Poppy girl went on one last big adventure before heading home to The Thumb tomorrow! We took her to one of our favorite dog friendly spots, Cheboygan Brewing Company!! She did an awesome job soaking up the sights and sounds, though there were a few moments when she needed a little guidance to settle back into her down. But overall, she crushed it! She made lots of new friends, and we even had people comment that they didn’t even realize she was there because she was so calm and well behaved!
We’re going to miss our sweet Poppy girl, but we know she’s going to do amazing once she’s back home!! Her buddy, Kino, is going to miss her most of all!! 🥹 *Photos in previous post because it won’t allow me to upload photos/videos together*
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📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy’s owners aren’t too concerned about public outings, but we still want to get her out on a field trip before she heads home! Some families want their dogs to be able to go everywhere with them, while others have different priorities. That’s why our programs are tailored to each individual dog and their owner’s goals.
For Poppy, the focus has been on recall, “leave it,” and “out,” while fine tuning the rest of her obedience and leash skills, and we’ve done just that! Tomorrow, Poppy and I head downstate, and she’ll be reunited with her family on Saturday! We really are going to miss her around here!
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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I’ve been trying for days to get a solid video showing off Poppy’s freedom and recall, but this girl makes it very difficult without turning it into a full length feature film! 🤣 She sticks by me beautifully, which I love, but it doesn’t make for the best demonstration when I’m trying to get more reps in. So, we take advantage of those little organic moments where she’s even slightly distracted to call her back. Kino has been a fantastic built in distraction, and we’ve been working outside with both of them to up the challenge. I’m not giving up!! I will get you a better video of her in action! 😅
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy Sit/Down Outside
More down and sit stays! It’s freezing out, but that’s not stopping us from putting in the work. Took some quick clips to show you a little of what this looks like!
When Poppy first arrived, she struggled with the down command and couldn’t stay in a sit if you took even one step away. Walking behind a dog can also be a big challenge, as it often makes them want to break position, so we’ve put in plenty of practice on that, too!
She even did great when I went all the way to the end of the driveway! This girl has put in some fantastic work! Way to go, Poppy!
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy Down/Sit Stays
I’ve been meaning to upload this for hours, but it’s been a non stop day! Poppy and I were getting ready to clean the training space, because after all her and Kino’s playtime over the weekend, there was hair everywhere! 😂
It turned into the perfect opportunity to practice her down and sit stays. I teach both with an implied stay, meaning she holds the position until released. You’ll see in the last video that she broke position, but that’s actually a great learning moment! I simply guided her back and reinforced my expectations. Dogs need to make mistakes in order to learn. If we don’t allow that, we’re only holding them (and ourselves) back from growth.
As always, Poppy did an amazing job! Proud of this girl!
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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I train dogs and cut hair! Just Jeremy’s that is! 😂 Poor Poppy got banished to the bathroom with us because Kino insisted on his usual front row seat to the show! 😅 As always, she handled it like a champ and was such a good girl! 🥰
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy Long Line Recall
Back at it with recall training! Poppy is doing such a great job staying close, which I’d usually reward because I love that behavior. Right now, I’m really focusing on getting those recall reps in!
She’s dragging the long line so I have the option to guide her if needed, but she’s been crushing it! Right now, she’s getting rewarded every time she comes, but we’ll start varying her rewards. This helps build reliability by teaching her that coming when called is always worth it, even if a treat doesn’t come every single time!
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy & Kino Recall
This video is a closer look at the recall process, specifically how I introduce the e-collar in the beginning stages. While Poppy is already past this point in her training, I wanted to give you a better visual of what this step looks like!
Unfortunately, something went wrong with my transmitter, so I lost the audio.. so I did my best with a voiceover! It’s not quite as engaging as hearing me explain things in real time, but I still hope you find it enjoyable!
Before I introduce the e-collar for any commands, I always take the time to condition the dog to it properly. For Poppy, that started with finding her working level, the lowest level she can perceive. In her case, that’s a level 3 out of 100. I then pair that stimulation with rewards to create a positive association. Stim, reward, stim, reward.
One important thing to note is that e-collar levels will vary depending on the environment and distractions. While Poppy’s working level is a 3 inside, it may range from 3-6+ when we’re outside. Even as we adjust to those variations, I continue pairing the stimulation with rewards to keep the experience positive!
I also brought in Kino as the perfect real life distraction! He and Poppy love playing together, so he’s a great stand in for the kinds of distractions her owners are working through like playing with the neighbor’s dog or racing down the beach!
Again, sorry about the missing audio, but I hope you enjoy the video!
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy Mini Out/Recall
Here’s the recall video I was trying to take for Poppy’s owners earlier, though it turned into a mini out and recall session!
Poppy has been making amazing progress, but she sometimes makes it tricky to capture recall moments because she’s doing such a great job of minding where I am! 😂 She even outed some little sticks for me and had a great recall moment when she got distracted while looking for critters.
With just under two weeks left, we’re continuing to work on building up to even more challenging distractions.
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy Leave It/Out
Poppy and I are back at it, continuing to fine tune her “outs” and “leave it” skills! We’ve been slowly upping the difficulty level, and today, while I was outside trying to grab some recall footage for her owners, she even outed some sticks! She’s making such fantastic progress, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. Here is this video for now; and I’ll be sharing the other with you this evening!
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy
We make sure every dog gets real life exposure as part of their training experience. Dogs in our care don’t just learn commands, they get to hang out with us in our home and experience everyday life. For example, Poppy loves her bed, so we brought it into the kitchen while we made dinner so she could relax nearby.
You might notice Piper in this scenario, too. While she hasn’t officially met Poppy yet (aside from a few passing moments), that’s perfectly fine. Even though Poppy is very social, dogs don’t always have to meet each other. Piper is curious but also selective about her dog friends, and that’s okay. This time is about setting boundaries and creating a calm environment.
When I asked Piper to lie down and she chose to sit instead, I simply told her “no, down” as a gentle reminder. She knows what’s expected, and while we occasionally let her get away with things because she’s older, this moment was about consistency.
The takeaway here is that training is about clear communication, setting boundaries, and being consistent… not being harsh. It’s about calmly reinforcing the expectations so our dogs know what we’re asking of them. This is how we create a structured, relaxed environment that works for everyone!
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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Poppy Recall Long Line
Although Poppy has already mastered this step, I wanted to show you the next step of the recall process, taking it outdoors and practicing on a long line!
When teaching recall, I take my time to build tons of value in coming back to me. Once a dog shows me they’re consistently nailing it, we take things up a notch and introduce the e-collar for added reliability.
In this clip, you’ll see Poppy enjoying a little more freedom while still learning to make the right choice. If she were to hesitate or not come back, I’d simply give her a gentle leash guidance to help her.
Thanks for following along with these sneak peeks into my process! (Also, bear with me if the audio isn’t perfectly synced. The drone uses the sound from my phone!)
🌐 www.valiantcaninetraining.com
☎️ (810) 705-0437
📧 [email protected]
📍Mackinaw City/Cheboygan, Michigan
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