Dogs Always Allowed LLC

04/24/2024

*LINK DROP* 🤩

Another fantastic book club meeting last night! I love that 8-10 participant sweet spot so we can really interact and share insights.

Look in the comments for a few links that were shared in the meeting, and don't forget to RSVP to our next meeting on May 14th where we'll discuss Pat Miller's Play With Your Dog. 🐶

04/23/2024

“How do you get them to pose like that??”

I just ask them to 🤷🏻‍♀️

04/23/2024

More about the questions surrounding the puppy socialization period. I LOVE that we are talking about this !! As a rescue dog mom, I know from first hand experience that lack of early socialization CAN be addressed! Every dog has within them the ability to overcome an inadequate or traumatic past. But if we don't believe it, we won't offer them the help they need....

04/20/2024

Snake avoidance without fear.

It takes longer, sure, but how important is your relationship with your dog? I know my answer.

Learn Ken Ramirez's preferred protocol for teaching dogs to detect, indicate and avoid snakes, keeping both you and your dog safe. Ken's snake avoidance training teaches you his proven positive reinforcement protocol based on years of field research and numerous successful live field applications ac...

04/20/2024

Check your walking gear. You might be setting your dog up for some biomechanical issues (and big vet bills) down the road!

04/19/2024

April Newsletter!

Check out this US Letter designed by Tammy Metzger.

04/18/2024

Stickers!!! 😍

04/17/2024

LINK DROP!

We had a fantastic book club meeting last night. I think we had 12 or so attendees... too many to fit on my screen, including two other dog trainers, which I loved! All are welcome.

I shared a few links related to our discussion in the GoogleMeet, but a few of you didn't grab them before the meeting ended, so I agreed to post them here today. Check the comments! See y'all next week for the 2nd half of the book.

04/17/2024

Peanuts cartoons inspired my business name. Anyone remember all the “No Dogs Allowed” signs Snoopy would encounter while trying to take care of his human? Well, here dogs are… always allowed 🙌

04/16/2024

CGC evaluator approved!

04/14/2024

04/10/2024

April 7-13 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. This month, I will spotlight why dogs bite and how we can prevent dog bites.

Some dogs enjoy close contact with members of their core family group. In general, however, dogs do not like to be restricted. The key is to learn canine body language and learn to read your own dog so that you know when your dog is and is not comfortable with what you are doing.

Look for stress signals:
- Whale eye (white of the eye is showing)
- Looking away and averting eyes to avoid eye contact
- Leaning away or moving away
- Tight, closed mouth
- Lips held in a long straight line
- Facial tension (noticeable lines/ridges in the face)
- Whiskers popping
- Ears pulled down and back
- Crouching

In this photo, notice how many stress signals this dog is expressing AND note how his tension has affected and is being mirrored by the puppy who is looking on.

Whether you have concerns about aggressive behavior, are struggling with puppy issues, need advice on how to help your fearful dog or just want to set your dog or puppy up for success, I am here to help. Contact me today at [email protected] or visit my website at https://www.crimsonhound.com.

Purchase my Canine Body Language for Pet Parents webinar for just $12 at: Crimson Hound - Canine Body Language for Pet Parents Online Course. This pre-recorded webinar is 90 minutes and teaches body cues, calming and displacement signals, appropriate greetings and play and safe interactions between dogs and kids. My How to Break Up a Dog Fight video is included as a free bonus.

04/08/2024

Nothing feels worse than making a mistake and getting negative feedback about it. Our usual reaction is “I didn’t mean it!” We already feel bad about it. We are often embarrassed or really regret that it happened. Getting chastised or yelled at doesn’t help at all. If the other person even looks annoyed, it compounds our bad feelings. Why then do we act that way when our dogs make a mistake? Especially since training mistakes are not our dogs’ fault. I tell my students that all the errors dogs make in training and in the ring are our fault. It’s either a handling error, or we didn’t teach the behavior well enough. Dogs are trying. There is absolutely no benefit for them to be wrong. Quite the opposite. Being right gets them a highly coveted reinforcer. When a mistake happens, we need to figure out how to help them be right. The majority of the time that means simplifying the behavior. What I find interesting is that people tend not to do that. They just repeat the cue. Over and over. Expecting a different result. Which always reminds me of the quote “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.” Why then do we do it? Because we are convinced the dog knows it. Even though the dog is clearing showing us they don’t. People often feel stuck when dogs make a mistake. They are not sure how to fix it. Simplify. Sometimes people think that breaking the exercise down means the dog is “moving backwards” in their learning. That’s not the case. They just need help. Simplify. I’m constantly challenging my students to train their dogs in different locations. This way they learn to generalize engagement in preparation for the trial environment. The problem is they expect the dog to perform the same way they do at home. That won’t work. Distractions are super challenging. Don’t get frustrated or annoyed that your dog is struggling. Simplify. Whether your dog is learning new behaviors, or you have a seasoned OTCH dog, there will be times when they struggle and make mistakes. Simplify. Break it down, help them be right. This will build confidence! If the dog repeatedly makes the same mistake, the dog will feel frustrated and deflated. You would feel the same way! You would get frustrated…”can you PLEASE help me out here!” Dog training is hard! We struggle all the time. We make mistakes all the time. The difference is that no one is berating us (unless you have a dog like Zayna…she has no problem yelling at me…) or getting frustrated with our mistakes. It’s bad enough that WE judge ourselves. Now put yourself in your dog’s paws. The dog is frustrated enough on their own. Then we add our negative feelings to that. You will BOTH be happier if you just simplify. Break the exercise down. Review how you taught it. Get lots of success. Then build it back up. Slowly. Simplifying is NOT moving backwards. You will actually progress way more quickly than repeating mistakes. If you follow highly successful professional athletes, they all say the same thing…practice the fundamentals. Whaaat??? Shouldn’t they be done with that? Nope. Never. They simplify. And practice success. As an instructor, all I do is analyze errors and come up with solutions. And the solution is always breaking that behavior down into tiny components. In other words…simplifying. The next time you get frustrated because your dog’s “not getting it”. Or your dog makes a mistake, and you don’t know how to fix it… Don’t practice insanity…. Simplify. You will both feel better.

04/08/2024

Cutie Patooties 🥰

04/07/2024

The handsomest boi 🥰. How did he spend so much time in a shelter?!? Well, he’s home now.

04/07/2024

Positively is proud to team up with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for this free live event. Please join us and learn how to reduce dog bites.

04/06/2024

This.

Especially once you start working with other dogs, this information is crucial to tell you that the dog is struggling. A struggling dog on a station will simply get off. A struggling dog in a crate will whine, bark, and scream. In order to be successful later, you have to know that your dog is truly comfortable at each stage.

Today's training tip comes from FDSA instructor .

Is your dog struggling to offer reliable behaviors outside the house? Nicole is teaching her Distraction Training 6-week course FE455: Beyond the Backyard right now! Last chance to sign up is April 15.

04/06/2024

Took advantage of a bad weather day to set up our doggie gym in the garage.

Later we’ll do some scent work practice.

04/05/2024

04/05/2024

I cannot wait to read this book!

I, and many trainers like me, am part of this paradigm shift.

Tired of being told to bully or punish your dog into compliance? Join us.

Build a relationship based on trust and love. Advocate for your dog, and play this game of life together as a team, not master and servant. (Nod to Depeche Mode).

Erin Jones's new book calls for positive dog-human relationships.

04/05/2024

In celebration of our National Canine Fitness Month, we’ve bundled the best of fitness and conditioning for all levels to give you all the tools you need to incorporate fitness into your dog’s life. Complete with a Regular FitBone (Razzleberry), Trax Donut, Circular Product Holder, and the newly...

04/04/2024

Give some Grace.