Wag More Dog Training

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 “forget” his manners and commands… That means it’s time to start introducing a little pressure and accountability into his training routine so we don’t 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. Don’t 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 it’s there JUST INCASE. At the end of the day, our dogs are loved and happy as hell, and that’s all that matters ❤️

What is “Redirected Aggression” ? - When our dogs have REALLY big feelings like overexcitment, reactivity, frustration, fear, and even aggression directed toward something specific, it’s easy for those big feelings to redirect to something that’s close by in an attempt to relieve the pressure. We often see this with sibling dogs who are barking at something they can’t 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 “amped” when we have snow days and can get mouthy when he’s 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 doesn’t calm down, Dunkel feeds off the energy and goes in the shut it down. I immediately shouted “HEY! Knock it off!” 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 be… so that won’t happen again 😅

We love only having to ask our dogs to do something ONCE without having to beg them to “stay… stay… stay…” 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! 👇🏻🐶💕

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 puppy’s 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 “opinion” of their own! The key here is not only continuing to build those appropriate social skills, environmental confidence, and exposure BUT to also ensure you’re being consistent and holding your pup accountable for their actions. This phase will MAKE OR BREAK your dog, don’t wait until problems are unbearable! Nip it in the bud ASAP! What’s a “fear period” ? This is a time when our dog’s brains are more hyper aware of their surroundings for the purpose of learning what’s a threat and what’s safe. By the time they reach full maturity, they’re a bit “hard wired” into how the world works, so it gets a lot harder to change the way they think after that (especially with major behavioral issues). It’s 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 you’re not doing any damage on accident!

Little man Basil (8 months old now) ran out the door this morning to say hi to a neighbor… SOOOOOO it’s time to work those threshold manners some more! Now that he’s getting older, he’s pushing boundaries becoming more “brave” with his actions. He did understand to a degree thresholds from watching the older dogs in our home, but now it’s time to work one on one with him. All you need is some treats, a leash to start for safety and accountability, a marker your dog already KNOWS (I use “Yes”), and a door!! The point is to mark when he respects the boundary, so walking up to it without crossing it as well as holding that position after they get better at it. I also utilize “no” in my training to help clarify to dogs when the behavior they offer isn’t the right one, so it encourages them to try again and THINK! I’ll do this exercise for 2-3 minutes a couple times a day and he’ll have it down in no time! 👉 DM me if you’re not sure how to get started!

Do you have a dog that could play fetch for HOURS?? Or maybe a pup who’s super smart with high drive, desperately looking for a job? Then this is even more useful for you!! For most dogs, doing the same thing over and over, especially fetch, is mindless and only exercises their body; leaving their brain wanting more. For example: do you remember being tired after PE class is school, but EXHAUSTED after advanced chemistry? (🙋🏼‍♀️) You can incorporate simple obedience tasks into fetch, tug o war, frisbee, and even good ol’ fashion wrestling! Here’s how it benefits them: - Strengthening Impulse Control - Practice Emotional Regulation - Encourages them to THINK rather than “respond” - Proofing Obedience Commands - Builds a Stronger Relationship with YOU - TIRE OUT THEIR BRAIN

But they still know who runs this mothaf*cka 💁🏼‍♀️

This has been a game changer for my pups when it comes to keeping their nails short and dull!! The process is very easy to teach, but keep in mind the dog in his video already knows how to do it. So be patient and simply wait for your dog to get a little frustrated and start to scratch at it at their own pace! *Use some really high value treats to start!

Pilsner (the older scruffy dog) has some pretty firm boundaries when it comes to other dogs invading his space, so he’s my go to when puppies need to learn some manners! Miles (1 yr Dogo Argentino) can be REALLY pushy when it comes to play and he tends to throw his body weight around. Right off the bat, he’s trying to get Pilsner to engage and offers a few small bounces and play bows, but when he puts his face right into his, Pilsner gives a very quick and firm “HELL NO.” When Miles roles over to submit, Pilsner tries to sniff his manhood (traditional informative behavior) but turns around and corrects him again for trying to get up when he’s not done. Dogs are VERY accurate with their mouths and body language, so is Pilsner wanted to cause harm or hurt him he absolutely would have. After a pretty good correction, Miles slinks off and still returns to try again, BUT when Pilsner goes stiff and tells him he’s not interested, he walks away on his own! In the next portion, you’ll notice that Miles is offering the play bows, but from farther away and WAITS for Pilsner to engage! Now they can play since both parties are willing.