Lead With Patience - Canine Training & Behaviour

23/03/2023

09/01/2023

15/09/2022

Let’s be honest, trying new things is hard. Being bad a new things sucks even more. But you’ll never get good at something without sucking at it first.

Today we went to our first rally obedience trial. We sucked. Well really ..I did. I’ve truly let his rally skills slip and haven’t built on the foundation we got when we took a training class a year ago. These things happen! Life gets busy and we end up prioritizing other things, especially things that are easier for us. Choose the hard thing today. Teach your dog something new or layer distance, duration or distractions onto a known behaviour! 🤍

13/09/2022

Original post from Training

02/08/2022

One thing I didn’t worry about on my wedding day: my dog

Sure, he needed a bath. That’s easy - sent him to the groomers.

I never worried about him being a good boy and I never worried about where he was and what he was doing because my little brother took care of him (thank youuuu).

I didn’t worry because he IS a good boy. He is a good boy because of training (genetics help a ton too - thanks breeder). Recently his hormones and him reaching sexual maturity has really challenged us because:
- he’s more protective (aka barking when people come over)
- and more excitable towards other dogs.

These are things we can work on together (with the assistance of a little ✂️✂️✂️ from the vet October 2nd).

Little rant, but needless to say, he was great at our wedding. He was lovely. A perfect boy that was happy to see everyone, except my poor little brother trying to get him out of the car to drop him at home when I wasn’t there.

02/08/2022

Coming home from a lesson be like….

*my dog sniffing the other dog on me and being offended*

06/07/2022

Welcome Millie ✨to the well rounded puppy program!! I think it’s pretty clear that Bernese Mountain Dogs hold a special place in my heart. This 8 week old pup already learned a ton in her first session tonight! This week we are working on:
• exposure to new stimuli and desensitization to touch
• recall
• name association
• sit
• lay down
• leave it
• preventing jumping up
• & of course puppy biting, potty training, crate training

I’m very excited to see where she will be in 6-weeks!

In other news, I married my best friend on June 25th (woohooo 🤍) so I’m getting back into the swing of training and will try and post more ✨

08/11/2021

Dog trainer takes on the dog show world. . .

WOW! Overwhelming. Conformation sure is a different ball park than pet obedience.

In obedience we want a perfect heel or a nice loose leash walk with the dog at our leg.

Conformation wants the dog in front of you with a tightly held lead.

Obedience looks at what the dog does when we ask.

Conformation looks at the way the dog is structured, their gait, and their look in accordance with the breed standard. Including their bite (who knew! Not me, the unprepared handler).

Obedience looks for an approachable dog. A dog open to handling. A balanced dog.

Conformation judges run their hands all the way down your dog, measuring their build (including, and unexpectedly to me, Nelson’s boy parts). They don’t look at whether the dog is fearful, reactive, or overly excited.

Needless to say, it’s challenging! More so than I’d thought which makes me appreciate the fantastic dogs and handlers doing conformation. We’ve got some work to do! Nelson didn’t place in any of the shows, but we did get 1st place, and best of breed in the Bernese Mountain Dog category of Guardian Dogs…. because he was the only one 😂. A couple beautiful participation ribbons for us, a super fun day, and a list of things we need to learn.

12/10/2021

There was no way I was getting a picture of this squirmy puppy!

Welcome Max ✨ to the well rounded puppy program! Mac is an 11-week old Papillon/Chihuahua mix who picked up recall immediately!

12/10/2021

Happy Thanksgiving dog lovers ❤️

10/09/2021

This is especially important for reactive dogs!

This is such a powerful reminder to set your dog up for success and to know his limitations. 🙌

18/08/2021

There are so many pieces to the reactivity puzzle, and unfortunately so many judge a reactive dog and their pawrents. Reactivity is often not a reflection on training. It could stem from genetics, getting used to a new environment or even pain.

03/08/2021

We are enjoying this summer!! It pays off having a trained dog. He can sit & enjoy the summer with me, almost anywhere I go b

10/06/2021

🚨 🚨 🚨 Summer Heat Reminder 🚨 🚨 🚨

Very well written piece by Jay Nix. Take 5 minutes, read this, absorb this, take it to heart.

************

This is the text from an email I sent out to our K-9 unit last summer and will be sending it out to the again as a reminder. A couple years ago we almost lost a dog to heat stroke. After 10 days in intensive care he walked out of the vet hospital only to be retired due to the internal organ damage he suffered. We learned a lot from this incident and it helped me save my own dog last year when he overheated on a track. I was able to see the signs and symptoms as they presented, I pulled him off and got him cooled down, while the perimeter held the containment for the next 20 mins. After he cooled down we reaquired the track and located our suspect.

I’ve seen 3 deaths already this year of K9’s overheating and dying on deployments. Hopefully this content will help some of you.

Email content: I wanted to send this email as a reminder and a little training on the dangers of k9 deployments while working in this heat.

This summer is going to be brutal. Be prepared. Prevention and preparedness are key. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

-Keep 2 to 4 gallons of fresh water in the back of your car at all times, just for the dog. This is in addition to keeping cold water for yourself. I know it seams like a lot, but think about your dog being hot and pouring a gallon over his back, it won’t last long.

-Check his water bowl a couple times a shift. They are going to be drinking more than normal this time of year.

-Keep a towel with you. After a hot deployment you can wet the towel and lay it on your mat in the back of the car. The cool a/c in the car, mixed with the wet towel, gives them an extra cool place to lay on and will help cool them down after a normal hot deployment.

-Go buy a big bottle of rubbing alcohol and keep it in your car. It’s cheap and can provide a way to drop the dogs temp fast. If you can make it back to your car, lay them down and pour it on the pads of their feet. Alcohol will instantly get cold and provides fast cooling through one of the places they regulate their body temp quickly. Be cautious doing this if they have a foot injury. This is one of the first things they did to cool Kevin down when we got him to the vet. It works!

-If you find yourself on a deployment during high heat and humidity, remember if you're hot they’re very hot. They’re wearing a fur coat.

-Know and be familiar with the early signs of heat exhaustion and signs of a heat stroke.

-Heat exhaustion starts when their body temp rises above 103, they could exhibit some of these symptoms, heavy panting, excessive drooling, slow down and become weak, may try to p*e but not much will come out or none at all. They may become less responsive to commands and look like they're just walking aimlessly.

If there is any question at all, get them out of the heat quickly. Get to the shade and let them rest at minimum. Find a house or building close by and get them wet. Soak them. Not just for a minute, keep soaking them. Give it a good 10 minutes, at minimum. Take their harness off, put them in a down and SOAK them.

Even though the health of the dog should be priority, this will not prevent you from catching your bad guy. Communicate with your perimeter and have them hold what they got. You can get back on task as soon as he’s recovered. Add this to your training tracks. Practice stopping, get off your track, go lay him down and wait 10 mins. Then go back and reacquire the track. TRAIN IT

-Heat stroke is a real possibility when their temp gets over 106. This is very bad and they need to get to a vet ASAP!

-Signs of heat stroke include, eyes may glaze over, excessive drooling, a rapid heart rate, dizziness or lack of coordination, lethargy, collapsing, they may start having convulsions, vomiting or diarrhea, dark/black tar like stool, gums or tongue can turn blue or a bright red color, and of course loss of consciousness. This is BAD THEY NEED A VET FAST.

BUT... don’t just throw them in the car IF you have some options to cool them down near you first. If you just throw them in your car and go, they’re temp will more than likely continue to rise and you will loose a precious opportunity to bring down their temp before transporting, possibly saving them. Find a source of water to soak them ASAP. Carry them there, do not make them run or walk. They will most likely not drink once they are at this stage, don’t try to force them. Let them breath and pant, this helps with cooling. You need to soak them. If you can find a pool in someones back yard, a lake or pond...submerge them. You will need to get in with them to support their heads out of the water, they will be very weak. You need to bring down their core temp. While you’re cooling them down, make arrangements to get your car to you ASAP. Try not to use ice cold water, some study’s show this could send the dog into shock, some more recent study’s say this may be wrong. If it’s all you got use it. Hose water, pool water, lake water are all great options though. Once you have soaked them good and your car is to you, get them in a/c quickly. Soak that towel I mentioned above with water and place it on your mat. Lay the dog on the towel. Do not cover them with the wet towel, it only traps their body heat, preventing the cooling process. Get them to the vet as fast as possible, safely. Call the vet on the way and let them know what’s going on, so they can be prepared when you get there. If possible you call instead of asking the comm center to do it. They may have questions or give you different directions. Know where your after hours or emergency vet is located and have their number saved in your phone.

The day that K9 Kevin had his heat stroke it was In the mid-70s and he was in the shade the majority of his track. So it does not have to be scorching hot out for this to happen.

Again, being prepared and having a plan can save your dogs health and career, possibly his life.

HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!! Both of you! I can’t say it enough!

05/06/2021

CANINE DEVELOPMENT PERIODS. Let's learn today! Bet you didn't know some of this. What did you learn?

28/05/2021

Common misconceptions with resource guarding can be pretty dangerous.

Taking food away when the guard? Only shows them to guard harder next time.

Always add!! Don’t take away. Change the way you feed them, like hand feeding or using a snuffle mat.

27/05/2021

I know I’ve keen MIA lately. I am still here for you! If you need anything shoot me a message.

We are happy & healthy. Nelson is hitting the 18-month mark soon so we are working on adulthood & his delayed second fear impact period.

Did you know, reactivity in male dogs starts to appear around that time? Why? Because they are reaching the early stage of adulthood and perhaps we have become more relaxed in our obedience because, hey, they look like a full-grown dog. They aren’t. Your dog is a puppy for at least two years. Keep up the work, and it will pay off later. ❤️

07/05/2021

FREEDOM.

It’s a privilege to allow your dog to be off-leash. In my opinion, you are irresponsible if you know your dog has a terrible recall and you decide to unclip that leash. What happens if your dog sees another dog, person, small animal etc. across the road while a car is driving past? Heartbreak. That’s what.

Freedom is also earned. It’s hard work. And by no means is Nelson perfect. Who’s dog is?

He still gets excited to see other dogs and gets distracted by smells. He doesn’t run to other dogs or people but he will stop and smell the roses. And that’s okay sometimes. What’s our safety? Our just in case? The e-collar. When he gets distracted by a smell, I can give him a quick tap on the collar to bring him back to this dimension. He perks up, and runs to me. That’s exactly what happened in this picture. And look at that dang cute face 🥰

04/03/2021

Get yourself a good boy so you leave him outside while you pick up lunch.

02/03/2021

This decision hasn’t been easy. I love helping you train your dogs and help your puppies grow into fantastic adults. It’s been a lovely passion project.

As most of you know, I work full time in Occupational Health & Safety. I recently accepted my dream position which requires me to be on-call and be able to respond quickly. As such, I’ve decided that it’s best for me to close this business so I can spend my spare time with my own family (fur and all).

I am still here to support you all. I’ll share my knowledge and skills with you. Just ask. All previous clients can contact me anytime. If you’re new, I’ll try my best to answer any questions you have but I’ll direct you to another great trainer for in-person.

I’m not sure what will happen with this page, but I know that I’ll keep it active. I’ll share my own training journey with Nelson and continue to give you tools and techniques.

Sorry to bring bad news on a Monday. Thank you always for your support.

Much love,
Wynter

21/01/2021

YOUR SUPPORT 🤍 Thank you.

Very grateful for the opportunity to help you train your dog. Your dog deserves your lead, and do it with patience.

As a reminder, there is still a waitlist till spring re-open. If you would like to be added, please contact me. If you have an immediate need, we can schedule a virtual session but programs will not be completed virtually.

Lots of love,
Wynter

01/01/2021

We are welcoming in the new year!! Nelson is pretty pumped.

This year, I opened this small dog training business to do something I absolutely love, and to be honest, give me something to help with bills while I was down 20% of my pay at my full-time job. It was a really tough time but I was able hunker down to throw myself into a certificate program and grow.

I finally felt ready to take on clients and it was extremely successful and something that felt like a natural fit, just like Occupational Health and Safety. So not only do I have a full-time career that I adore, I have an extremely fun and rewarding small business!

Thank you for all your support and love for Lead with Patience 🤍 I would love to give you what you want to see when I can. Please let me know in the comments which of the below options you’d like to see first:
1) Comprehensive Heel Training
2) Reactivity and how to manage it
3) What is operant conditioning
4) Crate Training

26/12/2020

Happy Holidays ❤️

Peppermint Twist from

21/12/2020

Those nails 💅
Nail maintenance is critical! If you leave your dog’s nails too long, it affects the way they walk and can have permanent and lasting effects on the musculoskeletal system.

Did you know? On long haired dogs, you should be trimming the hair between their toes and pads as well. This ensures your dog has a solid grip on surfaces and could prevent sprains/strains from slipping or falling. It also helps them regulate their internal temperature!

Keep those paws fresh!!

13/12/2020

Safety first!
Due to my schedule, we only get walks early in the morning and the evening. This time of year means it’s completely dark.

The other night while we walked past a driveway (on the sidewalk) someone came flying in and gave us a good scare. I wasn’t very kind with her and she explained that she couldn’t see us at all (even though she was going far faster than I’d ever expect anyone who’s pulling into their driveway). SO, I’m solution-orientated. And here’s one of the corrective measures I’ve implement. Next up, flashlight at all times.

Consider safety. Consider your dog. 🤍

06/12/2020

Recall 101: long line and a bit of food.

29/11/2020

Take care of your dog from the bottom up! Nail care is extremely important!

26/11/2020

THIS .... Is the most important post I have shared in a VERY long time .....Enjoy!!!

𝙎𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙎𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙎𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙀 as far as you possibly can!!

As anyone with a dog or an interest in animal welfare and scientific integrity - whatever country you live in - you need to know about this!! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙨 “𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙚𝙙”!!

𝙎𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚:

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
https://joinardo.com/lincoln-research/

23/11/2020

Morning walk gear:
1) empty coffee
2) treats
3) e-collar
4) traffic handle
6) Christmas decor so the cold isn’t as gross

22/11/2020

Nothing is more fulfilling then some well-deserved freedom.

18/11/2020

The freedom (&safety) an e-collar gives you!

Nelson is through and through a snow dog. During our walks he isn’t tethered to me, but he is connected to me through the e-collar. E-collar = communication.

When we are walking, Nelson is in a heel and he gets breaks pretty frequently. I’d say probably for every 5-10 minutes he holds a nice solid heel, I’ll break him like in the video.

It’s hard to see in the video but Nelson wears a traffic handle from while we are walking in case we come upon others. And because of my full-time work schedule, we walk early in the morning and pretty late at night so we don’t see many people out - which, helloooo walk your dogs all the time, not just when it’s nice out.

With the e-collar, Nelson has clear communication with what’s go and no go while we are out. On breaks his threshold is the curb. He is not allowed to ever go on the road without being in a heel. So if he goes over or touches the curb, I’ll use the vibrate or depending on the situation a higher level stim on the e-collar.

When I stop, my expectation is that he stops and sits. If he doesn’t immediately sit (he always stops but we worked on this lots) I wait a second, then give him a low level (6-8) stim as a reminder that he has to do what’s expected. When he sits, he always gets a “goodbye”, pat on the head, and/or a smooch on the head.

So this may sound super strict, and sure, it is. However, at this point it’s routine. It’s not a hastle or inconvenient. It’s a natural groove that we have and he gets to enjoy life and freedom and do whatever he wants (within reason) after working for it.

My expectations are clear. I’m consistent with what I ask for. He is more than capable. He understands and is rewarded. We communicate clearly with each other which has made a life together full of harmony.

A big part of that has come down to utilizing and conditioning with an e-collar. Now, I’m not saying that you can do this stuff without an e-collar. You absolutely can. The difference is the safety the e-collar provides us.

16/11/2020

Life with a dog is wonderful.

They are inspiring. Truly.

Dogs need exercise and so do we, and guess what? When you have a dog, you’re (hopefully) walking it which means you’re getting some exercise.

Your dog is relying on you to fulfill their basic needs. One of those basic needs includes their drives. Depending on the type of dog you have, you’ll have to fulfill that drive in different ways.

Herding breed? Probably loves to play fetch.

Livestock guardian? Probably loves sitting outside watching the world go by.

Hound? Probably loves scent work.

Point here is “probably”. Every dog is different. I train the dog in front of me.

05/11/2020

Let’s talk engagement:

Engagement is defined by emotional involvement or commitment.

If a dog knows that being an attentive, happy participant results in payment, they will be engaged in whatever is going on.

Why do you go to work? Sure, you may enjoy what you do but at the end of the day, we know we are going to be compensated for our efforts. Our dogs need to know this too.

You can build this up your dog! And I’m not talking about all treats or food. Just like any tool, use it the right way. Food is a tool, most dogs are pretty motivated by food. So use that to build some drive and capture it.

Consistency is the key to success with most everything in life. Our dogs are the same.

02/11/2020

Anyone else go nuts for the dog’s birthday? Nelson is one today ❤️

01/11/2020

With me being closed to clients, I’ve been focusing on a few things with Nelson.

One of the biggest things for him:

• Engagement - I want to be the most exciting thing to him. Which means, no dog meetings, no stranger introductions, only smelling on breaks while out walking, and food only comes from me.

Having a dog that’s engaged with you makes it easier to work with them and ultimately live with them. Nelson struggles with a lot of excitement when he sees another dog, he will continue to walk beside me as we go past but his eyes are locked on the other dog, he is loading. Building up so much excitement that it’s tough for him to contain it. Usually he does, but there are certain dogs (who he has met previously) that he goes nuts for.

So, we are working on it!

31/10/2020

Happy halloween!!! 👻

28/10/2020

I saw this being shared around a few pages on Facebook. NEVER do this.

🚫 This puts pressure directly on your dogs abdomen. Risking rupture of major internal organs (hello ruptured spleen and emergency surgery)

🚫 You have no control over the amount of pressure being applied, making it totally ineffective.

What can you do instead?

There are many different ways to train dogs how to walk properly and not pull without causing any harm or injury. This is unnecessary and extremely dangerous.

24/10/2020

Timo excelled and master the puppy program in 3 short sessions 🥳

Which means I am officially closed up for the season! I will be working on Nelson’s development and I’ll take y’all with me 🤍 Stay tuned!

24/10/2020

Bailey has been doing excellent! It will be a long process getting her reactivity to be manageable and for her to tolerate other dogs and people but she is well on her way.

Bailey’s owner will be moving soon so I won’t be working with her for a while. 🤍