Wonder Dogs

04/01/2025

Attention!

Why train it?
Because getting your dog’s focus with a single effort is very useful. You can distract him from enticing trash in the street, for example, or keep his eyes on you when walking past another dog. You can more easily get your dog to come when called or walk nicely on a leash if you can get his attention. Plus, dogs that are rewarded for paying attention do it more. And attentive dogs are easier to train!

Exercises 1-5 progress from most simple (for dog and human) to most difficult. The more difficult exercises install more self control in your dog. Depending on the difficulty of a given environment, you might decide to gather your dog’s attention in different ways. Work on each exercise in five different locations to make sure your dog can respond to his attention cues in new places and with new distractions.

How to teach it:
Exercise 1. Helper Sound: Use an interesting noise to cause your dog to look at you. Click and treat.

Exercise 2. Name Recognition: When your dog is looking at the environment, say her name cheerfully only once. Click and treat when she looks at you. If she doesn’t, use a helper sound, then click and treat.

Exercise 3. Up/Down: every time he looks up at you, click and place a treat down on the ground.
Left/Right: every time he looks at you, click and alternate placing a treat to the left or right.

Exercise 4. Voluntary Check-In: In a low-distraction area, stand still and quiet. Wait for your dog to voluntarily look up at your face. Click and treat. To add difficulty, add distractions or movement.
Exercise 5. Duration: When she looks at you, click and feed 3-5 treats in a row for sustained focus, then say your release cue. Easy version: treats delivered rapid fire. Hard version: treats delivered every 5-10 seconds.

For more support teaching attention, check out Essentials 1, Puppy 2, and Chill Out.

03/30/2025

What is it?
The dog willingly and voluntarily spits out what is in their mouth. To teach this, you must practice with safe items that are OK for her to have, and you must practice when you are prepared and ready. When she unexpectedly grabs a sock, it is NOT time to practice give, but if you have practiced recently, this interaction will go smoothly.

Can’t I just take it away?
No! The more humans steal the treasured sock/paper towel/acorn from their dogs, the more dogs avoid us by running away, hiding under furniture, or growling/snapping/swallowing to prevent the humans from
stealing. This confrontational human behavior actually creates and maintains the undesirable behavior of stealing/guarding regardless of the original reason (some dogs do it to get attention, some dogs just love novel objects) and can cause serious aggression in dogs.

How to teach it:
Exercise 1. Start a fetch game: As your dog comes back with the toy, click when she is within arms reach. When she spits out the toy, treat and toss the toy again. With repetition, delay the click until she spits out the toy, treat and toss the toy again. Eventually add “drop it” as she approaches you, then click and treat.

Exercise 2. Start a 30-second tug game: While still holding the toy, freeze by becoming very still and boring, waiting for your dog to let go. Click as soon as she does, give her two treats, and go back to playing.

Exercise 3: Treat & Retreat: Exercise 3. Treat & Retreat: When your dog is chewing her own toy, approach her cheerfully and offer a treat. Click when she lets go of the toy to eat the treat. Leave the toy with her, walk away 10 feet and repeat.

Exercise 4. Trading Up: Scatter 5-10 super yummy treats right at her feet. Click when she spits out the item to snuffle up the treats, then quietly, calmly and slowly pick up the item. Give it back and repeat.

Important Tips:
You will need to teach leave it to prevent her from picking up things next time. Give does not teach her not to take things: “leave it” = don’t touch that; “give” = spit it out.

Balance the value of your treat against the value of your practice item. Too low and she won’t trade you for the treat, too high and she won’t want the practice item anymore.

Play these games without saying the verbal cue “drop it” initially. You’ll want to only associate it with success, so saying it when she’s slow to respond or unsure is unproductive. Wait until you see happy, enthusiastic responses, then start inserting your cue the instant before you think she’ll spit it out.

For more support teaching drop it, check out Puppy Preschool, Puppy 2, and Puppy 3.

03/10/2025

Want some help training health and hygiene behaviors? Tomorrow is TOENAIL TUESDAY! 6pm 😃only $30! 👏We can help you train your dog to tolerate brushing, bathing, toenails, ear/eye drops, wearing harnesses, wiping paws, etc Freddy had “Toenail Sunday” yesterday bc I knew I’d be busy helping ya’ll tomorrow 😁😁

02/27/2025

What is resource guarding? ⁠
Resource guarding is the term for a dog’s possessiveness about things she likes. Humans learn about sharing at an early age, but both humans and dogs dislike having their possessions stolen by others. We often expect dogs to cheerfully allow us to handle their toys or food without prior training. But protecting favorite things is as natural for dogs as it is for humans. That said, it is possible to teach your dog to share. ⁠
⁠
Why teach your dog to share? ⁠
For everyone’s safety. Possessiveness may be normal in dogs, but it is safer if you can take your dog’s Kong or food bowl when you need to. ⁠

Things dogs can be possessive about:
Food bowls (full or empty)
Squeaky toys / stuffed toys
Chew toys
Dog beds / Crates
Tennis balls
Icky things found on walks or in yard
Kongs
The prime spot on the couch or human bed
⁠
Learn strategies to prevent resource guarding in every single one of our puppy classes, or schedule a behavior consultation if your dog's inability to share is concerning.
⁠

02/25/2025

Leash Walking: Let's Go!

Why dog dogs pull?
Because humans walk too slow and they want to get to whatever is out ahead: Great smells, other dogs, open spaces, fun and adventure. As a strategy, it works! We let them drag us and they get to what they want faster. This is why it is best to teach dogs loose-leash walking as early as possible. Pulling is very rewarding to the dog, so the more he does it, the harder it is for him to give it up. If you have an expert puller, however, don’t despair. Any dog can be taught loose-leash walking with patience and consistency!

How to properly handle a leash:
• Feather: As the distance between you and the dog increases, allow the leash to glide through your hands without tension. Gather it up smoothly if your dog walks closer to you or stops to sniff.
• Follow: If your dog’s not pulling, follow that nose!
• Anchor: Keep your elbows bent at your sides and stop your feet if your dog is pulling.

Learn more about leash walking in Essentials 2: Stay, Come & Leash Walking or take our special elective course Let's Go! to focus four weeks dedicated to this alone.

02/14/2025

Using confinement is a valuable training tool to help your dog build good habits because it limits your dog’s opportunities to indulge in (and get reinforced for) bad habits. Confinement is place for your dog to stay when you can’t provide 100% supervision: when you are gone, busy around the house, or can’t keep your eyes on him the entire time. It prevents chewing and potty accidents, jumping on visitors, helps him settle calmly and teaches your dog it’s ok to be alone. Crates are indispensable management tools but you must make sure your dog likes the crate first. Your puppy’s feelings about the crate are like software for your computer, it won’t work until you install it, and it will need the occasional update! Install good feelings about the crate by feeding meals in the crate, spending time with her while she’s in the crate with a kong, and leaving treats in it when she’s not looking.

Sign up for a training class at Wonder Dogs to learn more!

$oregondogs

02/13/2025

It isn’t possible to socialize your puppy to everything he’ll
encounter in his adult life, but you can teach him this lesson: An interaction with something new usually has a good outcome.
Each new location has new smells, obstacles, people, dogs, objects, sounds, etc. It’s a lot to take in and handle. Your puppy views each new environment as a foreigner visiting a new country.

Do
Focus on the essentials. Take your puppy to experience a variety of places, people, dogs and situations he's likely to encounter in his life with you.
Don't
Get careless. Stay away from places that could damage your puppy’s health or behavior like the dog park or areas frequented by unfamiliar dogs until he’s prepared to handle them. (Puppies should be at least 6 months, for example, before they go to the dog park).
Do
Learn to read your puppy. Practice reading your puppy’s body language, particularly signs of stress. It’s easier than you think and will help you a great deal.
Don't
Force the issue. Never force your puppy to face something that scares him or makes him react intensely. Instead remove him from the situation and slowly work on building his confidence.
Do
Be safe and sensible. Give your puppy the best possible learning experiences while protecting him from harm.

Learn more do's and don'ts of socializing your puppy in one of Wonder Dog's popular puppy classes! Puppy 1: Preschool & Socialization and Puppy 2: Manner and More! are a great place to start with your puppy!

02/11/2025

The clicker is your gateway to effective communication.
Just like humans, dogs love to be right! The clicker allows us to communicate this extremely quickly and clearly. Clicker training is used to fast-track your goals but will only be used during the learning process. When the dog understands clicker training, it might show you the behavior spontaneously, trying to get you to click. That’s the time to add a cue: hand signal or verbal cue. Start clicking the behavior only if it happens during or after the cue. Spontaneous behavior gets praise but only treat if it happened on-cue. If your dog does not respond to a cue, it is not disobeying; your dog just isn’t reliable and they are still
learning, especially with distractions. Make the game easier and more motivating to increase success.

Sign up for a class at Wonder Dogs today to enhance your clicker skills!

02/02/2025

Muzzles are for everyone’s safety, including your dog’s!

01/31/2025

Helping a dog regulate their emotions is imperative so they can be more
responsive to their cues. Working through over-excitement, fear, anxiety, or frustration teaches your dog to
default to your judgement when their adrenaline spikes. Addressing a dog’s emotional needs is sometimes
the first step in training better manners, since adrenaline clouds the ability to think clearly.

01/29/2025

01/23/2025

Only a Few Spots Left! Register Today for Let's Go Classes

ELECTIVES: Single-Topic 4-week Intensive Courses

Let's Go! Polite Leash Manners

Walking your dog doesn't have to be a drag! This class will focus specifically on the foundation skills to make your walks a joy for both ends of the leash.

Topics & Skills Covered:

—Using your leash and body effectively
—Setting your training walks up for success
—Using food, play, and the environment to build and reinforce behavior
—Building voluntary attention from your dog
—Walking on one side of handler
—Resisting distractions
—Calmly passing dogs and people
—Enrichment ideas to keep walks interesting for everyone

Register here: https://wonderdogs.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=288

01/22/2025

Teach your dog to "Sit Pretty" and many other tricks in our Focus on: Tricks for Clicks workshop tomorrow at 7:30pm with instructor Jenn Michaelis!

Register Here: https://wonderdogs.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=317

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGQRHwm-3IA&list=PLPfEv_pKgm7fa54uxV_SYM-Y-DtVn_4WR&index=1

Jennifer Michaelis and her Chinese Crested "Ringo", demonstrate how to teach your dog to sit pretty.AKC Trick Dog titles are official AKC titles listed on th...

01/21/2025

Meet Ashley!

Ashley is an integral part of the Wonder Dogs Team as our Office Coordinator! In actuality her title should be Chaos Coordinator, since she is responsible for the overall coordination of a broad range of services and resources that allow the Wonder Dogs organization to operate efficiently. She keeps all of us in line with scheduling and registration using her organizational superpowers. Ashley shares her home with a German shepherd/pit bull mix named T. Rex, who is itching to start his career in nosework and parkour. He is currently in classes with instructor Carmen learning how to make friends and keep his excitement low.

01/17/2025

When does your dog need supervision?? It could be puppies playing with older dogs, or dogs of any age eating things like bones or hooves.

01/16/2025

Meet Jenn!

Jenn Michaelis is Wonder Dog's head trainer and behavior specialist.

Since 2003, she's been professionally coaching humans and training dogs, from Missoula, Montana to New York City, to Corvallis, Oregon, with lots of places in between. Her teaching style is upbeat, honest, and patient. She enjoys empowering dog guardians to create a well-behaved and cherished family member by combining practical and creative approaches that foster fast results.

Her past dogs have competed in Rally-FrEe, Musical Freestyle, and Canine Nosework. Her cane corso, Terra, is the first dog to earn Musical Dog Sport Association’s highest title: a Premier title, and the first dog to earn Rally Freestyle Element’s two highest freestyle titles: Musical Freestyle Grand Champion and Musical Freestyle Elite Grand Champion. Her chinese crested, Ringo, also earned his RFE Musical Freestyle Elite Advanced Title, loved demoing in class and enjoyed going to Camp Unleashed for nine years!

Her household is home to three dogs, Freddy, Izzy and Bear. Freddy is a 7-year-old beagle adopted as a retired show dog at age five. Freddy has high goals to be the beagle with the world's best food and off-leash manners, and performing in the canine sports of agility and canine musical freestyle. She of course also follows her nose and competes in nosework and scentwork.

Izzy and Bear moved to Oregon last year with Jenn's spouse, Adam, and they are learning the ropes of basic canine manners. Izzy is a 4 year old miniature pinscher/pug/border collie mix, and Bear is an 8 year old Great Pyrenees. They keep Jenn plenty busy with training tasks at home!

Jenn also enjoys clicker training other species, including her cats, Mr Leo and Mr Big, and her horse, Roger. Jenn and Roger have even been training in nosework for 10 years, proving that all species enjoy the enrichment and interaction of positive reinforcement!

"Animals are an amazing venue for connecting with other people and sharing the experiences that make us human. Dogs remind us to live in the present, to laugh daily and find joy in the little things."

01/14/2025

SOCIALIZING DOS AND DON’TS

DO:
Focus on the essentials. Take your puppy to experience a variety of places, people, dogs and situations he's likely to encounter in his life with you.

Go at your puppy’s pace. Consult your trainer about what’s right for your particular puppy.

DON'T

Get careless. Stay away from places that could damage your puppy’s health or behavior like the dog park or areas frequented by unfamiliar dogs until he’s prepared to handle them. (Puppies should be at least 6 months, for example, before they go to the dog park).

Befriend every dog you meet. Don’t let your puppy interact with every dog he comes across—not all dogs are friendly or healthy.

01/11/2025

🐾 Puppy 2: Manners and More 🐾

Time to take the next step in your puppy's education before they get any bigger! Using clear communication, calming techniques, and fun games, this class will continue to build on the polite manners and socialization introduced in Puppy Preschool. We'll help you lay the foundation for a friendly, confident, and well-rounded adult dog by creating structure and predictability.

Topics & Skills Covered:
Appropriate Socialization Guidelines for Each Individual Puppy:
Dogs, People, Sounds, Objects, Places
Identifying Abnormal Puppy Behavior
Basic Puppy Manners:
Sit, Down, Come, Leash Manners
Settling & Relaxing with Distractions
Reducing Normal Puppy Jumping & Nipping
Using Play to Teach Good Manners
Intro to Health & Hygiene Training
Crate Training & Potty Training
Intro to Clicker Training
Problem Solving Household Manners
Successful Use of Management & Predictable Routines

Please note: Our class curriculum is dictated by age and natural canine development stages, not skills acquired.

🐶 Enroll Now: https://wonderdogs.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=274