29K9 Dog Training

18/07/2025

Jeepers went to the vet today, He did it on the buddy system as we also took Gibbs. I used it as a chance to get a little socializing in as well as setting a positive experience by having a bag of treats that I gave everyone we met. I watched 4 people manhandle one dog onto the scale, so I'm sure the staff was appreciative that both Gibbs and Jeepers hopped right on the scale. This is where cooperative care comes in. Practice the skill. You can use touch for placement, then sit or wait. Use a matt, or a klimb, to get them used to stepping up onto a different surface. Have them walk on from the end rather than the side. Having to be manhandled onto a scale can set the wrong tone for a vet visit. Jeepers did great for her visit. I really appreciate having a great vet staff that makes the visit easier.

17/07/2025

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐲 𝐏𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠?

Whining is the first vocalization used in communicating. They whine to get mom’s attention. Eventually they also start yipping and growling. So it’s not untoward that they whine to get our attention, at least when they first join our families.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠?

First, make sure all needs are being met. Feed, water, potty and sleep are the main ones. If your puppy is whining consistently and or inconsolably you may need to talk to your vet to make sure there is nothing physically wrong.

Next, set a fairly good schedule. If the above items happen at about the same time every day your puppy will build confidence and comfort in this routine.

Now it is time to begin your training. I don’t mean drill sergeant training. Intimidating them at this age may increase the whining as it builds anxiety and stress. Instead, focus on communication based exercises, such as name game, focus, touch. Then add in Control Unleashed pattern games that will help you build your relationship, encourage communication, give your puppy skills to face the world.

Finally, make sure your puppy has a quiet place he can relax and sleep. Puppies should sleep about 20 hours per day. Just like we get cranky and stressed when we don’t get enough sleep, so do puppies.

And one last note, don’t throw everything at them right away. They don’t need to meet all the neighbors, friends, coworkers. They don’t need to go to a dog park or meet and greet every dog. Give them one or two new exposures per day and then give them time to process those exposures.

I won’t say don’t respond to whining. If that’s how your puppy is telling you something, then listen. As your relationship strengthens and your puppy gains the confidence and skills to handle their world, the whining should subside.

To help with the whining at our house we have been rewarding good behavior. If he sits or lays down while we are doing something we drop a few treats or grab a toy. He has a bed in the kitchen (where I spend a lot of time) where he relaxes, plays with a toy and naps.

16/07/2025

"Mum, can I pat the dog"?

"Sure....go ahead....just make sure you put your hand right up into their face"

What could possibly go wrong?

We were all taught this as children.
Time to teach our children a better way now.

Dog trainers tend to disagree with the "hands in faces" advice.
Some insist they must smell your hand because of the Jacobson's organ that allows a dog to gather far more information.
Now while this can help dogs gather more information....that is still way too close.

People also tend to encourage "sniffing hands" when a dog is showing signs of being scared or "nervy".
For me....that's another good reason not to greet a dog like that.

Will it work for some dogs...yes.
Should it be a universal way to greet dogs?
Heck no.

When we put our hands in a dogs face we are encouraging them to come closer....sometimes before they are emotionally ready

Many dogs don't trust hands.

The easiest way to gain trust is to ignore them.

They will show you when they are ready for more

15/07/2025

So proud of Jeepers! We've started putting multiple cues together. Sorry, I am off sides, but you can hear me say Jeepers, touch. Once he comes and touches I ask for sit and then down. That's when I mark the behavior with a click and he gets the reward. He's doing very well with his crate training and he's beginning to cue us that he has to go outside. Yesterday a very large and loud semi drove by on our walk. He stopped, then backed up a few steps to give himself a little more space. I let him dictate what we were going to do. Once the truck passed he moved forward again and was ready to resume the walk. Letting him make that choice helps build the trust that I won't put him in a situation he isn't ready for.

14/07/2025

Today's video is the first stage of Leave It. I have a treat in my hand and when she makes any motion away from it I am marking and rewarding. I have placed an exclamation point on the video where she pulls away. You'll note my click is about a half second behind because my brain processes a little slower than the video does, LOL. If you mark at the wrong time (it happens) go ahead and reward and don't make anything of it. If you keep going it will work itself out. There is a black exclamation point where I say ow and pull me hand away. This is because I felt teeth. If you feel teeth say ow (do not yelp!) and remove your hand. The dog will quickly figure out this ends the game and the rewards. At the end of the video I do this exercise in the same set up with RuhRoh so you can see how it comes together. I love Leave It. It's the most important cue living in the desert, it's also important in the home as you are teaching boundaries. Set your snack down and it's a leave it. Don't tell them leave it on something they will eventually have as it they will learn it as wait a moment instead of leave it forever, losing the effectivemess of the cue.

13/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/deminganimalshelter/posts/pfbid02TbKB7iLFaHAXd7J9nqksgCwa1DEdHU735Qm63S6jcfgKYuRxorkRwAVBU6VP6LoZl

13/07/2025

The dog determines what is the reward and what the value of that reward is. Zoinks could've cared less about treats but loved a sip of water from the water bottle.

The same goes for an aversive. The dog determines what is aversive. Obviously, a yank from a prong collar or a zap from an ecollar are aversive. But it could be something that seems neutral to you or even that you think should be fun. Some dogs find the squeak from a squeaky toy aversive. Sound sensitive dogs may find the click from a clicker aversive.

When working with reactive dogs barking to make the other dog go away and then the dog going away is rewarding...maybe even more so than the aversive you apply in an attempt to stop the behavior. Or the trigger may be signaling to your dog that the aversive is coming so they try to get the other dog to go away before the aversive is applied, not realizing it is their own barking/lunging that is signaling you to apply the aversive.

That repetition isn't random.
Why on earth do they keep doing it?
It worked!
We may not be able to see the "obvious" reward they are getting.....but they know it.

Straining on a walk ➡️They will get there just a little bit more with every step.
Jumping on visitors➡️Often rewarded by attention and pats.
Reacting to a trigger➡️Trigger eventually left

A reward to your dog is what they deem to be a reward....it isn't determined by us.

No food?
No pats?
It doesn't matter.

If it "felt" rewarding....they'll likely do it again.

Our job?
We need to figure out how they were rewarded and stop that cycle.

If we understand what's fueling it.....we are half way there.

11/07/2025

Jeepers and I were again hanging on the bed and I decided to do a little training. It was our first session for "Touch" so there is no verbal cue being used, just capturing the natural behavior of touching my hand (in this case, two fingers) placed near his snout. Because we had "loaded the clicker" previously (teaching him that the click means reward will happen) he quickly caught on how to make that click happen. I started moving my hand in different places and different positions to confirm this. We kept it short and then I ended with a couple of Name Game just to keep that fresh. We'll do another session in a different room before I try adding the verbal cue. I want to make sure the behavior is solid, first. Touch is an important cue. Not only does it give your dog a connection to you that can help in new environments it also is the first step in many other behaviors, especially if you are looking at doing tricks or even service dog tasks.

11/07/2025

Speaking of puppy nipping, I wanted to share this Opie G Ring tug toy that Jeepers just loves. I get these and Tazzy Tugs from a lovely lady, Sherri Butcher, who makes and sells them to raise money for a rescue. If you are interested you can reach her at the Princess Willow's Palace group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/376665269622676

10/07/2025

Jeepers is now 9 weeks old and full of personality. He's also hitting that stage where he can become quite nippy (aka the sharkoraptor stage). The top four reasons why your puppy switches from sweet to sharkoraptor are easy to work with.

𝟏. 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Too much is happening at any given time. Try limiting how much is happening at once and giving breaks.
𝟐. 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝. Keep a schedule and provide a quiet area where your puppy can take frequent naps.
𝟑. 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝. Everyone wants to play with the new puppy, each in a different way. Teaching calmer ways to play will help the puppy keep their emotions regulated.
𝟒. 𝐀𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. Watch your puppy's reactions to the environment. Maybe fewer people, quieter noise, toys that can be overwhelming. Reduce those triggers, giving your puppy time to acclimate to one at a time from a distance that feels safe for your puppy.

Also, be sure to have a variety of toys that meet different chewing needs to offer as an alternative.

If you have questions, if these things suggestions don't help, reach out to a force free/fear free trainer. The APDT Association for Professional Dog Training International has a trainer search. Ask your local trainer what their accreditations or memberships are. APDT, IAABC, KPA, Fear Free Pets are just a few. This is important. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior states "𝘙𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴 – 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩, 𝘣𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 – 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴."