Dipa is working on her neutrality with people and other dogs out front of our home, so the goal of this exercise is to mark and reward her for looking at triggers without reacting (also a form of counter conditioning).
So the point of the marker āYESā is to mark the exact moment she offers a behavior I want, and itās always associated with food/reward following.
So timing with the marker as well as your physical actions can make or break this learning process!
Izzy is here for several response, but pack work and socializing are one of them. She has a history of resource guarding people/affection but can also be overly assertive and quick to go after dogs.
A lot of anxious dogs can have āfalse confidenceā which basically means they play the part of being a bully to overcompensate for their own insecurities. At the end of the day, Izzy doesnāt truly WANT to constantly feel the need to be on guard and bossy, itās just something she does because she feels like she has to.
Thatās where training and direction come into play! I make it crystal clear from day one that bullying behavior is unacceptable, and Iām pretty damn firm about it (yes. I popped her on the butt when she setup to go after Basil again). I also work hard to build a very positive and trusting relationship with her and now she knows she safe and thereās no need for that BS šš¼āāļø
We know, you got the puppy for your kids!
BUT itās up to you as the adult to be in control and raise that puppy so at the end of the day they can actually be happy with your kids in the long run!
Yes, dogs get TRIGGERED!!
Oftentimes, dogs notice a whole lot more than we do which makes it easier for them to get worked up quickly. Becoming more aware of what leads to an āoutburstā or overly aroused response makes it possible to PREVENT your dogās unfavorable reactions and mindset!
For those of you who are dedicated to your dog and their wellbeing, starting your relationship with TRAINING ensures you prevent larger problems in the long run!
EVERY. SINGLE. DOG. Benefits from some form of training, so donāt be lazy or give up & rehome your dog, be a good human and do your oil changes!
Basil is a 10 month old ACD mix who has officially come into his TEENAGE PHASE!! That means after about 8 months of fun, super positive, intensive training that he was PERFECT at, he has all of a sudden started to āforgetā his manners and commandsā¦
That means itās time to start introducing a little pressure and accountability into his training routine so we donāt have to continue to be reliant on food for compliance. I want him to have the BEST life and I want it for him as soon as possible, Ecollar is going to help fast track that!
When conditioning is done properly and ETHICALLY, it can be an amazing tool. Donāt get me wrong, it can very easily be abused and I think there should be more restrictions on who can use/acquire than. Until then, I will continue to spread awareness and education on how to do it properly!
Well made Ecollars are an AMAZING tool when used ethically and appropriately, you will never be able to convince me otherwise. There are some dogs out there that with all the purely positive training in the world will never be 100% reliable due to prey drive, working drive, hunting genetics, distractibility, independent personality, the list goes on.
The proof is in the pudding: the dogs we work with get EXCITED to see their Ecollar because it means something fun is coming. The dogs we work with RARELY need a reminder tap with the Ecollar after enough practice, but itās there JUST INCASE.
At the end of the day, our dogs are loved and happy as hell, and thatās all that matters ā¤ļø
What is āRedirected Aggressionā ?
- When our dogs have REALLY big feelings like overexcitment, reactivity, frustration, fear, and even aggression directed toward something specific, itās easy for those big feelings to redirect to something thatās close by in an attempt to relieve the pressure. We often see this with sibling dogs who are barking at something they canāt get to, then redirect on each other out of frustration!
Dunkel (Newfoundland) and Pilsner (white ACD mix) are my personal dogs and have grown up together over the past 8 years, they generally get along great. However, Pilsner tends to get a little too āampedā when we have snow days and can get mouthy when heās overexcited.
In this video, he redirects his frustration and BIG feelings by getting nippy with his brother off screen and you can kinda see/hear Dunkel correct him for being a dick. When Pils doesnāt calm down, Dunkel feeds off the energy and goes in the shut it down.
I immediately shouted āHEY! Knock it off!ā and it ended as quickly as it started, neither of them got hurt or held a grudge and we took a break from snowball tossing. In retrospect, we made the mistake of playing this game with Pilsner around the other dogs knowing how he can beā¦ so that wonāt happen again š
We love only having to ask our dogs to do something ONCE without having to beg them to āstayā¦ stayā¦ stayā¦ā so we teach a release cue to build that IMPLIED STAY!
This is a perfect example of how important body language can be when working with your pups!
PHASE ONE: Believe it or not, puppies start to develop personalities, confidence, environmental interactions, social skills, and a tons of other things within the first several weeks of their life (and in utero too)!!
This is why picking the right puppy for your lifestyle is the most important step, so be sure to do your research and be prepared for what they come with based on their background!
Message or comment below to learn more@about HOW to find the perfect puppy! šš»š¶š
PHASE 2: JUVENILE
I cannot emphasize enough how insanely crucial this phase is when it comes to building social skills, desensitization, exposure, and overall balanced behaviors while your puppyās brain is still developing. You LITERALLY can alter the way they think, for better or worse, so take this seriously!
This is absolutely a right and wrong way to do all these things, so reach out in a DM or the comments below to learn more!
PHASE 3: ADOLESCENCE
Literally the hardest phase for most people is when our puppies start to push back and really develop an āopinionā of their own! The key here is not only continuing to build those appropriate social skills, environmental confidence, and exposure BUT to also ensure youāre being consistent and holding your pup accountable for their actions. This phase will MAKE OR BREAK your dog, donāt wait until problems are unbearable! Nip it in the bud ASAP!
Whatās a āfear periodā ? This is a time when our dogās brains are more hyper aware of their surroundings for the purpose of learning whatās a threat and whatās safe. By the time they reach full maturity, theyāre a bit āhard wiredā into how the world works, so it gets a lot harder to change the way they think after that (especially with major behavioral issues). Itās important to take the time to expose them to as much as possible in an appropriate and positive way to build confidence and prevent issues in the long run.
There is a RIGHT and WRONG way to work through this phase, so reach out to ensure youāre not doing any damage on accident!
Personalized programs for every dog! Check out our website below for more info about us! š¾ā¤ļø
