Field day with Maeve and the Malinois!
Off leash freedom is one of the best gifts you can give your dog 💜
The Stalky Game
What does good play look like to you?
Usually when folks think of playing with their dog, they think of tugging or fetch. But play is anything that feels playful to you and your dog!
Hadley the Vizsla struggles with focus out and about, and will disengage from tug or fetch to watch distractions. In our lesson we worked on creating a game that really spoke to her pointer/gun dog genetics, and The Stalky Game was born!
As we engaged in the stalky game, Hadley naturally started returning the toy more and more, and even asked to tug as well! When you start playing in a way your dog likes, you will often find that they will engage in a wider variety of play behaviors as they really start to enjoy the game and engagement with you, the handler.
Finally the wind let up enough this afternoon to get the dogs out for a nice long run!
Hikes after the snowstorm 💜
Collar Grab Game
Young Murphy struggles with playing keep-away sometimes, so he is working on a collar give behavior! Basically, if I stick my hand out and say "Collar" he should run up to me and offer me his collar (in exchange for snacks and lots of pets of course). This will help his folks get him in from the yard, and makes him easier to leash up around the house!
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Ma2Doodles LLC #boardandtraindogs #berkshiresma #boardandtrain #berkshirecountyma #berkshirecounty #berkshires #goldendoodle
Update on Rizzy:
She made a new friend (Rhoda the wonderful Springer Spaniel) and has begun to approach the dogs and participate in close sniffing, even doing the occasional butt sniff! She is feeling comfortable enough to start showing social behavior towards these three pups, which is a huge milestone! She is also very much enjoying our daily runs in the woods, which helps create a safe space for social exploration ❤️
Integrating a Reactive Dog with Other Dogs
Hi all!
For those interested, this is a longer video which shows the absolute beginning of steps of integrating a fearful reactive dog into my pack. Charisma (Rizzy) is an adult border collie who has struggled with dog reactivity her entire life. I have worked a lot with her in private lessons and she has made huge strides with her Hard-Working owner!
Finding care for reactive dogs while we travel is an extra challenge, and We decided it was a good time to try and widen Rizzy's world by boarding her in my home while her owner travels. Integrating an underconfident dog is one of my absolute favorite things to do as a dog trainer. I love seeing them blossom and start to enjoy the company of their own kind! We have a long way to go, but Rizzy is only on day 2 and making great strides!
The award for cutest check-ins goes to little Tilly, a 12 week old Australian Labradoodle staying here for the holidays!
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#australianlabradoodle #minilabradoodle #boardandtrain #puppycamp
Otto the mini dachshund can be fearful of new people and dogs. He warms up slowly and can get intimidated by direct interaction. While his folks are traveling, Otto is hanging out with us and getting some social time with new neutral dogs. Engaging in decompression activities like hikes and sniffaris on a long line around dogs who ignore him is helping Otto become more comfortable in their presence!
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#berkshirecounty #berkshiresma #theberkshires #dogboarding #minidachshund
Little coffee date with the doodle pups at Lenox Coffee! They're learning to do nothing, which is the toughest skill for most puppies to learn ❤️
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#berkshiresma #berkshires #berkshiresmallbusiness #boardandtrain #boardandtrainprogram #puppycamp #goldendoodle #goldendoodles Ma2Doodles LLC
In-home canine board and train experiences, creating confident dogs and well informed owners.
