WOW Dog Training

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween everyone! Stay safe!! No it’s NOT a good idea to expose your puppy to fireworks as part of their socialization. Please leave them home where they’re safe.

09/30/2024

Congratulations to all of my hard working Rally Obedience students who came out to the Mt Cheam Canine Association's trial this past weekend. The teams of Kathy M & Lexi, Kim S. & Flint, Grant B & Dexter, Kari W & Finnegan, Donna G & Tilly, Sophie R & Rogan either earned new legs for the levels they were working on, or achieved their titles, some even with High in Class scores. Also, Anne D & Beau and Donna G & Tilly took the time to bring their dogs to practice in that environment...fabulous! WAY TO GO TO ALL OF YOU!

Also, if any of you have pictures of yourselves there, please add them to this post if you'd like to.

Send a message to learn more

09/08/2024

This is a good explanation about the teenage period for dogs.

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

08/25/2024

Looking back I realize that I don't post enough so will have to get on that. This is our newest family member LOGIC (Avoca's Logical When the Piece Fits). She's 5 months old and really sweet and wanting to work. She's already practicing Rally Obedience, Scent Detection and the hoops from Hoopers. Wants to follow in what the others are doing. Just love her so much!

03/05/2024

Had a lot of fun at the Dumbbell Obedience Club Scent Detection Trial. Deja (blue merle) got two out of three elements in Open but due to handler error didn't get Interior. Bria (dark girl) was more there in Novice to have fun. I was so happy that she seemed happy there and not nervous. Lots to practice. Thank you Leanne Whynot Photography for the photos.

12/22/2023

10/27/2023

🔥🎃Just a reminder that we have a both a Fun Match (featuring Obedience, Rally & Scent) and a CGN coming up Nov. 5th at the Cotonfield Dog Center in Abbotsford.

CGN sign up: https://dumbbellobedienceclub.ca/event/canine-good-neighbour-cgn-test/

Fun Match sign up: https://dumbbellobedienceclub.ca/fun-match-registration-2/

08/31/2023

Nice loose leash walking tips.

Being dragged on walks sucks. Let's fix that! These 10 tips should IMMEDIATELY improve your dogs pulling on leash!

08/16/2023

Please be careful with having your dogs out in this hot weather.

07/18/2023

Please consider nominating us. Only the businesses with the most nominations in each category will make it to the voting round. Thank you!

Official 2023 Community Voting Awards Platform for Chilliwack, BC. Where the community votes for their favourites every year.

06/15/2023

Congratulations to Sean, Lila and Arrow for passing their Service Dog Assessment! It was through much hard work from all of you that this was possible. Keep up the great work together and the strong bond that you've developed is amazing!

05/23/2023

For those who answered "A"- True, you're correct! I have seen my own dogs pulling slightly more one way that the other when wagging. Very interesting!

05/22/2023

Interesting question of the day! Take a guess and the correct answer will be posted May 23rd.

02/06/2023

Sniffari walks can be wonderful for your dogs. Plan to follow the dog’s nose somewhere that is safe for them to do so. Longlines are great for this, but you can do it on your normal leash too.

02/02/2023

Great way to teach wipe your mouth.

01/26/2023

This is good information. Scares me when I see small children walking large dogs.

Sounds like the perfect solution... kids itching to walk their new dog + over-stretched parents thrilled that their children are taking responsibility and lightening the workload! What's not to love?

Actually quite a LOT.

I can't tell you how many disappointed faces I see when I try to explain why a child walking a dog ALONE *might NOT be* the best idea for anyone!!?

And I get totally it.

If this is your first family dog, a quick spin around the block may look harmless enough - until you consider ALL of the things that can (and DO) go wrong.

Even (mentally and physically) FULLY-GROWN ADULTS get pulled down to the ground, or dragged over to squirrels, skateboards and the neighborhood cat. They accidentally drop leashes, or watch helplessly as their pup slips their collar. They struggle to control their dog around other dogs, or conversely, they panic or freeze when an off-leash dog comes sprinting full-speed towards them (friendly or not friendly.. who knows? They’ll likely find out when it’s too late!)

And this is ONLY a handful of the things that can happen to GROWN UPS… so for kids the stakes are simply exponentially higher.

As a trainer, I’m pretty calculated about where I go, and when I walk my dogs my radar is always activated. Even still, I’ve personally had to dash after my loose dog, I’ve been bitten by a dog who was attacking mine, I’ve seen a dog run over in a school parking lot, and watched a child be literally dragged for 50ft against her will!

So, I hope by sharing the potential risks with you, you can make informed choices about your family dog walking situation:

Here’s my hotlist of things to consider:

Size - of child and dog
Strength - of child and dog
Maturity - of child and dog
Training - of child and dog
Temperament - of child and dog

Then download, print and share our poster.
THESE are my questions to help families size up the COMBINATION of their dog and child to see whether WALKING ALONE together is a SMART call.

For more info for kids, dogs and making EVERYONE'S life SAFE and HAPPY - go to thefamilydog.com/families

12/09/2022

This is a really good post. Worth the read.

Walking your dog doesn't need to be so frustrating!

There's this idea in 'Dog Culture' that we MUST take our dog for a walk every day, and if you don't then you must be a bad owner.

Being able to have a leisurely stroll with your dog is a simple pleasure, one that so many owners yearn for but is anything BUT leisurely (I understand the feeling as I've been there myself).

So many dog owners are struggling on walks - with reactivity, fearful dogs, or just simple leash pulling. It can be exhausting and if you're reading this and can relate, you know the guilt you feel at dreading the walk when you know they 'need' it. BUT... DO THEY?

A fulfilled dog needs:

🐕‍🦺 Physical exercise
🐕‍🦺 Mental exercise
🐕‍🦺 Time to just be a dog/freedom
🐕‍🦺 Play
🐕‍🦺 Rest

All of those needs can be met without putting the leash on and pounding the pavement for 10 blocks. In fact, your dog's behaviour and your relationship with them will probably improve if you take the pressure off yourself and stop doing it.
Here's why:

🐕 Leash pulling is self-reinforcing:

If your dog drags you to everything they want to sniff or investigate then they're being taught over and over that behaviour is how they access these things. Tension on the leash is how they get what they want.

🐶 INSTEAD: the script needs to be flipped so they learn pressure on the leash means they stop, or you want them to FOLLOW YOU, not move toward what they want.

🐕 Separate training from exercise:

Dogs can't learn new skills when they're over-stimulated and distracted. The more distance you cover on a walk, the more distracted your dog will likely get. If you walk your dog to a park then that's a HUGE distraction (I bet they walk better on the way home, but fatigue isn't training)

🐶 INSTEAD:
practice loose leash walking during a 'training session' and if your dog pulls the second you walk out the front door then practice inside your house, then when they're doing better there open the front door and STILL practice inside, then in and out of the front door, then the path to your house etc etc etc. This will tire your dog out, I PROMISE. This is mental exercise and mental exercise is just as tiring as physical exercise.

🐕 Provide physical exercise in other ways:

As above, trying to train your dog AND give them exercise at the same time isn't going to work very well. It's like getting children to learn their timetables at Disney Land.

🐶 INSTEAD:
put them in a car and drive them somewhere quiet where they can run around (on a long line if they're not off-lead reliable). This is great for reactive dogs too. Find places where not many dogs go. Industrial estate parks or the back of some shopping centres where there are empty fields.

🐕 Have a plan and work smarter not harder:

So many of my new clients have tried all the tools, treats, obedience commands etc, but none of it is working. The problem is there's almost always a lack of clarity in the techniques and a lack of clarity paired with an over-excited dog doesn't work.

🐶 INSTEAD:
provide CLARITY through learning a clear and consistent strategy that you can easily teach your dog for five minutes twice a day (yep: FIVE MINUTES, TWICE A DAY. Dogs learn better this way and you'll both enjoy it more!). Clarity in communication, clarity through controlling distractions to keep your dog calm and focused!

There are numerous techniques to teach calm, loose-leash walking and what works best with each dog/owner combination can differ. But if there's one thing to remember from all of the above it's this:

🐾 SLOW IT DOWN TO GET THERE FASTER

Take the pressure off yourself AND your dog. Forget about social norms. If walking your dog isn't helping improve their behaviour or mindset - don't do it. Meet their needs in other ways while you focus on implementing a clear training routine that you can enjoy with your dog.

🖤🐾