🐾Happy National Golden Retriever Day! This breed has my whole heart. Working with them brings me so much joy! They are incredible companions, hard workers, and the kings/queens of derp. I am so lucky to have a Golden of my own and so many others as fur students!
#goldenretriever #goldensofinstagram #goldenretrieverday #kellensk9s #dogtraining #dogtrainer #positivereinforcementtraining #dogsofmichigan #goldensofmichigan #grandrapids #grmi
Better Walks with Your Dog
Some quick tips for a better walk!
🐶 Use a long line. Giving your dog more space to make choices is life-changing. Reward a loose leash on walks right from the start!
🐶 Let your dog know what behaviors you like by giving praise and using verbal markers!
🐶 Always bring some treats or motivators along. High-value rewards are usually best in distracting environments!
🐶 Don’t forget to enjoy yourself! Walks should be fun for both parties. Let your dog be a dog, they will love you for it!
🤔 Did you know that most “problem behaviors” are really problem situations?
Environment influences behavior!
Wrigley used to bolt out open doorways which created unsafe situations for her and her parents. She didn’t do it because she was “pushy” or “rude”, she just did what worked for her in that moment.
We now cue her to “Wait” before going out the door to make things a bit smoother for everyone. She is happy to wait now to get her real-world reward of going outside. Good girl!
🥰 This video makes me a happy trainer! Here is why:
🐶 Training is not always easy, especially in a multiple-dog household! Each dog has to be treated as an individual and provided with the necessary time, effort, and reinforcement.
🐶 This may mean taking extra time out of your day to ensure each dog is getting adequate training and attention.
🐶 It may mean writing out a daily routine or schedule to make sure each dogs’ needs are being met.
🐶 It may mean one pet parent works on a cue with one dog while the other pet parents keeps the second dog occupied in a positive way (as seen in this video with Monte and Zumi 😆).
🐶 Rewarding your dogs will reward you. Thank you to all of my clients and pet parents worldwide who put in the effort for every single one of their fur kids. There is nothing dog trainers love more than seeing their clients put in the positive work and show that they have been empowered to continue their dog’s learning journey.
☀️ Sol had a fantastic session at the park today! Started out with some pulling and fixations on other dogs, ended up with loose-leash walking and disengagement from distractions. Good girl! Love to see the bouncy tail and check-ins 😄
