Monument City Dog

07/09/2024

Our very own Morgan’s dog Louie with the biggest distraction of them all - deer! If you have a dog with prey drive you KNOW how impressive this is. Louie graduated a few years ago and he is still out here making good choices! 💪🏻

07/09/2024

Meeka the 7yo cattle dog is about halfway through her behavior mod program for dog reactivity! Her dad has very realistic goals for her - like being able to walk her in the daylight 😄

We have worked really hard on building a solid foundation giving her access to lower arousal levels as well as trust & respect for her handler. What we’ve found is that Meeka is actually extremely uncomfortable with other dogs and has had limited exposure to other dogs prior to being adopted by her current family.

Having positive social interactions as well as regard for whoever is holding the leash has made her feel much more comfortable. We still have a lot of work to do but I’m really proud of how far she has come already!

07/09/2024

Meeka the 7yo heeler also goes home tomorrow after finishing her four week behavior mod program for reactivity towards dogs and kids. From what we know, the first six years of her life were spent on a farm so my guess is that she didn’t have a ton of socialization opportunities. In true heeler fashion, she wanted to control everything and this led to her family only being able to walk her at 6am and 11p!

Underneath her reactivity she was actually an insecure girl who was very uncomfortable with things she was unfamiliar with. We spent the first few weeks building a solid foundation and also controlled exposure to other dogs. After a ton of work, we finally got to a good place where she can trust our authority and looks to us for what to do when she is unsure.

Her family will still have work to do when she goes home as it will take time to rebuild their relationship as well as advocate for her in a way that she feels safe. But her family is very committed and I have no doubt everyone will be much more relaxed taking this girl out into the world!

01/30/2024

Our last post of Max on place was viewed over 2 million times and some of the commenters collectively lost their mind over the fact that he was leashed inside. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I thought that this would be a good opportunity to elaborate on why we utilize back-ties and suggest our clients do at home as well for the first few weeks.

The short answer is that we don’t want to allow our dogs to self-reward. I’ll use people coming over as an example because it’s quite a common problem with our clients! Our overexcited dogs loose their minds over visitors because it feels good - someone comes in, dogs adrenaline shoots up and the dog screams, jumps and generally just looses their mind. These behaviors are an adrenaline dump - it feels good to release all that stress.

So by the time the dogs get to us, it’s a pattern. The first thing we do is stop the freak out, but we are ALSO not allowing our dogs to even get to that person using a back tie. If our dogs are getting corrected and still make it to that person, whatever number they took was “worth” it because in the end, they still got what they wanted.

And this is a mindset that spills into your whole relationship. Dogs are constantly weighing their options to determine whether or not what they want is more valuable than what you want. So while the moment seems small and inconsequential, to the dog there is always a 20% chance that they can still get what they want.

Our job is to help the dog figure out what TO do once we stop the chaos. Dogs here aren’t weighing their options because they know that there isn’t a chance of it happening. This opens up space for the dog to really be using their mind to start patterning what they should be doing - keeping their emotions in check.

*it needs to be said that you should NEVER leave a dog back-tied when they are unsupervised. Our dogs are always monitored.*

01/14/2024

STRESS IN TRAINING

The most important goal of our training program is to teach our dogs how to better handle stress by developing their coping skills and teaching them how to regulate their nervous systems on their own. Sometimes in the process of working through their issues, dogs will look stressed… because they are.

Dogs come to us who have developed their own coping skills to deal with stress and often that looks like reactivity, spinning, biting, frantic movements, jumping, etc. These behaviors can look “cute” and look like the dog is having fun but if you really dig deep to what the dog is feeling on the inside, it’s anything but happy.

IMO working any animal through stress is an art and you can only really navigate it by having your hands on hundreds, if not thousands of dogs. We currently have four different dogs on each end of the spectrum of anxiety. Lulu the German shepherd is very stable and just needed more clarity on what was expected so she will move the quickest through her program. Our doodles, Royal and Max are somewhere in the middle and have very similar issues, but deal with them differently. They will be behind Lulu in terms of how quick they move and will need more help navigating more stressful situations. Charlie our schnauzer is on the far end of the anxiety spectrum and we won’t leave the house or yard for the first week because his stress level outside is so high. This is also why his program is the longest.

Being clear and fair is so important and something we take very seriously. We also take time to reassure, give breaks and have free time so the dog has time to blow off steam so we maintain a healthy balance. The goal is always to move the dog along at a pace they can handle while exposing them to stressful situations, because that is life.

Our program is meant for real dogs in the real world making them the best version of themselves ☺️

12/21/2023

Enjoying the sunshine In fells with our last two training dogs of 2023 - Soba and Astro! We have boarders over Christmas/New Years and then we are taking a week long break before our first round of training dogs in 2024. 🎉

11/29/2023

03/08/2023

Happy International Women’s Day! Super proud of all my fellow women out there girl bossing it up! This life ain’t for the weak and if I’ve learned anything in the past 10 years it’s that women can do absolutely anything they want! 💪🏻💗

06/21/2022

A lot of clients ask about their dogs ecollar usage once they return home from training. It varies depending by dog, but here are some general guidelines.

Our one rule to live by for every dog - we would rather have it on and not need it, than need it and not have it on!

We recommend daily usage upon returning home for a minimum of 30 days, but preferably 90 days. Then, it’s up to you to see what level of usage your dog thrives with!

For young dogs that haven’t yet reached maturity - keep being consistent with the ecollar until they are fully mature! Keep it simple and routine by putting the ecollar on as you would put on any regular collar, and use it as much as you need to! Young dogs need much more practice and repetition for these habits to stick. The more consistent you are with a young dog, the better results you see when they are fully mature!

Mature dogs with no behavioral issues - use as needed. If your dog is happy, stable, and obedient, use the ecollar as much as you need it! For some dogs that means they only wear the ecollar in off leash situations, around high levels of distractions, in large groups, or in times of high excitement,
or when guests come over, etc.

Mature dogs with behavioral issues - some behavioral issues are situational, and some are genetic. If your adult dog has genetic issues such as severe generalized anxiety, aggression, etc. then then long term ecollar usage can help you manage those issues, and keep everyone safe. If your adult dog has situational behavioral issues, but is happy, stable and obedient in regular every day life, you can adjust your ecollar usage accordingly! That means if you know for example, if you have a dog who needs help in certain situations, they will just always wear the ecollar in just those scenarios.

For Laura and me, our mature dogs wear ecollars whenever they are off leash, in high distraction environments, and when actively training. Other than that our dogs are fully n**e 😂 My young dog wears hers a lot even though she’s only trained on the ecollar for recall because I don’t want her becoming collar wise, she just thinks it’s part of her daily outfit!

05/08/2022

Happy Mother’s Day to all our dog mama’s out there 💗

04/17/2022

happy Easter to all!

holidays with trained dogs are just the best because of all the photo opportunities! 🥰

04/11/2022

starting the week off right with this little teddy bear!

have you ever seen such a sweet schnauzer in your life?

we love working with puppies and getting them a great foundation that will last for the rest of their lives! we take puppies in for training once they are 6 months of age, and sweet Dorothy has been signed up since before she was born!

02/28/2022

hope everyone is having a GREAT week! we are finishing up our last few board & trains before we take off for vacation until mid-March.

Hudson came with us to to show off his famous hug and get in some practice settling in public, we’re going to miss this big guy!

01/12/2022

We are just getting back from a nice long break and feeling refreshed and ready to start the year with lots of new dogs.

In 2021, Christine left her corporate job and came to work for MCD full time. We trained 75 (!!) dogs and currently have a wait list until June of 2022. We have lots of exciting things in store for this year and I cannot wait to share.

Honestly, most days I wake up and still can’t believe I’m living my dream life. 💗

01/12/2022

Welcome Yuffie to the Monument City Dog family! Yuffie is a one year old mixed breed from Kuwait, here with us for a 2 week Basic Obedience Board & Train to work on lingering naughty puppy behavior like mouthing, chewing on household items, counter surfing, and being overly exuberant without an off-switch. Her dad’s goals for her to develop better listening skills, self control, and appropriate social skills. Yuffie is a sweet and sassy little lady who is going to do great with some guidance! We are so happy Yuffie is here!

12/20/2021

Welcome Otto to the Monument City Dog family! Otto is a 7 month old English Mastiff, who is here with us finishing up his Basic Obedience Board & Train. This boy is as sweet as can be, with a lovely temperament. He came to us to get a head start on reliable obedience as well as to learn house and leash manners which are incredibly important for a dog this size. He’s just a puppy now, but already outweighs everyone in his family! And he had already started to realize his size and use it to his advantage, in creative ways such as turning himself into the worlds heaviest pancake if he didn’t want to do something 😂

Otto has already improved so much and is going to make his family so proud!

12/20/2021

Welcome Winston to the Monument City Dog family! Winston is a 2 year old French Bulldog, who just finished up his Basic Obedience Board & Train. Those ears might look big, but they were quite particular about what exactly they could hear 😂

He came to us to work on his selective listening, leash manners, and to improve his impulse control and ability to settle. He made huge strides during his program and we are going to miss his fun & spicy personality SO much. There is nothing better than a dog who can be fun, spunky and sassy when invited to be, and can also settle and control their impulses when we ask.

He is such a handsome little tater tot and now has the great manners and polite disposition to match his good looks! Cant wait to see you back for boarding bud!

07/08/2021

Bailey is a super sweet 2yo golden retriever who spent two weeks with us for selective hearing, pulling on the leash and jumping up when overexcited. Bailey’s family is expecting a baby and wanted to make her obedience super solid so they can include her more in their life once the baby comes!

Bailey, like the majority of our dogs, was SUPER sweet but when distractions were introduced she went into overdrive and any reliability went out the window. When our dogs are full of adrenaline (in public or around exciting things) they aren’t thinking and truth be told, really aren’t enjoying themselves. We teach our dogs obedience, but most importantly we teach our dogs how to regulate their emotions in any type of situation.

Bailey went home a calm, relaxed girl who was able to go in public and be off-leash. She was still that fun, sweet girl but now she knows how to turn it off when needed. Her family was super dedicated and so excited for their future together! See you at boarding sweet girl ♥️

04/01/2021

We are so excited to announce an expansion for Monument City Dog! We have been so lucky to have such dedicated, hardworking clients, who have transformed their relationships with their dogs through training. However, one thing that is brought up by almost every client is the disappointment in our lack of services offered for amphibians. We recognize the amphibian community has been underserved by balanced trainers, and we regret that the benefits of clear communication, leadership and teamwork have not been easily accessible to our more slimy pets. Well, no longer. We have been working behind the scenes to create a new service offering, and we are proud to present Monument City Frog. The ethos of Monument City Frog is very similar to the ethos of MCD. Here at Monument City Frog we want to enhance the lives of our amphibian counterparts by giving them the skills they need to be able to thrive in their families daily lives. Please reach out to Oscar at [email protected] to set up a free consultation, and get ready to bond with your amphibian like never before!

01/22/2021

Charlie is a 1yo golden retriever who spent three weeks with me for leash reactivity, selective hearing and overexcitement around people. Charlie loved socials and other dogs but felt very insecure about meeting on leash. His family is very dedicated and did lots of work beforehand, but were still struggling and knew they needed more help.

My goal is never to make dogs friendly or enjoy things that they don’t, but to advocate for them and make them feel safe - and then teach their families how to do the same. Charlie learned to trust my guidance and follow my lead in all situations, so by the end he didn’t feel the need to try and manage situations that don’t involve him.

We also got his obedience super sharp so he is able to enjoy an off-leash life with his family as well as control his emotions around new people. His family is super social and I know they are really looking forward to including him more in their life as the weather gets nicer out! Good boy Charlie - see you for boarding!

01/22/2021

Benson was a 5yo cocker spaniel that spent three weeks with me for anxiety, marking in the house, leash reactivity, stealing things off the coffee table and barking out the front window.

Again, age is just a number but this little guy had an attitude that rivaled some of my big dogs 😂 It took some time, but we got him to a nice, soft place where he was able to turn his mind off and just follow his handlers lead. By the time he left he was much less stressed and even began to play with other dogs!

I’m so happy that his family will be able to feel more relaxed with him at home and be able to have nice, stress free walks!

01/21/2021

Ruth the 5yo English Bulldog spent 3 weeks with me for anxiety, demand barking, being crazy in the car, not being able to settle and pulling on the leash. Bulldogs are bred to be stubborn and tenacious and Ruth certainly lived up to her breed standard.

This girl had lots of opinions about what she would and wouldn’t do, so the training process took a bit longer. Sometimes my job is just to wait a dog out and show them that I will follow through. A lot of people ask if a dog is too “old” to train. The answer is no, but it will be more challenging to change a dogs behavior that has been patterned for years versus a dog who is younger and not as set in their ways.

Ruth’s transition back home has not been seamless but I know her family is super dedicated and will continue to work through the bumps to make everyone’s life more enjoyable!

01/19/2021

Oakley is a 9-month-old shepherd/husky mix that spent three weeks with me for leash reactivity towards kids & dogs, fear, a questionable recall and some naughty behaviors at home like counter surfing, chasing the cat and mouthing during play. Oakley’s family had done a ton of work prior to training but she was still having issues so they knew they needed a bit more help.

When our dogs are fearful or uncertain, the kindest thing we can do for them is give them structure and guidance. Having too much responsibility perpetuates our dogs anxiety and when we take that on for them, they are able to relax and just be a dog.

Oakley’s family has updated me that they are now able to enjoy her walks and she gets to go off-leash with no worries about her running off! When she sees people or dogs she checks in rather than reacting. They are also slowly reintroducing her to the cat so everyone has a much more enjoyable time in the house. Proud of her family and the work they have done since she’s been home!