Canine Calling, LLC

01/12/2025

It always interests us to see a puppy discovering new things, thinking it through and making decisions. A recent outing to a local farm and feed store presented a ramp Mirabelle was curious about, but it caused a little trepidation at first. With high value treats, initial support, and patience, she made the decision to go up on her own. Then, return down without the use of treats and a wagging tail! These are big milestones for a puppy. Proper socialization and learning the many sights and sounds in new environments is an important piece of their overall development. On offsite outings, we witness your pup’s body language, likes and dislikes, age related fears, and changes in emotional states that occur. All of these allow us to determine your pup’s specific training needs.

01/04/2025

Mirabelle is a 5 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. What can we say.. the pics capture how adorable she is! We were called on to guide her family with potty training and crate conditioning. In addition, we also started training fundamental commands that will serve as the building blocks for more advanced skills. New puppy? We can help with all aspects of puppy training using reward-based positive reinforcement methods.

12/29/2024

Roxy, a 2 year old rescue beagle/boxer mix. There is no doubt she has been through a lot. Her foster mom wanted to help Roxy through her transition and reached out to us for guidance as she adjusts. Time is needed but improvement is noticed and her comfort level is increasing. Every dog is on their own schedule. Generally speaking it takes:
- 3 days to settle into the idea of a new home.
- 3 weeks to learn and adapt to the routine of a home.
- 3 months to show their true personality.
We were happy to work with Roxy and thrilled to hear she now has a permanent home with a loving family! Kudos to her foster mom for wanting the best for Roxy and helping her to become her best self!

12/23/2024

Wishing you peace, love, and joy this holiday season!

12/07/2024

Recall is one of the most important cues you can teach your dog. It can be lifesaving! Training should start in your house where there are less distractions. Work at short distances and build on the level of distractions and distance. Here the “touch” cue is used. Other verbal cues, for example come” or “here” can be chosen. Want a reliable recall? ALWAYS reward your dog when they return to you.

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving! We have much to be grateful for this holiday season. Thank you for your continued trust, recommendations and opportunity to work with you and your pets. Nancy & Lynn.

11/20/2024

Mat/place training is great method for giving your dog a safe, happy place to be that is portable and easy to take along on outings. It has proved to be quite helpful for many of our clients in various situations. Training this behavior on cue is a matter of building a positive association with the mat. It’s a step by step process. Guinness is building his duration on the mat and is settled nicely over on his hip - a more relaxed position. As the behavior strengthens, we will add distractions and lastly distance. Nice job Guinness!

11/13/2024

Roxie is a young Finnish Spitz. This breed originates from Finland, averages around 20 lbs, and certainly resembles a fox. Probably not a breed you’ve heard much about. They are committed hunters, excellent alert dogs and loving family members. Roxie was rescued and recently adopted by a local family. She has adjusted beautifully inside her home. We were called into help with her relentless attempts to be outdoors and pursue her natural interest to sniff and hunt. This is part of who Roxie is and what she enjoys, so our training focus is on management, impulse control, dog/owner communication and most important, other outlets that will fulfill Roxie’s needs. These outlets include mental and physical stimulation through nosework classes, enrichment games and doggie day care. We fell in love with this sweet girl and she landed in a wonderful home. Any Finnish Spitz owners out there? Please share your pictures!

11/09/2024

Talk about the ultimate in crate conditioning! Positive reinforcement and reward based methods go a long way. Kudos to Maggie’s owner and yes, good girl Maggie!

11/03/2024

Please share! We've got some amazing students looking to start their service-dog journey, but they need your help! Please drop us a line if you know of any dogs available for adoption in the Philly area that match the description in the post. You could help us both rescue a dog and improve someone's life!

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween!! Here’s Bailey at an offsite location during a recent training session. In addition to in home visits, we often travel to various offsite locations based on the dog’s training needs. It’s always centered around their comfort level and set to their pace. Bailey had a fun day exploring and the location provided a great opportunity to work on his reactivity issues.

10/27/2024

Maggy, an adorable, 5 month old mini poodle has joined the family of a previous client. She was initially rescued from a Missouri breeder and then fostered. She quickly became a foster failure… no surprise! These two are quite the pair ❤️. Red is teaching Maggy the ropes and has helped build her confidence, and the two engage in play. Adding a new puppy goes well beyond teaching basic cues, potty and crate training. Daily interactions between the two that involve food, toys, space, family attention, etc must be monitored and managed. Becoming a multi-dog household has its challenges. We are excited to work with Maggy and Red! Adding another dog or puppy? We can help with the transition. Reach out today!

10/24/2024

Guinness is a friendly, young heeler/hound mix who engages in barking and running the fence line as cars go back and forth. A partial tarp was added but the behavior continues. He is also conditioned to know when a car will pass by from the sound of opening/closing doors. His intelligence, breed and energy guarantees he will find ways to create a satisfying job for himself and gain attention from his owner. Be aware- someone is always getting trained, the person or the dog! The more a dog engages in this behavior the more it’s reinforced so his family called us for help. His reactivity has also escalated to include passing cars and bikes when riding in a car. High on our training list is consistent training , impulse control, mental/physical needs, counterconditioning/desensitizing exercises, recall and management. ❤️🐶

10/15/2024

10/04/2024

Portuguese water dog lovers check out Maks and Bailey! This beautiful pair is very sweet, has a zest for activity and is highly intelligent.
Their owner is experienced with the breed and provides them with activities to stimulate both mind and body. She reached out for help with Bailey, the younger of the two. He is reactive on leash and at the sight of other dogs. A trauma caused by an assault by another dog, prior to Bailey’s maturity, has created a wariness of them. He is hyper vigilant on walks and presents with jumping and lunging at them. These are fear-based, distance increasing behaviors. In other words, while some dogs will take flight, Bailey acts threatening and scary to make them go away. He has redirected on to Maks and his owner based on frustration and not being able to access his intended target. It is evident that Bailey’s emotional state is related to his fears and lack of confidence.
Our training plan will address these issues with exercises and behavior modification:
-Confidence Building
-Counterconditioning/Desensitizing
-Impulse Control
-Fear-free Handling Exercises
- Management
We look forward to working with Bailey and his family.
Having similar issues? Canine Calling will evaluate your situation and start a personalized training program - reach out today!

09/25/2024

We love the "Find it Game" as a fun way to build a dog's confidence and provide them with mental stimulation. It has done just that for Geoffrey. It's easy, you can begin right in your house. It's important to set a dog up for success so at first hide a few treats in nearly plain sight.
As they get better at it, expand the area and places in which treats are hidden. Eventually, you can up it to different rooms and heights. Geoffrey has worked up to a more challenging step of the game. The first video shows his nose at work - where are the treats?!? In time, he successfully pulls open the drawer to find the prize. Great job Geoffrey!!

09/13/2024

Sloppy sit vs. neat sit. We often see dogs with what is called a sloppy sit. This means they sit with their hind legs out to the side instead of directly under their hips. It’s common in puppies since they are flexible and still developing. Their bones, ligaments and joints continue to strengthen throughout puppyhood. Older dogs with a consistent sloppy sit could indicate there is a possible health issue. Always have your pup checked out by a vet if you are unsure and suspect problems. The correct sitting position in a dog will have legs close to the body with alignment. So what can be done to correct the sloppy sit? We use various types of platforms to help strengthen hind legs. Dogs are encouraged through praise and treats. Most important have patience and always keep the exercises upbeat and fun.

09/08/2024

Does your dog love to dig?? Here is info on why.

Dog's aren't digging because they want to drive you crazy. It can be to satisfy instincts, or it can just be satisfying for a dog to dig.