Sunshine Dog Training & Behavior

12/18/2024

🚪DOOR GREETINGS
While I'm more inclined to suggest that you should just not allow Fluffy to greet people at the door at all, I realize that people will do this anyway. So, we might as well prep them for it.

I love Laura VanArendonk Baugh's article on how to work on this. She's the author of "Fired Up Frantic and Freaked Out" and works at Canines In Action, Inc. - You can read her article here:
https://clickertraining.com/how-to-train-polite-greetings

12/14/2024

🎄 HOLIDAY PREP FOR YOUR PUP!
Let's do this now!

⏰ You are running out of time but you can get a lot done with a short amount of time.

⏱️ If you're willing to be consistent & put in the work daily for at least 10 minutes you'll see great results.

———

Here are the links listed in the meme below.
🔗 bit.ly/cratewhenhome
🔗 bit.ly/getonyourmatpart1

———

👩🏼‍💻 Want more detailed how-to & help with training? Join my online Super Pup! course today!
🔗 https://t.ly/superpupcourse

———
Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

12/05/2024

What is something you learned about dogs from me that you didn't know before?

12/04/2024

DO YOU GO TO THE VET PREPARED⁉️ taking treats to the vet is a perfect idea to help your dog feel more comfortable, realize that good things happen there and enjoy the vet visits!

11/29/2024

❌ 🥘 NO MORE COUNTER-SURFING‼️

Tackle this now, before Christmas comes!

👌🏼 Training to get rid of this is easy.
💸 It's also cheap!

💥 FOR ONLY - $47

Get the online course now‼️
🔗

A permanent solution to an annoying problem! Let's tackle this in this self-paced DIY course for frustrated dog owners anywhere in the world.

11/28/2024

11/27/2024

🦃 PLAN PROPERLY FOR THANKSGIVING DAY

Having a plan for your dog's safety - mentally & physically - for tomorrow, is critical! Here are tips to keep in mind.

1️⃣ Have a plan in place if Fido needs space in another room away from activities.

2️⃣ Understand what your dog is saying with body language. He may be ready for some downtime away from chaos.

❓Do you know how to read canine body language? ⤵️
🎥 How to read stress signals in dogs - https://t.ly/stresssignalsvid
🎥 Understanding Dog Body Language: Part I - https://t.ly/bodlangvid1
🎥 Understanding Dog Body Language: Part II - https://t.ly/bodlangvid2

3️⃣ Tell guests before they arrive your rules with Fluffy & how they can respect them.

4️⃣ Stuff a KONG® full of safe foods & freeze to give to Fido while you're enjoying your meal.

5️⃣ Be sure kids know the rules for your dog. Go over them clearly & keep an eye out for anything your dog seems uncomfortable with.

6️⃣ If your dog isn't comfortable with lots of chaos, it's ok to crate her in another room for her safety & comfort.

🌟 Most importantly listen to your dog! If your dog can't be out around guests, that's ok! Advocate for your dog. He'll thank you for it!

———

Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer

All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

11/27/2024

SOMETIMES TRAINING ISN’T THE ANSWER
+ DELICIOUS PUMPKIN PIE 🥧

The best tip I can give you for chaotic days, like holidays, is . . .
sometimes management is all that you need to use!

💭 Sometimes we need to just think of the situation & what would work best for everyone & also keep the dog’s well-being in mind.

🧘🏻‍♀️ If you haven’t had time or much success with training, put your dog away in a safe location where she is safe, calm & away from the chaos.

🧠♥️ Always keep your dog’s mental well-being in mind. Example: If your dog is barking at people, he’s uncomfortable. Don’t allow him to be in a situation where he feels he has to do this.

🥧 Enjoy the day! Bake a delicious pie! (see attached recipe)
———

Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer

All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited

11/26/2024

🦃 TURKEY WEEK IS HERE❗️

🇺🇸 The USA celebrates Thanksgiving next week. (Thank you PetMD for this great graphic!)
——

⚠️ TIPS & PRECAUTIONS

🧘🏻‍♀️ Be sure your dog is relaxed & happy through all busy holidays, when things are more chaotic than normal.

👨🏻‍⚕️ Statistically dogs & cats visit ERs more during holidays than any other time of year!
——

🏠 SAFE AT HOME

1️⃣ Give your dog a short walk (15-20 minutes), if that's rewarding to him, prior to the meal.

2️⃣ Don't feed her a full meal as you want to save that for her to eat when she's confined & when you are having your meal.

3️⃣ Do a short training session or some form of mental stimulation prior to guests arriving and/or mealtime. This could be going through his paces, showing off his tricks or nose/scent-work games.

4️⃣ Crate train your dog or be sure she can be alone in a room or X-pen, safely & calmly. (If this cannot be done at the moment start your training now! Ask me how!)

5️⃣ Be sure the crate is in a room that no one can bother him.

6️⃣ Play relaxing music, like the downloadable icalmpet to relax & drown out sounds.

7️⃣ Have a KONG® (or several!) pre-stuffed with her meal & maybe some other goodies, freeze & serve when she's in her crate. See my handout for KONG® recipes – https://bit.ly/kongrecipesforfunv2
——

🥘 THANKSGIVING MEAL-TIME SAFETY

🚫 Do not give any of the Thanksgiving meal to your pet unless it's bland, unseasoned & you made it separately just for Fido. Also be sure the meat has skin removed if you give it, & only give a little.

❌ Do not feed: 🧅 onions, 🍫 chocolate, 🥧 desserts, 🥜 nuts or anything with any 🌶 spices and/or seasonings as some of these can all be ☠️ poisonous to dogs.

❌🍖❌ Never, ever, ever give cooked bones to dogs.

🚪 Keep Fido away from the meal altogether, in his safe area/crate during this time.

🦃 Have a safe, happy and thankful holiday with your pets and your family!
–

——
Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA
🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer

All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

11/20/2024

✅ SETTING YOUR DOG UP FOR POTTY SUCCESS!
Potty training is all about setting your dog up for success and eliminating the possibility for accidents.

Do you set your dog up for success? When your dog is set up for success you set your dog up to choose the appropriate behavior over the inappropriate behavior.
Setting up for success should always come first when a behavior that you are teaching isn't reliable.
——

1️⃣ The first step in setting up for success with potty training is setting realistic expectations.

We often get hung up on the end result and then set our puppy up for failure by not taking a step back and having realistic expectations.

👉🏼 Realistic expectations look like . . .

🌟 Keeping your pup’s age and development in mind! Most puppies aren’t fully potty trained until 10-15 months of age. Expecting this too early will cause a lot of frustration and set-backs!

🌟 Punishment has no place in potty training! Do not punish your dog for potty accidents, they won’t get it and it won’t help your potty training journey.

🌟 Remember this dog isn’t your last dog! Comparing a dog that “wasn’t this difficult” to the dog you have now won’t help you. All dogs are different!

🌟 Sometimes potty accidents are a medical issue! When you hit a wall it’s always best to rule out medical causes for potty problems.

🌟 There is no magic equation! Potty training takes time, commitment, patience, and dedication. There is no magic number or equation that makes things go faster.
——

2️⃣ The second step in setting up for success involves not allowing accidents to happen.

Use gates, crates, and x-pens to prevent accidents from happening when you aren’t able to supervise your puppy.

Having a safe place to put your pup when you need to shower, cook dinner, or something that requires you to be unable to watch your puppy is ideal for preventing accidents.

A confinement space is ideal for many reasons, but successful potty training is top of the list!
——

3️⃣ The third step in setting up for success is setting up your puppy to get proper supervision.

Proper supervision may look differently than you think! Once you know how to stick to the proper categories you’ll be on the road to success.
Lack of proper supervision and striking out in the 🔴 🟠 🟡 categories will set you and your dog up for failure. Stick to the 🟢 🔵 categories to set up for success.
——

⭐️ 5 TYPES OF SUPERVISION ⭐️

Categories to stay out of . . .

🔴 Absent
Person is not in the room with the dog. Dog is out of sight, in another room or person is in the room but may have fallen asleep while dog is not contained. Likelihood of a potty accident is high.

🟠 Passive
Person in the room but not paying attention. Likely on their phone, computer or watching TV & not watching the dog. Likelihood of a potty accident is moderate to high.

🟡 Reactive
Person is in the room but was not paying attention, then notices an accident has happened & reacts to the dog after the fact. This does nothing to help the dog learn where & when to appropriately go potty.
Categories to stay in . . .

🟢 Proactive
Person has dog in a confined area that the dog is known to not have accidents (crate or x-pen) and/or is actively taking the dog outside to potty every 10-30 minutes (depending on dog's age). Likelihood of a potty accident is nonexistent if potty breaks are timed properly & dog is never out free in area to be able to have an accident.

🔵 Active
Person is in the room with dog close-by (either no more than 4-6 feet from person or is tethered to person) and keeps eyes on the dog. Dog is never out of person's sight, i.e., never has an opportunity to have an accident.

Person is also watching closely enough that if dog sniffs or does any kind of cues, dog is taken out to potty area immediately. Likelihood of a potty accident is low to nonexistent (especially when cues are read & taken out to potty when any cue is given that could mean dog needs to go potty).

Once you implement all these 3 rules of setting up for success, you’ll be well on your way to getting a successfully potty trained pup!
——

Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA
🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer

All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

11/15/2024

IT'S TIME! HAPPY

11/14/2024

LET'S TALK NEEDS, WANTS & EXPECTATIONS.

I'm a dog trainer that puts your dogs needs before your wants, if that's what's going to help your dog more than your wants .... which sometimes are expectations that need some adjusting!
——
🗣️ I get asked how to get their dog to stop doing XYZ ...

🔸 "I want my dog to stop barking at other dogs."

🔸 "I want my dog to stop pulling on the leash."

🔸 "I want my dog to stop peeing in the house."

🔸 "I want my dog stop chewing things."
——

UNMET NEEDS & MANAGEMENT

🤔 The problem is that we aren't addressing the unmet need that's causing the dog to do these unwanted behaviors, and often we aren't managing the situation properly to prevent these behaviors.

⚠️ Is your dog nervous around other dogs?

✅ Then we need to meet her emotional need to feel more secure.

✅ We also need to manage the situation so that she doesn't get put into a scenario where she feels anxious.
——

⚠️ Is your dog trained properly on how to walk nicely when on leash?

✅ Then we need to address how to do that with positive outcomes so your dog chooses to walk next to you.

✅ We need to manage our expectations of why I don't suggest yanking on the dog's leash - are you training the dog what you want or just telling it not to do something & expecting your dog to understand?
——

⚠️ Is your dog being let out often enough or maybe suffering from a UTI?

✅ We need to meet those needs or address that medical concern first.

✅ Had your dog been trained where it's appropriate to go potty?

✅ Have you set your dog up not to be able to have accidents?
——

⚠️ Is your dog given proper outlets to chew? Is your dog anxious or bored?

✅ We need to address those needs so he doesn't feel the need to chew all the things.

✅ We need to set up proper management so these behaviors cannot be practiced - crates, gates, etc.
——

ROOT CAUSES

🩹 When I work with a dog I want to get to root causes and hit things at the cause not cover up symptoms with a bandaid.

🙄 I really do wish that Cesar Milan was correct and that more exercise and all behavior issues were due to lack of people being dominant but alas that’s not how dog behavior works!

💖 So you need a trainer that will actually help your dog learn properly - via positive reinforcement training - and address the cause of your dog’s behavior challenges and will also go over realistic expectations.
——

Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA
🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer

All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

11/11/2024

🤔 NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TRAINING‼️
——

🦴 🍖 Did you know that sometimes things are simple.

DOG OWNER: "my dog growls when he has a bone and I try to take it from him."

ME: "Oh, does he growl with anything else?"

DOG OWNER: "Um no."

ME: "Then stop trying to take a bone from him."
——

❌ 👶🏼 Sometimes we have to live with what we got, and stop trying to find a solution to fit our narrative.
——

DOG OWNER: "my dog hates babies that crawl."

ME: "Do you have a baby or is she around babies a lot?"

DOG OWNER: "No, but my sister has a baby and they visit often."

ME: "I'd set the dog up for success and not have her out when your niece is visiting."
——

🤯 Sometimes dog "training" isn't actually training. It's just logical, common sense.

Not everything needs to be trained. Sometimes it's just us learning to respect the dog and do what actually works instead of trying to make the dog conform to our standards of what a "good dog" should do or not do.
——

🧐 🤔 We often have these narratives about what our dog should do or not do or how it should feel or not feel. That's setting a lot of people and situations up for failure.

💖 Let's flip that. Learn to read body language. Learn to know when to get your dog to a safe place. Learn to set your dog up to succeed and not be set up to do something you don't like.

👉🏼 Not everything needs training, sometimes it just needs better understanding. Read my blog post on management here: https://t.ly/managementistraining
——

Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA
🐕‍🦺
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
©️ 2024 Stacy Greer

All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

11/08/2024

Let's do a FREE ADVICE FRIDAY! Do you have any dog behavior and/or training questions for me?

11/02/2024

🫥 LET'S TALK ABOUT "INVISIBLE" ANXIETY ....

Anxiety, in my experience, is very often misunderstood and overlooked because people have a visual in their head of what it "looks" like. What they usually visualize is extreme fear not necessarily anxiety per se.

The truth is that anxiety can look incredibly subtle and has many nuances.

In this picture my Boston Terrier is sleeping on a blanket at the end of my bed. Yeah ... so what, looks like any other dog right? Well, she rarely ever sleeps anywhere unless she's in her crate where she feels safe and comfortable.

Before I took this picture she walked around, came up to me several times (I'm at the top of the bed, sitting on my computer while this is happening) and sat and began to whine. She was restless. It's funny because she could go into her crate on her own and just sleep but she never does. Now, my Beagle does this but she's not anxious but she loves to just walk in and sleep in her crate on her own. Just shows you all dogs do different things in different scenarios!

Anyway, so she finally found my super soft blanket and fluffed it and then went to sleep. However, you can even see she's not 100% asleep, more like one eye open. This is how she sleeps if she's out of her crate. It's not restful. So I usually just put her in her crate so she can get a proper nap and good sleep.

She does this because of her anxiety. Why? What is she anxious about? I don't know. She just has anxiety, which if you know anxiety can creep into any area of your life in any form or for any reason at anytime. There is no set pattern to anxiety in dogs or humans!

So, this is one of the ways her anxiety shines through. Luckily I know how to manage her with this and how to help her feel safe and able to get sleep when it shows up in this scenario .... which is very critical to any dog who suffers from any form of anxiety.

It is very important that you don't have a mindset of "my dog will get over it" or "but we show her love all the time, she knows she's safe" or whatever mindset may brush it off as something that doesn't really need addressing because "it's not that bad".

Any anxiety should not be left untreated. It is bad. It's affects a dog's quality of life and it's not fair that we don't do anything to help when a multitude of resoucres are out there for this for our dogs.

If your dog has anxiety in any capacity, reach out to a trainer well versed in anxiety and likely a Veterinarian well-educated and versed in behavior and behavioral medication.
——

——
Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA
🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer

All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

10/25/2024

🎉💯🙌🏼

10/23/2024

💯💯💯 (Read text accompanying the comic!)

Thank you K-949: Training for Humans with Dogs for this post!

Treat training does not imply that you will need to walk around with treats forever¹ (*see footnote*). This is a common misconception. However, you'll notice in this cartoon that the woman has her hand in the treat pouch the entire time she asks the dog a cue. Don't think her dog does not notice.

When you cue your dog to perform a behavior, it is vital not to let the treat itself, or reaching for the treat, become part of the cue. This is why shaping and clicker/marker training is so effective when executed correctly. The click always comes before the reward is ever presented.

Here's a great article from The Whole Dog Journal on the importance of fading out food lures and preventing them from becoming bribes:

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/7_5/features/Dog-Training-Tips_5629-1.html

And here's an awesome graphic explaining how to fade out food rewards through the learning stages. It's best to variably yet systematically decrease the number of treats, as your dog's behavior remains reliable when presented with the cue. Think of a slot machine: there's like a 1 in 16 million chance that one might win - yet people still continue to play (don't quote me on the statistic, but you get the point). Become a slot machine to your dog.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=447672401968131&set=a.126858410716200.21048.108790432522998&type=1&permPage=1

* Footnote: ¹ Regarding the line: "Treat training does not imply that you will need to walk around with treats forever" - this does not mean that you SHOULD choose to fade treats out. I put that line in there because it is a common reason why those who avoid treat training, do - they are afraid of dependence on treats, but again, this is not the case if the treats are put on a variable reinforcement schedule.

Switch up reinforcers, too... don't always use a treat, or even a treat of a different value/salience to your dog. Use a toy. Use access to somewhere or something your dog likes. A ball toss. A tug on a rope. A flirt pole. Chasing you around the yard. Reward using the Premack Principle - follow the cued behavior up with performing another behavior that your dog LOVES to do (i.e., sit at the door in order to be given access to the yard, or do a trick or a wait before being handed dinner, etc). Make funny voices. Blow bacon-flavored bubbles. (Get creative! Just avoid using a laser pointer as there's greater potential to cause canine compulsive disorder -- similar to OCD in humans -- in dogs who might be predisposed to it, which might generalize to other behaviors such as chasing reflections, shadows, fly snapping, etc. It's extremely difficult to address compulsive behaviors once they've started, and resolving them almost always requires pharmacological intervention, so err on the side of caution and avoid using laser pointers; the dog can never catch the dot and therefore never succeeds). Offer physical affection IF your dog enjoys that. Verbal praise with ALL of the above to give praise greater value.

Remember there's *one* major rule of thumb: **Your dog defines what is rewarding/reinforcing.** You can offer cookies for sitting all day long, but if the behavior of sitting is not maintained nor does it happen more often, your cookies are not reinforcing, and are therefore not a preferred reward/reinforcer for your dog at least not in *that* scenario.

If it were up to me, all people would be treating/rewarding their dogs as payment for "good behavior" all the time ("Good" is operationalized as whatever is acceptable to you in your world/lifestyle). The more you treat behavior you like, the more likely it is to become reinforced, and therefore, the more likely it is for you to see more of it.

Don't forget! Keep your hand out of your treat pouch while asking for the cue, and quit reaching for the treat before the dog can respond. Rewards come AFTER the behavior; bribes are offered to CAUSE behavior. If your dog only does behaviors for bribes, videotape yourself training and watch what your hands are doing when you ask for a behavior. You'd be surprised how leaning on one leg, or even aiming your fingers towards the treat pouch might be influencing your cue.

10/20/2024

What are your dogs up to on this lovely Sunday?