Fisher is getting prepped for next week's neuter!
Have you ever read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" as a kid?
Well, this would be Fisher's version:
If you notice your pup needs to strengthen his toes, the vet might tell you to walk your pup on the sand.
When you look for the nearest beach with sand, you will find it is 45 minutes away.
When you take your pup for a walk at the beach, he will most likely start to romp and roll in the sand.
When your pup rolls in the sand, he's bound to get dirty.
And when your pup gets dirty, he'll need a bath because he isn't getting into your bed like that.
When you give your pup a bath, you'll find he's soaked and won't air dry by bedtime, so you'll have to get out the blow dryer.
Once you start using the blow dryer, you might think, "Since he's all clean and dry, I might as well brush him." So, you'll get the brush and give him a good brushing.
As you brush, you'll collect a crap ton of fur and use it to refill the bird feeder, creating cozy nesting material for the birds.
When you are done brushing, you ask your pup to get off the grooming table, but he wants to get back on.
When he wants to get back on, you remind him that you already trimmed his paw fur, cut his nails, and brushed his teeth last night.
Seeing that he wants back on the table, you will think about how proud you are that you focused on cooperative care when he was a little pup.
When you leave the grooming room, you give your pup his favorite dental chew.
That's what happens if you listen to your vet and walk your pup on the sand.
And you will do it all again ❤
It was a very busy shopping day. Fisher was working on moving and stopping with the cart. I'd say he nailed it!
Your dog can learn to respond to everyone in the family, even when one person is the primary trainer. I am the primary trainer in my home.
Look at Fisher walking nicely and getting back into position on the left after pulling towards me.
He is allowed to be in front of us except when we walk on the 55 mph section of the road.
8 minutes of training Fisher to use the ramp for the car condensed to 35 seconds. Lots of baby steps before the final behavior!
Safe training set ups are crucial. This is Fisher’s second time seeing Ziva and Quill, our new kittens. He wants to play but the kittens are small and Fisher needs to learn to be calm around them.
#catsanddogs
“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩?!”
I’m sure this thought has run through your mind as your dog keeps barking for the 10th time that day.
If you dread going for walks because your dog loses his mind as he lunges at the end of the leash…
If you are worried about having guests in your home because your dog is just so unpredictable...
Then join me starting 7/18/22 for the free 𝟰-𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀!
Register here: https://calling-all-dogs.newzenler.com/f/masterclass
Having a dog that barks and lunges is EXHAUSTING. But it doesn't have to be that way!
As a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, I have dedicated the past 10 years to learning the secrets to transforming your dog from barking and lunging into a calm companion - and I want to show YOU how to bring peace back into your life.
Just like for Carrie who said, "𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑦𝑎𝑟𝑑. 𝐼 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑇𝑜𝑟𝑖, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑢𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑚 𝐷𝑜𝑔 𝑀𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑊𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠, 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑜𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘. 𝐴
Independence Day. It is a day to celebrate and for owners with nervous or barky dogs, a day to also dread.
This day plays out very differently from when I was a kid. I couldn't wait for nightfall. As an adult, as darkness begins to fall, I say to myself...
"𝐒𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬."
The Lord of the Rings fans out there will get that reference.
𝐻𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑-𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑓𝑢𝑙.
I know because Cooper was when I adopted him. But it got easier as we trained for the nights of loud bangs and bright lights.
The day was filled with mental stimulation games and exercise: sniffy walks, nose work, puzzle toys, and play.
One of the biggest disservices that you can do to an anxious dog is not to provide appropriate outlets for his energy, both mentally and physically. By giving him opportunities for both, Cooper not only had the chance to build his confidence and tire his mind but also reduce his stress.
Doing so is especially crucial before the fireworks start.
Kongs were stuffed with goodies like baby food, yogurt, coconut oil, and topped with peanut butter. They were then placed in the freezer so they would last longer. They sat next to fresh marrow bones.
The marrow bones were a special treat that would appear when the worst of the bangs started—gross to a vegetarian but a feast for a fearful dog.
The things we do for our dogs...
Once darkness fell, and the action started, the foundation behaviors that we worked on came into play: relaxation on his bed (or next to me) with his kong or bone, and offering a chin rest for an extra treat.
Cooper developed these skills in place of pacing and crying.
With each bang, Cooper was additionally given liver or cheese from a can. This process was done for EVERY firework. We don't stop training until the fireworks ended. Consistency in training was key.
By going thr
It’s a beautiful day to work on our loose leash walking skills. I think the birds make for some nice theme music.
Behavior modification isn't flashy and it isn't quick. For the casual observer, it is downright boring to watch. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘷 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴.
This video popped up on my FB timeline from last year. It is of Jeter and I having one of our best walks yet - I am fascinated to look back at the video. For those who want to learn, I will tell you exactly what is going on here.
Jeter was sound sensitive when we adopted him and we quickly overcame many obstacles. He was drastically set back when he lost both of his eyes. Any voice or dog bark would cause him to lose his mind, even if they were 100 yards away.
We would take every walk as an opportunity to desensitize and counter-condition him - to CHANGE his emotions for the better. Lots of baby steps, and here you see the result...
At the beginning of the video, we passed by homes and owners very close to the road. I decided to allow Jeter to listen and think through the situation instead of immediately jumping in and helping him out. My decision was based on his body language.
See how he stops, he takes in the sounds, he thinks, and then chooses to continue forward?
No growling, barking, or lunging.
We even stopped and had a conversation with a woman that wanted to pet him (she was pleasant even after I said no).
SUCCESS! **Insert happy dance here**
I told you it was boring. As we continued on, kids are playing in a pool, people were 10 feet away throwing items into a dumpster, and tags were jingling from their dogs' collars.
Jeter's pace starts to pick up as he becomes more aroused with the increased activity. This is where I help him out a bit.
What some owners wouldn't think twice about is an enormous achievement for others.
What has your dog done recently that made you proud?
I've always been terrified to use the Dremel on my dog's nails. I'm not very comfortable using it and I don't want Fisher to have a bad experience. I prepped Fisher and myself the best I could and finally conquered his first nail dremeling!
I know many people that are not phased by this task so it seems like nothing to them, but it is a big deal to me.
That got me thinking 🤔...what are you afraid to do with your dog but want to 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗿?
I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
BTW- Watch the video with the sound on if you want to hear me sounding ridiculous
We took a long break from working on the dryer…because I forgot! We have been working on so many other tasks but having Fisher enjoy all parts of grooming is so important. He used to dodge the air or snap at it. I’m very proud of his progress. Sometimes taking a break from an activity can help you progress!
We took a long break from working on the dryer…because I forgot! We have been working on so many other tasks but having Fisher enjoy all parts of grooming is so important. He used to dodge the air or snap at it. I’m very proud of his progress. Sometimes taking a break from an activity can help you progress! #callingalldogsny
Instead of "killing two birds with one stone" we are conquering 5 goals with 1 simple obstacle course!
The whole point of this task is for Fisher to:
1- Build confidence on different surfaces
2- Proprioception so he knows where he is placing his back feet
3- 2o2o (two on two off) with his back feet on the object and front feet on the ground for agility
4- Strengthening his muscles
5 - Have FUN! If Fisher isn't having fun then I am doing something wrong and need to change up the activity
We have been working very hard on teaching Fisher that there are other ways to greet people that don’t include jumping. Today we put it all together. I’m so proud of him ❤️
Can you believe that Jeter used to bark at strangers and snap when you touched his feet?
Here he is at physical therapy working with staff on strengthening activities.
Children at the park
Fisher is excited to see kids but I don't want him pulling and jumping on them. I was 99% sure he would make a good choice in this situation because we were a good distance away and he has a strong history of checking in with me.
So I let him observe.
I didn't say anything.
I didn't move to draw his attention toward me.
I didn't reach for a treat.
I let him think.
Clever boy!
How does your dog react when he sees a child? Overexcited, aggressive, scared?
Check ins on a trail
I heavily reinforced Fisher for checking in with me from the moment I picked him up at 8 weeks old. He is now 5 months old and this is the first time we went out on a trail.
We are in a location where deer, coyotes, foxes, snakes, rabbits, and more pass through.
Look at him go!
Fisher is working on taking his probiotic without it being hidden in food. This is great for when a dog needs medication but also must have an empty stomach.
Here you see him getting a pill followed by yummy treat.
