Love That Dog

04/02/2023

Do you want a calm, focused dog on the start line of your agility runs in 2023? I'm about to launch an email-based course that will help you bring JOY and CONFIDENCE to your dog's start line performance. My NEWSLETTER subscribers are going to not only hear all the details first, but also get an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT code on what is bound to be a transformative experience.

NOT A SUBSCRIBER? You can become a newsletter subscriber easily by clicking this link and giving me your email address. Doing so will not only guarantee that you get the first look at this great offer in the coming days, but also will ensure that you get email updates of all my newest free content too!

heather-wark.ck.page/newsletter

This newsletter contains a combination of alerts to my newest free and paid content that relate to the training, loving and living with the dogs with whom we share our lives. Newsletter subscribers sometimes get discounted offers to the newest online programs and events.

11/01/2023

My latest blog post is all about creating and expanding FUN with our dogs and ourselves. I plan to dive down this rabbit hole a little longer as we explore a bunch of different ways we can bring more joy to our dog's lives and our lives too.
Enjoy!
https://lovethatdog.heatherwark.com/are-we-having-fun-yet/

11/01/2023

This is a great visual to help us get better results from our conditioning work.

Stacked/Stance analysis is so important for our sport dogs! I take at least side photos once a month to just keep an eye on progress and changes in their muscle tones. This is obviously easier with smooth dogs but you can still compare fluffy dogs too, just have to look a little harder. Make sure if you take photos you are taking them with proper form.

23/12/2022

Anyone else have a dog smart enough to pull this off?

🤣🤣🤣

20/12/2022

In order to engage in tug, dogs usually have to be extremely comfortable. This makes this skill very hard to learn in group training classes or lessons away from home. For this reason, this skill is perfectly suited to an online course. This program is carefully designed to help you build a fun and useable tug and retrieve reward behaviour with your dog.
The learning is made up of a combination of dripped video content, live zoom sessions and an online community to help you progress your dog’s learning of tug and retrieve behaviours. For more information on course content and delivery visit - https://lovethatdog.heatherwark.com/tug-n-retrieve/

09/11/2022

Our fall/winter classes have a little bit of EVERYTHING... This winter we welcome back a couple of our most popular courses.

We have Teeter Triumph! for folks looking to begin or solidify their dog's teeter skills. We are also running a pre-teeter class to help dogs who need just a bit more time to build the skills for this fun, but also challenging obstacle. Check the link for more details on these two popular classes

I LOVE winter because winter means FOUNDATIONS training! I love using what I've learned in the summer to circle back to foundations and create more layers of clarity than we had before. Two courses being offered allow me to do just that, Brilliant Focus from Start to Finish and JUMP! Check the link for more details on these two classes and to see times they will be offered.

For people looking for a little more support to make gains through the winter with their young or experienced agility dog, I offer coaching intensives in 2 month blocks to give you the support you need with a personalized training program and support between lessons with planning, video review and answers to your training questions. The November/December intensives are already underway, however there is still room in the January/February block, which will be available at the beginning of December.

If you have any questions, about these or other services, do not hesitate to DM me!

Original artwork by Gail Kuhl
https://lovethatdog.heatherwark.com/fall-winter-2022-23-classes-and-coaching/

#❤that🐶

09/10/2022

There is always great feedback about this “Try It” seminar.

Its back! Our popular Agility Basics night is a chance to try out some agility skills with your dog. Your dog will love trying something new. This evening is presented by PAWsitively Social Canine Adventures and Love That Dog in support of bringing agility trials to Thunder Bay.

This class is suitable for all dogs that are comfortable to work around other dogs and people. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]!

Register today at:
https://form.jotform.com/sleepinggiantdogs/registration

31/08/2022

This is why I video. I'd rather know what I need to fix...

The truth. 😳

23/06/2022

Figuring out what your dog loves is an important step on the journey towards using positive reinforcement really effectively in your training. Even more importantly knowing what your dog loves enables you to help them to have more joy in their lives. Tell me in the comments, what your dog loves!

15/05/2022

Got to support another local business…

It's giveaway time!
Post a picture of your adorable pet on our Facebook or Instagram page between May 13th and May 19th to win the Kuma Kare Package.
We will randomly pick a winner on May 20th, just in time to "gear" your pet up for May Long Weekend.
Good Luck

13/05/2022

My new blog post is up. This time I discuss a variety of reward procedures you might use with your dog. Food and toys of course make the list, but I include also many more. This post launches a series on various reward procedures. Here is the link.
https://lovethatdog.heatherwark.com/reinforcement-procedures/

12/05/2022

This workshop series is a game changer for anyone starting out in agility. Learn exercises to help you become a better teammate so that you can be very clear in your communication with your dog. Anyone interested in agility will benefit from this workshop series.
The series will be held in Current River Park on Thursday May 19, June 2, and June 23 @ 7pm.
Working on your handling skills without your dog is one of the best things you can do to improve your agility training.

Here is the link to register:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=19489929&appointmentType=33198409

21/12/2021

What is your goal/focus for the next few months of training?

15/12/2021

What do you do when your dog makes an error? You don't give a reinforcer... right? Or do you?

This post examines other options we have instead of using extinction to work through errors.
Let me know how you deal with errors in your training? Have you tried any of the alternatives to extinction offered in this post?

https://lovethatdog.heatherwark.com/avoid-extinction-by-not-withholding/

06/11/2021

We could all use a little more joy in our lives, am I right? Well, our dogs are no different. The more we are aware of and learn how to harness the power of a wide variety of sources of positive reinforcement for our dogs, the happier we will all be.

My newest blog post uncovers four types of reinforcers that might help us to engage more fully with our dogs and enrich both our lives in the process.

Enjoy!
https://lovethatdog.heatherwark.com/2021/11/05/expanding-your-dogs-reinforcement-horizons/

11/10/2021

A simple statement, but a large part of my work can be boiled down to these three words. So the very first behaviours I need to teach a new puppy or other animal I’m working with are the reinforcement behaviours. In order to live a fully engaged life with them, I want to have as wide a range of reinforcement opportunities to share with them as I possibly can. If reinforcement builds behaivour then it seems like reinforcement is the best place to start.

10/10/2021

As Susan Friedman says "Reinforcement builds behaviour". Therefore, we can't understand why our dogs do what they do, or how to increase the frequency of the behaviours we like without understanding reinforcement. This blog post marks the first in a series of posts taking a deep dive into the world of reinforcement to help us live a better life with the dogs we love.

https://lovethatdog.heatherwark.com/2021/10/10/what-is-reinforcement/

13/09/2021

This morning Nimbus and I found calmness and connection at the park through working with our chin target. With each new dog, I add a new “must teach” behaviour that I never want to be without again. One of these with Nimbus has been the chin target. One if the biggest ‘game changers’ in dog training since the nose target IMHO.

13/08/2021

For several years I've been contemplating a blog, but I just didn't have the nerve. Well I have finally decided to just put my thoughts down into cyber space and see what happens.
I decided to start at the beginning with the ABCs of animal learning. I have written about this before, but with each year and the learning that comes with it comes added clarity and depth of understanding.
Anyone who knows me knows I love digging into foundations, so it seemed appropriate.

Check out my post about The Learning Loop by clicking on the link below.

https://lovethatdog.heatherwark.com/2021/08/13/the-learning-loop

11/08/2021

The first time I used Susan Garrett’s 2x2 weave training method was in 2005 when I trained my aussie Gusto. The DVD wasn’t out yet but I was fortunate enough to work with Arlene Lehman who learned from Susan about this method.

Fast Forward 15+ years and I still love this method for teaching weaves. I’ve learned from each dog/handler team I’ve worked with and I’ve made my own adjustments to the method to adapt to their strengths and needs.

This is an intensive workshop, meaning we work 10 training sessions into 3-4 weeks to help our dogs progress their learning more effectively. The dates for this year’s Workshop start next week. We usually only offer this workshop once a year so if you are wanting to teach weaves this season, grab your spot now!

To find out the dates and times and to register click the following link:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=19489929&appointmentType=24796138

28/04/2021

What activity is your dog inherently good at? Have you tried pursuing a dog sport that allows them to use their innate talents?

  I’ve been thinking about Maggie a lot lately, and wondering whether she wants to continue to compete in sheepdog trials. She is always eager to work sheep, leaves the course (or did last year) as if eager to do it again, even when it went badly. She clearly adores the part she’s good at […]

08/04/2021

I was honoured to be asked to contribute to the collection of great information inside Agility Nation. My Back Yardin' exercise was published this week. I hope it helps handlers and their dogs add a confident threadle wrap to their repertoire.

25/02/2021

When I grow up, I want to be Chirag Patel... Chirag is one of my heroes in the dog training world. One of his superpowers I most admire is connecting deeply with the dog AND the human in front of him while creating a training plan that enables both to feel success at each step of the way. He focuses on the best way to get the next correct response out of both learners. Watching him work with clients is like watching a master painter.

When my colleagues at PAWsitively Social and I set out to create our new Agility Building Blocks program, we have taken care to ensure that each step of the way creates a feeling of success for both the human and canine learners in front of us. Check it out at Pawsitivelysocial.com/agility-building-blocks

29/12/2020

Students wonder all the time, why their dog trainer can take their dog and get the dog looking so sharp and behaving so well in a matter of minutes.
The answer is simple. Professional dog trainers use very clear and consistent reward strategies with the dogs they work with. Dogs at the end of their leash know precisely how to earn the next reward, and dogs thrive with this predictability.
On the plus side, this is a skill that is easy for anyone to learn. In fact we teach it in our entry level agility classes and make use of it all the way up to our competitive classes. Even if you aren't interested in competing in agility our entry level classes are focused on working on your skills to communicate clearly and consistently with your dog, which is helpful for ANYONE who loves a dog.
If you are interested in levelling up your relationship with your dog, try our Agility Building Blocks Level 1 class. Click the link to register and share this with a friend.
https://pawsitivelysocial.as.me/schedule.php

22/12/2020

Most of the people I work with didn't get into agility training because they were looking to compete with their dogs. Instead they usually began agility either to simply try something new with their dogs OR because their dogs were a bit fearful of new things and they were looking for a fun way to improve their confidence out in the big wide world.

As with all positive reinforcement based training, while we work on the skills of agility, we are also altering how our dogs feel on new surfaces, in new environments and moving their bodies in particular ways.
If you have a dog who needs to gain confidence, consider agility training.

Winter is a great time to start agility training because by the time the snow melts you and your dog will have built enough confidence and foundation skills to have a fun activity you can share.

If you live in Thunder Bay, check out the following free class to try... If you already play agility with your dog, share this with your friends.

https://pawsitivelysocial.as.me/AgilitySample

17/12/2020

I love to remind myself of this as well as the fact that it is as true for me as it is for my dogs. If I think about a behaviour I like such as loose leash walking or a quick orientation and return to me when I say her name, I wonder, "am I doing something proactive to make sure this behaviour is growing in likelihood?"

When it comes to a behaviour I find less desirable such as pulling on her leash, I wonder 2 things. First of all, I wonder what is reinforcing this behaviour, because something must be maintaining it, AND I wonder how can I change the situation so that this behaviour is decreasing.

As a trainer who chooses to use positive reinforcement methods as much as I can, this means that I have to be able to reinforce an alternate behaviour such as walking with me, targeting my let or eye contact with my face with the same reinforcer with which the current behaviour is being reinforced.

However, if the reinforcer I am currently holding is not as valuable to my dog as the one she is getting from the environment. And science says that I cannot completely be rid of the original behaviour unless the new behaviour is being rewarded by the same reinforcement as the old one. I'm kind of stuck... Or am I?

To the rescue comes my good friend David Premack and his Premack Principle. This learning principle simply states that a lower probability behaviour can be reinforced with a higher probability behaviour.

For example in the case of pulling on the leash, walking with me or attention to my face can be rewarded by the opportunity to sniff, greet another dog or person.

This little tidbit answers both of my questions. Premack is probably what is maintaining the behaviour AND it is also what I can use to change it.

Often times, when our dogs pull on the leash, we just follow along letting them sniff or greet other dogs or people. The behaviour of sniffing or greeting is not a problem in and of itself, BUT if they pull on the leash, and if leash pulling is a behaviour we WANT to be decreasing, we are in trouble.

So what can we do?

Putting the sniffing (go sniff) or the greeting (say hi) on cue is an important first step. Now you can give your dog a cue to sniff or greet when s/he is giving you a desirable behaviour such as eye contact with your face instead of pulling on the leash.

There is so much more you can do with Premack which is great because this principle is ALWAYS on our shoulder waiting for us to notice and determine how s/he can help.

15/12/2020

Outdoor winter training can bring many challenges with it. Not the least of which is the fact that it is just plain cold. If you live in a climate where you have snow and ice like I do, you are faced with trying to find ways to reward your dog without freezing your fingers.

Although there are many techniques, I love this refillable option because it is affordable and you can control the contents of the tube so it can work for any dog, even one with food sensitivities or a discerning palette.

I fill the tube with canned dog food or cat food, open the lid and tuck it in my pocket. When I need to reward my dog, I pull out the tube squeeze and present it to them for a reward opportunity.

Before I take this reward outside on a walk, I practice it in the house so that I can put this reward on a verbal cue (Lick it) because I don't want them thinking it is a cookie as the behaviour required from them to collect their reward is quite different.

Once they know the cue and what behaviour it means, I can take my new reward strategy out on walks and keep my fingers toasty warm, while still rewarding my dog frequently to keep them learning and growing the walk behaviours I like.

10/12/2020

On Tuesday we shared a training tip stating to use your 'dog-side' hand to deliver treats. Science calls this "placement of reinforcer".

Where we put the treat can impact behaviour because our dogs are such amazing predictors. They pay attention to patterns and this helps them to navigate the world so successfully.

Let's take a look at heeling or walking nicely at your side for example. If you want your dog to walk nicely on your left side, if you deliver your treats from your left hand you will be able to deliver your treat straight down your side to your dog's mouth. You dog is watching all of those movements and is preparing himself to accept your treat when it gets there. He is shifting his weight back, lifting his head up and getting into treat eating mode.

Interestingly all of those micro-movements are also being reinforced by the cookie when it arrives and they begin to be built into the behaviour. Of course, those all sound like great things that support your heeling position.

If however, you use your right hand to reward your dog, those micro-movements that happen to facilitate treat taking are very different. They will shift their weight forward and even across your body slightly. After a few repetitions, if we aren't careful, we will allow them to "meet us partway" and give them the treat out of the original heel position and now we are on a slippery slope that leads to them walking partially ahead of us in their effort to facilitate the treat delivery.

There are lots of places in our training where we could be far more strategic about where we place the reinforcement, this is just one example and one reason.

Write in the comments if you can think of another reason or situation when placement of reinforcer impacts a training outcome.

08/12/2020

Seeing as most of us have a dominant hand, we tend to use it a lot and working with our dogs is not different.

Even if you aren't interested in the sport of agility, this training tip is an important one. If you are interested in the sport of agility, it is important that your dog works at your side and because of this, it is important that you become ambidextrous. One of the first ways we work on this is by learning to use both hands to deliver treats.

When I am working my dogs I try and work them at my sides. It is critical for agility that our dogs seek out our side instead of our front so that we don't end up tripping over them and also so that they can properly read their path based on the line we create with our motion.

Using the hand closest to the dog to deliver the treat is useful for all levels of dog training as it reinforces a great position for walking as well as for agility. I even go so far as to try and deliver the treat right at the side seam of my pant leg to further reinforce exactly where they need to be to get their treat.

In case you are wondering, I hold the leash with my other hand...😉
Happy Training!