Island Dog Ranch

04/28/2024

Cara is as sweet as she is beautiful

02/08/2024

Good morning from Pippa!

02/08/2024

Sailor in the snow

02/02/2024

Pogo & Harper 🐾❤️🐾

02/02/2024

Frankie! ❤️

02/02/2024

Welcome to the Buckaroo Crew sweet Smudge! 🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾

02/02/2024

Smudge & Bernie

02/02/2024

Welcome Buckaroo Bentley! 🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾

12/11/2023

Bred for ridiculously good hearing, we've created breeds who hear and respond to noise with much more sensitivity than others.

While this is often normal and doesn't get in the way of daily life, many dogs struggle with supersonic hearing, and some develop intense phobias around sounds.

Medical conditions can also worsen things, and these dogs often require help on many levels to protect them from poor welfare.

If your dog struggles with noise or your client's dogs are struggling, you can equip yourself with the information needed to help them as best as possible!

Recording will be available for all attendees!

The webinar is 1 hour followed by 30 minutes of Q&A.

January 10th at 10:00am Pacific!

$29 CAD/Approx. $21 USD

https://wildatheartdogtraining.as.me/schedule.php?appointmentType=55558749

12/04/2023

About the canine respiratory disease - Harbor Vet and Island Vet have confirmed today that despite the rumors, there have not been any cases reported on San Juan Island. Cases would be reported to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and if you click the link below, you will see where the disease has been reported in WA State. Please share this info so we can try to relieve our already overworked vet workers receiving panicked calls. There are a lot of rumors and misinformation going around but the following link has helpful info and the facts regarding this awful disease.

WSDA – WA Canine Respiratory Disease Update With recent reports of an unidentified canine illness increasing across the nation, the Washington State Veterinarian is encouraging dog owners to be vigilant to keep their animals safe and healthy. What do we know A total of 16 reports from veterinarian...

09/15/2023

04/24/2023

Posted • When we are training our dogs, there always needs to be some kind of motivation.

We can motivate our dogs by paying them with things that they like for desirable behaviours. This could be by utilising rewards such as food, toys, praise, play or gaining access to activities that the dog enjoys.

Some trainers opt to motivate dogs by introducing aversive stimuli. This means something that is designed to scare, hurt, startle or cause discomfort to your dog to discourage undesirable behaviours.

This goes against the advice of the leading organisations and professionals in the animal behaviour and training sector. Training methods that involve aversives - these could be tools such as prong collars, choke chains and shock collars or the use of consequences like shouting, yelling, yanking and physically reprimanding the dog - are advised against in the industry.

There are a multitude of reasons why experts warn against using pain and fear as motivators in training. These techniques and tools can cause fear, anxiety and aggression by creating negative associations for the dog. Instead of associating the correction with the behaviour, they can start to associate the painful/scary feeling with the trainer, the environment or anything else around them.

This is why it is especially important that training approaches that include corrections, prong, choke and shock collars, or outdated ‘dominance’-based techniques are not used with dogs who are already anxious or aggressive, as it can exacerbate these issues.

These techniques are also bad for the relationship between you and your dog. Training your dog with rewards strengthens the bond between you and teaches your dog that you are the source of positive, exciting things. Dogs trained with aversive methods can become conflicted and avoidant.

When hiring a professional trainer, look for transparency about what they will be using to motivate your dog, and try to choose a trainer who is a member of an organisation with a clear position statement and commitment to the most progressive, reward-based training approaches.

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ID in comments.

04/04/2023

Sign up here: https://app.squarespacescheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=24409674&appointmentType=43820396&fbclid=IwAR2erCpNnOti3hLFRPcUQf9OKvdpbrfkD6VfDpmwh_rQ8PqgvlqflZwPDOE

03/07/2023

Good friends come in all shapes and sizes! 🐾🐾

03/07/2023

02/19/2023

As a force free dog trainer, I've been called it all.

"Cookie pusher."
"Purely positive" (PS. there's no such thing.)
"Passive."
"Push over."
"Soft."

One of the most common misconceptions about force free dog training is that all we do is throw cookies at the problem. Puppy is peeing in the house? Use cookies. Dog is biting guests when they stand up? Must need more cookies.

While it's true, I use a lot of cookies in my training, force free dog training is about so much more.

Force free training is about learning how to listen to dogs.
It's about learning a language, and then using it to communicate with each other.
It's about building bonds built on trust and respect, instead of fear and obedience.
It's about giving choices, and respecting those choices.
It's about showing a dog that they can be safe.
It's about teaching another sentient being in a way that they are best able to learn - and this way will absolutely not different from learner to learner.
It's about compassion.
It's about science and all of the laws that govern behavior analysis and change.

And yah, there's some cookies too.

02/14/2023

❤️Island Dog Ranch:
A Valentine's Ode to the Buckaroo Crew❤️

Oh, the Buckaroo Crew, with hearts full of love
They prance and they play, like blessings from above
There's sweet Billijean, always by your side
Loyal and loving, her heart is open wide

Her brother Buddy, little but mighty
The life of the party, his joy shines ever so brightly
Milly is deep, a mother to all
Her soulful eyes, like windows to the world's call

Bouncy Pogo, always on the go
With soft brown eyes and curls that flow
Smarty pants Bendy, with a job to do
His nose is a superpower, he'll always come through

Greta, a sweet old soul with love to give
Her cuddles and presence, a true gift to live
And darling Savy, with legs so long
Her curious mind, always singing a happy song

Let's not forget Shugga, the diva in town
At seven pounds of fluff, she wears the crown
Sweet and sassy, a boss through and through
She rules with grace, and we love her too

At Island Dog Ranch, love abounds
With laughter and play, no sorrow is found
For the Buckaroo Crew, they're in the best of care
With hearts full of love, we all have so much to share.

02/08/2023

Seeing pet hair everywhere and wondering what to do? There are actually creative uses for your pet’s hair. Here are a few suggestions.

02/08/2023

Hi Mom!! 😂🐾🐾

02/08/2023

Pogo, Buddy, Bernie & Bilijean 🐾❤️🐾❤️

02/08/2023

Bud Bud (Buddy) & the Bern (Bernie) 🥰🐾🐾

01/31/2023

Was anyone else surprised by the snow like Bilijean was?!

01/31/2023

Snow day!

01/31/2023

Pogo!!! 🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾

01/31/2023

Bilijean pondering the meaning of life…or maybe when she will get a treat! 😄🐾❤️🐾

01/31/2023

Handsome Sailor 🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾

01/31/2023

Sweet Savy 🐾❤️🐾❤️

01/30/2023

✨Bilijean, the beauty Queen✨ 🐾❤️🐾