Eeveelution’s Enrichment & Training

03/09/2023

CONTRA-FREELOADING

is an observed behavior in which an organism, when offered a choice between provided food or food that requires effort to obtain, prefers the food that requires effort (Wikipedia). This term was created by Glen Jensen.

And here, Eevee is demonstrating it. She watched me put food in her bowl first, then watched me put food in the snuffle mat. She continued to eat from her snuffle mat until she was sure all the food was found and gone. Then she slowly walked over to her bowl to finish her breakfast off. I only used her kibble, no treats or enticers. I’ll do it again for dinner but with the 2 options closer together!

02/16/2023

Puppy paw prints can be fun and enriching for both you and your pup! I recommend putting paint on a big tray, and paper in front of the tray. Lure your pup with some treats so they walk through the paint and then they transfer the paint to the paper! ❤️❤️❤️ and just wash their paws (and maybe body 😂) when you’re done!

Talk to your vet about what paint is safe for dogs, but in the zoo world we always used Tempera paint!

07/15/2022

This is such a great read and to help understand what’s going on with dogs since it’s not an “alpha” trait. The Alpha-Dominance Theory in dogs has been disproven, even by the original researcher has said it was taken out of context and poor “trainers” are taking it and running wild. If your trainer mentions this theory and uses it as a way to teach your dog and get them to “submit”, find a new trainer as their methods are old and outdated

https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/dominance-when-an-outdated-theory-wont-go-away?fbclid=IwAR0QPqPX3Po6kdFMkwaxFqt8RNegZ8Nt7oEk7qY4hXPQH2FZ2_rk8IYbhsY&fs=e&s=cl

Dominance theory is often misunderstood, which can lead to the development and/or exacerbation of behavioural issues in dogs

07/15/2022

❤️

06/30/2022

Another great tip from Matt! Jumping is a common behavior concern that a lot of my clients deal with.

06/16/2022

The 3D’s of Dog Training will help you and your dog be successful and help you as the owner member sure you’re not pushing your dog to learn something far too fast. Dog training is a marathon and not a sprint! ❤️🐶❤️

It's Training Tip Thursday and Courtney is here to discuss the 3 D's of dog training: Duration, Distance, and Distraction.

When training a new behavior (like sit), you want to keep the duration very short, just seconds in the beginning. Slowly you will increase the duration of how long your dog needs to remain in the sit position. When it's going well, you can change up the duration, doing short then long then very short back to a long duration so your dog doesn't know what to expect, but it's fun! During the duration practice, you want to remain close to your dog and have very little distractions.

The next step is to practice creating distance from your dog. As you increase the distance between you and your dog, keep the durations very short. From a specific distance 1-5 steps away, you can begin increasing the duration you keep your dog in the sit position for. Change up the distance and duration, but as distance increases each session, the duration should decrease, until your dog is comfortable with each level of difficulty.

Next we can begin adding some distractions, but go back to a close distance to your dog and for short durations. Start with simple distractions, maybe try sitting on the floor, or playing some background noise quietly. If you have family members, they can just be sitting in the room on the opposite side as you and your dog. With the low distraction environment, begin increasing the duration and distance again. When your dog is successful, we can increase the distractions. Maybe try outside on a very quiet day with no cars or bunnies running around or inside the house with your kids playing together.

Understanding the 3 Ds of Dog Training will help you and your dog be more successful and give you a point of reference as you add new challenges for your dog. Our next session of classes start this week so be sure to sign up by Sunday for more training help at https://www.hinsdalehumanesociety.org/programs/training-enrichment

05/28/2022

This is absolutely my favorite “trick” I’ve ever taught any animal. This 100% is going to help with Eevee’s health and trust in me. She will still need appointments for her dew claws and back feet, but getting only 1 nail on each front foot plus the back nails will be way less stressful for her and the appointments will be even quicker

05/05/2022

Let’s work some leash work!

04/17/2022

Training Tip! Auto Check Ins are the best thing that I learned from working at Cloud K9 Academy

04/11/2022

The tiny runted pup i adopted 1.5yrs ago and helped her get big and strong. Eevee is who I decided to name my business after, she’s my everything and is such a smart sweet girl. She’s an AKC Star Puppy, we have worked towards our AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification, but had to stop due to her individual personality. We enjoy doing Rally Obedience, and may try to do some trial competitions in the future!

pitbulls_tube • Original Audio

04/11/2022

04/09/2022

This is a great way to understand how to increase your dogs reinforcement history!

04/04/2022

5years ago I never imagined I’d be training dogs and not wombats or small primates or an ambassador keeper. But I can honestly say dog training is where I belong!

I’m learning new things every day and every dog is a new challenge. I care about all of my clients and their dogs and have made great relationships with these dogs. It’s the most beautiful thing when a dog is so happy to see you BUT they remain sitting politely (while their whole body is wiggling and their impulse control is being tested) waiting for your affection.

04/01/2022

Super fun enrichment idea from my coworker at Hinsdale Humane Society! I loved painting with the animals when I interned at zoos, and my home is filled with different animal paintings and prints :)

03/26/2022

Puppy BARK-cuterie boards are great enrichment for the holidays! I use the back side of a cutting board and love drawing with peanut butter, yogurt, fruit, cheese, and kibble!

Easter is coming up, and while dying eggs is great, try having the kids draw an egg out of peanut butter and kibble for your dogs!

03/24/2022

Door Manners are really important to practice so your dog is less likely to dart out of doors when they’re open!

03/23/2022

My name is Courtney Temen and I am a positive reinforcement based force free trainer. I have my Bachelors of Science Major Zoo Science from Friends University in 2019. I have studied enrichment and training in zoo animals and have worked with many exotic animals ranging from lemurs and meerkats, to Okapi and gorillas, to birds and reptiles!

I started as a private dog trainer through Petco and went through an extensive 8 weeks of full time dog training apprenticeship.

While dog training at Petco, I apprenticed under Rachel Fein (Cloud K9 Academy) and eventually gained an employment opportunity there. I currently teach Manners and Puppy classes on Wednesday evenings as well as drop off Day Training on Mondays at Cloud K9 Academy in Naperville IL.

In January 2022 I made the difficult decision to leave Petco and I accepted another dog training position at Hinsdale Humane Society in Hinsdale IL. I teach classes in the evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as late afternoon Saturday classes and early afternoon Sunday classes.

I adopted my little APBT (Pit Bull) girl Eevee Mae in September 2020. Cloud K9 Academy has been her home away from home and she has earned her Novice Trick Dog Title. We are currently learning Rally Obedience at Cloud K9 and will likely try agility in the future too!

I love training and providing Eevee with enrichment. I created this page to share enrichment ideas with potential clients and gain some new clients as I build my dog training business. I truly love helping my clients build bonds based on trust with their furry (and hairless!) family members!

Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to begin training your dog with me!