Cyrus in class last night! So proud of how far he has come.
Reactive dogs take years, consider training therapy, it takes a long time for therapy results to be seen. And when they’re in therapy it’s really important to set up for success to practice good behaviors.
He is slowly learning that I won’t let him be approached by other dogs or people and that gives him the confidence to go places and learn.
Some things I allow with Cyrus, sniffing, soft looking at other dogs and people, taking treats off the ground. I then reward heavily for engaging with me, laying down.
Great group walk on Thursday. We love hosting these and the friendships that are being made. #astoriaor #longbeachwa #ilwacowa #oceanparkwa #dogtrainerlongbeachwa #astoriadogtraining #astoriaordogs
Yesterday we worked at Petworks.
Today we spent some individual time at Home Depot.
Day training is an option both Cati and I offer. This is Rooster working on his skills and neutral dog training.
#astoriaor #longbeachwa #ilwacowa #oceanparkwa #dogtrainerlongbeachwa #astoriadogtraining #akc #astoriaordogs #lbdogtrainer #warrentonor #dogtrainingadvice
Good morning everyone! Cati here and I have a somewhat unusual topic of conversation today. Heather and I will always constantly advocate for knowing your dog and understanding when they are done so that you are not pushing them to fail in training. However, that is only one end of the leash. It is equally important that we think about ourselves and what we are and are not capable of maintaining on a day to day basis.
It's no secret that I use corrections and aversives in training. But the implementation of both requires that you are able to keep a level head. So what happens when you are pushed beyond the ability to control yourself? We need to recognize in ourselves when we do and don't have the patience to keep the trajectory of our training in check. You will do more damage to the working relationship by feeling like you have to keep pushing than if you take a minute to realize that this may not be the right time to keep going.
I actually had a fantastic example of this with Maisy just yesterday. I am working on the ability to increase the amount of excitement around her because she is a jumper. I am okay with a dog making mistakes when I test them. You can see this time and time again in some of the videos I post both here and on my personal page. I let dogs make mistakes on purpose. This is a set up so that I can fix errors in thinking/judgement.
I willingly admit that sometimes I don't have the patience to deal with the ramifications of my choices. In this particular scenario, I was setting her up to make a mistake, but she made a much bigger mistake than I could humanely correct in that moment in time. She managed to catch right below my eye down to my chin with her nails. Thankfully her owners keep her feet very well maintained, so the scratch was extremely superficial everywhere except by my mouth.
In the moment, I thought... 'Okay, let's try and fix this.' But after just a short period, I realized that I didn't have the mental wherewithal to keep goin
Cati is now hard at work on the Obedience retrieve over high jump as that is the only behavior that stands in the way of competing for the PCDX (Preferred Companion Dog Excellent) with Lyra.
Did you know the basis of all competition obedience is for companion dogs? It’s behaviors that we train to make our dogs welcome members of society. The term CD is literally short for Companion Dog. It demonstrates your dog can loose leash walk, sit, stand and stay for an exam, come when called, sit stay and down stay. The CDX or companion dog excellent moves onto drop on recall, position changes, and retrieving. All behaviors that are very handy when we are in public with our dogs.
When we work on behaviors and proof them
for titles we are also proofing them for real life scenarios.
Stays are a really good example of this. I put my dogs in stays nearly every day, from when I take them to a store, out to a food truck, or when working. Even in my home when I need to move things stays come in handy.
The crossover between companion training and training for a Companion Dog title comes down the level of proofing you aspire to (there are no treats, prong collars, or e collars allowed in an AKC ring) and your goals. At Arnicadia we want you to have the best relationship and life you can with your dog. Whether you compete, or simply want a dog who understands what you expect out of life.
Because the moments spent training are truly the best part of our day - and our dog’s day too!
#dogtrainingadvice #dogtrainer
Today’s game in the house was jumping. First just like this than some practiced retrieves. You can use a broomstick and some cans to set this up in your hallway. Keep the height low for young and old dogs. (Elbow height or less) Start by calling them or hopping over yourself and off you go!
