Daytripper Dog Training

25/06/2024

25/06/2024

Dogs do not need to learn that you are the boss/leader/dominant.

What they need is to be given space and not be pestered when doing any of the activities below. I mean, how would you feel if someone put their fingers in your mashed potatoes? 😛😝😝

24/06/2024

Back by popular demand! It's been a few years since we've offered this workshop which will help demystify these two agility games.

During this workshop we'll first explain and simplify the AAC (Agility Association of Canada) rules. We'll discuss potential strategies and "emergency protocols" for those times when it doesn't go exactly as planned. You'll learn how to be efficient in your planning while also being creative.

After all the theory stuff, you and your dog will have a chance to run both a Snooker and Gamblers course and practice what you've learned.

Space is limited to eight teams max. Details and the registration form are in this link. https://form.jotform.com/241735721225048

23/06/2024

EDIT: The class is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 15 at 10:00 a.m. Email [email protected] for registration details.

🤔🤔🤔Testing the waters to see if there is any interest in a weekday morning LOOSE LEASH WALKING course.

The six week games-based course will be held at our outdoor location near Valentia, beginning mid- to late July.

The loose leash walking in this video was achieved through games!

If you're interested, please email us at [email protected] so we can keep you posted.

22/06/2024

Today!!!

📣 TODAY we will be hosting a Rabies and microchip event!

Special thanks to our partners Simcoe Rossland Animal Hospital and the Durham Region Health Department

Feel free to PM us with any questions!

21/06/2024

Recently we've seen a number of posts about dogs in need of a new home because the owner has passed away. 😢

🤝 Reputable breeder's will take dogs back, no matter the circumstance. Please make these arrangements with your breeder.

🤝 Most reputable rescues require your dog be returned to them, if you cannot keep the dog no matter the reason. Check your contract. Contact the rescue to make arrangements and include a small/or large donation to the rescue in your will.

🐕 If the above doesn't apply, make arrangements with a reputable rescue and will a small/or large donation to the rescue, if possible. They will be paying expenses until your dog is adopted to the best possible home.

✍️ Whatever arrangements you make, include specifics in your will.

🙏🙏🙏 Please don't leave your dog's future to chance.

19/06/2024

It's still CRAZY HOT out there!!! Here's today's hot weather game.

TIPS:
✅ Play in the SHADE.
✅ Be creative and use what you have around the house. This is a small/medium storage container and two hockey balls we've had for years.
✅ Kiddie pools work great.
✅ Empty water bottles (lids on) float and make that crunchy sound dogs

It's still a hot one here in Ontario. Here's another idea for an activity you can do in the SHADE with your dog. Activities don't need to be expensive. Us...

19/06/2024

WARNING: Disturbing and heart breaking video.

This is a cautionary tale. Before you leave your dog in someone's care, do your research. Don't simply rely on what the facility tells you. Ideally tour the facility. Some legitimate facilities only allow visitors at specific times of the day. That's to reduce stress for the animals in their care -- unfamiliar people coming and going throughout the day can be very stressful.

Ask about:
* Where/how the dogs are kept.
* Are they crated for hours each day?
* Do they have free run of the house/building?
* How much outdoor time do they get each day?
* Is the outdoor area securely fenced.
* If more than one dog is boarded at a time, what is the max number of dogs.
* When dogs are loose/playing does the facility take steps to match dogs appropriately?
* Are small and large dogs kept together? Even rough play with a larger dog can result in injury or worse to the small dog.
* How many staff are there?
* Is the staff trained in pet first aid?
* Are the dogs supervised at all times?
* Where do they sleep during the night?
* Is the facility insured?
* What education about canine behaviour does the staff have?
* Do they ask you to sign an intake form/waiver or do they just take your dog and money, no questions asked?

Please know that I'm not saying Carleto's owners did anything wrong. They trusted their dear dog to someone. We don't know the circumstances surrounding his death, either. Hopefully, the necropsy will shine some light on what really happened.

Also, my intent is not to turn this into a witch hunt. It appears the business is under investigation.

More people are coming forward with allegations that their pets died or were injured at a Hamilton dog boarding business.

19/06/2024

In this part 1 of 2 podcast Dr Tom Mitchell, trainer/veterinary behaviourist, discusses reactivity.

Reactivity is the #1 reason people contact us about their dogs. The first part of the solution is understanding WHY your dog is reactive, then you can begin putting a plan in place to help your dog and transform his/her behaviour.

[NEW PODCAST!] 💕 Is your dog really that into other dogs? ✅ If you chose mostly A’s, your dog is a…; if you chose mostly B’s, your dog is a…. Anyone remember those magazine quizzes? 😂 Are you ready to find out your dog’s reactivity persona?

We have a two-parter for you! Do you worry that your dog wasn’t socialised enough? What is dog interaction even supposed to look like? This week, we dive into a super popular topic: dog-dog reactivity to learn about the dog interaction chain, why your dog is struggling and what to do about it! Barking, lunging, hu***ng, this episode has it all. And if your dog struggles with people reactivity, we’ve got some tips in there for you, too. Finally, we’ll be sharing some (ahem) ‘tasty’ cringe stories!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-29-discover-your-dogs-reactivity-persona-part-1/id1721245241?i=1000659491322
Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vrbpnfJU8PnMe1flltc4y?si=3ac703c1617b44fe

18/06/2024

🔥🔥🔥 Hot Weather Games -- Day 2 🔥🔥🔥

On the weekend someone (thanks Mandy Light) sent us a video of this game and we knew we had to give it a try.

Nori is a very confident, optimistic little dog, yet she wasn't sure what to make of this. Check out the video to see what happened.

https://youtu.be/-FGlfxfPoKo

TIPS:
Play in the SHADE.
This is a NO PRESSURE game. Not all games are for all dogs.
Use natural peanut butter -- avoid PBs containing Xylitol and Birch Sugar.

There are loads of calm, mental stimulating games you can play with your dog when it's too hot to exercise. Play in the shade. Use what you have at home --...

18/06/2024

This!!! 👇👇👇👇👇👇
If we had a loonie for every time we've heard someone call their dog stubborn when the real issue is the dog wasn't trained to do what was asked.........

https://www.facebook.com/share/cknGn1UJh7qUSDpR/?mibextid=xfxF2i

LETTING GO OF THE LABEL
People love to label things - from containers to personality types, physical or mental differences and everything in between.

Why do we like labels so much? Labels are comforting, they help us to feel more secure.

Labels allow us to close that particular “box”, because it now has a label and we no longer have to think about it or be concerned about it.

It’s been judged, identified, labelled and we can now move on, confident in the belief that there’s nothing more to be done.

We may also be very good at labelling dogs. My dog is stubborn, aggressive, lazy, shy, timid, greedy, jealous, untrainable…. It’s comforting for us to assign a label because it takes the pressure off trying to find out why they behave that way because we might believe that it’s just the way they are.

If we remove the label and take note of the behaviour in context and the circumstances or environment it’s happening in, we may realise that our dogs need our help to cope, not our labels.

Look into what can be done to improve or change that behaviour if it's something you’d like to change.

Sometimes a label does fits, it’s just the way it is and we need to accept that, but sometimes labels hide the need to look beneath the surface and discover what the real cause of that behaviour is.

17/06/2024

Has anyone else noticed how hot it is today? 🤣🤣🤣

Where we are in Ontario there's a heat warning for this entire week. For dog guardians, the dilemma becomes "How can I exercise my dog in this heat? He's going to go nuts!"

First of all, you can't and you shouldn't -- even if your dog seems keen. It's just too darned hot, to the point of being dangerous. Dogs can quickly succumb to heat exhaustion.🥵🥵🥵

No worries. This week we'll be posting a series of videos with games you CAN safely play with your dog when the weather isn't co-operating, whether it's too hot, too cold or icy.

This first game can be played outdoors IN SHADE or indoors.

Use some of your dog's daily food allowance, plus some yummy extras.

This is the first in a series of videos that demonstrate activities that are safe for your dog when the weather is too hot/cold/icy, etc. These are also act...

16/06/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/zn1VuPkYq9A3Xade/?mibextid=xfxF2i

People often say their dog cannot be trained, then they rustle some food packaging or take the lid off the treat jar and the dog appears in a flash. The dog learned that when they hear the noise (the cue), if they find their human (the behaviour), good things happen (reinforcement via treats). Dogs are so smart we can train them without even trying.

13/06/2024

💥💥💥 We love it when clients share their WINS with us.

Sullivan (aka Sully) began his foray into Concept Training using games at the early age of 11 weeks. He aced two levels of games-based training, then moved on to agility. Earlier this week we received this message from his amazing guardian Lisa.

"So this happened. Sullivan and Harry at the cottage. Playing well, coming when called. Not a lot of distractions. Sully was pawing around in the shallow water when Harry alerted him to a dog on a dock two cottages down. I think a white Shepherd leashed. Haven't seen it here before. Sully, now alerted, turns barks and starts racing at the shoreline in the water. I called his name and said come. He stopped in his tracks and ran back to me. Torn between barfing and fainting. Lots of praise while he runs back, then treats. Person at the cottage shows a thumbs up. 👍 Relieved, we return to the cottage and get additional treats. Thanks for helping me have a better boy."

Harry is on the left, Sully is on the right. Aren't they two handsome boys?

12/06/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/K4EeNhDrgjyTeosT/?mibextid=xfxF2i

Isn't this just common sense? It should be!

10/06/2024

Daytripper's second AAC Trial of the 2024 season ✅✅✅

The weather was a mixed bag, though mostly co-operative ✅✅✅

Fun and challenging courses, thanks to our judges Sheilah Johnson and Lane White ✅✅✅

Awesome competitors and their dogs ✅✅✅

THANK YOU to those whom we could not run trials without -- Volunteers! ✅✅✅

Erika Givelas and Beni earned their Starter Games Dog of Canada Title 🏆🏆🏆

Our next trial is on Sunday, August 25. The premium will be posted on our website shortly.

Pic for attention only

08/06/2024

This!!! 👇👇👇👇👇

Think of the "what socialization is not" list as the potential seeds of FUTURE behaviour struggles.

https://www.facebook.com/share/zZpedgr9UfxTaJim/?mibextid=xfxF2i

What socialising your dog 🐶 is NOT 👇👇👇

06/06/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/PqyT8ygGcqw8dqCm/?mibextid=xfxF2i

If they want to criticise your training methods…let them.
If they want to label your dog…let them.
If they ignore your request to “Please call your dog!”…let them.
If they call your dog stubborn…let them.
If they don’t want to welcome you and your dog…let them.
If they want to choose a different trainer…let them.
If they keep offering you unwelcome advice…let them.
If they don’t listen to you say, “MY dog ISN’T friendly.”…let them.
If they call your dog aggressive…let them.
If they judge your relationship with your dog…let them.
If they want to only listen the latest ‘dog trainer’…let them.
If they argue that you just need to be more ‘dominant’…let them.
If they misunderstand your dog…let them.
If they tell you your dog’s struggles are your fault…let them.
If they say your dog isn’t ‘well-socialised’ enough…let them.

They don’t know or see the ❤️ REAL relationship ❤️ you have with your 🐶 dog or care about the 🧐 WHY behind your dog’s struggle.

Stop wasting your time and energy trying to control or change other people. Let them show you who they really are and then YOU can ✨ CHOOSE ✨ what to do next.

It doesn’t stop you from being 💐 kind or from loving them, but you can CHOOSE to focus on the CONTROLLABLE and ENJOY the moments 💕 YOU have with YOUR DOG!

06/06/2024

Shared with permission:

The concept of getting "1% better" when teaching your dog is inspired by the idea of making small, incremental improvements each day.

1. **CONSISTENCY** Practice training for a few minutes daily. Consistency is more effective than sporadic, longer sessions.

2. **PATIENCE** Focus on one new concept, cue or behaviour at a time , making small, steady progress.

3.. **ADAPTABILITY** Observe your dog's responses and adjust your methods accordingly.

5. **KNOWLEDGE** Learn a little more each day about your dogs behavior, that’s why I encourage all our students to send in there training videos!

6. **ENVIRONMENT** Gradually introduce distractions to training sessions to build your dog's focus and reliability in various settings.

By focusing on small, daily improvements, you can achieve significant progress over time without overwhelming yourself or your dog.

Credit: Anthony Rogers -- Dog Trainer Cheshire

04/06/2024

Dog training that's fun for you AND your dog!

Daytripper's next session of games-based training classes starts SOON!

Tuesday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m. -- Kick Start
Wednesday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m. -- Kick It Up! (Kick Start is a prerequisite)

Classes will be held at our OUTDOOR location near Valentia in a fully fenced ring.

To ensure all students receive quality coaching, the number of participants is very limited. To hold your spot in class pre-registration and pre-payment is required.

Here's a link to the registration form AND waiver --> https://www.daytripperdogtraining.com/registration-1

Concept Training and simple, fun games can transform your dog's behaviour. Who knew neurobiology was such fun!? Check out this video. --> https://youtu.be/BJTLcrQ8_vc

03/06/2024

We are still accepting entries for our June trial.

If you are just beginning trialling, this will be the perfect event for you. Not only is it a casual atmosphere, this is a small trial -- great for easing into competing.

Here's the link to the premium --> https://www.daytripperdogtraining.com/agility-events

03/06/2024

02/06/2024

This also applies to dog training, especially when you, the guardian, are learning something new in a private or group class. Moments later you take that new information and use it to teach/communicate with a different species. That's not always easy, so be kind to yourself and your dog.

Imagine you’re assigned a partner project in school. Only one of you gets to read the directions for the assignment, and then you have to explain it to your partner in a language that is secondary to both of you. You’d expect some miscommunications and misunderstandings, right?

That’s basically what’s happening while riding a horse. Whether in a lesson or a ride of your own direction, you as the rider are the only one who knows the assignment. It’s then your responsibility to relay that information to your horse, speaking through intention and cues that are a second language to both you and your horse. Your horse doesn’t understand what your trainer is saying he’s supposed to do - he’s relying on you to tell him.

Keep this in mind any time you’re riding and you feel like your horse isn’t listening, or you get frustrated with a missed distance or a sloppy transition. Remember that you’re the only member of this team who knows the assignment, and your horse is relying on you to tell him the game plan. Sometimes we make mistakes in our cues or our timing, we start thinking too many steps ahead or we forget to clue him into the next movement in time. Sometimes the horse is a little distracted, or tired, or not feeling it today. But most of the time, he’s doing his best he can with the information you’re giving him!

31/05/2024

Dogs don't always know what's good for them. Many love chewing on sticks or playing fetch with a stick, which can be incredibly dangerous. Injuries from playing fetch with a stick can range from minor scrapes, to life threatening injuries and even death.

Check out the link below for more info.

It's up to us dog guardians to make the best choices for our dogs. Ditch the sticks and play with safer alternatives like the one in the photo below.

https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/the-perils-of-throwing-sticks-for-your-dog

28/05/2024

If your dog is struggling to learn (or respond to familiar cues) before labelling him stubborn or somehow blaming him, consider all the potential barriers to learning, many of which also apply to humans.

BARRIERS TO LEARNING – WHY SOME DOGS STRUGGLE TO LEARN

“My dog is stubborn, doesn’t listen to me, a slow learner, not the smartest, tries to be in control, will only do it at home, will only behave sometimes, is uncontrollable……” – these are comments that are often heard.

Just like us, dogs need the right kind of conditions to either be able to learn something new or to bring about a change in behaviour.

Dogs are not robots that can be programmed by a set of specific inputs that guarantee consistent results. They are individual, sentient beings that need to be understood.

If we’re feeling stressed, anxious, tired, over excited, too distracted, not feeling well, have no motivation etc. we will find it really difficult, if not impossible to learn something new, change our behaviour or change a habit. The same applies to dogs.

A dog’s emotional state, the surrounding environment, motivation, age (pups, adolescents, seniors) or any health issues all have a significant impact on their ability to learn.

If your dog is having a hard time learning something, look at these factors and see if there is a reason that may be preventing progress.

Maybe your dog is just having an “off” day, just like we do.

Try again tomorrow or next week and set your dog up for success by having realistic expectations.

Learning or changing behaviour takes time, patience, consistency, understanding and the right conditions.

27/05/2024

Our June 9 AAC Agility Trial is just two weeks away. It's not too later to enter!

Here's a link to the premium. https://form.jotform.com/241214434006240

Please send payment with your entry. Many thanks!

26/05/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/4VXWffnCbrYY3fqh/?mibextid=xfxF2i

Thanks to a generous private donor, we are thrilled to slash the prices of cat neutering for our Port Perry Neuter Day on June 19th! 🤩

Special thanks to the Township of Scugog Community Grant fund as well for their generosity and support of the SNIP mission!