/2024

.
None.
You probably already have a leash, something to attach your dog to, and some food. Ideally a long line too.

I love enrichment toys. But they’re not necessary and honestly they are often over prescribed to fulfill your dog. Lots of enrichment toys does not equal a well enriched dog. They are great supplements for busy days, young dogs and getting a moment of quiet in your house. They can be used in fun ways but you don’t HAVE to have them

Enrichment should be varied and created to your dog’s individual interests. Enrichment is something to do with your dog.

You can also make meaningful enrichment toys and create enrichment games at home without spending anything extra.

Enrichment is offering breed and species specific activities for your dog.

Enrichment ideas for your dog
✔️ hikes
✔️ walks in new areas
✔️scent games at home and outside
✔️ games of hide and seek
✔️ chase games and flirt poles (which you can make yourself)
✔️swimming
✔️ fearful or senior dog? Drives in new areas. Maybe get a puppy stroller or wagon if mobility is an issue
✔️ digging holes
✔️reading to your dog
✔️ canine massage
✔️ grooming your dog
✔️ teach a trick or new skill
✔️ move things in your yard around
✔️ sing to your dog
✔️go to the beach
✔️ rent a sniff spot
✔️ meet some new people or dogs (if your dog likes that)
✔️ learn more about playing with your dog and build play skills
✔️ chasing bubbles
✔️ playing with the hose
✔️ a filled baby pool
✔️ freeze your dogs food
✔️ offer your dogs new snacks if they can tolerate it (fruits and veg)
✔️ any dog sport you think your dog might like. Try it!

Honestly I could go on and on forever. But enrichment isn’t a toy. It’s something we do.

Toys are lovely. But they should NOT be the soul providing of your dogs enrichment and if you can’t afford a bunch of them that’s ok (most dog toys are demonstrably over priced in my opinion. A kong or toppl are great investment and can be used in a multitude of ways. If you really want guidance on a few toys to buy. Something to chew, something to lick, something to tug and something to sniff).

05/29/2024

If you’re like me you love to travel with your dog! 🧳 🐶

Travel to the USA was easy peasy. A valid rabies vaccine and you were on your way!!!! This will be changing.
Starting August 1st there will be more regulations and official paperwork to be done. Plan accordingly and see the CDCs website search CDC dog bot for a questionnaire which will give you the information and forms you need completed

✔️ proper microchipping
✔️ valid rabies
✔️ no dogs under 6 months
✔️forms filled out by proper professionals

05/26/2024

Congrats CLARK! Clark started his session really anxious. Unable to eat food. Whining. Mom and dad reported a difficult day!
I immediately changed the plan.
We went to a local field (2 min away from the shop)
Put him on a long line
Decompression and let him sniff.
We worked on BAT skills and movement as a reinforcer. Offering food but using it as measure of his stress. Not worrying if he took it or not.

His stress plummeted
He was able to take food
He engaged with the environment and his parents in a healthy way
When we introduced Ham he was able to disengage
They even had a very respectful side by side walk (see stories)

Not taking food is valuable information
Body language is valuable information

Your dogs behaviour is information and not a moral issue. Meet your dog where they are. Address feelings first.

Anyways. All the congrats to clark for overcoming hard things

Give Clark some virtual cookies!! 🍪 🍪

05/21/2024

How to SUP with your pup!
(SUP = stand up paddle board )
Also applicable to kayaking/ canoeing with your dog.

1. Safety first a life jacket and tether
Have a life jacket even for strong swimmers. Exhaustion can happen quickly when out in the middle of a body of water life jackets will literally be a lifesaver in an emergency
A quick release tether. Real talk your pup will jump or fall off your board at sometime and you’ll want to be able to reel them in quickly. But have an easy release in case of emergency when you need to remove the leash

2. Start on dry land. Lots of treats on the board. Let the pup get use to the board and staying on it. Add a little bit of instability to the board (place a ball under or put on uneven ground) as they get use to the board to emulate the instability
I like to reinforce the pup staying on the front of the board
You can put a water proof mat and proof your place commands on the board
3. Have fresh water for them to drink.

4 make sure you have a safety plan for yourself when you’re on the water. (And life jacket / PFD for you too!) stay seated while paddling as you and your dog get use to the feeling of sharing a board until you’re both comfortable

5. Start on a calm body of water and stay close to the dock your first trip. Be willing to leave if your dog is miserable

6. Reinforcement for good behaviour in the water. (It’s a strange feeling the first couple times out for our pups)

7. Have fun!!!

I love to SUP with pups. It’s enriching quality time together. The different sites, smells, perspectives, and keeping balance are all enriching opportunities for your dog. I love to paddle places for a picnic or just to spend time on the water with friends and dogs.

What summer activities do you love to do with your dog? What summer activities do you want to know more about?

05/14/2024

The benefits of observing non dog species.

If you meet a dog trainer worth their salt there is one thing they are incredibly good at. Reading body language

Body language is our insight in to feelings, behaviours and it’s why a good dog trainer almost gets bit (if your dog trainer boast about how many times they’ve been bit. They’re not great at their job)

Learning about other species and their communication can improve your eye 👁️
We’ve had snakes, cats, scorpions, fish and now a gecko. And all have varying degrees of observable body language that can really tell you a lot about animal preferences, and behaviours. We’ve recently added this ADORABLE gecko 🦎 to our family (which btw is an incredible pet) and it’s so fun learning and made observing his body language.

A tensing of the muscles, lowering of the head, lifting the toes about to jump
A curving at the base of the tail. You’re about to be pooped on 😂
A turn of the head, avoidant
A shaking of the tail. Threatened
An open mouth stress
As always behaviour is in context and a nose to tail event.

Observe the animals in your life. They’re communicating often. The better you get at reading the animals you share your life with the more you can improve their welfare and advocate for them.

05/12/2024

To all the moms. However you became one. Whatever your family looks like. Happy Mother’s Day 💐

05/10/2024

Wishing a happiest 1st birthday to our smallest family member Pretzel. 🥨

05/08/2024

Ham appreciation post. This dog is incredible
Yesterday 5 training walks accompanied along on our walk and train program - walk and train might be his favourite job yet 😂
Demo for 3 private sessions
Still happy to do more. (I was exhausted 😂 he was as chipper as he was at 6am)

He’s such a blessing. 💕

My dogs are always allowed to opt out of work. They’re stressed. They get a breaks. They always have a safe decompression zone to retreat to )

Hammer 🔨
Hammer time
My hammer
Hammerstein
Ham sandwich 🥪
Birmingham 🏍️

Thanks for all the joy you bring to the world 🌎

04/22/2024

ARE YOU A BOOK CLUB OR A RAVE PERSON? How I often explain dog social preferences to clients.... Imagine how you want to connect with people, how you fill your social cup. What's your ideal night? A book club with the same members week after week? A dinner party where you meet some friend's significant others but most of the people you know? A pub with a cozy familiar back ground with a mix of familiar and new faces? A rave filled to the brim with tons of new potential friends? Whatever your answer none of them are wrong, they are personal and right for you. But if your ideal night is a book club with the same people, you will likely going dislike being dragged to a rave. It's definitely not going to do much to fill your emotional cup. Your dog is not much different- What is your dog's idea social outing. A quiet walk with family members only (book club), a group class doing a parallel activity (dinner party dog), a walk in busy local park (pub) or a day at the dog park (rave). We need to stop trying to make book club dogs be rave dogs.... it does not fill their emotional cup or do them many favours. Instead they will likely be irritated and depleted. Your social preferences can change as you age and that's normal too. and the same for our dogs. Your young pup who may have loved the dog park, starts to dislike it by the age of 2, that's pretty normal. Kind of how I stopped liking clubs in my mid 20's. Sociability is a spectrum, it can change based on your dogs age, learning history, genetics and preferences. These preferences are not right or wrong, they just are. (we're not huge fans of free for all dog parks, although there are some dogs who thrive in that free play environment there are too many people who attend with unsocial dogs. We recommend you always carefully select your dog's play mates and monitor the body language of all parties well and interrupt when a dog is uncomfortable)

04/08/2024

Want some extra help with your training? We’re launching a walk and train day training program

What is walk and train?
I 👋 come and pick your dog up from the house and take them on a 30 or 60 min walk or adventure best suited for their needs working on training goals we have set out
Great for dogs who need a bit extra
Programs for:
reactive dogs
fearful dogs
puppies (special puppy program launching, afternoon social hour of play and training for puppies only with our own screened adult dogs for proper social development, social outings and developmentally and temperamentally selected challenges and exercise to meet your puppy’y full potential )
when
currently: Mondays/ Tuesdays/Fridays
$55/ 30 min training sessions OR packages available
$215 for 4 walks a month (1 day a week)
$425 for 8 walks a month (2 days a week)
$ 625 for 12 walks a month (3 days a week)

$100 for one hour training sessions OR
$375 for 4 walks per month
$750 for 8 walks per month
$1125 for 12 walks per month

Each walk and train is followed up with a picture and video of what work your dog was doing that day.

It’s like the help of a board and train program without missing your puppy at all 💕

04/06/2024

SPORTY SATURDAY: UP DOG / DISC

UpDog is a disc (frisbee) organization offering a variety of disc games for canines and their humans to enjoy! At its core, UpDog is about encouraging and welcoming ALL types of players with varying skill level to participate.

Play includes the use of anywhere from 1-8 discs at a time based on the game.
Still working on your disc throwing? No worries! UpDog permits the use of a special throw called a roller during play. A roller is a throw that sends the disc rolling on its rim along the ground. This throw is perfect for novice players and dogs still learning how to catch in the air.
bilaterally blind Australian Shepherd, Cove, still competes in UpDog by using rollers in play.

UpDog uniquely offers the option to play with any type of disc -Hero, Hyperflyte, Kong to name a few - as long as the face of the disc is solid (some discs have a hole in the centre). On that note, when checking out discs safe for canine play, avoid the use of plastic made for human play. It is much too hard and will be unsafe on teeth and gums. Still working on your dog’s recall? No problem! UpDog allows the use of longlines in play for all disc only based games. For dog safety, longlines are not permitted during crossover games that combine having the dog complete an agility jump or tunnel before attempting a throw.

If your dog likes to retrieve toys, play tug or chase items (like leaves blowing in the wind), consider checking out some disc! Disc is a beginner friendly sport as you don’t need any special equipment outside of dog safe discs and a dog eager to play with you!

In SW Ontario and want to try Up Dog? see page or the Pandemonium in Motion Facebook Group

04/05/2024

Tomorrow we’re launching our new social media series Sporty Saturdays.

This series is to educate owners on the world of dog sports! Everyone knows about agility but there are SO many sport options for all dogs, abilities, and types of interest and breeds.

If you are a trainer or participant in dog sports and want your sport, facility or club highlighted? LET ME KNOW!

An owner who has questions about a sport? Drop them in the comments section 👇👇👇

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N6J1G4

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Videos

OUR SPRING LOOSE LEASH SESSION CLASSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE Starting Sunday March 10, join our loose leash class. Reduce frustration on both ends of the leash ✅ learn how and when to structure your loose leash walks 🐾 learn how to teach leash walking without harsh corrections or conflict based methods ✅ improve overall engagement and focus for success in a variety of spaces 🐾 improve you and your dogs bond. 🐾 this class is not for reactive dogs. See our private sessions or reactive dog bootcamp. This is for dogs who pull on leash and need leash manners. 🐾

Painting your dog idea

How cute is this?!

Social signalling is one of the many ways mammals learn appropriate behaviour in a situation . I have not instructed the dogs to do anything I was going to video them playing. But Ham (the border collie) thought I wanted him to train or he wanted to initial some training. He turns down Mya’s advances to play and Mya Looks at Ham and emulates what’s he’s doing. Sit and stare at human 😂😂 On another note: Healthy adult dogs to not go around constantly snapping at puppies. You’ll see his rejection of play is polite and firm (he’s not wavering). Although air snaps or harsher corrections may be used Seldomly it should not be your “teaching dogs” go to way of communication Healthy adult dog play will teach puppies healthy play and interaction. Puppies don’t need to constantly be “told off to learn”. The adult dog can simply say “no thank you “ in a reasonable manner like here. So if you meet a trainer that is being incredibly rough with puppies to discourage biting because “that’s what adult dogs do” they’re missing so much more nuance to dog to dog communication

Our next LEASH OFF! GAME ON! Class starts November 17, Learn how to build foundation of off leash reliability regardless of your dogs breed Limited space!

Another Rainy day…. And if your dogs are anything like mine. Their idea of a good time is NOT walking in the rain. But we still need to provide for their physical, physiological and mental needs    Here are some ideas to have a harmonious time living with dogs when the weather is less than favourable    1. Food toys: kong, kong wobbler, lickimats, snuffle mats can provide some mental enrichment through meal time   2. Paper shedding: giving your dog a proper outlet to rip and shed things (supervised) mix it with foraging. Put paper in a box, crumpled up. Hide food or treats in there - the the dog find and consume the treats and shred some paper. Very satisfying for your pup! (No this will not teach them its OK to rip things)   3. Trick training: work your dogs brain and body by teaching them fun tricks. Need some ideas check out Do More With Your Dog   4. Scent work: scent work has the biggest bang for your buck in reducing energy- hiding treats, scents, toys, playing hide and seek yourself. Dogs see the world with their nose! Let them use it in ways that will amaze you  5. Body conditioning exercises: home gym with with your dog. Look up exercises to challenge your dogs strength, coordination, balance and flexibility. Be mindful to not push your dog and start gradually. If your dog loves the rain (or at least doesn’t mind it and we’re free of thunder and lightning) get out and explore! Embrace the rain, let your dog experience the new smells and sounds that come with the rain, enjoy the quiet trails and streets, experience a different kind of walk and embrace the beauty if nature. This is a great time for a sniffari….. allow your dog to take the lead and smell his way through the environment and all the new experiences the rain can provide

Zeus use to be really afraid of Atticus and would show aggression towards him. Now they train together (Atticus has good criteria but terrible reward placement lol)

Here Is an engagement game for those winter months. For energy reduction scent work is one of the most effect activities. If your dog would eat the eggs then use a more stable and larger container. Happy training and tag me in your video if you do it!

Dogs do so much for our mental house. However sometimes their care can be difficult when you’re struggling. Know this is temporary and here are a few suggestions to help you get over the hump. Your dog loves you unconditionally so take care of you ❤️ #bellletstalk #bellletstalkday #mentalhealthmatters

So I have been training for almost a decade 😳 during that time I tried to pick up a new non dog related hobby.... it didn’t work. All dogs. All. The. Time. But now I’ve decided to launch my little side project for after COVID. After losing my best friend Braxton last year I realized my photos of him are some of my most prized possessions and I want others to have beautiful photos of their pets too. Sooo if you’re interested in seeing more dog photos. Head over to @theldnontdog 🐕 see you there!

A great exercise For confidence, fun and start your muzzle training

As a Canadian there are MANY reasons to master a loose leash walk but the #1 reason? Not to spill the timmies #timhortonscanada #ruffwear #canadiandogtrainer #ldnontdogtrainer #dogsof519 #519dogs #smallbusiness519 #xoloitzcuintli #vizsla

Happy Thanksgiving 🇨🇦 Willie has been with us for a week in board and train, and he’s a rockstar ⭐️ Prior to coming he didn’t have any leash training and now walking him is a dream. Today we added sit on a stop (so when I stop it’s a cue for him to sit) Teaching your dog to automatically do a specific behaviour when you stop can be very beneficial- I don’t suggest a sit if you have an extra large breed but you can teach a stand and wait, focus etc This allows for safety for your dog (think stopping at cross walks) and convince for you (when you stop to do something your dog waits patiently without cue) The harness willie is wearing is our favourite the Freedom Harness by 2 Hounds Design - you can pick one up at Companions Pet Resort

Luna working on focus, loose leash walking and changing directions with handler at Rona! She’s enthusiastic and loves training! Isn’t she the cutest?! 😍 A great opportunity to train and expose her to strange sounds and smells through these critical socialization periods

Look at Geneva rocking some loose leash walking 🎉 a major concern before her board and train stay. ————— There is a common misconception that harnesses cause/train pulling- they don’t! Pulling is usually caused by your dogs desire to explore and their natural walk being faster than ours- it continues because of reinforcement (they keep pulling and you keep moving forward- therefore pulling works!) also some oppositional reflex (push against what pulls you back) We use harnesses for the comfort of your dog and sometimes a front clip harness like the freedom harness by 2 Hounds Design to reduce the dogs leverage to keep pulling from injuring owners and help with the training process. Loose leash walking however is accomplished through training- no need for fancy equipment or tools that hurt A leash, regular collar or harness, setting them up for success by choosing quiet areas to practice in the beginning, and some treats to teach is helpful. Add a professional to help you with your timing and mechanics and TADA! Loose leash walking perfecto! Need some help Loose leash classes coming up in September Message us to enroll today! We also can help with private one on one sessions

Sprout 🌱 learns “go to your mat” Never too early to start teaching them! Go you your mat (“bed” or “place”) is a great skill to teach all dogs. It provides a safe place to be when you’re engaging in activities like cooking, an alternative behaviour to rushing the door when guests come and many more uses! 🐾

Sweet little Sophie playing with Zipper! How cute are these two 💕 Zipper is one of our trainers (Steph) dog and she LOVES puppies. Puppies who join our puppy best start or board and train are matched up with adult dogs who are gentle and kind and adore puppies, these dogs help to teach them the rules of play. When watching puppies play you should see: - Soft, loose bodies and happy expressions - Frequent mini breaks - Even and fairness in play -An option and the space for a dog to leave the situation if desired We should never allow puppies to be bullied and to “figure it out” or “get tough”. If a participant starts to look uncomfortable remove dogs from play for a short break.

Look at these grads rocking some recall! Teaching your dog to come when called is a fun activity but it requires you to invest time and energy to make your dogs recall reliable. 🐾 start small and in an easy environment 🐾don’t punish your dog when you call them 🐾practise in a variety of environs situations 🐾use some pretty high value rewards 🐾celebrate your dogs success Email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in joining our off leash reliability class! (Our last offering of this class sold out in 24 hours before we could even make it public!)