This Fear Free Friday is brought to you by this little noodle who was found as a stray with severe facial trauma. That didn't stop him from enjoying his time at the clinic though! He is currently being cared for by one of our staff members and will be looking for his forever home when he's healthy enough. Drop your name suggestions below ⬇️. #fearfreevetvisit #fearfreevet #fearfree
This Fear Free Friday is brought to you by Mavis, Atlas, Ryder, Lucy, Remi and Buck! Wishing you all a great weekend!
#fearfreevetvisit #fearfreepets #fearfreevet #tgif
Heartworms and fleas and ticks, oh my! Make sure your pets are protected from these and more. Ask us about our oral, injectable and topical options.
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Keeping your pet healthy with yearly vet visits
These are just some of the ways that yearly visits to the vet help keep your pet healthy! #FearFree #fearfreevetvisit
It's time! We have the winners from the raffles at our open house! Winners are announced in the attached video and we will also be calling everyone today. Congratulations to everyone who won these great prizes!
We can't wait to see you there!
#openhouse #fearfreevetvisit #fearfreevet #fearfreepets
This week's training tip is about using the right rewards.
In order to instill the behavior you want, your dog needs to be motivated to do it. You motivate a dog by using the reward that they are most excited about.
Some dogs are highly motivated by any and all food while some prefer toys and play as reinforcement. Every dog is different in what they prefer. A good way to figure out your dog's favorite reinforcement is making a scale with your dog's least valued things on the low end (think kibble, milk bones, etc) and the most high value things on the other end (hot dogs, wet food, cheese, etc.) Try out toys too as some dogs would rather play tug than take food.
If your dog is really struggling to learn something, it may be because the motivation / reinforcement is not high enough.
No Motivation=No Learning
The environment your dog is in will also change their scale of reinforcement. Your dog may do anything you want it to do inside for just some kibble but not want to take any if you are asking the same thing outside. This is because the kibble is not as motivating outside and you need something 'stronger' than the environment to pull their attention away from the distractions.
In the video, Roman is showing how play can be used as an reinforcer if your dog is more motivated by toys than food.
#fearfreepets #fearfreevetvisit #trainingtips #dogtraining
Training Tip Tuesday
The Importance of Muzzle conditioning
This week we wanted to touch on the importance of muzzle conditioning. There is a stigma against dogs who use muzzles, that they are ‘bad dogs’ or ‘dangerous’. In reality muzzles should be looked at as a safety tool, and can be incredibly beneficial in certain situations.
Why would you want to muzzle condition your dog?
In case of an emergency. Dogs that are in extreme pain are more likely to bite. Every single dog has the capability of biting. Each dog has a threshold that they reach before biting, some are higher than others, and you may never see your own dog reach it’s threshold of biting.
In the vet world, dogs are sometimes muzzled to keep themselves, their owners, and staff safe if their fear translates into aggression. Like being in pain, being in a stressful situation can cause dogs to act in ways that they normally wouldn't.
Muzzle conditioning can also help create a safe situation when you're working on training reactive dogs in a public setting.
All of these things may be a factor in a dog's bite threshold and make the dog feel the need to give a warning bite.
Muzzle conditioning allows your dog to feel more relaxed and comfortable if it is put in a situation where a muzzle is needed.
How do you begin muzzle conditioning?
You can start by feeding your dog its favorite treats through the muzzle. Mark and reward when they offer to put their nose in on their own. Over time you can work into your dog wearing the muzzle for longer periods of time. The goal would be for the dog to feel comfortable in the muzzle and go about it’s normal activities wearing it. Dogs who have previous bad experiences with muzzles may take a bit longer to condition than dogs who have not had to wear one yet. Go slow, don’t push your dog too far and don't expect them to be muzzle conditioned at the end of one training session.
Enjoy the video of Roman enthusiastically demon
Welcome to Training Tip Tuesdays where we will be sharing training tips from Danika, our resident trainer (see our last post for her full bio).
HOW TO USE MARKERS IN TRAINING
How you tell your dog they did something you like is the first building block towards a good training routine. Learning to correctly mark their behavior enables you to establish good communication with your dog as well as progress in your training together.
What Is A Marker And How Do We Use Them?
Often known as a "bridge signal" or "marker" this action lets your dog know "Yes! That's what I want! Food/reinforcement is coming!" Using a marker allows the dog to understand what they need to do to get food or other positive reinforcement, encouraging them to perform the desired behavior.
1. Start by choosing to either use a clicker or a word like 'yes' (as seen in the video). It is very important to stay consistent with whichever method you choose to avoid confusion for the dog.
2. Once you have chosen a method, begin charging it by using a behavior your dog is already familiar with like 'sit'. Ask the dog to sit, use your marker, and then use a high value treat immediately after the marker. Using a high value food item or treat will increase the dog's incentive to repeat the desired behavior.
3. Repeat step 2 several times. Soon your dog will associate the marker with food that they love. You will want to make sure you follow the marker with a treat every time you use it. If you stop using food or reinforcement, the marker will lose it's value and meaning to the dog over time.
4. Begin to teach your dog new things by consistently using the marker and high value reward system.
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#dogtraining
This Fear Free Friday is brought to you by Mia, Jessie and Tucker. What made their visits today Fear Free? Snuggles, peanut butter, whipped cream, and did we mention snuggles? #fearfree #fearfreevetvisit #vetclinic
