We've got a few walking clients that started this summer who have never tested out dog-power. Sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate for test runs (too hot), but there's usually always wiggle room for a cani-walk!
The purpose of these walks is to see how the dogs react to the harness itself, and get a sense for their natural desire to pull forward.
Jackson (larger black and white BC mix) had no issues with the harness and a natural pull. He's going to fit in well!
His sister Piper (Aussie) also didn't care about the harness, but it may take her a few sessions to figure out the pulling part.
Navy (dalmatian) was NOT a fan of feeling the harness on her. She's a little sensitive, so we moved slowly with many treats during her session. I think she's going to do really well, but will need some nice soft introductions to any change.
Great job guys! Looking forward to incorporating them into this winter's teams. All current clients and last winter's runners have priority for team building. But there still may be a few openings this year - stay tuned!
Getting up early to get some training with the mentors. In order to hold our "try it" runs, these pups need to get their practice in! Not only do they need the muscle and stamina to run multiple loops of our trail, they get extra training in staying calm when stopped. This creates a safe environment for new dogs to try out team runs.
I've got my eye on the weather - next weekend may be possible. Temperatures look okay, but the forecasted rain isn't as pleasant. Stay tuned!
It's important to let our dogs know when they are doing a great job. For most of us, that's using a marker word like "yes" or "good".
Because Navy is deaf, marker words won't work. So we have to use hand signals. Navy's "good" is a thumbs up 👍
So good job Navy!
Have a great long weekend everyone. Don't forget to reward your dogs good behaviour :)
With the low temperatures lasting until noon today, we got out running with the two morning groups!
Hoping for a few more tomorrow 🐾
90% of the time dogs are transported in their own Ruffland crate. This is mostly for safety - keeping dogs separate during transport and reducing the chances of dog exiting the vehicle before they are leashed.
But sometimes you just gotta bend the rules, and someone gets to ride shotgun. Blaze is loving the blasting AC today. He's part of the last walk of the day, and he's the furthest dog to drop off, so extra cooling is necessary. He's also a very good copilot.
Despite the hot temperatures this week, we're still seeing the nights cool off! Running season is coming!!
All walkers will transition to 1 or 2 dog bike runs as temperatures allow. Basically I am looking for the predicted temperature to be below 15 at 10am to run the first group of the day, below 15 at noon for the second group to run, and below 15 at 2pm for the last group. Runs will start at 1km, and we'll work them up as the dogs get comfortable.
This will not need any schedule changes, we'll just adapt to each day as it comes.
Once the daily highs aren't getting over 15, we'll start transitioning to the team runs. This will require some scheduling shifts as we pick up more dogs at a time, and bring them to private trails to run safely.
Looking forward to an amazing dogpower season already! But for now I guess I'll enjoy the sunshine time with the walking crews.
Some pretty exciting things.
1. I saw a Xolo at Gillies today! I never thought I'd see one in person.
2. This adorable pup Rocky had his first session this week. He's looking to join his "big brother" Cooper in dog walks and eventually dog powered sports! He's still very young, but has such a good temperament and I'm very much looking forward to working with him as he grows :D. It's never too young to start training - you just have to adjust duration and expectations based on age. Learning it right the first time is so much easier.
To say that Charlie loves treadmill day is a bit of an understatement!
I think his face says it all 😁
Hey everyone - meet Aspen! He's currently available for adoption at the Timmins and District Humane Society
We've been working together the past few weeks to help give him a head start on his new life. He's a young dog, a mix of two high energy/drive breeds, and large! I expect that he's never really been given clear guidance on what behaviours are good, and how to succeed. As a result, he can be a little bit much!
He'll need a spot to land that will give him good outlets for his energy, and continue with positive training. He's already shown me that he's eager to learn, and isn't really set on breaking the rules at all. He LOVES affection, and will work for pets, play, or treats. Each week he improves.
The majority of our leash walks are focused on control - loose leash and dog neutrality. Within this framework, I can walk dog reactive dogs with overly enthusiastic dogs and everyone has fun. It's great confidence building for the introvert pups, and amazing practice in self control for the "friendlies".
Every now and then we find ourselves with smaller groups, or dogs that have made crazy progress. Giving them the extra slack and letting them be a little crazy is fun too :)
I've cancelled group walks for today and Wednesday. Let's hope for the temperature to break Wednesday!!
Nora still needed a mid day break, so I took the opportunity to work on some of her "poop scoop" etiquette! If anyone saw a recent video I posted of a group walk blooper - this is the pup who tried to crawl into my lap while I was scooping a very fresh poop. These are the skills that most people don't think about when they teach leash walking, and can be VERY important for dogs leash walking with five other canines!
Within 15 minutes she was panting and starting to make more mistakes than usual. So back into the AC she went! Stay cool everyone!
Treadmill running for two of the groups today.
We haven't had that many weather issues on Thursdays, so for many of these pups this is only their second attempt. Finley, Blaze, and Nora are still gaining confidence with the treadmill. Alpha and Pebbles were naturals. Phoenix and Willow have had a few more sessions to improve. Nash made a huge leap! Running with gusto in his second session ever, despite being convinced the treadmill was sent by the devil for the first half of his first session!
Some successful rain dodging over the past few days!
Also - stay tuned this weekend for some exciting massage related announcements 🐾
It was a hot one today! Walks were a little shorter, and some pups even got a dip in the lake!
Tomorrow's weather (Thursday) still looks unpredictable. I'll check in the morning, and will be ready for walks or treadmill sessions unless there is local lightning/thunder ⛈️
Walks are lovely... But one very important part of my job is poop.
I put a lot of effort into reinforcing the dogs for staying in their "spot" when we stop. You can see in this video which dogs have had more reps (and more treats!).
Nora just started her walking training and has some REALLY great habits now. Her auto-sit when we pause is exceptional - but her kryptonite is cuddles! I will be building in more reps without the risk of rolling into a pile of fresh #2 to help her build this skill.
All in a days work 🤣
Phoenix killed it today! Last minute switch to treadmill as we got all the way to the walking trail and the skies let loose. Phoenix really sped it up this time :)
I love watching the dogs progress as they learn new things 😄
Rain day! Without rain...
I've been making a bigger effort to not leave decisions to the last minute. So when the forecast calls for over 1mm of rain in the hour of a walk and over 60% chance of that occurring, we will switch to a rain day schedule. I'll be checking around 6 or 7pm the night before. Lower rain amounts, less chance, or an overall wildly fluctuating forecast means I will wait to see what's happening in the morning. Notices wil go out of this affects your dog's pickup.
Good news for Tuesday - things are looking fine!
But since it wasn't raining, I got a chance to get a video of what the treadmill looks like from a different angle. Cooper was a most excellent model/actor.
Well that escalated quickly! No angry colours on the radar so I figured it would be a cloudy and maybe slightly wet day.
Will be finishing up this morning walk and switching the upcoming pups to treadmill sessions the rest of the day.
Hopefully everyone has some good treats in store this long weekend! Like this crew getting a mid-walk treat 😄
There are no walks on Monday.
We are also switching to our Sunday schedule as of Tuesday! This means a few groups are switching days or times - if you're not sure, please reach out
Officially that weirdo walking on the trails with a selfie stick! But hey, the videos are interesting :)
