Dannegger-Training Dog School

22/08/2024

New NHB Course information:

Sunday 22.09.2024 NHB Theory Course 09:00-13:00 (in English)
Sunday 22.09.2024 NHB Theory Exam (in German or English) start ca. 13:15-13:45 (register by 15.09.2024)

Young people 16 years and older are allowed to take the course and exam and get the certification.

20/08/2024

New Courses!
For more information go to:
www.dannegger-training.ch

23/06/2024

Hello Dog Lovers!
I am looking for people to share my INDOOR DOG SCHOOL on a regular basis.
The room is located in Dreispitz at Leimgrubenweg 9C on the first floor. Noise (barking, music) is not a problem – there is a drumming school directly over my space on the second floor.
The school is about 56m2 total with a training area of about 48m2. The training area is covered in non-slip rubber mats. I have heating, air conditioning, a small fridge, a coffee machine and tea cooker. There is a shared WC on the same floor down the hall.
The school is also furnished with a sofa, foldable chairs, a desk, flipchart and a computer to show videos, so it’s great for seminars and theory courses.
Dog equipment includes a 60cm diameter tunnel, 4 flyball jumps, Cones, Poles, crates and dog beds/mats, Laminated Rally O cards, grooming equipment, various targets, scent work kits, toys, and much more.

There are three Tram Lines nearby 10, 11 and 16 and two Bus Lines 36 and 47. The school is located near freeway access and there is a large covered parking garage directly adjacent to the building with reasonable rates.
The space is comfortable for training in ALL weather, day and night. It is a safe low-distraction environment especially good for puppies and fearful dogs.
Ideally I am looking for people who would rent on a regular basis, half or full days, but I would also consider renting it in 90-minute slots to people just looking to work with their own dog(s) on a variety of equipment.
Please pm me if you would like to arrange a visit and/or you need more information.

Hallo Hundefreunde!
Ich suche Leute, die meine INDOOR HUNDESCHULE regelmäßig mit mir teilen möchten. Der Raum befindet sich in Basel Dreispitz, Leimgrubenweg 9C im ersten Stock.
Lärm (Bellen, Musik) ist kein Problem – Direkt über meinem Raum im zweiten Stock befindet sich eine Trommelschule.
Die Schule hat eine Gesamtfläche von etwa 56 m², mit einem Trainingsbereich von etwa 48 m². Der Trainingsbereich ist mit rutschfesten Gummimatten ausgelegt. Ich habe Heizung, Klimaanlage, einen kleinen Kühlschrank, eine Kaffeemaschine und einen Teekocher. Auf derselben Etage gibt es ein Gemeinschafts-WC im Flur. Die Schule ist auch mit einem Sofa, Klappstühlen, einem Schreibtisch, einem Flipchart und einem Computer zum Zeigen von Videos ausgestattet, daher ist sie ideal für Seminare und Theoriekurse. Die Hundeausrüstung umfasst einen Tunnel mit einem Durchmesser von 60 cm, 4 Flyball-Sprünge, Kegel, Stangen, Boxen und Hundebetten/Matten, laminierte Rally-O-Karten, Pflegeausrüstung, verschiedene Targets, Schnüffelsets, Spielzeuge und vieles mehr.
In der Nähe gibt es drei Tramlinien, 10, 11 und 16, sowie zwei Buslinien, 36 und 47. Die Schule befindet sich in der Nähe eines Autobahnanschlusses und es gibt ein großes überdachtes Parkhaus direkt neben dem Gebäude mit angemessenen Preisen. Der Raum ist bei jedem Wetter, Tag und Nacht, komfortabel für das Training. Er bietet eine sichere, ablenkungsarme Umgebung was speziell gut für Welpen und ängstliche Hunde ist.

08/06/2024

Happy Birthday to Frances!🥳

23/05/2024

Another short video before our Open House on Sunday 26 May 11-18:00
This one is showing two types of targeting: Front Paw targets with 360 degree pivots clockwise and counter-clockwise. (My dog needs this as a physical therapy exercise for her back legs.) Part Two is Rear Foot Targeting with backing up. (Also a good coordination/PT exercise)

13/05/2024

It's Foxtail season again!!
[I wanted to add that if you find pieces of this plant stuck to your pet's fur -- make sure to remove them completely! They can burrow into the skin anywhere and an animal scratching, licking or biting its fur can easily get the foxtail barbs in their mouths or in between their toes!!]
Pet owners BE AWARE of these weeds that look a bit like wheat. They are everywhere -- around the trees on parking strips all over cities, but also in fields.
In summer they turn a golden color and break off more easily. Each "hair" on the plant has tiny barbs that literally climb further in when your pet shakes it's head (because it has one in its ear) or when it sneezes hard trying to dislodge one from its nose. They can drill their way through the toes/ foot pads and even get into the eyes -- anywhere your pet sits or sniffs or runs or digs.

I wrote a blog article about them on my website... Please read it. https://www.dannegger-training.ch/blog/beware-of-foxtails
These are EXTREMELY dangerous weeds and can easily cost you thousands of Swiss Francs in veterinary bills if your pet gets one up its nose or in its ears.
They WILL NOT come out on their own... They only move in one direction -- deeper into your pet!!🙁

12/05/2024

In this video, I'm introducing a front paw target and pivot to a very young labrador puppy. This is a useful skill for teaching dogs to pivot from front to heel position, but it is also useful body-awareness and coordination training!

Enjoy the videos before the doors open / Geniessen Sie die Videos, bevor sich die Türen öffnen.

Open House on Sunday 26 May 2024, see you there!
Tag der offenen Tür am Sonntag 26 Mai 2024, wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch!

04/05/2024

Another sneak-peak video of some indoor dog training! This one teaches dogs impulse control at doorways.

Open House on Sunday 26 May 2024. We look forward to seeing you there!
Tag der offenen Tür am Sonntag 26 Mai 2024, wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch!

23/04/2024

SAVE THE DATE:
Open House at dannegger-training INDOOR DOG SCHOOL Sunday 26th of May from 11am-6pm

27/10/2023

Halloween Fun! (and great desensitization work for dogs)

19/09/2023

Just a reminder:
KPA Certified Dog and Puppy Trainer, Johanna Sinkkonen from PawsOnLine is offering her "Starter Kit for Puppies & Adolescent Dogs" Courses at dannegger-training INDOOR DOG SCHOOL on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Learn in the comfort of your own home with OnLine Zoom Lessons and then bring your puppy or adolescent dog for exploration and socialization sessions in the school.
Blended learning at it's best!

Contact Johanna directly to Book these Classes (see flyer for details and contact information)

24/08/2023

Love this! Strange hotel room, settled easily and choosing to sleep in his ‘porta crate’ , (all doors wide open). Why wouldn’t you crate train your dog to love their special place?

17/08/2023

NEWS!!
KPA Certified Dog and Puppy Trainer, Johanna Sinkkonen from PawsOnLine will be offering the in-person portions of her "Starter Kit for Puppies & Adolescent Dogs" Courses at dannegger-training INDOOR DOG SCHOOL starting in September 2023!
Learn in the comfort of your own home with OnLine Zoom Lessons and then bring your puppy or adolescent dog for exploration and socialization sessions in the school.
Blended learning at it's best!

Contact Johanna directly to Book these Classes (see flyer for details and contact information)

08/08/2023

You Get What You Pay For CHALLENGE FOR DOG OWNERS

When people ask me « Why is my dog always doing yz ? » (usually something they don't like)

The answer is usually « because doing that behavior PAYS WELL» = it gives the dog something they like or want AND/OR it takes away something they don’t like or don’t want.
THAT’S IT.

I’ll give you a typical example of how this has worked for my dog. Frances is a generally well-behaved dog but I seriously failed in my early noise-socialization work with her. (Just ask my neighbors !) Doorbells, knocking, people saying « hello », voices outside the door, dogs barking outside on TV or video… Any of these things will set off her barking.
Barking is an extremely difficult problem to correct because it PAYS EXTREMELY WELL !!!
1) It is self-reinforcing for the dog = Barking feels good to the dog. It takes care of a need to express emotion.
2) It usually « works » : Dogs universally bark at the postal delivery person. Why ? Because it WORKS -- EVERY DAY-- EVERY TIME! A stranger comes near my property, my dog says : « Hey Dude, get away from my territory ! » And, wow ! The guy drops his package or letters and goes away !! EVERY TIME !! = « I am SUPER DOG !! »
3) Barking gets them attention. Even if the attention isn’t happy – it’s often better than being ignored.

At my house the situation often looks like this:

I’m sitting here typing my thoughts on my computer and Frances is dozing quietly on her bed at my feet. Minutes or hours go by and honestly I almost forget I own a dog. I’m so absorbed in my work and she becomes invisible…
UNTIL… a barely audible dog barks outside or the neighbor starts talking outside the front door…
Then suddenly BOW WOW WOW WOW WOWWWWWW !!!! and I nearly have a heart attack as I am rudely reminded of my dog’s existence.
My reaction is instant (since I have a couple of VERY noise-sensitive neighbors)

« FRANCES ! QUIET ! » And just with that I have bought myself dozens more repetitions of this behavior:

1) She was startled and barking helped her to release that energy. Ka-Ching= she feels better.
2) I am now barking too! Ka-Ching !!! She has successfully warned and engaged her «pack» to address this intrusion. = It works!
3) I said her name and I get up to re-direct her and calm her down.
• Ka-Ching !!! She LOVES her name!
• Ka-Ching !!! She is no longer invisible !!
• Ka-Ching !!! I’m looking at her, touching her, carrying her away from the door, perhaps I even show her a toy to get her mind off of the intrusion. Ka-Ching !!! Ka-Ching !!! Ka-Ching !!! = LOTS OF ATTENTION that she wasn’t getting before.

What do I get? LOTS of reactive barking!!
Why?? Because I continually pay for it (and continue to pay dearly for it in my relationship with the neighbors.)

Human beings seem to be especially good at ignoring or taking things for granted that are going well, but instantly complain when there’s a problem.
Not true?

Today I feel healthy. I can breathe easily, my head doesn’t hurt, my digestive system is working normally. Do I notice ANY of that consciously? Not really.
Oooh but wake up with a cold : I can’t get out of bed, my nose is stuffy, my head feels like a blacksmith’s anvil…. And then NOTHING else in the world matters except how miserable I feel and what I can do or take to make it better!!
(So if you don’t feel unhealthy today, take a minute to appreciate that…)
Back to dog behavior… Same thing. Too often all of the «good» = not obnoxious behavior is ignored, taken for granted, but oooh barking, or pulling on the leash, or chewing up something makes the dog the center of the universe (for a few moments at least.)

Can we TRAIN OURSELVES to notice the good stuff? This is actually at the root of positive reinforcement training.
Notice, then click/mark, then reward for things you like and MANAGE behaviors you don’t like.

So here’s my challenge: Take some of your dog’s food: at least 10 pieces of kibble or cut up something your dog really likes (hard cheese, for example). Keep the food on you or somewhere very easily accessible to you, but not the dog!
Throughout the day, make an effort to notice when your dog is behaving well = not being obnoxious or naughty.
Maybe he’s snoozing on his bed near your feet. Maybe he’s chewing quietly on his Kong toy or other appropriate item. Maybe he’s looking out the window, but not barking at anything.
Softly /quietly (the goal is not to interrupt and get the dog excited) just to make him aware that YOU ARE AWARE of his behavior at that moment and you like it. You are going to give him attention and/or something nice for it :
1) Say your dog’s name and tell him he’s gooood. «Fifi is a good dog sweet puppy !! »
2) If it won’t get the dog too wildly excited, go over and place a treat between his front paws
3) and (if he likes being petted, touch him) and tell him he’s sooo good… Maybe put another treat between his front paws and slowly go back to what you were doing.
4) Your dog might be very shocked at your behavior and stare at you for a bit…. EYE CONTACT IS GREAT!!
TELL HIM!! «Good watch, Fifi. You are such a clever pup. Fine dog.»

Note : It’s not about the treats. It’s about the recognition !!
We want the dog to think: « Hey my person rains praise and nice things on me when I’m just hanging out here on my bed, I don’t really have to get up or do anything to get it ! »
But most dogs will appreciate an extra treat now and then too !!

On your walks, try to notice those few steps when your dog is NOT pulling or NOT barking. TELL HIM !! « Goood walkies, Fifi !! What a fine dog !! » Feed a treat at the side of your leg near the seam of your trousers to show him that’s where you like his nose to be.

Use management techniques and tools to keep him from engaging in unwanted behaviors. This may mean covering windows/fences with opaque film or screens, using a front hook harness and ditching the flexi leash, using crates or baby gates when you are not able to watch the dog if they tend to chew inappropriate items.
Set a timer to remind yourself to take the pup out, or to do a quick brushing or a short training and play session to keep him from getting bored.
Be present with your dog at these moments, not scrolling on your cell phone !
Dogs repeat behaviors that get them what they like … The goal here is to align what they like with what YOU like… But for that to happen, YOU have to recognize those things and show appreciation for them !
TRY IT… See if you can notice AT LEAST 10 times today when your dog is being good… Let your dog see that YOU NOTICE HIS GOOD BEHAVIOUR and that YOU LIKE IT!! Let me know how it goes in the comments.😀

04/08/2023

Positive Punishment does NOT mean GOOD Punishment!

In this VERY LONG article I’d like to address POSITIVE PUNISHMENT and why it does not at all mean «good punishment» and why I don’t recommend using it to modify dog behavior.
In Learning Theory we talk about the 4 Quadrants of Behavior Modification:
Positive Reinforcement, Positive Punishment, Negative Reinforcement and Negative Punishment. Here the word «positive» means «the addition of something» and «negative» refers to «the removal of something» .
In psychology and training, Positive Punishment means ADDING an aversive severe enough to change behavior, generally one that causes pain or fear. To be effective in changing behavior, the aversive must happen within 0.5-2 seconds.
One of the most effective and widely used positive punishment tools (in farming) is the electrically charged fence to keep livestock confined in a certain area. It is effective because the shock happens in a strong enough intensity to be noticed as aversive and it happens instantaneously. It is considered humane as long as the animals have enough room to stay safely away from the charged fence and the charge is not physically damaging or life-threatening.
I personally witnessed the extraordinary power of the electrically charged fence to drastically and permanently change an annoying behavior.
Sadly, for the dog in question the situation backfired (quite literally).
Here’s what happened:
About 9 years ago, I was attending agility lessons with my little Coton de Tuléar, Lily, at a dog school near my home. Back then there was a large open grassy area where people could hang out with their dogs off leash before the trainer came and opened the gate to the training area. Near the entrance gate there was a paddock for horses that was fenced off with electrically charged wire, with the excess wire on a roll on the ground near the fence post.
One of Lily’s classmates was another little white dog about her size. I will call him «Fido» to protect his and the identity of his owner. Fido was a lively and clever little guy and he had a strong «hormonal» interest in Lily. Every chance he got, he mounted her and hu**ed for all he was worth. Lily was spayed, so it’s not that he was reacting to any real opportunity. I did my best to pull him off, keep Lily away from him and I repeatedly asked Fido’s owner to keep him away from her as well. Fido was a determined little guy, though, and every week, he found opportunities to repeatedly grab her and go at it. Lily found this more than annoying and started to react by turning, snarling and air-snapping.
On this particular evening, Fido was extremely persistent and we had to repeatedly dislodge him from Lily’s back-end and were constantly moving away. When the trainer arrived and opened the gate, we lined up to file in. Fido’s owner lined up last (right behind Lily and I!) which meant they were standing rather close to the horse paddock. Unfortunately, the sight of Lily’s backside in his face was just too irrististable. He jumped on her again and started hu***ng. Lily had had enough! She turned fast and air-snapped at him with a vicious high pitched «back off!» snarl. As Fido sprang backwards out of reach of Lily’s angry face and teeth, his tail touched the roll of excess wire on the ground. Fido screamed in surprise and pain as a nasty shock zapped his little body. He ran to his person, squealing and shaking. We soon realized that the excess wire was also charged and he must have bumped into it.
From that moment on, however, Fido NEVER went anywhere near Lily again! His instant change in behavior was so extreme that when his owner (a dog walker) arrived even weeks or months later with a van full of dogs to let them play in the field, if Fido caught sight of Lily in the field, he would jump back inside the van and hide.
Why was he suddenly scared of Lily? When the electric shock surged through his body, all of Fido’s attention was focused jumping clear of Lily’s angry snapping «Back off!» warning.
For me and Lily, an annoying situation was very effectively resolved. Fido never EVER bothered her again.
Por Fido, however, was left with an extreme fear and aversion to Lily (the evil witch-dog who could shoot electricity from her eyes): See photo attached)
Fido was at the same time still blissfully unaware of the existence or dangers of electrically-charged fences.

The dangers of trauma and false associations with the (mis)use of shock collars is so high that they are forbidden in Switzerland, but these dangers are also present with any type of positive punishment since it is extremely difficult to control exactly what psychological and emotional connection the dog is making to the aversive situation.
People punishing dogs for bad behavior around small kids can often cause the dog to make negative associations with children, sometimes leading to devastating consequences.
The other downside of positive punishment is that while it may stop a behavior (while the threat of punishment is perceived) the root cause of the behavior is not changed, no « better alternative » has been learned and the relationship with the punisher has been tarnished.
An example of this is the dog who stops barking when sprayed with water from a spray bottle. (Sounds harmless enough, right?) After a while just lifting up the spray bottle and looking at the dog might stop him from barking, but what has the dog really learned ? «My person threatens me with a spray bottle when I try to express my frustration, needs, alarm, etc.» The dog has not learned how to channel his frustration into a more appropriate behavior, his stress levels have not been reduced (quite the opposite) and his needs have not been recognized or met.

In other cases, insufficiently severe positive punishment (leash snapping, scolding, etc.) is not only ineffective, but often extremely counter-productive :

Here’s a very typical example :
On your early Sunday morning walk, your dog sees another dog across the street that he senses is « bad news ». He starts barking to tell that dog to « stay away from me and my person!».
Embarrassed that your dog is going to wake up the entire neighborhood, you snap the leash and yell (or whisper angrily) at your dog to «BE QUIET!!»
WHAT HAPPENED:
Your dog perceives a threat and thinks «Hm that dog is bad news» so he barks to tell the other dog «Hey you! Stay away from us!»
You react with stress and anger and rough behavior, while your dog is still very much engaged and focused on that other dog.
The likely association your dog will make is:
«I was right, that dog REALLY IS bad news ! He’s stressing out my person ! Next time I see him, I’m going to tell him from TWO BLOCKS AWAY to stay away ! »
Now, every time you see that other dog, the barking (and your reactions) escalate earlier and from greater distances which continually reinforces the negative association: that dog = stress and anger from my person.
Even worse, you might start nervously scanning the neighborhood while your dog is sniffing the grass.
You see the dog first and think «uh oh!», you tense up, you tighten the leash, your dog notices your reaction, then sees you looking at the other dog, and now you have a PERFECT S-STORM…
For a lot of dog owners, this is multiplied to include every dog, kids on scooters, cars, baby strollers, etc.
At dannegger-training, we focus on MANAGEMENT (to prevent rehearsal of unwanted behavior) and POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT to train desirable behaviors.

Would you like to find out more? Check out our course offerings at www.dannegger-training.ch

25/07/2023

Just a reminder, from August 1st, dogs are again allowed off-leash in the forest, but this doesn't mean that every dog SHOULD be allowed off leash!
How reliable is your dog's recall? If it's not as solid as you might like, how about attending a "Back to School" Recall Workshop with your pup?
WHEN: Saturdays from 14:00-15:30
WHERE: Dannegger-Training INDOOR DOG SCHOOL, Leimgrubenweg 9C in Basel (Dreispitz)
Maximum 4 dogs per workshop allowed. (See details in photo below.)
To book a slot: go to www.dannegger-training.ch "Book A Lesson" and select "Reliable Recall Workshop" under "Classes". If you can't make it this Saturday, the workshop will repeat every Saturday until October 2023.
Hope to see you there!🐕🐕‍🦺🐩

16/06/2023

Street gutters are NOT the place for doggie p**p bags!! To all dog owners/walkers... In Switzerland you must pay dog taxes BUT you STILL have to pick up your dog's p**p with those plastic baggies. Even if your dog p**ps right and left of the main trails in the woods or off to the sides of the paths of i.e. Dorenbach or Bachgraben! ]DOG P**P is NOT environmentally-friendly compost!! Other dogs and kids sometimes run off the main path and step in it and some dogs will actually try to eat it, increasing the risks of disease and parasite transmission.
(FYI parents-- please use a doggie p**p bag to clean up after your kids if they have to "go behind a tree".)

THEN WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THOSE BAGGIES? The rule is that you are supposed to deposit them into the nearest public trash can or take them home and deposit them in your personal house trash!
In this summer heat, it doesn't take long for those bags to start stinking.

On my daily dog walks, I regularly pick up the bags I find and deposit them in the public trash. But seriously folks, what's the deal with placing full and knotted p**p bags behind the wheels of parked cars? I find it much harder to clean up these disgusting, flattened, leaking bags, so sometimes I don't even try. From an environmental standpoint I am especially irked by the people who put the baggies on top of the rain gutter drains. (Are there truly not enough microplastic particles in the water??)
I recently picked up 8 bags in a 10 minute walk from Feldstrasse in Allschwil to Neubad (see photo). On the trail in Bachgraben I once had a record haul of 27 p**p bags, most of which I had to bag myself first -- and some of those just steps from the trash can!)
These are things that give dog owners a bad name... I also suspect it's one of the reasons angry sickos put out poisoned food or hotdogs with razor blades inside (a practice that tends to be more common in spring and summer when more people are out walking in shorts and sandals with their kids.
Please let's all try to keep things cleaner!!

16/06/2023

Hi Everyone
I have just created a new Dog Forum because clients and friends often ask me via FB or Whatsapp or email for advice, recommendations, training feedback, etc. and then later someone else asks the same thing and I have to write it all again because I can't find the old posts.
I wanted a place to collect and store quality information on all things "dog-related".
Also I often get sidetracked ( for hours) on FB by birthdays or other topics and I wanted a place that I could focus on more practical/serious dog-related information. ( A bit less "see how cute", more "what do you recommend" posts) although I do love the cuteness, I'm trying to build a resource database.
Please sign up and ask a question or share a success ( or frustration). Do you have a favorite dog product? Tell us about it!
Photos ( not too huge) can be uploaded. Please use Google drive or another form to link videos.
It's just a bare bones structure at the moment and completely free to join and use. But I'd like the forum to grow and expand. I CERTAINLY DON'T claim to have all the answers, but I am willing to help where I can and do some research and hope that other members will pitch in with what they know. So feel free to tell your friends about it too.
The link is:
https://dogforum.dannegger-training.ch/
Any and all questions, engagement and feedback is welcome!
Thanks in advance!
All the best,
Andrea

24/04/2023

YELLOW RIBBON on dog leash = GIVE THEM EXTRA SPACE!
(** RED = DO NOT APPROACH AT ALL)
Just yesterday I had 4 out of 5 dogs in my school that were nervous/fearful and/or reactive. The owners all told me that no matter how hard they try to tell other people to keep their distance (or keep their dogs away) -- many don't listen and say "Dogs LOVE me! or MY dog is friendly /just wants to play!"
Many owners of reactive dogs are criticized for being "bad owners" for not "letting their dogs meet other leashed dogs".
Greeting ON LEASH IS DANGEROUS -- don't do it!!
If your dog is nervous, reactive, ill, disabled, old or recovering from surgery and needs more space -- consider tying a piece of bright yellow ribbon or fabric on your leash and/or on your dog's collar.
AND keep people and other dogs from directly approaching your dog.
I recommend moving off to the side if someone is approaching that makes your dog uncomfortable -- do not keep walking towards them! Use your body as a shield between your dog and whatever is making them upset and give your dog attention and/or treats to re-direct him. Showing your dog that YOU will handle the situation builds trust and trust builds confidence.
On a similar note, I don't like flexi-leads because it puts the dog "on the front lines = in the line of fire". It's "follow the leader" and the one in front is likely to get shot down first... most dogs don't really want that job.

21/04/2023

13/03/2023

13/03/2023

Dannegger Training Indoor Dog School is re-opening in a brand new location!!
Leimgrubenweg 9C (first floor Room 1-17)
in Dreispitz, Basel
New Group Courses, Puppy Classes, Socialization Clubs and Skill Mini Workshops are being planned.
Orientation and Introduction to Clicker/Marker Training Sessions are being offered for prospective clients every Sunday from 10:30-12:00. (This is a prerequiste to all training at my school.)
See my website: www.dannegger-training.ch for more information🙂

12/06/2022

THE SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED from 14. June 2022- 21st of September 2022!

Hope you all have a fantastic summer!!😎