Bark Dog Training

12/25/2023

12/06/2023

What a great day for some nice sniff walks ❤ 🐾 So grateful for this BEAUTIFUL December weather!

11/23/2023

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Feeling so grateful for all of the wonderful clients and dogs I have met and worked with this past year!

09/30/2023

Who doesn't LOVE a good game of tug on a Saturday?! 💛 🐾

09/02/2023

Somedays can be frustrating.
Somedays can be discouraging.
Somedays feel like more mistakes and failures than any kind of progress.

Dog training is hard.
Failure and roadblocks are normal.
Don't give up.
Video your training. Assess your plan.
PIVOT.
Keep going.

When you're feeling defeated:

Take a break. Let your dog be a dog. Do something fun. Play a game with your dog, go for a sniff walk, snuggle, or play tug... Just let your dog be a dog and enjoy a moment of dogness with no expectations.

Work on something easy that your dog knows. Build back your confidence as well as your dogs. Just because it's not going well today, doesn't mean you've failed. Celebrate the little wins and and take one step at a time.
You'll get there. 💙

09/01/2023

To get started with cooperative care training and to set you and your dog up for a life of less stress reach out!

bark-dogtraining.com

08/29/2023

Cooperative Care | Crate Training

Your puppy had surgery the veterinarian tells you to prevent running and jumping for a week...
Your dog has been vomiting and has to stay in a small kennel overnight at the vet for observation and fluids...
Your house floods and you have to stay with family and your stressed dog starts chewing on their furniture when you leave...

If your dog has never learned that a crate is good...
your dog just had surgery, she's uncomfortable and in pain, and now she gets locked in this strange wire box...
you dog is sick, he feels terrible and now has to spend the night in a scary cage overnight...
your dog has never been to this house, and there's new noises and smells, and now when you leave you put her in this odd box that she can't get out of...

Versus a dog that has been crate trained and is happy to relax in a crate...
your dog just had surgery, she's uncomfortable and in pain, but she finds reassurance and comfort resting in her safe space...
your dog is sick, feels terrible, and even though he has to spend the night at the vet hospital, this kennel is similar to the crate at home and that is comforting...
your dog has never been to this house, there are new noises and smells, and you leave. You dog rests peacefully in the crate that's familiar and comfortable amidst all the other chaos of the day...

While crate training isn't 100% cooperative care training, it does utilize similar pattern games to get your dog comfortable and happy with being in a crate and is also very important to train before you need it.
There are so many benefits to teaching your dog that a crate is a pleasant, calm, and safe space to be.
A crate can be a place that encourages rest for a growing puppy, a safe place for an anxious dog to retreat, a place that reinforces calmness and impulse control for an over-excited dog, or an oasis for your dog to get a break away from that new puppy you just brought home.

08/28/2023

Cooperative Care | Muzzle Needs

In my opinion, all dogs should be muzzle trained. It doesn't matter how friendly or kind-hearted or laid back your dog is. They should be comfortable with wearing a muzzle.

Why?

🔹Because when dogs are in pain they can respond irrationally.

🔹Because when dogs are scared they can be unpredictable.

🔹Because when dogs feel trapped and out of options they may resort to using their teeth.

And if my dog is already in pain or is already scared and the vet or I need to use a muzzle for safety - if my dog isn't comfortable wearing a muzzle, I have now added more stress to an already terrible and unpleasant situation for my dog.

We can use cooperative care training to get your dog not only comfortable with wearing a muzzle, but excited to wear it!

The times we need a muzzle are often emergency situations. There typically isn't time to get the dog comfortable with the muzzle.
Muzzle training is one of the most simple cooperative care behaviors to train and the one I find dogs get the most excited about participating in.

08/24/2023

Cooperative Care | Ear Care

Ear infections (from bacteria or yeast) are fairly common. For some dog breeds, especially those with floppy ears, they can be chronic or reoccurring.

If your dog is experiencing pain with their ear infection, touching their ear to apply drops or clean it, is only going to make the experience more uncomfortable for them.

Being able to dry your dogs ears after a swim in the lake or after bathing can help reduce the risk of ear infection.
Breeds that are more susceptible to ear infections may benefit from routine ear cleaning.
This can be a chore for you if your dog doesn't like her ears touched.

We can use cooperative care training to get your dog comfortable with having their ears examined by their veterinarian, and with you touching and cleaning their ears, and applying drops into the ear canal whether that be for routine ear care or for acute care such as for treatment of an ear infection.



** Common signs of dog ear infection include: redness in the ear, ear odor
shaking of the head or head tilts, itching/scratching at the ear, pain to the ear, or discharge/drainage from the ear. Occasionally, dogs can experience hearing loss or balance issues with an ear infection.
** If you suspect your dog has an ear infection, consult your veterinarian.

08/23/2023

Hope your 2023-2024 school year is wonderful!

08/23/2023

Cooperative Care | Grooming

The requirements needed for grooming vary from dog to dog depending on the coat.

Brushing
Shampoo and conditioning
Tear stain removal
Towel dry and/or Blow dry
Fur trimming what ever that may include for your dog - the entire coat, face trim, ear hairs, paw trim, sanitary trim

For some dogs this isn't quite as important - some short coat dogs need very little grooming. But for a dog with longer fur, grooming on a regular basis is critical to prevent matted fur (matted fur can cause pain, impaired mobility, and skin wounds), discomfort, and skin damage, irritation, or infections.

Whether you groom your dog yourself or take your dog to a professional, when your dog is excited to be groomed and happy to cooperate with the process, it is a better experience for everyone involved!

We can use cooperative care training to get your dog comfortable with any and all of the different aspects of grooming. One simple game can change your dog's grooming experience from scary and unpleasant to a spa day!

08/20/2023

Cooperative Care | Eye Drops

Your dog got dirt or other particles in their eye and need their eye flushed by the veterinarian...
Your dog takes off chasing a squirrel through the trees and get an eye scratched by a branch and needs eye drops to prevent infection while it heals...
Your puppy has cherry eye and needs eye drops after surgery...

Holding their head still while something moves toward their eye can be very scary and uncomfortable for dogs!

👁 While needing eye drops is not something I have see as common as the other cooperative care needs... I have had clients that have needed help with this. And it's an important one to get right!

If your dog is squirming around and you touch the dropper bottle to any part of your dog or surface around you, you risk contaminating the bottle and introducing infection into your dog's eye.
Or if your dog jerks, you can poke them in the eye with the dropper bottle or a finger increasing their discomfort or fear with the whole process or possibly cause further damage to the eye.
Not being able to apply enough of the drops (or not being able to get any in the eye at all) may increase the risk of infection, discomfort, or damage to the eye depending on what the drops are for.

We can use cooperative care training to get your dog comfortable with sitting still while you tilt their head and apply eye drops. No stress or fuss for you or your dog!

08/18/2023

Where did the summer go?!?

Last weekend of summer before school starts up again 😳

Enjoy the weekend! ☀️🐾

08/17/2023

Cooperative Care | Tooth Cleaning

💡Did you know that by 3 years old 80% of dogs have some form of periodontal disease! 🤯
Long term health effects of periodontal disease in dog can affect not only your dog's mouth but their entire body. Some of these health issues include eye issues, risk of organ damage, oral cancer, and tooth abscesses.
🪥The most effective way to prevent periodontal disease in dogs is simply brushing their teeth.

For many owners this can feel like a very exhausting and tedious task. It doesn't have to be!

We can use cooperative care training to get your dog comfortable with having their teeth and mouth inspected as well as being comfortable and accepting of getting their teeth brushed.

Spending a few minutes a day brushing your dogs teeth not only helps to maintain their oral health and quality of life, but is also much much cheaper than paying for teeth extractions or mouth infections.



** NOTE: you CANNOT use human toothpaste for your dog. Human toothpastes contain ingredients that should not be swallowed (dogs cannot spit, so they do swallow the toothpaste). If swallowed, human toothpaste may cause upset stomach or digestive problems for your dog. Some human toothpastes contain high levels of sodium which can make your dog ill, and some contain xylitol (artificial sweetener), which is toxic for dogs.