Carwyn is improving and handling distractions much better. Mom barking no longer disrupts her focus.
Little John demonstrates some of his recent skills. Our Hold and Place work is going well.
Let's talk about walks! Good leash skills are important and proper leash handling is key. Little John and Carwyn are only just 4 months old. We have been exposing them to collars ans harnesses since they were 3 weeks old, and leash handling since 6 weeks old. You do not need leash pops to get positive results. A proper front latch harness can help redirect a lot of pulling, and doesn't encourage pulling in older dogs where it has already become an established behavior. Practicing different speeds and changing direction quickly teaches your dog to focus on YOU with the walk. Look At Me is a great tool, and you should ask them for that behavior while on leash starting our. Remember to be engaged. Your dog is relying on you to be aware. So put the phone away, put your head up, and eyes forward and walk with confidence. They will feel and reflect this behavior.
Dog socialization is very important. Always remember to take it slow, let the dogs set the pace. You never want to force your dog into a situation they are not ready for yet. Introduced Little John and Carwyn to my nephews dog Cora. After nearly an hour of staring and hiding, the first play bow was offered. Now they are getting off to be best of friends.
Remember, patience will always get you better results than force!
Roxie and Little John playing. She is very gentle, and the love that she has for her pups is amazing to see and beautiful to watch. People who think animals don't feel emotions are simply wrong. Here she is being gentle and teaching him about play and boundaries and how to respectfully engage with other dogs. And she does it with love. And he loves his mommy.
Resource guarding is a very natural behavior for dogs. With work and practice, you can help dogs learn to share and be less guarded. Nothing better on a rainy day than everyone chewing treats together.
Nothing like a solid game of Frisbee before a walk to get the minds of working dogs into action. She couldn't be happier.
Learning time with mommy is important for puppies until 12 weeks of age. Today we are practicing tug o war and how to play politely with other dogs. These two are doing so well and learning to be polite members of any household.
Happy Valentines Day everyone! Today the pups got to play with a few enrichment toys with mommy. Mental enrichment is so crucial do maintaining a dogs energy levels and supporting a healthy brain and problem solving behaviors. It allows dogs to think and use their nose to solve complex problems. When dogs use their nose, it releases endorphins in the brain that promotes calm and helps them learn. By watching mommy, they were able to start figuring out how to get the rewards for themselves after just a few minutes. This is essential for all dogs health and long term happiness, and it something I recommend for every dog!
Little John, 9 weeks old today. Practicing Look, Down, and Sit while becoming desensitized to a new piece of equipment, the harness. I leave the harness on for 10 to 20 minute periods a few times a day while pairing that activity with skills and rewards they are familiar with and comfortable doing.
Carwyn, 9 weeks old today. Practicing Look and sit while becoming desensitized to a new piece of equipment, the harness. I leave the harness on for 10 to 20 minute periods a few times a day while pairing that activity with skills and rewards they are familiar with and comfortable doing.
Let's talk about walks! Walking with your dog is one of the best ways to bond and help them burn mental and physical energy. I added a backpack here because Roxie is a Cattle Dog, a working class breed, and the backpack helps her to feel like she is doing a job, fulfilling a need to do work for her. The backpack also helps offer some spinal stability for dogs prone to IVDD (Invertebrate Disk Disease) which is common amongst long spined dogs. And the walks and a mild canter help support her spinal column and build back muscles. While she is still losing that momma puppy weight walks are going to be key to getting her fit and happy.
The puppies are full of spunk this morning. Also starting to figure out how to stop when mom says enough. Learning dog language and behavior is so important for puppies at this stage in life. It teaches them how to let other dogs know their boundaries and builds confidence in stepping up for themselves. It is always best to keep puppies with their mother until 10 to 12 weeks old.
I want to talk about how important it is for dogs to spend time with their parents until they reach 10 to 12 weeks old. The mother dog teaches the babies so much, it is incredibly valuable for a dogs long term stability to spend as much time with the parent as possible. Here, Roxie is teaching the puppies some play, and offering bite retention. Teaching them how to be gentle with their mouths is something we humans can direct, but it can take a lot of time. Letting the mother show her pups how to engage in safe, gentle play is rewarding for both mother and pups.
This has been an exciting week of work with the puppies. We have nearly mastered sit, we got a head start on potty training, and I've begun getting them used to leash walking. They have met cats, another dog, and been introduced to children. Next week we will begin learning "Look at Me" and "Down" as we continue work on potty training. I'll post videos of the work throughout the week!
I'm currently stuck at home with Covid, so I am going to take advantage of the home time during quarantine to further their training and keep up with videos.
