Day 1 with our new temporary foster, Mia (fka Espresso).
Day 1, she arrived off transport from California!
Once getting her off transport, I gave her time to stretch her legs & go to the bathroom before heading home.
Once home, I took her inside & gave her water & food and put her in her crate for some time to rest/decompress.
After she had some time to rest, we went outside and just hung out to let her observe the world. Did a little. bit of walking around to stretch.
She got more time to rest/decompress and then we went back out on the longline. I like putting dogs on the longline while they’re decompressing as it allows them “perceived freedom” & the opportunity to sniff/explore/run around.
That pretty much concluded our first day. It’s really important to give the dogs time to rest/decompress when they first arrive from a shelter/transport.
People ask me why I let my dogs dig.
Here’s the thing…she loves it. It’s like a natural, primal instinct she has.
She doesn’t do it in our back yard. She only does it in nature (open areas, on lots of property, etc).
I allow her to have this slice of fun that she enjoys because, if I tell her No, she won’t. If I tell her to stop, she will.
If I have the ability to do those things, I don’t mind my dog enjoying something like this in the right place.
If I didn’t have this relationship with her or the ability to stop her when necessary, that may be a different story.
Her being well trained allows her more freedom.
Thursday Thoughts
Dog ownership & meeting our dogs needs.
This is not to shame dog owners, but simply to bring light & put more thought into what goes into owning dogs. Dogs have needs that go beyond just being a therapist & couch buddy.
We all love being able to cuddle with or being affectionate with our dogs, but it’s important to remember that THEY have needs as well.
So many people are only meeting their own personal needs when it comes to dogs and are forgetting that dogs also have needs. It’s not a one way street, it’s a 2 way street.
Let starts putting our dogs needs (physical, mental & biological) before what WE want from the dog. I promise, if you can meet your dogs needs, your dog will be happier, more fulfilled AND you’ll end up having a better relationship.
Don’t forget your dog is a dog.
If you just want something to watch TV with you, maybe get a stuffed animal, cat or a pet rock.
#atlascanine #atlascaninepnw #dog #dogowner #rescue #rescuedog #dogmom #dogdad #dogtraining
I love to challenge my dogs.
Here I hid her ball down in this box that was filled with things and partially covered so she had to hunt for it and then get to the ball surrounded by objects.
Just like it’s important to challenge ourselves in order to grow, challenging our dogs helps them grow. It also helps build problem solving skills, resiliency, confidence and independence.
#atlascanine #atlascaninepnw #challengeyourdog #balldog #ballhunt #confidentdog #dog #dogs #doglover #dogowner #shepherd #pnw #pdx #oregon #dogtraining
Recall Tips
Most people struggle with recall with their dog. Here are some tips to help you with better recall.
Remember, it’s going to take hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of these reps showing the dog what we are asking of them. Don’t take the longline off too soon!
#atlascanine #atlascaninepnw #dog #dogs #dogtraining #dogrecall #recalltips #puppy #puppies #puppytraining #doglove #doglover #dogparent #dogowner #dogdad #dogmom #pitbull #shepherd #rescuedog #adoptabledog #cutedog #fyp #welltraineddogs #happydogs #pnw #pdx #oregon
