How did I get here in less than 24 hours?
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From peeing herself where she stood, trembling and utterly terrified to playful and cuddly. I am a stranger, a total stranger to this pup.
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Did I do it by withholding her food to create food drive?
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Did I do it allowing her to be terrified and coddling that mindset? Did I force her to not be terrified? Is that possible? Did I “flood” her with all of her triggers until she learned to endure them with a “smile”? Did I jerk her around on a prong collar or “gentle leader” until she decided she wasn’t afraid of life? Or how about put a shock collar on her and shock her every time she shows an emotion or state of being I didn’t like or want? After all, her owners are paying me to “fix” her, right?
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Millie has come to me to help her through her fear. She is terrified of life. She will suddenly be afraid on walks, freeze and pee. She will often pee herself on being approached, even by her own family members. Her fear and the associated behaviors are becoming more and more difficult for her family to endure and they just continue to grow, rather than get better. They have tried everything they can think of on their own to help her, to no avail.
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Millie has been here for just over 24 hours and I am already seeing marked improvement by simply adjusting a few things. I’ll keep adjusting *this and that* as I get to know Millie and understand who she is and what makes her, her. I will discover what she likes and what she loves and over the next 4 weeks, I will start to help her understand that she is ok in the world and what she can do when she does feel her big feelings, that is also less stressful for her family.
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She is going to have big feelings, ALL living things do. I am not training her to not FEEL. How is that possible?!
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Hint, it’s not.
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Millie is still afraid but she is less afraid today than she was yesterday. She gets all of her food and water for free, she hasn’t felt a single aversive
Want a good laugh?! Check out trainer Joe trying to keep up with the Danes!
Behold, Board & Train pup, Aspen! 😂😂😂
Surprise! We are adding certain talk buttons to our training programs!
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We are still deciding on how we want to offer this service via Private Lessons or Board & Train, stay tuned for details.
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We are SO EXCITED about talk buttons! 😍😂🐾
He is NOT happy when I have to leave or when he thinks I have to leave. He grabs his snuggle puppy (one of the only toys he won’t destroy) and pouts (and tries to hide).
Shhhhhh 🤫 he doesn’t know I can see him behind the railing. 👀
These two cuties sure know how to make a crappy weekend so much better! Mukluk and Hank going WILD!
How everyone *wants* a nail trim to go VS. how they really go! 😂😂😂
This puppy has a different idea for her morning but these talons needed trimming! 😂🦅
Have you ever lost your E-Collar Remote or the E-Collar?
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Don’t want to purchase an entirely new set?
Let’s pair a new remote to an old e-collar!
🚨Using E-Collar Technologies Brand
Another mess! It’s time to scale BACK the food transition. Let’s clean it up…. Will this stain come out?!? 😩 Also, @Scouts Honor SHOULD sponsor me!! 💀😅
Let’s get this vomit stain out! Get these products locally 49th State Kennels or PetZoo! I think Petco has them too!
Need to transition your dog’s food? My dog is transitioning his food. Here is what I do!
Human skill level, human experience, human knowledge, human planning, type of dog, ability of dog, age of dog, etc… can and do play a large role in “successful” dog training. What is success? That is different for everyone…. Ish.
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Regardless of the picture you are trying to create, frustration can and will hinder yours and the dog’s ability to “get the most” out of any training session you do.
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So many people are too concerned with the goal and not concerned with *how* to get there.
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HOW to get there makes all the difference in how the end picture looks. Sure, you may have a dog who “performs” the command. But does the dog enjoy what he is doing? Does he do it with joy and happiness in his eyes, in his body? Are YOU a pleasure to work with?
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Are your expectations of the dog (and yourself) reasonable? Have you acknowledged and considered your own shortcomings as a handler and trainer or do you blame the dog for all of it?
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I use the word “reduce” when referring to expectations and I should probably use the word “manage” or something more appropriate that explains that your expectations should be realistic and in order to be realistic, you HAVE to consider not only the dog, but YOURSELF.
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There is nothing wrong with acknowledging something you don’t know, it give you the opportunity to get better, which should be your goal as a dog person constantly.
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I used to be unduly frustrated with certain things in dog training. Now I am literally the opposite because I learned where I was more the problem than the dog and I started fixing it.
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It is an incredible thing for dogs and their humans when you as the human, are willing to get better for the sake of your dog rather than requiring your dog to do all the work.
These dogs always keeping me on my toes. 😂😂😂 Copper burps into the microphone and then licks me in my open mouth! 💀💀💀
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Become a dog trainer they said….. 😂
Deshka the Reactive Corgi from Sitka starts his go-home lessons today! He went from not being able to be around other dogs to playing with friends! His best friend is my boy Aslan and I think these two are going to really miss eachother!
Deshka the Corgi came to me hating other dogs. He wouldn’t recall and he would try to fight other dogs.
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This is only a snippet of him playing with Aslan in the brand new snow fall. Morning zoomies before breakfast and play bows!
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He now has many dog friends and LOVES off leash hiking thanks to his stellar recall!
To care for a pet is a privilege. To see them through to the end of their life, is a privilege.
TAZ!
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I have Taz’s mama for only a couple more days and tonight we are going on another dog walk, but with more dogs!
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Something I want to make clear because social media never shows the ENTIRE PICTURE and unless you are the owner of a dog like Taz (or worse), you DON’T KNOW the whole story….
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Taz is still HIMSELF. Taz is not a “different” dog. He is not suppressed into oblivion, squashed or otherwise hating life now that he’s a “good boy”. Taz is still Taz.
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The difference is that now there is more understanding as to WHO Taz is and WHAT Taz needs. What fulfills him. What triggers him. Where his boundaries are. His owner is learning how to identify and control her dog for WHO he is and teaching him how to live an amazing life WITH her.
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She told me during our time together yesterday that she used to feel powerless when Taz would act out. She didn’t know what to do to get him under control and it made life kind of scary and miserable. She is happy that now she doesn’t feel so lost. She is learning more with each of our sessions that she is no longer powerless and that is building her confidence and that will better BOTH of their quality of life!
One of the most stressful aspects of owning a dog and having a family for most of our clients, is the dogs ability to leave them alone and still be a part of everyday life, outside of a kennel. It can also be quite burdensome to learn and understand how to fit a training session or two into your already jam-packed life.
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It is stressful when dogs keep stealing food from the kitchen counters or from the hands of children and babies. It is stressful when you can’t cook a dinner without tripping over the dog, or multiple dogs. Let’s face it, it’s hard enough to keep the children and men out of the kitchen when we are trying to cook or clean and the last thing we want to have to worry about is the dog too! 😂
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Well, we can help you with that!
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Blue puppy is doing an incredible job at just hangin’ out with me while I continue to recover from surgery AND do chores around the house. This spritely puppy loves the chaos of family life but is also learning when and how to tone it down when we need him to.
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Can YOUR dog do this?
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We are running a 💰🎉PFD💰🎉 Special where you can receive a whopping $1,000 OFF any Board & Train.
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We have availability for October, November & December. Space is limited!
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To inquire and reserve your slot, contact us…
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📱907-351-8108
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📧[email protected]
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🌎atlasworkingcanines.com
I am officially 19 days post surgery (major abdominal surgery) and my surgeon says that I am literally WEEKS ahead of schedule for healing. I am walking well, feeling great, my incisions are healing amazingly and I am officially getting back to work…..slowly.
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Tonight I got to work with my boy for a little bit, for the first time since before surgery. I am still on heavy activity restrictions for the next 5 weeks or so and it is imperative that he NOT jump on me. This is hard for both of us because we play with CONTACT! Every time he returns the ball he jumps up and he and I usually grapple, so this tiny session was a little difficult and awkward for us both. I had to do SOMETHING with him because we were both chomping at the bit for some “us” time, but I HAVE to be careful. I can’t tug, I can’t grapple, I can’t even keep stride with him yet! Literally what good am I to him?! 😂
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Anyways… all to say that I am back to booking private lessons and all things dog training! I am just a little slower moving! 😉 Lessons are booking for next week and Aslan and I are excited to get back to it!
