Sit Stay Succeed Dog Training

06/22/2025

Teaching a stay!! Share a photo of YOUR dog in a "stay" in the comments below!

Why teach stay? This is a fantastic skill for your dog to learn. It helps develop impulse control and can be used in many different scenarios, such as: waiting in your vehicle after you open the door, waiting at a threshold, standing still for a photo, preventing your dog from interacting with other dogs, learning to relax on a mat, waiting for a meal, and of course if you compete in obedience competitions.

We typically teach implied stays but we will also teach a "wait", which can be a shorter, more informal version of "stay", depending on the scenario and your goals.

What is your favorite use of the cue "stay"?

06/20/2025

For us, its balls, the snoop, and the bob-a-lot under the bed 😅 What ends up under your couch?

06/18/2025

Keep training sessions short and fun! For most formal training, we actually recommend starting with even shorter sessions than on the graphic, just a couple minutes long. Then as your dog is able to build focus and shows they are understanding what you are asking, you can increase the length of the sessions. Even then, you don't need to try and schedule hour long sessions into your already busy day! Yes, when I come to your home we have a lengthy session, but it is made up of smaller components and we do take breaks. Just a short session here and there, throughout your day, is all you need! And for informal training (something you should pair with formal training), simply take the opportunity to reward your dog in the moment for doing things you like! That's it!

06/16/2025

Puppies! ...

Puppies go through several developmental stages so let's chat a bit about what they are experiencing and approaches to training.

Socialization Period:

- 3 to 14 weeks (or 16, depending on who you ask)
- Curious
- Rapid learning
- Forming critical associations
- Open to new experiences and less fearful

Focus on socializing with people, other dogs, animals, sounds, experiences, and novel experiences to help develop confidence and resilience.

Training sessions should be short, 2-5 minutes long several times a day, utilizing food, toys, and praise to reinforce behaviors. Work on name recognition, targeting, sit, down, recall foundations, introduction to leash skills, body handling, impulse control, crate training, separation training, and polite greetings. Reinforce calm behavior. Start mat training. Consider that behaviors learned as puppies will be behaviors you will see as an adult, so address what you want to see early on. Puppies don't simply "grow out" of behaviors.

Juvenile and Adolescent Period:

- 3 to 6 and then 6 to 16 months (or thereabouts)
- Increased confidence and independence
- Increased energy and less impulse control
- Around 6 to 8 months they enter adolescence, where their brain starts to change
- Start to test boundaries to see how much control they have over their environment
- Possible fear periods

Continue building on prior skills and increase difficulty of your asks. Start adjusting the 3 Ds, one at a time. Continue with working on leash skills and mat work. Focus on rewarding calm in different scenarios to assist with emotional regulation. Wait, leave it, settle (mat work in new areas). Start tug work after teething is complete at 6 months (this works well for dogs who have a solid play drive and addresses impulse control). Keep sessions shorter, but you can increase their length depending on the skill you are working on and where your dog is at emotionally. Maintain positive reinforcement. When adolescence hits, you may need to take a few steps back to help your dog through fear periods or through those times he may find learning difficult (due to the hormonal changes his body is going through). Remember, your dog at 6+ months of age is like a teenager- he isn't intentionally ignoring you or engaging in behaviors to 'get back' at you. He is struggling emotionally and cognitively, which may be more evident at some times than others. Address any new behaviors that may pop up as maturing progresses. You may see new behaviors such as jumping, barking, digging, or destruction of items your dog has access to. Stay patient and be as consistent as possible.

Adulthood:

- 16 to 24 + months (depending on the breed, some may mature sooner or later)
- Preferences may change on what dogs they want to engage with, if any
- Mental and emotional maturity
- More consistent energy (fewer spurts)
- Less impulsive

These dogs still require mental and physical stimulation but their moods will be more stable and they will be able to think more clearly on a more consistent basis. Habits they learned as puppies tend to become ingrained - this goes for both habits you like, and habits you may have let them "get away" with. It is much better to teach manners while the dog is young. They can be addressed once the dog matures, but it can take a lot longer to effect change as the dog has a longer reinforcement history of the behavior in question (ie. jumping up to greet).

Most important of all, enjoy your puppy! Build your relationship through positive training and remember to take a deep breath and be patient when things don't go as planned. Dog training isn't a straight line. You and your dog both will have good days and bad days. Its better to end a training session or even give several days off rather than forcing your dog. He won't learn if he can't think clearly, whether its due to stress, anxiety, fear, or even overstimulation due to excitement.

Do you have a new puppy and are not sure where to start? Or an adolescent that seems to be out of control? Let's chat!

06/14/2025

We welcomed a new team to the monthly socialization walk today! While our group was smaller than usual, it was still a good time. These walks can be highly beneficial, even with just a couple dogs. It may seem like "just a walk" but so much more is going on beneath the surface. You are teaching social dogs to be neutral around other dogs and fearful or anxious dogs to gain confidence. This all results in a more pleasant walking experience, for you, and your dog. Join us next month when we go to Occoneechee! Contact us to see if your dog would be a good fit and to register.

06/10/2025

Its that time of year! Please please please leave your dogs at home when you are out running errands. It doesn't take any time at all for your vehicle to heat up, which could have devastating effects on your dog. Even if you leave the ac on, some vehicles will eventually shut off after a certain time, putting your dog in danger without you even realizing it.

Vehicles, however, aren't the only thing to consider in the summer.

Over-exercising your dog or working your dog in the heat without ways for your dog to cool down can also be extremely harmful. Some dogs have such high drive that they would rather continue playing fetch (or otherwise engage in an activity they love) instead of taking a break. Also, dogs that belong to brachycephalic breeds or dogs that are young, old, overweight, or have pre-existing health conditions are also at risk. Just putting your dog in the shade may not be enough to cool them down.

Signs of heat stroke:

-heavy panting
-drooling
-bloody diarrhea
-vomiting
-weakness
-confusion
-seizures
-collapse

If you feel your dog is showing signs of distress, immediately spray cool water on their head, neck, chest, feet, and abdomen. Immerse them if possible, or use a fan in a well ventilated area. And, contact your vet! If your dog is already showing even more severe signs, start to cool them off, get them in front of your vehicle's ac vents, and head directly to the emergency vet.

You can enjoy the warmer days with your dog, but be smart about it! Take many breaks, offer cool water in the shade, and shorten your playtime/walks/excursions. Consider shorter sniffy walks instead of lots of running or frisbee. Or if you must exercise, do it in the early morning when it is coolest, or later in the evening. Add indoor enrichment to keep their minds busy and to work off some of that energy.

What are some ways you keep your dog cool in the summer?

06/09/2025

Happy Monday! Join us this Saturday, June 14th, at 830am at the to***co Heritage Trail in Boydton for our monthly Socialization Walk.

This event is perfect for helping dogs gain confidence or to be neutral in the presence of other dogs. It is a great opportunity to walk with other people, especially if this isn't something you have a regular opportunity to do. Group walks are immensely helpful for fearful or anxious dogs as much as they are helpful for super social ones. However, this is not the appropriate program for aggressive dogs.

One dog per handler. 6ft leashes (no flexi-leads) and proof of current vaccinations are required. Please register in advance. $15/dog.

Shoot us a message if you have any questions or to let us know you will be joining us. If you aren't sure if your dog would be a good fit, tell us a little about your dog, too.

So far it looks like rain is only in the forecast for Saturday afternoon, so hopefully we will be in the clear!

Hope to see you out there!

06/05/2025

Good information to know:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1XViUdFEve/?mibextid=xfxF2i

🚨 Water Intoxication is REAL — Especially in Herding Breeds 🚨
(Read this. It could save your dog’s life.)

Herding breeds like Malinois and others often LOVE water — but their intensity and drive can actually put them at serious risk.

💧 Chasing sprinklers.
💧 Biting at the hose.
💧 Repeated water retrieves.
💧 Endless swimming with an open mouth.

👉 All of these can cause your dog to swallow large amounts of water — more than their body can safely process.

Water intoxication (also called water poisoning or hyponatremia) happens when the body’s sodium levels get dangerously diluted. The cells begin to swell — including in the brain.

It can happen FAST — in as little as 20–30 minutes of high-drive water play.

Symptoms to watch for:
⚠️ Lethargy or weakness
⚠️ Vomiting
⚠️ Staggering / loss of coordination
⚠️ Bloating
⚠️ Glazed eyes
⚠️ Seizures
⚠️ Collapse

This is a true emergency — untreated, it can be fatal.

⸻

How to prevent it:
✅ Limit intense water play (don’t let your dog obsessively bite water)
✅ Build in frequent breaks
✅ Never allow unsupervised water access with hoses or sprinklers
✅ Watch for signs of fatigue — don’t let their drive override their safety
✅ Use flat retrieves (floating toys) instead of encouraging mouth-open “bite the water” play

⸻

Herding dogs don’t self-regulate well when in drive — and water intoxication is one of those risks many owners aren’t warned about.

Please share to help other working dog owners stay aware! 🐾

06/02/2025

This is an important point to remember!

First, training can be active or passive. Active training is when you are engaging in formal sessions. This can be in a class or time during the day that you specifically focus on a skill or skills. So, specifically working on sit, down, stay, or doing behavior modification, for example. Sessions can be short and sweet, just a couple minutes, or more lengthy as your dog shows he is ready for that.

In contrast, passive training happens ALL the time. It is taking advantage of training in the moment, as dogs are constantly taking in information about what they are doing and how rewarding it is. So, what is their behavior while you are sitting at the table eating, what happens when they jump up to lay next to you on the couch, or how do they respond when a visitor enters the house.

This can seem overwhelming, but don't worry! It is more about helping you to be aware that every moment is an opportunity for your dog to learn. You can then make your own decisions on when to reward a behavior and what your preferences are while interacting with your dog throughout the day. In other words, what is important to you training wise, and what has your dog learned in any given situation.

Remember, dogs repeat behaviors that are rewarded, whether the training is active or passive. Many behaviors are also self-rewarding, which means the dog will continue to engage in a given behavior in the future because it works for him in the past, whether you intended it to, or not. So, be ready to reward your dog, both actively and passively, rather than simply allowing him to act on his own accord. He will make a choice, and it may not be one you prefer.

So now we know when to train, but when would we choose not to train? You will want to consider not training, or, modifying the training, when your dog is:

- sick, injured, or in pain
- over threshold and over stimulated
- not ready for that particular difficulty level
- frustrated or not understanding
- distracted by the environment or triggers
- otherwise overwhelmed
- fearful, anxious, or even tired

If your dog is any of the above, he will struggle with learning.

You also need to consider whether or not training will be effective if you are not managing behavior that you do not prefer. Your dog will not learn alternative, positive behaviors if he is still allowed to engage in those that have always worked for him in the past, such as jumping up on guests.

You also need to be sure that you are being clear and consistent with training. If you are not able to do so, your dog will struggle to understand what you are asking.

If you are not cool, calm, and collected, your dog can not only pick up on your body language but also your tone. If you are angry and lack patience, it is better to skip the training and come back when you are more level headed.

It is ALWAYS ok to take a step back or to completely take a break for the rest of the day.

What scenarios have you experienced where you chose NOT to train?

05/31/2025

Liz Smith and Robin Talbott Swope well done!! This dog is showing stress signals in response to a trigger.

It is important to note that you (the owner) should take the entire situation into context - your dog's normal behavior and responses to both stressful and normal events and how many signs you observe at one time.

Using my male german shepherd as an example of what sometimes isn't a stress response...

While "whale eye" is usually a very obvious sign of stress, Kaiser would often "cut" his eyes at me when he was NOT stressed. He was usually being playful and sassy, the expression often being followed by a play bow, happy bark, or other invitation to engage.

So, you know your dog best!!

Practice reading your own dog's body language during positive interactions so you have a good baseline to go by.

Then when you start observing some of these stress signs, you can determine if they are in or out of context based on that baseline.

However if you constantly see several of these signs together, even when you think your dog is at his positive baseline, he may be harboring more anxiety on a regular basis than you may have expected.

Dogs under constant stress would benefit from a trainer or behaviorist that can determine the root cause of that stress and anxiety (we can help!). In some cases, a veterinary behaviorist may be indicated to help with a medication plan. Many people shy away from meds, but when administered correctly they can help your dog think more clearly, which will then allow any CC/DS to be effective. If your dog is too stressed, learning will never occur.

Now, if you DO have a positive baseline and you see these (and other) responses to a specific trigger, now you have information!! What was happening immediately prior to these behaviors being displayed? What did your dog do in response to the trigger. And, what did YOU do in response to seeing these signs in your dog?

We can learn what scenarios not to put our dogs in and what scenarios we can control to help with learning.

Some common triggers might be someone getting into your dog's face, petting over the head, hugging or kissing. Others could be a big noise like the garbage truck, something moving quickly like a skateboard, or even another dog. Cutting nails, cleaning ears, brushing teeth and general body handling are also common triggers. Fireworks or thunderstorms are common as well. And, even strong or new scents, like what a dog might experience at the vet's office, can be a trigger.

What are some triggers that you have noticed for your dog? What kind of behaviors and responses to those triggers have you observed?

Note: there are MORE stress signals and calming signals (see our prior posts about these) than what is indicated in the photo, so when in doubt you can do a quick web search to see some of the other possibilities.

05/30/2025

GREAT example of how we can accidentally create a dog that resource guards. While children and puppies are obviously very different beings, in many ways they can also be quite alike.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1FJUQk9afv/?mibextid=D5vuiz

05/30/2025

Quiz time!!

Tell us what you see when you look at this photo! Can you describe specifically WHY you answered how you did?