Clovis Paws for Play Dog Training

06/09/2024

This is something my parents did with our Great Dane when I was a kid, back in the early 1970s before seatbelts for humans were commonly used.

If you have a dog that bolts, a scared dog or a dog you don’t know that you are transporting, this tip is super helpful. Close the handle of the leash in your door. That way you can grab it before ever opening the door. (It also helps keep the dog from moving around a bunch in the car.)

A couple points to clarify:

-ideally an impact resistant crate would be used for transport
-seat belts and tethers are also good when used with harnesses

Unfortunately there are lots of instances where people can’t afford or don’t have these items so a leash on the door is better than nothing.

Clarifying point 2:

This post isn’t necessarily for owners. If you own dogs, yes you should have proper safety equipment. But a lot of people transport dogs for various reasons and cannot always have dog safety equipment on board. People find loose dogs.

People transport for rescues and don’t control what the animal comes with. People foster and are given “supplies” which rarely include seatbelts/tethers and harnesses. And sometimes people have too many dogs to have space for enough crates.

This is just a quick tip for people who don’t have other safety measures. If you have those, great. If this post can save one dog from getting hit by a car then I’m ok with it.

06/09/2024

In case you need a cooling shelter for you and your pet, here’s a list of local pet friendly cooling shelters!

06/08/2024

I’m late getting this up for Pride month. Nick and I want everyone to know we are allies. Happy Pride Month.

06/06/2024

When teaching relief skills to a new puppy or dog, giving a food reward after witnessing the dog empty goes a long way to speed up the process. Last night it took multiple trips and close supervision to get Annabelle to potty. After she finally went, I gave her a treat. The next trip out, she immediately relieved. She is also on a schedule to meet her needs BEFORE she needs to go, and watched closely or crated when she cannot be watched.

05/16/2024

This morning’s adventures in dog training.

05/15/2024

Winner of The 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Sage, the Miniature Poodle!

Westminster Kennel Club - Monday & Tuesday, May 13 & 14, 2024

http://caninechronicle.com/?p=287432

05/12/2024

Happy Mother’s Day!

05/11/2024

My latest blog post.

How to deal with conflict arising from service dog access

05/10/2024

Now, I know, and I hope that everyone reading this would instantly say "No, no way, not ever could you get me to be mean, cruel, or abuse my dog".But, what if I told you there is a high possibility it could happen to you and your dog!!Let's go back to the 1960s when The Milgrim Experiment, " Underst...

05/01/2024

Join us on Monday, May 20th at 1pm Central to chat with Dr. Holly Tett to chat about what we do when things don't go as we planned. "Feel It First!" is an important part of changing, growing, and learning for both humans and dogs.

I hope you'll join us for this month's SD Handler Chat.

Please note the different day of the week! This month to accommodate our guest, this chat is on a Monday.

04/30/2024

04/21/2024

https://facebook.com/events/s/clovis-paws-for-play-public-ac/1471089593484862/? Come have some fun with PA training!

04/17/2024

April’s Service Dog Handler Talk, brought to us by Crazy W Calm Cainine Coaches. April’s discussion is about leash manners.

Crazy2Calm Canine Coaches is a collaborative effort that brings together various resources created and shared by our network of Trainers, Team Coaches, & Beh...

03/28/2024

Nick and I had to go out today. Nick was very good and tucked under the seat and out of the aisle, as much as he could. He rode the entire bus ride with his chin on my foot.











Image: A blue, corded Standard Poodle lying on his handler’s foot.

03/12/2024

Does your dog struggle and lose focus around distractions?

Pulling on the leash, barking, lunging and many other challenging behaviors happen when our dogs become over-excited. Common distractions include people, other dogs, and prey animals.

GOOD NEWS!

The Crazy2Calm Canine Coaches host a free workshop every year to help dog owners like you with teaching your dog to focus more on you when distractions show up.

Each year builds on the previous year!
Right now Years 1 & 2 are available on our website Crazy2Calm.net.

Year 3 takes place March 20th through 23rd! It's all totally free and available on our website!

Crazy2Calm Canine Coaches is a collaborative effort that brings together various resources created and shared by our network of Canine Coaches

03/05/2024

Yesterday was a fun outing at the zoo! We all had fun and learned a lot!

03/01/2024

In the dark ages of dog training, in the 1970s I learned dog training in 4-H. The only method used was punishment. Trainers had no shame in what they did to dogs because they were “animals”. My dog, and every dog in my group wore a choke chain, now called a slip chain to make it sound nicer. Its primary function was to tighten around the neck and constrict the airway. Trainers today more commonly use prong or pincher collars, the kind with metal or plastic tines that dig into the skin before choking the dog. As an adult, I had a dog with a barking issue. A trainer suggested a shock barking collar. That left burn marks after the first use and was stopped.

We have learned much since those dark days. No one, dog, human or other being can lean when afraid or in pain, other than to avoid what’s causing the pain. Humans, dogs, and all other beings learn best when rewarded in some way for getting something right. We also learn it better and it becomes a stronger behavior.

In the past I have mistakenly listened to “trainers” who claimed to know more and were extremely insistent that my animals needed a punitive tool to learn. This completely backfired because the timing of the punishment occurs when the dog is over threshold, and unable to learn. The better option is to get more distance as soon as possible, manage the situation. The dog is having emotions that are too big for learning to occur.

Focus, attention, heeling, and desire can easily be taught without pain and fear, as well as all advanced and complex behaviors.

I’ve learned a lot from Nick. The biggest lesson has been to stand up for him, and not allow others that don’t know how to deal with over excited hyper prey drive dogs to pass judgment on him or how I train.