Okay Lady K-9 Training

02/03/2025

E-collar levels go up and down along with the ebb and flow of your dog's state of mind. When your dog is in a calm , his mind is clear and present, and communication is easier. When things are more intense and his mind racing and focused elsewhere, communication becomes more intense, and e-collar levels will need to be higher to get any acknowledgment at all.

Moving from one level to the next on fly can be confusing, and at times, you may be unwittingly using levels that are too high. When e-collar levels are too, conditions in the mind become intense and create misbehavior. This isn't your dog's fault.

Dogs will often give subtle hints that levels are beginning to approach the red zone. Signs of distress include, but are not limited to, head shaking (like something is irritating), neck scratching, freezing (this can look like stubborness), jumping or startling, or trying to leave the situation (this can look like disobedience). Remember, the use of e-collars is to communicate and correct your dog's path. If he's feeling distressed, it can cause a misbehavior (a desired behavior that is missed) and prevent learning.

01/29/2025

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01/28/2025

Connection, Relationship, Engagement

If your dog is happy to ignore you in the presence of distractions, has selective hearing, seems to excited to learn or be calm at all , there is a good possibility that you're missing one ofnthose things above.

I'll be posting more about each individual topic in the coming days. Stay tuned to see what you can do to become the most important thing in your dog's life.

www.okayladyk9training.com

01/02/2025

A stop at Whole Pet-Fayetteville for dog food and a great training opportunity for Sadie.

12/26/2024

11/12/2024

Good morning! I'm working on scheduling a group hike for any of my clients that would like to attend with dogs that have completed a training program with me. If you're interested in this or future events, you can find all of the details at the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/313068576745792/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

11/04/2024

Having marker words in place is very helpful when it comes to communicating with your dog. Words like good and/or yes, can help your dog understand what you want him to do. Words like wrong/no can tell your dog what you don't want him to do. These words, when taught and used correctly, can very precisely indicate to your dog the very moment in time that he did something. It's much like taking a snapshot in your dog's mind that he can look back on to use as a reference in the future.

Creating a positive marker word is best done in a quiet setting. By simply saying a word you want to use (I use good), and immediately following it with a high value treat repeatedly, your dog will begin to look for a treat each time he hears the word good. Over time, the word alone becomes rewarding, but that's a topic for another post.

www.okayladyk9training.com

10/14/2024

Struggling to get Instagram to sync with Facebook again. If you want to see what I'm doing with pups today, the videos will be on Instagram Stories.

10/04/2024

Often, your dog's inability to focus, to engage, or to be calm is an expression of what's going on inside his mind. At times, the best way to reach your dog's mind to be able to address this issue is by asking his body to slow down.

Biggie was very excited to begin his wall. I could tell his mind was racing because his feet couldn't slow down. So, I slowed down - A LOT. After a while, we were able to speed up a little, and Biggie was able to continue in this calmer mindset.

www.okayladyk9training.com

10/01/2024

09/27/2024

Biggie is learning to respond to the e-collar. Before ever beginning this process, he has already spent several days learning what each command means and practicing each command over and over. There is no doubt that he understands what to do before I introduce the collar.

At this point in training, he's learning how to respond. Using extremely low levels (3 out of 100), levels so low that I have not met a single human who can feel the stim, Biggie is given a stim that begins the moment he hears a command and goes away the moment he commits to completing the command. The levels are low enough that Biggie can ignore them if he chooses.

You can see that he does choose to ignore me and the stim at one point. During times like this, as he continues to feel the stim, I begin to increase the levels very slowly. Biggie continued to ignore, and I didn't want to miss the window in which Biggie would learn something valuable, so I opted to use the vibration setting.

His response is the reason why vibration is very rarely used. The vibration setting does not have levels to choose from. It is at a level that anybody can feel, which means it's stronger than the stim levels I typically use. Because it's a different sensation and a predetermined strength, it often startles dogs. Since there are no levels to choose from, many dogs can become desensitized and ignore it, especially when in drive.

www.okayladyk9training.com

09/13/2024

Jumps on people
Excessive vocalization when alone
pulls on leash
chews furniture/property
darts out doors/gates
excessive attention seeking
destructive when alone
jumps on furniture
Pees when leashing
Poops in furniture when left unsupervised

Archie's list of things that he needed help with was small, but everything on that list was a result of one major issue. Archie struggled with a lack of confidence. During his three week stay, I taught Archie a handful of commands that his owners can use on a daily basis to tell him what they need him to do. Using these commands, they are putting some structure in place that helps make life a little predictable for him and helps him learn the rules of the house in a fair manner.

How can I help you with your pup? www.okayladyk9training.com

09/11/2024

Day 19. This is Nia's final walk with me and her final day of active training. Tomorrow (day 20) falls on a Saturday. Saturday's are days tk rest and relax. Nia will work the following day, but that day, she will be working with her owner's as I coach them.

Today, I chose to take Nia to a park where I knew she would encounter every possible variety of distractions I could find. We worked through some insecurities, and she began to show more confidence during the second half of our walk. I'm really proud of this girl. ❤️