Had a nice environmental session last night with these guys. Dog has been in her new home only a few weeks. She was pretty solid and enjoyed the work. Remember when choosing a dog, have a realistic idea of what their genetic make up is going to require from you. These guys need a job and lots of mental and physical exercise. Nice work!
My Standard Poodle friend Hudson knocking out some jumps after class today. Nice job!
Today's tip: groom your dog. It looks like it's going to be a heavy tick season. Grooming is just good maintenance, great way to build your bond with your dog. Today we did nails, ear cleaning, brush and comb out, and teeth. Time we'll spent.
Tonight's training tip, knowing when, why and how to apply pressure. Good pressure vs. bad.
I know I post a lot of dogs walking down this row of carts. We do this for a reason. A fair amount of dogs are very reluctant to perform this exercise the first time. The carts are slippery, they move and bang around, etc. This video is the dogs forth run. First time she wanted nothing to do with it. We applied some "correct" pressure and encouragement and she did it. Second run was a little better, third even better. So by this forth run, stress was gone, confidence was strong, she powered through with no pressure. That's why we do these types of things with young pups. Building them up by conquering stress with fairly applied pressure.
Had a great time tonight with this little character! After conquering the staircases and push carts he decided to reward himself with a little game of jump the plastic wrap! Gave us a good laugh at the end of a long day!
Tonight's training tip. Genetics plays a huge role in how your dog will behave. Please do your research and choose a dog that will fit well with your lifestyle. If you want a super athlete with high intensity and intelligence, go with a breed like this. This dog requires a lot of time for exercise, training and environmental work. His owner enjoys working him so it's a good fit. Training is part of the picture, but genetics also plays a big role. Enjoy time spent with your dogs!
Very nice work from my little friend today. 14 week old Dually showing focus and ability well beyond his age! Start your training early, it's the best investment you can make.
What a great session tonight with my new friend Murphy! He had never been to a place like this before. His confidence grew with each passing aisle. He wanted nothing to do with the first set of stairs we tried. A short time later he was skillfully climbing up and down. Nothing makes me happier than helping a dog gain confidence and seeing his whole demeanor change when the task is mastered. Look at how happy he is with himself. I truly enjoy my work.
My little friend Dash conquered some fear and gained some confidence tonight. I will help you learn when to apply appropriate pressure, or when not to. Also how to use stress and frustration to build drive and have a positive confident outcome. Real world training for everyday situations.
Spring is coming and the schedule is filling up. Puppy owners, please start early. The first six months of your pups life is a crucial time. The more environmental exposure and positive, confidence building experiences you can provide, the more solid that pup will be as a mature dog. Go to my site and fill out the "schedule a training session" form and we can go over options. Dog-town.net
Working on basic "house manners" with the door display at the local home improvement center. Nice little pup!
This nice little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel had a great time with his environmental work last night. The only thing he struggled with was the fact that not everyone in the store was there to see him!😝
Very pleased with the performance we got out of this pup tonight! 15 weeks old, another example of the benefits of starting early. No fear, willingness to work, happy go lucky confident pup.
Looking for some customer feedback. I'm researching/considering adding a new segment to my dog training business. Small scale dog walking service. This would be available only to current or previous training clients and cover the town's of East Longmeadow, Longmeadow and Wilbraham. Ideal for folks taking a day trip, or after working from home for the past few years, now need to go into the office a few days a week. I'm thinking this might be a great fit. We already have a relationship, I know your dog and they are comfortable with me. Thinking of being available 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and offering 15 - 30 minute visits. Visit would include a bathroom break, walk around the neighborhood or a backyard exercise session, quick meal if needed. I'm in the area with my training clients, so with an efficient schedule, I think this would work well. I truly enjoy training and that will continue to be my top priority, but there is a need for this service which has been brought to my attention. If you feel this would be a beneficial service to you and your dog please let me know. Thanks!
Sunday...funday! Snow removal done, time for some fun.
Today's 2 minute training tip is a continuation of the last video. Use things in your environment to make your daily walk a little more interesting and challenging for your dog.
Today's 2 minute training tip. Spice up your walk with some mental stimulation. Use the environment around you to your advantage. The same old leash walk around the same old route, gets stale quick.
Another training session at the local home improvement center. I use these small stair cases for a couple of reasons. Open stairs present more of a challenge and can be stressful. Also they are good for teaching the dog body awareness. As you can see she struggles with the first attempt. Second try she learns to use her back legs and she goes right up. We hold the collar and guide the dog on the way down, encouraging her to place all legs on the steps for balance and to steady herself, which gets her comfortable. Nice work considering she had not done stairs at all the first time we met.
Just finished up a training session at the park with this young GSD. The purpose of this exercise was to reduce leash tension and pressure. By having his handler put her hands in her pockets, some leash tension is reduced. These two have come a long way in a short time! We will continue to raise the bar and fine tune their skills as he matures. Starting early is the key to a well adjusted, environmentally sound dog.
Today's session, taking a few basic obedience skills, and putting them together in a little pattern. Once we ran the pattern a few times, and the pup started to work faster and cleaner, we would change the order/pattern and repeat. Good way to work on basic skills and have a little fun!
