Back to some of the basics and walking in harder environments with Zeus. We now know he can handle it, so in order to move forward, we need to adjust a few things in his training and walks. This is not his favourite, because if he could choose, he would be exploring bush areas and sniff every single leaf available, but during our sessions, we need to work a bit more on structure. So that's what we are doing.
#trainingwalks #gsd #germanshepherd #walks #dogs
Not my usual kind of post/video, but I just had to... enjoy the 'ode to treats' 😅
#treats #positivereinforcement #doyourthing
#usewhatworks #whateverworksforyourdog
Play time is very exciting, and most dogs love it, even if just with a few special dogs. But dog-dog play can sometimes get frisky and heated, so it is important to teach young dogs limits and how far they can go if they don't know it or haven't learned it yet. Often, puppies learn it from their littermates, their mums, and puppy classes. Then, as teenagers, they sometimes forget about it and become a bit more intense (depending on personality/temperament) and push the boundaries a bit more, which can put them in difficult situations.
Here are Elven and Teina, who have known each other for a while. She is feisty and wants to play non-stop, while Elven likes it but only for a bit, and there are limits, so they have both been practicing respecting each others boundaries.
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#puppyplay
#dogplay
#dogondog
#dogplaytime
#playtime
#play
#learntostop #limits #boundaries
Zeus and I went on a journey to see some cars and dogs getting out of the cars as Zeus normally freezes and tenses up when he sees dogs, and he sometimes wants to lunge at cars.
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We chose our safety distance, we assumed the position, and we implemented safety measures: loop around thumb and hand wrapped around it; foot on leash; no tension on leash (this is the key for him). We watched calmly and there were no reactions.
He was a champ!
This week, the weather was a bit temperamental, so we had to go indoors for a bit. Perfect for Luna as she absolutely loves sniffing, and she could use soke calmness practice. She could have spent hours at the garden section of Mitre10 sniffing those fertilizer bags 🌼 🌸 but she also loved the @petstock_nz food and treats area.
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Tilly is a little cutie pie, and she loves everyone, but we noticed that kids can be a bit too much for her when it comes to approaching, hugging or showing affection. She appreciates her space and does not like being hugged/held - we don't blame her. We have taken this opportunity to teach the child (who loves dogs soooo much) and help Tilly trust these little guys a bit more.
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How?
These were the Rules:
- no hugs or holding at all!
- no invasion of her space when she is resting or eating
- never touch her when she is resting or eating
- no interactions when adults were not around
- if the child wanted interaction, he would sit on the floor and invite her over
- she could come and approach, and he could pat her chest for a few seconds, then taking hands away. If she stayed, he would do it again (consent test)
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It took some time and a lot of repeating the rules to build their relationship, but when this happened, he knew it had been worth it.
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#kidsanddogs #kids #dogs
Training is incredibly important, but sometimes, there is nothing better than creating opportunities for your dog to have fun and live a very happy life. Each dog is different, they have different needs and preferences, and they sure work differently. Miss Sage has a new lease on life, and she bloody knows how to have fun! 😂 We can all learn from her!
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#havefun
#havefunwithyourdog
#letthemhavefun
#fun
It's been a while since we took Max to a shop. He isn't a big fan of busy places and can get a bit overwhelmed, but he was very good. It was a short visit, but enough for us to do sniffs, downs, and say hi to our friends at the Hamilton @animatesnz
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#petshops #animates
We recently had a training session with Miss Luna, and this time, Mr Alfie joined us too. Two reactive dogs learning to coexist and accept each other's presence. To add to the session, we saw a lot of other dogs who walked past us and made the session even more exciting (and challenging).
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For sessions with reactive dogs, we often don't aim to go very far. We like to work in a larger area, close to the car and a getaway exit route if needed. We worked by the river and picked an area where there was space to move away, turn around, or go in the car.
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So proud of these two. It was very hard for Luna at times, but she is starting to make very good decisions, and Alfie was just a superstar 💙
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#reactivity #reactivedogs
Our buddy Max has just enjoyed two weeks with us, and we all had the best time together. Elven and Max are just like two best buddies 🐾💙
#bordercollie
Having fun is, for us, as important as obedience training, and in some cases of behaviour modification, it can be the key piece of the puzzle 🧩
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Zeus and I went to the Lake this week, and it was a bit outside his comfort zone event though it was quiet. But we know him and his thresholds, so we mixed things up a bit more between obedience and fun to help him relax and be able to cope in that environment.
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The highlight: a muddy puddle 💦
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#gsd #germanshepherd #lakewalks #funwalks #challengingenvironments #trainingwalks #trainingisfun
It was the perfect weather for an Autumn Social Walk on a beautiful Saturday morning. It was so good to see these dogs and humans enjoy a nice on leash walk with a bit of everything: sniffing, watching, chilling, walking, playing.
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Socialisation is helping your dog become more neutral to things, not letting him meet or play with everyone. This was a very successful Social walk, and you wouldn't tell that most of these dogs are reactive.
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Beautiful day! Amazing people! Great dogs!
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#socialwalks
