Here’s another one for you to fall in love with. Little Rose is only 9 weeks old but already loving her new family. Today she started learning how awesome things happen when her family calls her to come and when they excitedly say the word “Drop!” She worked very hard and fell asleep in my arms 🥹🐾🪽❤️ #yegpuppies #babybeagles #puppylove #forcefreeforthewin
Yesterday I had the blessing to work with the super smart and very sweet Rosie and her dedicated mama. We started working on loose leash walking and Rosie did brilliantly! 🥰❤️🐾 #yegpuppies #yegdogs #yeswecanteachlooseleashwalkingwithoutpainorfear
Sully and Boo
Boo and Sully becoming friends ❤️🐾❤️
If you’re out in the Morinville area today, come on down to the Morinville Leisure Centre and say hello to Bonnie of Rentz & Rover Pet Services and myself! Check out all of the wonderful businesses down here at the trade show as well as the Farmer’s Market!!!
Grateful for wonderful friends 😊🙏🏼❤️🐾
Bowdi the Great Pyrenees and Willow, the Pittie X, processing how best to play with each other. One of many precious moments at the newly formatted Great Beginnings Puppy hybrid virtual/in- person class with myself and Kerry of @kerryscaninecoaching #puppyconfidencebuilding #safesocialization #yegpuppies
Love my daily walks with these two seniors ❤️🙏🏼😊🐾 #gratitude #seniordogsofinstagram #beautifulfallmorning #thanksforthecheckin
Meet the absolutely adorable Murphy! He is exhausted from all of the new learning and fun we had last night. We started helping him learn a great recall to call him away from Moya the bunny when he gets too close. He wants her to play like his littermates. She wants him to get as far away from her as possible. Slow, steady and safe interactions, using pen to keep everyone safe and rewarding calm behaviours around each other, will create positive experiences for all ❤️🐾🐇#forcefreeforthewin #donoharm #humanetraining #donoharm #albertaforcefreealliance #yegpuppies #puppiesandbunnies
This is my boy Luke. Every single time we go for a walk. He’ll be 13 in a little over a month. Joy. I am blessed 🙏🏼❤️🐾😊🦮
When Lily and I came out of the house last night to go for a walk, we were met at the end of our driveway by a pair of Canada Geese. As we slowly walked down the driveway, they sauntered across the road to the neighbours’ lawn, all the while keeping a watchful eye on us. (Interesting observation for fellow trainers, the male had piloerection of the feathers on his back while he placed himself between us and his mate and never took an eye off of us - no idea if piloerection is what it is called in fowl). In the meantime, Lily and I have been doing the “look at that game” for a number of years to reduce her prey drive towards wildlife, in order to ensure that I do not suddenly become horizontally airborne at the sight of them, being that she weighs about 112 lbs. These days, these encounters are lovely. Wildlife are a cue to look back at me and get a treat, while mom relishes in the beauty of them #forcefreeforthewin #humanetraining #donoharm
I finally got around to taking some video of Lily having her toe nails done (it only took me 8 1/2 years! 😜). Those who have done my classes hear me share the story of how I had clipped the quick on one of her nails when she was young. From that day forward, clipping her nails became a gigantic struggle, with my husband, Gord, trying his best to hold her and give her a piece of pepperoni while I did her nails. (If you have ever tried to do the nails of a struggling 10lb dog, let alone a 100lb dog, you will know this is fruitless). I did not have a sufficient understanding at that time of the timing of classical conditioning. I had effectively made the appearance of her favourite treat (pepperoni), predict the appearance of the toe nail clippers. I had very efficiently done backwards counter conditioning so that the moment the pepperoni came out of the fridge, she ran and disappeared down the hallway. At that time, I had no education in or understanding of the foundation of cooperative care and the power of choice in animal training (fast forward many years and I am now a *Fear Free certified trainer). First though, my world was turned upside down 9 years ago when I did Dr. Susan Friedman’s 8 week Living and Learning with Animals course for the first time. (I highly recommend this course to anyone!) I was deeply moved to the point of tears by the videos I saw of wild animals in zoos trained force free to do cooperative care husbandry, such as 1500lb grizzly bear having a blood draw, not sedated and participating of its own free will.
It was from Dr. Friedman that I learned about the power of choice as a primary reinforcer in all animal species (linked to survival). So, now armed with this information, I started over with brand new high value treats that had no negative association. I sent my dear husband alway so that no one was restraining her, watching carefully for her stress signs and to let me know when she was ready for me to proceed, and voila! Although
That’s a wrap! Classes are done for 2021. Lily, Gracie and Luke wish you all a Merry Christmas from Soul2Soul Dog Training 🎄🎁✨🐶
ChiChi zoomies…because I knew you needed a smile today 😊🐶❤️
Walking our grandson home from kindergarten in the fall leaves makes for awesome enrichment with doggy sniffaris! 😊🍁❤️🐶 #letemsniff #sniffari #enrichmentfordogs #autumnleaves #yegdogs #albertforcefreealliance
Slow and safe wins the day! 6 weeks ago, I had two mini daschunds, both named Daisy, start puppy class at the same time (different litters, slightly different ages by a few weeks, the owners did not know eachother or consult on name choices 😆). Two puppies of the same breed and similar size can often be a set up for play made in heaven however, that was not the case. Big Daisy, as she came to be known, quickly gained confidence and a love of playing with other puppies, but Little Daisy was fearful and overwhelmed by other puppies, even Big Daisy. So we slowed things down, kept Big Daisy on her leash and allowed Little Daisy to approach and retreat as she felt safe to do so. The result…the final class last night, Little Daisy solicited play with Big Daisy. They love each other SO much, that Big Daisy turned her back on her former fiancé, Ivan, the Sheepadoodle, much to his chagrin. 😊❤️🐶
Workin’ stay on your bed 😂
Where’s the squeaky!!! ~ Taco 😊❤️
Graduation day means I get to pick my own toy! ~ Daisy ❤️
Our Great Canadian Dane ❤️🇨🇦🐶
