Happy Puppy Training

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Happy Puppy Training Dog training and walking in Taber, AB and surrounding area.
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Doris had her first training session today! She did great but was very tired when we finished 🥰
09/11/2024

Doris had her first training session today! She did great but was very tired when we finished 🥰

Often when people are having trouble with their dogs, they take them for obedience training. While obedience is importan...
01/11/2024

Often when people are having trouble with their dogs, they take them for obedience training. While obedience is important and has its place, these are often not the skills the dog really needs. Below is a list of common behaviours and the skills the dog needs to fix those behaviours. Developing these skills has to do with the brain, the dog's understanding of the world and their emotional response to events in the environment.

If your dog is scared of Halloween activities, feel free to use this poster (courtesy of Karen Pryor Academy) so your pu...
31/10/2024

If your dog is scared of Halloween activities, feel free to use this poster (courtesy of Karen Pryor Academy) so your pup can enjoy a stress-free evening.

Molly has been practicing going to see the vet. We have spent a lot of time getting her used to being in the building wi...
29/10/2024

Molly has been practicing going to see the vet. We have spent a lot of time getting her used to being in the building without freezing, shaking or barking at people. Yesterday we were able to get her into a room, on a table, eating treats from one of the girls. She had such a great day! Thank you Taber Pet Clinic for letting us come in and practice. It has made a world of a difference for this pup.

28/10/2024

Bruno is one of the more sensitive dogs I train. He is reactive to everything, highly distracted and anxious and such a sweetheart. We have been working hard to get him to be in the moment so that he is in a teachable state of mind. He is making progress and we are getting more moments of focus with him. Every session is a little better and we are proud of him for being such a brave boy!

25/10/2024

Dog training is all about building value. In one short session, we built enough value in this little bed that he didn't always want to come out😅

I am on Google! If I have worked with your dog, please leave me a review on Google so that other dog owners can find me....
18/10/2024

I am on Google! If I have worked with your dog, please leave me a review on Google so that other dog owners can find me. Thanks!!

this is blue, we rescued him at 4 months, he’s now turning 3 next month! he loves spending time with his grandpa & aunti...
16/10/2024

this is blue, we rescued him at 4 months, he’s now turning 3 next month! he loves spending time with his grandpa & aunties, & sleeping under the blanket with mom & dad every night! we love him to bits!
~ Camille Arnold

Happy Thanksgiving from our family!!
14/10/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from our family!!

My 2 year old pitbull cattle dog cross Hoss. He is 80lbs of love.~ Christine Silver
12/10/2024

My 2 year old pitbull cattle dog cross Hoss. He is 80lbs of love.
~ Christine Silver

11/10/2024

Why does positive reinforcement work? Because we build value in the behaviors we want our dogs to perform. When you correct a dog by telling them "no", "leave it", "off" etc. you're not teaching them what the right answer is. Because they see value in the thing they're doing (counter surfing, chasing the cat, sitting in the couch, etc), they are never going to stop doing it no matter how many times you tell them not to. You might be able to deter them in the moment, but guaranteed they are going to try it again later. When we create value in a behavior, dogs will do it even when we're not around to tell them what to do.
This morning we had a great example of this at our house. Last night someone, not saying who😅, left the chicken coop open. So this morning when I let the dogs out, at some point the chickens also came out on their own. They were all out together unsupervised for almost 2 hours. I was calling the cats and dogs in for breakfast when I noticed that the chickens were out. And what were the dogs doing? Toby had come in and was laying next to me waiting for breakfast and Millie was laying in the yard with her back to the chickens.
We have been practicing disengaging from the chickens every day for the last couple months and that work has paid off!! Positive reinforcement training changes behavior permanently all while strengthening the bond you have with your dog. This is why I do what I do!

Our 2 year old Staffshire Pittbull Breezy, she’s full of love for her human family, fiercely protective of her mom and s...
11/10/2024

Our 2 year old Staffshire Pittbull Breezy, she’s full of love for her human family, fiercely protective of her mom and sister, loves to people watch out the front window and on the deck. She loves meeting new people and she absolutely loves to play with dogs and cats a like of any size. We definitely love our Breezy, she was just what our family needed at the time.
~Kera Hamilton McIntosh

This is Devo......we rescued him 6yrs ago from Misty Creek Dog Rescue after our 13yr Staffy Buster passed away.Having a ...
10/10/2024

This is Devo......we rescued him 6yrs ago from Misty Creek Dog Rescue after our 13yr Staffy Buster passed away.
Having a rescue dog is hard work as you don't know the full story - he was badly abused and chained to a tree in Calgary.
With lots of love and reassurance, Devo has come leaps and bounds.
His quirky attitude makes him who he is....and we love him for that 😍
~Yvonne Sandford

This is Roco. He grew up with this little girl and they are inseparable. He goes everywhere with the family, around town...
09/10/2024

This is Roco. He grew up with this little girl and they are inseparable. He goes everywhere with the family, around town and on holidays. He has been a loving companion for this family.

Another amazing pitbull to share 🥰Blue is a 3.5 year old American Pitbull terrier. He has been an amazing addition to ou...
07/10/2024

Another amazing pitbull to share 🥰

Blue is a 3.5 year old American Pitbull terrier. He has been an amazing addition to our family. He keeps us busy by playing fetch at the dog park and being very patient with all of the dogs around him. He loves to swim with his life jacket on and his favorite activity is pointing and flushing birds for his dad.

Although Blue can seem intimidating while chewing on his tire at the dog park he is actually a sweet boy. We are always complimented on how well trained he is.

Blue is always excited to meet new people and to have new people throw his ball for him.

Blue is an excellent representation of an American Pitbull Terrier. Loyal,Loving and Intelligent.

These are some pictures from a client whose family has been long time pit bull owners. These dogs have been wonderful co...
06/10/2024

These are some pictures from a client whose family has been long time pit bull owners. These dogs have been wonderful companions and beloved family members for them.

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Bruno is one of the more sensitive dogs I train. He is reactive to everything, highly distracted and anxious and such a sweetheart. We have been working hard to get him to be in the moment so that he is in a teachable state of mind. He is making progress and we are getting more moments of focus with him. Every session is a little better and we are proud of him for being such a brave boy!

Dog training is all about building value. In one short session, we built enough value in this little bed that he didn't always want to come out😅

Why does positive reinforcement work? Because we build value in the behaviors we want our dogs to perform. When you correct a dog by telling them "no", "leave it", "off" etc. you're not teaching them what the right answer is. Because they see value in the thing they're doing (counter surfing, chasing the cat, sitting in the couch, etc), they are never going to stop doing it no matter how many times you tell them not to. You might be able to deter them in the moment, but guaranteed they are going to try it again later. When we create value in a behavior, dogs will do it even when we're not around to tell them what to do. This morning we had a great example of this at our house. Last night someone, not saying who😅, left the chicken coop open. So this morning when I let the dogs out, at some point the chickens also came out on their own. They were all out together unsupervised for almost 2 hours. I was calling the cats and dogs in for breakfast when I noticed that the chickens were out. And what were the dogs doing? Toby had come in and was laying next to me waiting for breakfast and Millie was laying in the yard with her back to the chickens. We have been practicing disengaging from the chickens every day for the last couple months and that work has paid off!! Positive reinforcement training changes behavior permanently all while strengthening the bond you have with your dog. This is why I do what I do!

We have progressed to being off leash today but still under strict supervision. The dogs did great!

We really want to be able to have free range chickens so we are working hard to make that happen. Millie struggles a lot more than Toby (being a spaniel). We're working on disengagement and high value in ignoring and walking away from the chickens. This is our 4th little session and they're doing good!

The submissive grin is a rare behavior in dogs used when greeting to show that they mean no harm and are not interested in conflict. Because we have all been taught that a dog showing their teeth is a clear sign to stay away, the submissive grin is often mistaken for aggression. That's why it's so important to look at the whole body. In a submissive grin, the dog will lift their lips to show their teeth. This will be accompanied by other submissive behaviors such as ears pulled back, head ducked and a low hanging tail. When his new dad comes home from work, Toby often greets him with a submissive grin. It's a little bit hard to catch on camera because it is accompanied by so much movement.

Does a wagging tail mean your dog is happy? Not necessarily! Dogs use their tails to communicate a number of different things and wagging can be a sign of excitement, insecurity or aggression among other things. In the video below you can see Millie wagging her tail as she barks and growls after picking up the scent of coyotes in the distance. I have also linked an excellent article that explains the many meanings of a wagging tail. https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/interpreting-tail-wags-in-dogs

I took my dogs to Henderson Lake for some training. They are sometimes challenging to walk together because Millie prefers speed walks and Toby likes a leisurely stroll. There were lots of distractions, fun things to smell, people and other dogs and they did great!

Is it possible for a dog reactive dog to become dog friendly? Yes! It is! These girls have met a couple times now and today we let them off leash to play. At first Molly wasn't quite sure how to instigate play and was doing a little bit of barking & lunging but it was clear to us that she wanted to play and just didn't know how. I helped her get started and then she was off! She had the time of her life racing around. Unfortunately Millie was being a little shy and didn't join in for much of the fun. Next time! Molly has made so many big steps the last couple months and continues to amaze us. The key is practice and consistency, which her owner gives her lots of, and moving at the dog's pace.

It's spring! Time to get out and enjoy the weather! And wouldn't it be nice if you could enjoy walking your dog without all the pulling? Happy Puppy Training offers in-home, positive reinforcement training so that you can enjoy walking your dog!

Walking two dogs at once can be tricky! The first step is teaching each dog the skill independently and then taking it slow when you ask them to walk together. For Toby and Millie the challenge is walking at the same speed. Toby likes to take his time and Millie likes to do everything at high speed. To build up their skills we walk a short distance that they can handle and then reward with a sniffy break

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