Training is a team sport. All the players need to work together otherwise things will fall apart. To make this happen we need to have a trusting mutually beneficial relationship between human and dog.
⭐️Build Trust - first and foremost, our dogs need to feel safe if they are to learn. Using R+ methods sets the stage for a safe learning experience.
Learning to understand what your dog is saying to you is also important, we want to understand when they are communicating discomfort to us so we can help them through difficult situations- whether it’s frustration while training or fear in a novel environment. Helping them when they need us will go a long way to building trust
⭐️Meet their needs - this is so important. So many of our expectations require them to behave very un-dog like. It is unfair to expect this of them with out offering them opportunities to engage in natural behaviors. Give them opportunities to sniff and explore the environment. Give them opportunities to forage for food and tear things apart (snuffle mats, treat scatters in the grass, foraging boxes etc) and dig etc. Any opportunity that you can give them the freedom to dog!
⭐️Give your dog lots of good stuff with no contingencies. Building the kind of relationship required for your dog to be your willing partner requires for the human half of the team to drop their egos. Let go of the idea that your dog “should” and work on building your relationship and working on what your dog needs in order to “want to”. Most of all HAVE FUN with your dog! That’s why we get them to begin with isn’t it?!
Ready to start your journey to being the best team you can be? Set up a free 15 minute call through our website in the link to see how we can help!
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Having multiple dogs can be a LOT of fun! But it comes with its complications as well. Some dogs live harmoniously together with little to no issues, with minimal or no intervention from the humans while some dogs need lifelong management.
When bringing a second (or third or fourth..) dog into the house you want to be prepared to set the environment up so they can be successful (also check out our video on how to introduce dogs to each other!).
It’s also important to know each of your pups potential struggles and avoid putting them in those situations. Cider (the orange and white dog) will resource guard chews from other dogs including Rosie (the giant hound) so she goes into a pen when she has a chew so she can comfortably and safely enjoy it without me or her worrying about Rosie being nosey enough to try to check it out.
Play inside can get complicated fast - limited space can lead to less than desirable interactions and the inabilities to really get away can contribute to discomfort.
In general my preference is for play to be outside vs the living room. Play inside is best kept short with frequent interruptions from the humans to help keep arousal level down.
You also want to think about what your general preferences are for high energy activity in the house? Everyone has different preferences and if you’re ok with play in the house great! But if you want your pups to learn to chill with each other limiting play and reinforcing calm behaviors more frequently is the way to go.
Need some help getting your pups to coexist? Our amazing trainers can help! Check out our website for information on 1:1 training sessions.
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