Smart Dogs Canine Training

06/24/2025

One clear, thoughtful correction can make all the difference between a dog being confused and haphazard about their behaviour and a dog becoming very clear in what is required of them. I’m not applying this thought to obedience training, rather every day household living. One clear correction can save you and your dog a world of stress and help them learn self control. One clear correction can save a life. That may sound dramatic, but it’s true. It’s kinder to be clear to your dog than to draw out the process for weeks and months on end. One clear correction can be the difference in the dog keeping their home or not. It’s ok to have a yes and a no with your dog. It makes life so much easier for everyone when we are not just given one side of an equation, and allowed to experience the full picture.

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06/20/2025

Puppies aren’t robots. You cannot program a puppy to be perfect. There is a time for puppy-ness and there is a time to get more serious. It’s ok to let your puppy be a puppy as long as you have some clear rules set. It’s ok for your puppy to walk on a harness and not be perfect on leash, there is a load of time to work on that as they get a bit older. It’s ok that your puppy gets nuts sometimes, it happens. I see so much frustration, anxiety and overwhelm when we try to do too much and expect too much with puppies. Puppies are babies/toddlers to a certain age, and we do not need to be putting undue pressure on them or on you for that matter. The things that you should be concerned about with young puppies are house training, crate training/containment and good house hold rules and manners. The rest? It’ll come, you’ve got time. There is no need to add to the stress of raising a puppy by expecting too much too soon.

06/17/2025

I cannot stress enough the importance of dogs learning to regulate behaviour without always having to bark out obedience commands. We see so much high level, high energy, high stimulation obedience, but that isn’t what families need. They need dogs who can turn off, who can control their impulses, who can relax when needed. Part of it is practicing not giving into your dogs every demand a desire. Dogs who are demanding are dogs who cannot self regulate and always need to be entertained and moving. Part of it is practicing calm with a leash on at home, in the back yard, on walks, at the park or wherever you take you dog. We do this in classes. We stop, we relax, we have a conversation and we allow our dogs to learn how to be bored. The art of learning how to deal with boredom is underrated, but it is the key in having a dog learn to regulate their own behaviours.

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06/11/2025

Learning that people are friends not foe is a big step for some dogs. A positive intro with some ignoring by strangers, getting down on the dogs level, learning to accept presence, and even learning to accept reward from the strangers. This can all be very helpful for socializing a nervous/anxious dog. We want dogs to think others are no big deal, will not force themselves upon them and sometimes good things happen when the dog makes the approach. A send to hand touch can be extremely helpful in confidence building with strangers (please note this is for non-biters and non aggressive dogs). Thank you for helping us out and making it a positive experience!!

06/09/2025

I haven’t seen many truly dominant dogs over my career. I can probably count on less than one hand those dogs. It’s quite rare, but dogs often get labeled dominant for pushy behaviours that they have learned that get their humans to do things for them or they’ve learned these behaviours help them get their own way. This isn’t dominance. This is a highly intelligent creature learning that if I do X and Y happens, and I like Y, I am going to keep doing X. Humans do it, dogs do it, most, if not all mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates will do it. Dogs are opportunistic creatures and they are geared towards doing things that make them feel good or have a good outcome, and they can show up as pushy, demanding, rude and sometimes downright dangerous behaviours. This in no way concludes that the dog is dominant. This just means they have us trained very well and if we don’t stop allowing X to make Y happen, these behaviours that predict Y will continue. If we begin to make X not work, which can be as simple as ignoring or moving away from demanding behaviours, X will no longer predict Y and the behaviour starts to extinguish as it is no longer a predictor of something the dog likes or it is no longer working for the dog to get their own way. Dogs are very good at training us, we are not always as good at training them.

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06/07/2025

Self control is a wonderful thing to teach dogs. A dog with self control is allowed more places, and enjoyed more by others. Self control is not necessarily obedience, but that can play a big role in developing it to start. Behaviour and what you allow or don’t allow plays an even bigger role. Self control is learning to regulate, to turn off, to not get too hyped up, and in the end, no matter how much you drill your dog on obedience, if you don’t work on the mind set and behaviour, you will never achieve self control.

Thank you for a lovely night on the patio and thank you to our fabulous server!

06/06/2025

Of course I am aware of the more serious situations that can occur when dealing with dogs, however, if everything is about being serious, being perfect and not screwing up, training becomes another chore on the list rather than a time you can spend bonding. With a solid bond anything is possible. Seeking perfection in training and tasking it like a serious job sets you up for some disappointment when you realize that your dog isn’t a programmable robot, but a living, breathing, feeling creature. If you are always uptight about training, your dog will feel it. If you are always looking for the next mistake, your dog will make many. Learning to let go of expecting perfection and add some fun to your time with your dog isn’t a cop out, it’s a way to help you relax so that your dog can learn to relax. Grab some friends or train with a group. Be creative and spontaneous and allow yourself some freedom to enjoy it.

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06/05/2025

JUST SHAKE IT OFF

A “shake off” is one of many types of body language and is one of the easiest ones to notice.

The shake off can provide us with important insight as to how our dogs are feeling.

Besides being a very effective way to get rid of dirt, bugs or water - dogs can remove up to 70% of water in one single shake off - the shake off is often seen just after something that a dog needs a mental reset from.

It’s a way to flush out adrenaline and could be compared to us taking a deep breath to reset our nervous system and calm ourselves down.

Dogs instinctively know they feel better when they just shake it all off!

It’s their way of saying “Phew, I’m glad that’s over, now I can put it behind me and move on”.

Shaking off is a positive way to calm down, reset and cope with stress – be that negative or positive stress.

It’s a healthy way of transitioning from one emotional state to another.

It’s important to be aware that shake offs may sometimes be caused by an underlying medical issue like an ear infection, allergies, itching or pain.

If you notice a shake off, look at what has just happened beforehand. This will provide a good clue as to what it is that your dog feels they need to reset from.

06/04/2025

Too much attention and interaction can have the opposite effect to what we are looking for.

06/02/2025

Under and Centre

05/31/2025