canine.coach.co

03/22/2023

The hardest part of this job is saying goodbye to our beloved clients.

Miss got very sick very quickly.
Her mama said goodbye this afternoon in the comfort of her own home.

I cannot put into words what a privilege it has been to be part of Miss's journey. We didn't get a lot of time together, but the time we did have was wonderful.

Rest peacefully my little Miss ♥️

03/20/2023

Calm observation is often overlooked, but can be very beneficial to your dog's well being.

Today Dallas and I took a 15 minute break on our walk to sit on a bench and just observe. Her prey drive went through the roof this year, so observation from a distance is part of our training plan to teach her new ways to interact with prey (squirrels)

Maybe your dog is reactive, fearful, anxious, overly adrenalized or just a pup figuring out the world.

Allowing them to take in the world from a SAFE place is mentally stimulating (sights, smells, sounds) and can help shape a calm and confident dog.

11/07/2022

09/09/2022

If your dog is really struggling with a new skill or behaviour, one of the easiest ways we can help them is by changing their environment.

This sweet girl is terrified of the fire alarms in her building. When they go off, she will completely shut down and isn't comfortable for hours following.

What helped Foxy most, was getting her outside to the balcony ASAP anytime there was an alarm. She could still hear the alarm, but was able to maintain a workable level of stress, and settle much faster.

Besides, who doesn't love basking in the sun on a beautiful summer day ☀️

08/14/2022

How often does your dog get to slow down and just observe the world around them? Sometimes the simplest thing, can have a big impact on your dogs mental state.

Taking breaks to relax and slow down is beneficial for every dog, but especially for those struggling with over stimulation or fearful, anxious and reactive behaviours.

A few things to keep mind

- keep a safe distance from any triggers

- if you have a reactive dog, have an exit strategy in the event you need to move quickly

- advocate for your dogs space.This is a time for observation not socializing

- reward calm behaviour and engagement with you

Rigby loves this piece of her training plan. She's also started doing some urban agility. This is her new observation deck 😍

08/01/2022

"I'd rather have a dog that is confident enough to make a mistake, than one that is too scared to make a decision" - Unknown

Imagine someone shouting "No" or pinching you anytime you did something they didn't like. I don't think many people would thrive in that type of learning environment.

Reward based training allows for your dog to make mistakes... In fact, if we're working on something new we might even reward mistakes on occasion to encourage your dog to keep offering behaviours.

07/12/2022

06/10/2022

Have you tried free shaping with your dog?
cockapoo has been practicing this trick for a few days and he's already a pro! (he's a little genius)

Free shaping is one of my favorite ways to bond and have fun with my dog. I have found incorporating it into the training plan with reactive dogs to be especially beneficial.

- encourages more offered behaviours

- dog regularly checks in with handler for reinforcement of behaviours

- may help your dog if they are easily frustrated

- it uses a lot of brain power (tires your dog out)

- increased ability to focus and problem solve

- most importantly it's a really FUN way to connect with your dog! (and we always want training to be fun for everyone involved)

Haven't tried free shaping before and not sure where to start? Shoot me a DM!

🐾

05/21/2022

Hitting a roadblock in training is normal.
Three problem solving questions I like to put in my clients' tool box.

1) What behaviour do I WANT from my dog right now?

2) What is the LEARNED cue for this behaviour?

3) If my dog can't do it... What can I, their handler do to help them be successful?

Your relationship with your dog is two sided. Working with them as a team, will allow you to get through these roadblocks together ♥️

05/07/2022

What's the first thing that comes to mind when we think about "socialization" for our dogs?

The response I get most often; "My dog interacting with other dogs and people in a positive way!"

While that is correct, it's a very small piece of a much larger picture. Socialization is all about giving your dog safe exposure to novel experiences, building confidence in different environments, and teaching them neutrality first.

How does your dog feel about buses, thunder storms, shouting children, skateboards, fireworks, the vet, car rides?

Are they able to ignore most people and dogs in different environments? When they do play with another dog, are they able to self regulate and take play breaks?

Does your dog easily adjust to a new environment? How do you help them be more confident if they're struggling?

Yesterday Bob and I spent some time at the park to build his confidence in busier, more crowded environments. We didn't engage with any humans or dogs. We did some engagement activities together, and he got a lot of time to smell, see, and hear all the different things in the environment from a distance that he felt safe.

Bob is adoptable through ♥️

04/12/2022

Meet Zoe!

Zoe's humans are first time dog parents, so they had lots of questions about raising a puppy.

We proactively did our first session BEFORE Zoe came home, so both they and Zoe were set up for success right away. The priorities the first few weeks are socialization, relationship building and management. They're doing an amazing job and this cutie is thriving in her new home.

04/06/2022

Meet Kirby!

This baby girl is a real heartbreaker (my photography skills don't do her justice)

At four months old she is full of puppy energy, and excited to explore the world.

Today we worked on engagement with her human, and had some fun playing "recall games" Her human has done a fantastic job with her so far and I'm excited to see her growth continue ♥️

04/06/2022

Welcome Clover

Clover is a typical poodle. She's smart as heck, she's very handler focused and she has lots of energy! She is also an absolute sweetheart and I fell for her right away ♥️

We will be giving her more more structure, and building communication and cooperation with her humans, so she can use that brain power of hers' to its full potential.
🐾

03/11/2022

Diane Forsey shared a video on Instagram: “A critical piece of your dog's training plan should include ensuring they enough get deep sleep.…” • See 55 photos and videos on their profile.

03/11/2022

These two are why I love what I do 😍


https://www.instagram.com/reel/CaTiNZQgPaN/?utm_medium=share_sheet

Sia • Unstoppable

02/05/2022

Welcoming Numi to the Canine Coach fam.

Numi is a very social, loving pup who wants to play with every human and dog he sees! This means walks can be a challenge for his humans.

We're working on giving clear cues so Numi understands exactly what is being asked, and heavily reinforcing the behaviours we want. Numi is a very smart pup and made fantastic progress in our first session! 🐾

01/29/2022

Bring the same level of enthusiasm Bea has for socks, to your training with your dog.

You'll make more progress AND have more fun.

If you feeling frustrated or discouraged, you may need to make some adjustments to your plan and give your dog more opportunities to "win"
(most frustration happens when we don't feel successful)
🐾

01/18/2022

Welcoming Wesley .the.rottie_ to the Canine Coach family.

This little guy is 5 months old and clever as can be.

It's important as we progress in our dogs' training, to remember they are learning to live in our world; everything we teach is a new skill for them and it takes a lot of practice to hone these skills.

Wesley has the best human who is incredibly kind and patient. They're both learning lots of new things and making fantastic progress ♥️