Training With Play

10/23/2024

This!! Our Day Training Program is perfect to work on selectivity. Winter is here and we get outside way less. Your dog will appreciate it very much!! Reach out to us anytime❤️ 💪

There is nothing natural about large numbers of unfamiliar dogs partaking in high-intensity activity in a dog park, and this shouldn’t be the benchmark for a social dog. If your dog is not their best in such an environment, you are not doing anything wrong. 👏👏 There is nothing wrong with your dog. 👏👏 Your dog is normal. 👏👏

05/16/2024

Fun times when
stopped by the facility today!! We highly recommend them! Great excercise and confidence building for your best friend!!
🐾🐾💪💪

05/06/2024

We are excited to announce adding another day!! Day Training has been incredibly rewarding and allows us to make a big difference dogs and peoples lives at a reasonable cost!! $68/day
Bring home a tired AND trained pup 🐶 We work on your dogs’ needs on a custom basis as it relates to what they need to work on.
Reach out to get on the waitlist!
Waitlist Contact: Sarah 425.830.1304

04/18/2024

THANK YOU 🙏 from the bottom of our hearts for selflessly contributing to the greater good!! 🇺🇸

All Military and First Responders will recieve a discount depending on the service provided 🫡

03/29/2024

During play dogs can effectively learn rules, boundaries, social skills, and confidence. Giving your dog an activity outlet and frequent play can set them up for success. *Bonus if your play mimics something genetically fulfilling for the breed!
Play can be both competitive (eg: tug) and cooperative (eg: fetch). Understand that in competitive play, “possession” often represents winning. So try to let your dog win possession increasing the difficulty/resistance you give very gradually to build their confidence. THIS IS POWERFUL. When you win, YOU possess the item. Turn your back, mimic what another dog would do if they won. Celebrate. Aim to have your dog win 80% of the time. But when you win. Mean it, show them that YOU value that object too!
Happy training & have a wonderful holiday weekend!! 🐾🐾❤️

03/12/2024

🐾 Paws UP if you Love Day Training ❤️💯

02/20/2024

📚 NEW to Day Training in February 📚

Mr. Miner the Malamute
Pawley the Terrier mix
Finley the Golden retriever mix
Finn the Pittie mix
Rigby the Aussie
Mission the Supermutt

We are having SO much fun with the day training program! Each day the dogs in Day Training get multiple one-on-one sessions with a trainer, small group play (if they enjoy playing with other dogs), and multiple group training sessions!

The training with each dog is tailored to the individual dog and the owners goals with them, but sessions often include basic obedience, trick training, canine fitness, leash walking skills, and more!

Located in Belgrade, MT

If you are interested in having your pup join the fun please reach out to our trainer Kenzie directly at: 651-302-4796

02/14/2024

Starting to plan our next Puppy Class!! More to come: starting date etc!!

Play with your dog today & 🥰 Happy Valentines day to our amazing supporters, friends, and all our favorite pups❤️❤️

02/11/2024

🐾 Welcome Mira the Belgian Tervuren to our Board and Train Program! 🐾

Mira is a pretty good girl, but likes to chase wildlife into the mountains and go off on her own adventures. She is here for our Board and Train program to learn how to stick closer to her owners and recall off of passing wildlife.

While Mira is here we will also work on her basic obedience and leash walking skills.

01/20/2024

Lindseys’ pack hikes are a great outlet for your dog, especially when getting out in the winter is too much ✌️🏔️🏔️

Dog guilt is real when you have to be away too long! SoulMutt is here to help.

Lindsey takes e collar trained dogs living in Bozeman on supervised pack hikes. Hikes provide the dogs with exercise, socialization, and allowing them to tap into their curiosity!

Pet CPR + First Aid Certified
Licensed & Insured

Tell us about your pup! [email protected]
Instagram.com/SoulMuttLLC
Facebook.com/SoulMuttLLC

01/20/2024

Fun days raising the best puppies!!! ❤️
Inquire about our next puppy class or puppy raising programs! ⭐️⭐️

01/11/2024

Loving these videos that Sarah is putting out there! Well framed important conversations 👌 Happy Training everyone stay warm! 🥶❄️

01/03/2024

Some really good points here, great food for thought!!🥂

Poisoned Praise

Lately I've been pondering experienced handlers who seem to be doing all the right things -enthusiastic markers, good technical personal play concepts, no obvious or heavy-handed corrections, good core training techniques- yet have dogs having a hard time.

From dogs who shut down to dogs who look bored to dogs that start to view the games we play with them as chores to slog through.

I'm not stranger to this myself. So what gives?

I believe a large factor (if not the largest factor) is poisoned praise. That although we've done all the right technical mumbo jumbo, that our dog doesn't believe our praise. Somewhere along the line we've poisoned it.

How? It comes in many forms, but these are the most common versions I see -and almost always there is a large combination of elements at play.

1) Frustrated handlers dealing out frustrated praise. We are trying to pass off a lie and they know it. If our praise feels like cloaked frustration, that's the end emotional result.

2) Drilling Skills. For all but a few dogs repetition kills enjoyment yet many of us continue to train and train and train to get something "right".

3) Focusing on Specific Skills too Early. Before we can truly get skill we need attitude, teamwork and communication. Many experienced handlers want to rush into skills. If you don't allow the dog to cultivate desire first, you're gonna have a heck of a time getting a great performance.

4) Obligatory Praise. As handlers we know we should reward our dogs. However if praise, treats or tug feels like a chore to the handler, the dog feels that in the communication. Just another chore on the training front today. Thanks.

5) Praise is Pressure. I could write a whole post on the topic, but in a nutshell as we advance skill sets praise comes with a level of pressure. When we earn an A on a paper we feel we should be able to earn similar again. Less than an A can make us feel defeated, even if we weren't prepared adequately. If we keep pushing the envelope on skills, sooner or later you are going to find a dog who has some level of pressure stress. Where pressure lives desire and joy get worn away. Couple this with the fact that there is handler pressure too and the dog praises us with the wanted behavior, the team can quickly be dealing with a heck of a lot of pressure.

6) End Goals are Prioritized Over the Process. Especially for handlers well into their sports, there is a conscious or unconscious push towards the end goal -getting on that competition floor. It motivates you, but it often also takes you out of the moment when you train your dog. Plan away, but not being present with your dog is a very, very good way to create disconnect and make your praise seem hollow and fake. Don't go through the motions.

7) Making Mountains out of Molehills. People -experienced or not- have the very odd ability to find a single great session amazing while completely unravelling with one off session. We all have set-backs, but I promise just like a few great repetitions isn't actually as amazing as you think it is, nor is a couple of bad repetitions as detrimental as you may believe. What we communicate is what's going to hold water long term. You don't need to be super duper happy about the set-backs, but save your mental breakdowns for when you're not playing with your dog. Honestly, it's just dog sports. You're not curing cancer.

8) Not Taking Time to Play. Interact like you mean it. Play for the sake of playing. Quit training and have fun (a lot of handlers truly don't know how to mentally entwine the two). Build muscle memory for joy, desire, messy speed. You can refine it later. You obviously have the skills to teach "stuff". Now teach yourself to have enough fun that your dog believes you.

9) Quest for Perfection. We all want our dogs to do it right, but I promise the quickest way to strip desire in a dog is to make them go back and fix their work. God what a chore! Like a teacher over your shoulder telling you the moment you get something wrong. What a nag! Keep flow. Keep momentum. Keep speed. Keep desire. Those are way the heck harder to train anyway. Don't worry at some point you'll have enough steam in the tank to fix things, but until you actually have that, keep moving. Poor finish -keep moving! Missed a jump -keep running! You do not need to make it "right" all in the same session.

10) Time Lines. Deadlines create pressure. If we want X by Friday, unless it's already close to ready, I will need to strip desire in favor of simply "getting it done". There are times I may need to do such, but if more than 10% of my training is rushed, that rushed feeling is going to start to poison things. Rushing kills the process, which kills joy. Marie Kondo would feel we should throw it out.

If you think you may have poisoned your praise I encourage you to take a training break. A couple of weeks or even a couple of months. Enjoy your dog. Begin to grow a new praise system -one they believe and buy into. Allow them to show you how brilliant they are and have them believe it. Let them be cheeky.

When they have some fire in their soul, then you are ready to try again, going slow, relishing each session as two teammates who at the end of the day really enjoy time spent together.

12/26/2023

This is worth its weight in gold!! 🎄🎄❤️

Our Canemo Holiday sale is now going on so if you need a last minute gift, we're your guys!

🎁🎁 Because we're feeling in the EXTRA Christmas spirit, until tomorrow morning at 10 am Pacific time, all Lifetime Membership purchases can add one person AT NO EXTRA CHARGE 😮 We will NOT honor this past 10 am Pacific time, no matter how much you beg, so spread the word now 😝

Use code XMASDEAL for 50% OFF all regular courses and shoot us an email if you want to gift it to someone special.

With new Spring courses and updates, Summer Camp Canemo and seminars all over the world, Canemo has a big year ahead and we want you to be part of it. Our training is highly detailed, careful artwork that ALWAYS prioritizes the big picture.
Connect with your dog, learn the most modern techniques and MOST OF ALL, create a dog who LOVES to work with you.

❤️☃️🌲Happy Holidays Dear Team Canemo, Let's Train.

https://www.canemodog.com/get-training

12/22/2023

12/14/2023

1. Learn how to PLAY with your dog. And no, I don’t just mean throwing a ball for 10 minutes. Take the time to learn how your dog enjoys playing with you - whether that’s a game of chase, some play with food, competitive games like tug, or if they truly do enjoy playing fetch! Whatever type of play you choose, make sure you are an active part of the play. You will be amazed how much your dogs training and quality of life will improve by just playing with them more!

2. Give them INDIVIDUAL time. Many of us have more than one dog, or are often hanging out with friends who have dogs. This pack time is great for their sociability and gives them tons of physical exercise, but it’s important that your dog also gets the chance for nice long relaxing walks by themselves. These walks by themselves give their muscles a bit of a “cool down” period and gives you an opportunity to build your bind with your dog and work on training. It is nearly impossible to be consistent with your training when there is more than one dog present.

3. When choosing a PACK for your dog, make sure your dog truly enjoys the temperaments in that pack. If we force our dog to socialize with dogs they don’t really enjoy, then we might end up with some reactivity and aggression issues down the road. However, having a small group of dogs that your dog enjoys playing with is great for them to learn appropriate dog on dog communication. Remember that YOU always want to remain your dogs’ highest value interaction. If they start to find other dogs more interesting then challenge yourself to be more engaging for them, and spend more one on one time together building your direct bond together through purposeful play, engagement, and even hiking together 1on1.

4. Don’t just physically exercise your dog, MENTALLY EXERCISE them as well. You can exercise your dogs brain by using enrichment toys like puzzle feeders and kong type toys, or through training them! Remember, training doesn’t have to always be boring obedience! Find a fun trick you’d like your dog to learn and find a YouTube video on how to do it! Also look up classes in your area, there may be an opportunity to try a dog sport that would be fun for you and your dog such as nose work, agility, dock diving, etc.

5. Consider what type of dog you have and HONOR that. Do you have a dog who enjoys going on Main Street and meeting new people or do you have a dog who would rather walk on a back road where you don’t see many people? Does your dog truly enjoy hanging out during the family party or would they prefer to be put away by themselves with a tasty bully stick to chew on? Learn to read your dog and if they are uncomfortable in a situation don’t try to force them to be a type of dog that they are not. It’s okay if your dog doesn’t enjoy the coffee shop or the family BBQ, you can fulfill them in other ways and they will be much happier for it!