Digging is a natural behavior that a lot of our dogs perform and tend to cause a lot of frustration around the damage that can be done to our property. I’m here to tell you that it can be implemented in a way that satisfies and fulfills both you and your dog! #benice #dogs #dogbehavior #digging #dogswillbedogs #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogsofinstagram #goldenretriever #frisbee #dogtips #positivereinforcement #dogs101 #iowa #fall #leaves #desmoines
Dog parks are a public space which means that you have the ability to come into contact with anyone else in your community and their dog. This can be extremely dangerous if someone does not realize their dog is not a dog friendly dog or that their dog is dog selective. If you take your dog to a dog park and EVER feel uncomfortable with someone’s else dog, PLEASE leave. There is no harm in leashing your dog and exiting the dog park before a situation turns ugly. Trust your gut, your dog will thank you! #benice #dogs #dogparks #dogtraining #positivereinforcement #dogtrainer #dogs101 #iowa #dogsofinstagram #puppy #besmart #listentoyourgut
Please, please, PLEASE be thoughtful about baby and dog interactions, especially when the baby is first brought home. All too often I see videos such as these that depict baby’s and dog’s interacting face to face and this is EXTREMELY unsafe. While I understand that you want to introduce your 4 legged family member to your new baby it is important to do a slow, SAFE introduction and integration to keep everyone safe. #benice #besmart #reaction #reactionvideo #baby #dogs #dogsandbabies #dogtraining #dogsofinstagram #fyp #fypage #dogtips #introduction #dogtrainer #dogbehavior #dogs101 #positivereinforcement #relationships #goals #slow #safe
PSA: kids should NEVER be allowed to handle a large dog without a parent/guardian directly next to them or also holding the leash. Even the best trained dogs can be unpredictable. Do not put your child in that situation! #benice #besmart #dogsandkids #dogsandchildren #dogtraining #iowa #reels #positivereinforcement #dogtrainer #dogs101 #dogtips #parents #dogwalking #parks #no
Nervous dog DO’s and DON’Ts
While this video is very well intended, there are numerous different steps I would take with a nervous dog!
1. Give them SPACE!
2. Use HIGH VALUE food!
3. Toss food rather than feed from your hand
4. MOVE AT THE DOG’S PACE.
5. DON’T flood the dog - with pets, space encroaching, or too long of a duration with you!
#benice #dogtraining #reaction #reactionvideo #dogs #dogsofinstagram #positivereinforcement #dogtrainer #shelterdog #frenchie #nervous #rescuedog #dogshelter #puppy #dogtips #dogs101 #iowa
Human food was a construct created by people who didn’t want our dogs to be happy. Feeding your dog food that you too can consume, will not inherently lead them to counter surf or begin begging. #benice #dogtraining #humanfood #positivereinforcement #no #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #countersurfing #begging #dogs #puppies #iowa #desmoines #dogs101 #dogtips
Window barking is one of the biggest challenges my clients have and I always tell them they are not alone. I deal with window barking too and wanted to show my training in action.
We had a tree cut down which meant there were numerous novel people moving around outside, I left the window open to allow for this training moment. If I would have wanted my dogs to ignore the stimulus then I would have closed the window but I knew it would be good practice.
This video depicts me allowing my dogs to make CHOICES and rewarding them for the choices I find most valuable which is a few barks and then VOLUNTARY removal from the window to find me. I started by having to recall them in these moments but then the triggers outside of the window were cues for them to leave the window and come find me to get paid!
This video is proof that this works but it definitely requires training, patience, and a lot of management! #benice #dogtraining #reactivity #barking #positivereinforcement #dogs #iowa #desmoines #windowbarking #training #dogtips #dogs101 #help #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram
So many times people say “oh but you have a golden!” And that is such a loaded statement.
What does it mean for a dog to be a certain breed? That they should all react to the same situations with the same response? That they are all carbon copies of one another? The answer is absolutely and undeniably no.
By labeling dog’s specifically by their breed alone we forget to look at them as individuals, as beings with valid responses to the world around them. So the next time you encounter a specific breed try to look at them as an individual rather than a category we have created. #benice #dogs #puppy #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dogtraining #iowa #ankeny #desmoines #positivereinforcement #longline #play #enjoy #needs #dogs101 #dogtips #breeds
When we talk about puppy socialization we often talk about creating positive experiences with our puppies when it comes to all the new things, people, environments, etc that we are having them interact with but sometimes it can be hard to do, so what if instead we could create neutrality around these experiences. Your puppy could take it or leave it but it doesn’t have a large impact on your puppy’s mental well-being.
What do you think about this idea of neutrality if positivity isn’t achievable? #benice #puppy #socialization #puppysocialization #dogtraining #puppytips #iowa #desmoines #dogtrainer #positivereinforcement #dogtips #dogs101 #puppyhelp #puppytraining
Puppy Socialization DON’T! Do not take your puppy to a pet store for “socialization.” The pet store will likely be VERY overstimulating for your puppy. It will contain more people than they are likely comfortable with. It will likely have other dogs who you know nothing about and other weird things like shopping carts, moving doors, weird smells, and more!
So instead, spend more time outside and greater distances exposing your puppy to new and novel stimuli from a distance. Take it slow and always use food to gauge your puppies comfort in the situation. #benice #puppysocialization #socialization #puppy #petstore #dogtraining #dogtrainer #iowa #dogs101 #positivereinforcementdogtraining #dogs #dogtips #newpuppy #puppyhelp
Overstimulating environments will differ from dog to dog but when your dog is at the end of their leash, unable to focus on you, barking, lunging, and acting in a frustrated manner, you need to move to an easier environment! #benice #dogtraining #dogs #positivereinforcement #iowa #desmoines #dogsofinstagram #reminder #overstimulated #park #dogs101 #dogtrainer #dogtips
It is super important to me that I stick to my knowledge and skill set in my profession.
I am not a veterinarian. I am not a nutritionist. I am not a canine physical therapist. BUT I am a psychology masters graduate who is also a professional dog trainer.
I will continue to stick to the things I know and refer out the areas I don’t! It’s not a failure on my part, it’s actually a strength to be able to acknowledge my lack of knowledge and point people in the right direction! #benice #knowledge #strength #dogtraining #stayinyourlane #nutrition #positivereinforcement #dogtrainer #dogtips #iowa #dogs101 #professional
