Walking with a Friend

Walking with a Friend Positive reinforcement pet dog training, puppy socialization and service dog coaching. No force, No fear, No pain. Learning through fun and games

100% Positive
Pet Dog Trainer and Service Dog Coach

I am very proud of this team.
08/08/2024

I am very proud of this team.

DAX got to tour a fire station! She met a fireman in full gear and stood by while he pulled out one of the fire trucks and turned on the siren. DAX even walked up to the truck while the siren was on. Throughout it all, she was completely unbothered. We were very proud of her!

08/08/2024

To learn how to prevent or treat resource guarding, contact a force-free professional dog trainer/APC affiliate today! We’d love to share ways to prevent and treat resource guarding that sets everyone up for success.

08/02/2024

While dog training plays a useful role in building a harmonious relationship with our canine companions, living ethically with dogs also involves respecting their inherent dogness and acknowledging their need to practice natural behaviours. Recognising that dogs have their unique instincts, drives, and desires allows guardians to create an environment that caters to these innate tendencies. By providing opportunities for dogs to engage in species-specific activities such as sniffing, digging, and foraging, we enrich their lives, promote mental well-being, and strengthen our bond with them. In essence, fostering an ethical relationship with dogs goes beyond training, encompassing a profound understanding and appreciation of their true nature.

The ISCP is built on these fundamental ethics. Join us today!
https://www.theiscp.com/

07/30/2024

Dogs have feelings just like we do. If they have feelings about a certain thing or situation, ignoring their limitations destroys your relationship by breaking down your trust account. This can lead to other behavioral issues.

Its best to respect their limitations by learning how to help them cope and if this means you don’t go certain places with you pup or you can’t bring her to the dog park or any number of things, then please don’t force the issue because it’s what you want or it’s convenient for you. Trust is all you’ve got. Don’t jeopardize that.

🐶

07/22/2024

The Denver-based nonprofit founder has always had a passion for dogs and veterans, and now she helps veterans get a therapy dog of their own. FOX31's Rachel Saurer asked Pets for Vets about the process.

07/15/2024
07/12/2024

Training is simple but not easy. Take breaks as needed and keep it fun!

07/11/2024

Allowing and encouraging dogs to sniff is so beneficial for dogs. We must give them outlets for their natural dog behaviors.

07/09/2024

Amelia and DAX are practicing their Phase 2: Advanced Skills at Lowes. They are an extraordinary team and are dedicated to each other’s success. (Roni is their trainer).

07/07/2024

This is SO easy.✅
Some people find the concept difficult as it seems too easy. So what is this super duper easy peasy trick to a calm dog ?🤔
Reward the calm.
Reward often and reward the "nothing".
So why on earth would you want to reward "nothing" ?
Because that is exactly how you will have a dog that shows you calm behaviour.
Behaviour that is rewarded IS repeated.

Make sure they ARE actually calm though and not "bursting out of their skin excited"....which dogs certainly can be and their bodies can be still but they are about to explode with energy at any second.
Don't equate stillness with calmness.
You can have a dog moving and being calm. Reward that too !

Carry rewards on you and capture that calm...often.
In a week or two (or even in a day or two for some) watch what happens !

🙂Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.




















07/07/2024
07/03/2024

ANTHROPOMORPHISM

THE GOOD / THE BAD AND WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE

This hard to pronounce and complicated sounding word – (anth-ro-po-morph-ism), means assigning human qualities, characteristics, emotions, feelings or motivations to our dogs (a non-human entity).

Advancements in canine neuroscience have revealed remarkable similarities between human and canine brain function, particularly in areas related to emotional processing.
This has given us far more understanding of canine cognition and emotion.

Although this is a great thing, it’s so important not to take anthropomorphism too far by assuming that our dogs experience emotions in exactly the same way that we do.

Dogs experience a similar range of emotions that would be seen in a 2 to 2 ½ year old child but are currently not thought to feel more complex emotions like guilt, shame, remorse, spite, pride or contempt.

Here is a link to a graphic that shows where a dog’s emotions are thought to stop in relation to the age of a child - bit.ly/canineemotions

Here are some examples of taking anthropomorphism too far:

“My dog knows exactly what he’s done – look how guilty he looks! No, your dog is reacting to your body language, tone of voice or remembers your previous reaction – this is fear, he is trying to appease you, calm you down, diffuse the situation.

“My dog chewed the couch just to get back at me for not taking him for a walk “ - No, your dog was probably bored, frustrated, lonely, had separation distress and was looking for a way to self-sooth or entertain himself.

“My dog pees inside just to spite me” – No, there could be a host of reasons, but spite is not one of them.

“My dog is just so stubborn” – No, find what is motivating, rewarding for your dog, are there too many distractions?

“Look at how proud my dog looks for winning the competition, graduating from a class, after being groomed etc” - No, your dog is reacting to your emotional state.

Instead of assuming that your dog is feeling “adult human emotions”, learn about body language and notice the context of the behaviour. This will provide a far more accurate idea of how dogs are really feeling.

Anthropomorphism is an essential tool in recognising a dog’s emotional state and allows us to have compassion, empathy, understanding and connection, but taking it too far is detrimental and undermines relationship.

06/29/2024

The relationship between dogs and humans has evolved significantly over the centuries. Once revered primarily for their practical roles in hunting, herding, or guarding, dogs have now become an integral part of many families, providing companionship, loyalty, and unconditional love. As our understan...

06/27/2024
06/27/2024

Bonnie is a gorgeous, sweet, 7 month old, medium-sized (35lbs), black lab mix. Her foster mom says:
"She is so sweet and funny and very affectionate, but not clingy. She loves to cuddle and starts every morning with a post-potty belly rub, but she also plays well by herself. Every now and then, when she's not in the same room I'm in, I know I'll find her sunbathing in the back yard, chewing on a stick, or napping in her crate. She's the best!!” Apply now: https://ophrescue.org/dogs/13477

06/27/2024

Boomsday is only one week away, what's your plan?

06/24/2024

With kids being out of school and the Olympics coming next month, here are some fun games for kids to play with their dogs!

What's keeping your kids and dogs busy this summer?

06/24/2024

Why does this tree look like it's sneaking out of the woods...🤣

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/C2YyU66HkWb9V6Rg/?mibextid=WC7FNe
06/18/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/C2YyU66HkWb9V6Rg/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Golden rule. 🙌 ✅ Stop calling your dog to you for something they may view as unpleasant. Especially using your same recall word. Go and get them !✅

Recall (having your dog come to you when called), is one of those cues in training that depends heavily on your relationship together.
However there are other things we can inadvertently do which damage a good recall and we often don't even realise we do this.
One of the advantages of having an in home trainer.......we see all those little things that make SUCH a big difference.

Calling your dog to you when you are about to do something unpleasant to them (or they view as could be a negative experience)....even for the BEST of intentions, can poison recalls.
Calling them to their dreaded bath.
You know they dislike having their nails cut, but they are called to you.....usually ignoring your calls and then finally skulking slowly forward... with their head down low.
Calling them to you when you have the ear drops in your hand.

They will start to make associations with recall and what you actually want them for.

The opposite (calling away from fun and positive experiences) is also true.
Constantly calling your dog away from fun and positive experiences is a recall destroyer.💥
Another destroyer of a recall is calling them to you and clipping their lead straight on and leaving the fun area.....have a play with them first, clip on the lead and continue to have fun for a few minutes. This is a little thing that turns that negative association into a really positive one..

So if your recall is more miss than hit....look at when you actually call them too you and why.
If you change little habits you can make some very big differences.

Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters etc. Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for our collection of graphics.
Everyone is free to share these posts on social media, however off social media use is protected.
Screen shots are a violation of copyright.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make . All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.



















06/18/2024

LETTING GO OF THE LABEL
People love to label things - from containers to personality types, physical or mental differences and everything in between.

Why do we like labels so much? Labels are comforting, they help us to feel more secure.

Labels allow us to close that particular “box”, because it now has a label and we no longer have to think about it or be concerned about it.

It’s been judged, identified, labelled and we can now move on, confident in the belief that there’s nothing more to be done.

We may also be very good at labelling dogs. My dog is stubborn, aggressive, lazy, shy, timid, greedy, jealous, untrainable…. It’s comforting for us to assign a label because it takes the pressure off trying to find out why they behave that way because we might believe that it’s just the way they are.

If we remove the label and take note of the behaviour in context and the circumstances or environment it’s happening in, we may realise that our dogs need our help to cope, not our labels.

Look into what can be done to improve or change that behaviour if it's something you’d like to change.

Sometimes a label does fits, it’s just the way it is and we need to accept that, but sometimes labels hide the need to look beneath the surface and discover what the real cause of that behaviour is.

06/14/2024

Living with a knucklehead? Remember this!

Address

Gainesville, VA
20155

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Walking with a Friend posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Videos

Skippy is building her confidence 🐾❤️🐾👀

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Other Dog training in Gainesville

Show All

You may also like