Mental Enrichment
🐶✨ Unlock Your Dog’s Full Potential with Mental Enrichment! ✨🐶
Have you ever noticed your dog looking bored or restless? It may be time to give their brain a workout! Watch this brief video featuring one of our beloved training dogs, Indy, and see how treat-dispensing toys can provide your furry friend with a fun and enriching activity!
Let's Train: Ruby - Sit for Attention
When welcoming guests into your home, you want your dog to greet them calmly and politely, without jumping, barking, or pawing for attention. One effective way to achieve this is by training your dog to sit for attention. Watch this short video to learn more!
Training Tips and Tricks: Building Rapport
Building rapport with your dog is essential for strengthening your relationship and improving obedience. Engaging with your dog more can make them more likely to follow commands. Watch this short video to learn more!
Canine Kudos: Casper - Stay on bed
Kudos to Casper, for this fantastic moment during his training where he held a long bed stay even when faced with several distractions!
Kudos to Casper, for this fantastic moment during his training where he held a long bed stay even when faced with several distractions!
Demand Barking
Demand barking is when a dog barks in order to get what they want. This behavior can be annoying and disruptive. Here are some tips to discourage your dog from practicing it.
First, make sure you're not rewarding the barking. To do this, there should be a delay between the barking and any reward. Additionally, it would be best to ask your dog to do a more desirable behavior, such as sitting, before giving them what they want.
In this short video clip, trainer Kerrigan demonstrates both of these tactics to avoid rewarding Gary for his barking. In the video, Kerrigan holds a tennis ball, and Gary starts demand barking for the ball. Notice how Kerrigan ignores the barking, gives Gary a moment to reset, and then asks him to sit. She only gives Gary the ball once he is sitting quietly.
By practicing this pattern of allowing an interval of time between barking and the reward, and also requiring a better behavior, such as sitting, before rewarding, you can reinforce in your dog's mind that barking does not get them what they want. Instead, it's calm, neutral behavior that leads to rewards!
Canine Kudos: Gunner - Neutrality with other dogs
Trainer Kerrigan has been working with Gunner on his ability to remain neutral in the presence of other dogs. Recently, he had an outstanding moment during his training where he did a great job remaining neutral and held his stay even with another dog, Hinkle, nearby.
We want to congratulate Gunner for this magnificent performance. We are so proud to see him making great strides towards improving his manners around fellow dogs!
Learning to remain neutral is an important skill for all dogs, as they are bound to come across other canines in various situations such as walks, visits to the vet, grooming appointments, and other scenarios. In these situations, it is important for them to remain calm and indifferent to the other dogs around them to have a stress-free experience for themselves, their owners, and the other dogs and their owners.
Trainer Kerrigan has been working with Gunner on his ability to remain neutral in the presence of other dogs. Recently, he had an outstanding moment during his training where he did a great job remaining neutral and held his stay even with another dog, Hinkle, nearby.
We want to congratulate Gunner for this magnificent performance. We are so proud to see him making great strides towards improving his manners around fellow dogs!
Canine Kudos to Bud and Potato for this outstanding performance in polite greetings!
Canine Kudos: Bud & Potato - Outstanding Polite Greetings!
Canine Kudos to Bud and Potato for this outstanding performance in polite greetings! They both calmly greeted their practice guest without jumping or mouthing and sat promptly when asked. A great job from two good boys!
Canine Kudos: Amazing Bed Stay From Axel
We want to acknowledge Axel for this fantastic moment during his training where he chose to remain on his bed and hold his stay even as a brand new person entered the training area!
In this clip, a Cintas worker that Axel had never seen enters the facility. Axel maintains his stay rather than choosing to investigate the worker, proving that he thoroughly understands the stay command and that he can make good decisions in moments like these. Good boy, Axel!
Let's Train: Benjamin - Wait at Thresholds
In this video, trainer Kerrigan demonstrates how to teach dogs to wait at thresholds with the help of Benjamin, a French Bulldog in our training program.
Let's Train: Lila - Polite Greetings
In this video, we share some clips from Lila's training that demonstrate two methods you can use to train your dog to politely greet guests and avoid undesirable behaviors such as jumping!
Settling in public - Good dog, Coco!
We want to commend Coco for her exemplary behavior in this clip, demonstrating exactly how a dog should settle in a public area.
Great job, Coco!
Good Boy Bud! Excellent Engagement!
We want to give kudos to Bud for demonstrating exceptional engagement with trainer Kerrigan during a session of loose-leash walking. In this video clip, Bud can be seen stopping, sitting, and checking in with trainer Kerrigan every time she halts without ever having to be told to, indicating a high level of engagement and attentiveness during their walk!
Well done, Bud!
Training Tips: Working on Recall
If you need help with teaching your dog to come when called, we have just the thing for you! In this brief video, trainer Kerrigan works with one of our training dogs, Boaz, and gives some advice on how to practice recall training.
Training Tips & Tricks: Polite Greetings with Gunner
One of the most common training goals our clients have for their dogs is to improve their greeting skills. Most guests don't enjoy being jumped on by a dog as soon as they walk into a home, especially if the dog is as big as Gunner. In the following clip, Gunner is being trained to politely greet guests when they come into the home.
In this video, Gunner chooses not to approach his guest, which is also an acceptable response. For Gunner, the goal is to avoid jumping or mouthing, so going off to do his own thing and ignoring the guest is also a good outcome!
Let's Train: Charlie - Fun Tricks!
Did you know that teaching your dog tricks has many benefits besides just being cute and fun? Check out this short video to learn more!
Denali: simply settled
As part of our training program, we spend time with the dogs teaching them how to be calm and settled in their environment. This time is not centered around any specific skill or obedience training, but rather focuses on making them comfortable and content with just existing in a space. In this short clip, Denali provides an excellent example of a well-behaved dog who is calm and settled in his environment.
Let's Train: Magia and Max - First Day of School
Magia and Max had a big day yesterday! It was their first day in our training program, and they had a lot to learn. However, they handled it well and gained a lot of knowledge from their lessons. We are very proud of them and excited to see their progress in the coming weeks!
