ALL DOGS SHOULD BE MUZZLE TRAINED!
Muzzles have been a hot topic the past few months in the dog world. It’s breaking my heart to see so many dogs on social media wearing muzzles, but not for the reason you may think!
Muzzles have a pretty bad rap. Bad dogs wear muzzles right? Wrong! All dogs should be properly conditioned to wearing a muzzle for a variety of reasons. Your dog may be a restricted breed where you live. Maybe your dog is fearful/aggressive in certain situations. Maybe your dog eats things they shouldn’t. Who knows! Maybe you may even decide you want to participate in a dog sport that requires your dog to wear a muzzle!
With the recent breed bans in the United Kingdom, I’ve seen dogs online every day wearing muzzles with owners who are broken hearted to see their dog struggling. Here’s the thing though, your dog isn’t sad that they have to wear a muzzle. They aren’t upset that people think they’re bad dogs. They’re stressed out because they haven’t been taught to accept wearing a muzzle. As our dogs’ owners, it is our responsibility to prepare them to live in a world alongside humans. This includes being ready for the day they might need to be muzzled.
Let’s use Poison Ivy as an example! Anyone who’s met Ivy can attest that she is one of the most sweet hearted dogs they’ve ever met. That is, those except the veterinary staff at our clinic. They’d say that Poison Ivy is extremely fearful. That’s right! Poison Ivy hates the vet! While I cannot fault her for her feelings, I also am not willing to risk the safety of the veterinary staff that she interacts with. Will Poison Ivy bite? I certainly don’t think so. Do dogs naturally bite when they feel threatened? Of course! Because of this, Poison Ivy has been conditioned to love her muzzle! She (as well as every dog I’ve ever owned) sees the muzzle as just another piece of equipment and a normal part of her life. As her owner, caretaker and guide of the human world, I r
Want a dog that walks through hardware stores like this? Engagement is key! Be sure to reward any eye contact your pup offers in a variety of environments and you’ll be on your way in no time!
Living peacefully with a nervous dog in the city can be tough! Here are some tips to help with things like construction!
Always get a professional onboard to help if your pup is really struggling!
Miss Haru, the Samoyed, modeling what I deem to be the single most important thing in pet dog training, come when called!
In my opinion, ALL dogs should have an absolute rock solid recall in all scenarios! Not only is it about communication with your animal, it’s basic safety 101! And believe it or not, you don’t need harsh corrections to achieve this!
Wanna get a dog that RUNS to you every time you call? Give us a call and let’s get started!
“Oh my god she’s so smart!”
“Look how well trained she is!”
“She’s so graceful”
…my dog 90% of the time.
Poison Ivy just became the first Briard to hold a Masters Trick Title with Do More With Your Dog at only five months old!
Nothing helps build a bond between you and your pup quite like training training! Ready for a trick dog to impress your family and friends? Give us a call!
Mastery is mastery of the fundamentals!
Something so many people tend to forget about is the essentials of going back to basics. No matter how good your dog may be at a particular skill, it’s always beneficial to practice the foundations of that skill to keep them sharp! Practicing your skills at its most basic level helps avoid incorrect form or placement and decreases the likelihood of confusion as you increase difficulty of the behavior. For example, Poison Ivy is in the initial stage of learning her front heel position and her middle position. I use similar hand cues for both of these behaviors and so practicing these two in a non distracting environment helps Ivy to master the basics before we go out into the world to practice!
Happy training everyone!
This morning was Poison Ivy’s first trip to a local dog park! But no how you’d think!
Poison Ivy has been pretty suspicious of unknown dogs from the start, and a string of off leash dogs getting in her face hasn’t helped. This morning, we went to a dog park to let her observe from a distance. No obedience, no loose leash expectations (hence the harness), just watching and listening. We stayed across the parking lot where she was comfortable and just existed for about 15 minutes. Anytime she checked in with me, she got snacks and praise. By the end of the visit, she’d gone from cowering and growling to looking at the dogs just so she could look back at me for another treat; no stress left in her body.
Now as many of you who know me already know, I can’t stand dog parks as a whole and my own dogs never go in. That said, they serve as great training opportunities like this IF YOU’RE CAREFUL. When you spend time outside a dog park like this, a lot of people will assume your dog is friendly and allow theirs to approach. Exactly what we DIDN’T want in this case. I stayed right next to my car the whole trip prepped to hop her back in if needed and advocated for her personal space.
Please, if you do visit a dog park with your dog, do so with extreme caution and always advocate for your dog!
Poison Ivy got to meet a brand new challenge today: swimming! Im blown away with how quickly she took to the water and how much she loves it! We may have a future dock diving dog on our hands!
First day of socializing with miss Ivy!
