Central Missouri Canine Solutions

06/08/2024

Puppy class today is a go! Come join us at Honey Creek Pet Resort at 12:30 for puppy foundations, socialization and confidence building.

Open enrollment - start any time and attend the Saturdays that work for you. Full details on our website.

05/17/2024

PUPPY GROUP CLASS IS BACK! Starting this Saturday we will be holding our group puppy class at 12:30. This is an open enrollment class meaning you can start any time and attend the Saturdays that work for you.

We'll cover our foundation exercises, a few beginning obedience commands, help with puppy raising issues (house & crate training, mouthing/chewing, jumping, etc), confidence building and socialization.

Cost is $100 for up to any 4 Saturdays. Visit our site for more details and feel free to message us here or through the website www.centralmocanine.com if you are interested.

02/19/2024

Hey all! One of our long-time clients recently adopted this beautiful, long-haired, 1 year-old German Shepherd boy, Leo, from a shelter. Unfortunately, it has turned out to be a mismatch and they have made the very difficult decision to find him a better fit.

Leo has some generalized anxiety and has recently started medication. He'll do best in a home without cats, chickens and other barnyard animals. While the current Shep he lives with does not appreciate him, he may be fine living with another dog his size. He has a few obedience commands started as well as our foundation exercises which many of you are familiar with. He has high food drive and plenty of prey drive to work with.

Leo will do best in a home with an active family without small children. Having some dog experience is needed. To help Leo have his best life, we are offering to do a complimentary behavior session with his new family too.

If you are interested in Leo, please PM us and we will go over some more specifics and get you in touch with his current owners.

12/26/2023

If you want your dog to perform obedience commands in distracting environments, you have to teach them to perform commands in distracting environments.

I know that may sound obvious now, but you’d be surprised at how often human nature makes us think “If my dog knows (X behavior) at home, then my dog knows (X behavior) everywhere else.” But, of course, that’s simply not true.

Dog’s minds are similar to ours in some aspects and very different in others. Context is one of those major differences. And if you want to have truly functional and reliable obedience, you have to practice behaviors in many different environments and situations before a dog will understand to perform that behavior no matter the circumstances.

This is the part of dog training I personally find the most fun. Because you get rewarded for being creative and “getting weird with it” as I like to say. The more difficult and varied you can make the training scenarios, the more functional your dog’s behaviors will be. And also, you’ll be much more confident in, and trusting of, your dog in real-world scenarios.

-Mike

11/04/2023

It’s one thing to teach a dog a behavior. It’s a whole other thing to teach a dog to do a behavior no matter where they are or what’s going on around them. But the process is fairly simple no matter which behavior you’re trying to get to a functional level. Whether it’s a sit or down stay, leash manners, recalls, or heeling, it’s all done in roughly the same way. Teach the behavior thoroughly, gradually add in distractions and contexts, then proof and generalize it in different environments and situations.
This video is a very brief illustration of that process. Here’s 6 weeks worth of off-leash heel training in 90 seconds.
-Mike

08/29/2023

Hey Folks! Mike will be in Columbia this Sunday afternoon at the Lil Paws Big Hearts Fundraiser. He'll be there to answer training questions and discuss our services as well as host an "Ask the Trainer" open group discussion and demo (time TBD). We've donated 1 private training session to the rescue to use as a prize/auction too!

Our annual fundraiser is here!!! Come join us for a fun Sunday afternoon filled with gaming, puppies, and even chihuahua races! Get your tickets at https://www.facebook.com/events/700387488579755

07/18/2023

Years of working with pet dogs and their families has taught us that leash pulling is something that plagues nearly every dog owner. This is one of the many reasons why we have decided to put together a class that focuses on nothing but teaching you how to train your dog to not pull on a leash.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to teach your dog to walk nicely on a leash yourself, then this class is for you. Here’s a very brief overview of what you can expect to learn in our Loose Leash Walking Class that begins on August 1st.

05/09/2023

Hachi Update!

Hachi (available through Journey Home GSD Rescue) has been doing great with his training so far. This sweet boy shows wonderful engagement with Mike in these pics we took while working today. Our daycare dogs were very helpful in providing a distraction 😆

Now that we have established his engagement and foundation work, we'll be helping him learn that sudden, big hand/arm movements from people are no big deal. The current plan is for him to go to a foster home in a couple of weeks or so, where he can learn how wonderful it is to live in a home!

If you are interested in Hachi or helping the rescue in any way, just contact them directly!

04/25/2023

Training and raising a puppy is mostly about creating good habits and preventing bad ones. One good habit you should create early on is enthusiasm for training and interacting with you.

A good way to do this is to simply play with the puppy using food and toys. Continually rewarding the puppy for choosing to interact with you is the quickest way to create a very positive association to yourself. Creating that positive association to you and training is the first step to any good training system and will be continually developed throughout the life of the dog.

We’ll show you exactly how to do this and much more in our Group Puppy Class that starts up in the beginning of May. But for now, enjoy some clips of our newest CMCS/ HCPR family member, Yoshi, developing his enthusiasm for training.

Warning: The basset puppy cuteness is almost too much to handle so viewer discretion is advised.

-Mike

04/18/2023

We've welcomed 2 rescue Shepherds into our board and train program - Romeo and Hachi! Both are available through Journey Home GSD Rescue .

Romeo has been in boarding for some time and needs some help with some handler focus and barkiness towards some other dogs. He has very high food drive, decent play drive, so we expect him to do very well with his training.

Hachi was recently sprung from the Jefferson City Animal Shelter. The great staff there recognized his potential and contacted the rescue to help. He's a very nice boy who is learning that all the good stuff in life can and does come thru people, then we'll be working on some basic obedience skills. He's got good food drive and we feel he'll do very well going forward!

If you're interested in either of the boys, or would like to help the rescue in any way, please visit them at www.journeyhomegsd.org

04/13/2023

My dog Baron (aka Beavis) and I are hanging out at our training center this afternoon enjoying a beautiful day and getting some engagement exercises in. No, he doesn't have rabies 😆, he just gets all frothy over his Kong Bounzer, one of his favorites.

This is a good moment to remind you all to use what your dog finds most rewarding, not what you think they should like. And then get out there and have some fun while you're doing your training homework!

-Jessie

01/23/2023

Building a high motivation for a reward allows you to use that reward as a distraction. This is an excellent way to bridge the gap between your training environment and the real world. If your dog can ignore the thing they want most and still work for you, then they’re very likely going to ignore all the other, lesser value distractions in the real world.

Here, I’m working with Stryker on just that. He is absolutely insane for food. He’s one of the most (if not the most) food driven dogs I’ve ever seen or worked with. So I not only use food to teach him behaviors and skills, but I also use the food as a heavy distractor to start making his behaviors more applicable to real world scenarios.

Check us out at centralmocanine.com to learn how to apply this to your training and much more.

-Mike

01/17/2023

Motivation is a huge piece of the dog training puzzle. If your dog doesn’t have enough of it, you’re going to make limited progress and get frustrated very quickly. This almost always leads to using punishment much too soon and far too often. Which then cripples the relationship you have with your dog.

However, if your dog has ample motivation for something (usually food or toys), then your training progress will only be limited by your knowledge and imagination. Not only that, but you’ll be able to get away with using far less punishment, if any at all, when it comes time to work around competing motivators.

The good news is that you can build motivation for a lot of different things in many different ways. So, you can almost always find something that will give you enough motivation to work with.

A big part of our training philosophy is not only to get your dog as motivated as possible for food and/or toys, but to also get them as motivated as possible to interact with you, the owner. If your dog is as fired up to interact with you as it is with its favorite things, they will naturally give you their undivided attention. This makes training much more fun and straightforward (among many other benefits) for both you and your dog.

If you’d like to learn how to develop motivation and apply it to your training, check out all of our training options at centralmocanine.com and get started with one of our training packages or classes. And as always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

-Mike

01/03/2023

Contrary to popular belief, your dog doesn’t have to like other dogs. Your dog doesn’t even have to like other people. What matters is that you can get your dog’s attention on you and off of the environment whenever you want it.

We develop this by showing your dog over and over again that you are the center of their world. That everything they want and need flows through you. We give your dog every reason to mind you and tune out the environment, so that when you ask for their attention, they’re more than willing to give it to you.

When you have this kind of responsiveness, you can allow your dog to be a dog; you can allow your dog to be itself. But when you need their attention, you can get it no matter what is going on around them, then work your way through it. That is true control.

Slapping a prong collar or e-collar on your dog and punishing them for every mistake they make is not control, that is suppression. Those tools have their place and can be extremely useful and effective when used at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reasons. However, using them to manipulate your dog’s attention and focus will likely do nothing but give your dog every reason to avoid you. Which is obviously the exact opposite of the ideal outcome.

Whether you decide to do private sessions, in-homes, or our new and improved group classes with us, we’ll show you how to achieve this with your dog and much more. Check out all of our training options at centralmocanine.com and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

-Mike

01/03/2023

Registration is open for our winter group classes! We have updated our curriculum and added additional support between weekly sessions to help you reach your training goals.

Our next Practical Puppy Class will start Tuesday, February 7th at 6:30pm.

Our Basic Fundamentals Group Class (young to adult dogs) will start on Wednesday, February 1st at 6:30pm.

Full details, pricing and scheduling is on our website. Feel free to reach out if you have any additional questions or would like to sign up!

12/09/2022

FINALLY! We have some updates ready for you all. www.centralmocanine.com

Our updated website is live! Based on what packages and requests have been most popular this past year, we've reworked our discounted training packages. We are also changing up our board & train services and will add that to the site soon. We have added a couple of additional services like Trained Dogs for Sale, and Rescue Dogs we've worked with who need homes.

Our group classes are back too, starting after New Year's. These are not your typical classes! We have designed them to compliment the training progression we do in private sessions, but they offer complete training as stand alone services too.

Last but not least- we are working out of our new Training Center! Located on Hwy 54, about 4 miles south of Jefferson City (Quarry Rd). Our new location offers a large indoor training space, as well as 2 rooms for consultations. The Center is also completely fenced. (We will still do some training at Honey Creek Pet Resort, and board & train dogs will overnight there as well.)

We look forward to working with you and your dog soon!

Offering training for family pets and working K9s. Private sessions in-home or at our facilities, group classes, field trips, board & train and behavior consultations

11/29/2022

11/02/2022

Hey All, we haven't posted much on our socials lately, but we've been super busy behind the scenes! Mike and I have been putting together an updated website that will include some changes and additions to our training services for all dogs. In addition, we've been setting up a new main location for training - very excited about this! More on all that to come in the next few weeks. ~Jessie

04/06/2022

TRAINING PHONE ISSUES! Unbeknownst to us, our training phone has not been sending some of our emails and we've received none of our voicemails or alerts. We've contacted the carrier, reset the voicemail and phone - everything seems to be back on track now. We apologize for any inconvenience, and want to assure anyone who has tried to reach us that we haven't been ignoring you!

01/25/2022

Board & Train Student - Miss Winnie! Win is working on some foundation and engagement exercises with Mike and has progressed to working on her basic obedience skills. Today was engagement plus working her sit, down and recall (here). She's a spunky (sometimes sassy, lol) Corgi pup who has been fun to work with and is picking things up quick!

Board & Train is just one of our training services - we have private sessions (at our place or yours), group classes and field trips too! If you have a Christmas pup that's ready for more training, check out our Ultimate Puppy Package!

01/24/2022

Pharaoh and I took advantage of the mild temps today to run errands and decided to stop do some work on the greenway! It was quiet on the trails, but plenty of distractions out on and along the sidewalk/road - so we got in some good practice on our obedience. Vienna sausages were the winner for today's reward!!

The greenway is a favorite on our fieldtrip list and we are happy to schedule a session there with you too!

01/15/2022

The boys enjoyed a day off from work with some play time in the snow today! Pharaoh's first snow - it made it fun to paw at and roll his jolly ball around. Stryker had to check on the neighbor's cows before we ran around a bit. Hope your snow-loving dogs had fun today too!

01/12/2022

PHARAOH HAS BEEN BUSY OVER THE HOLIDAYS AND NEW YEAR! We've been working more on Pharaoh's tracking/trailing. He loves it so far and is excited to find the "lost" person - especially since they have one of his favorite toys!

Do you see the pattern in the pictures? 😆 After a game of tug with the lost/found person, he likes to take his toy back to the found location and lay down with it. He's a bit possessive that way but that's OK - we like the motivation and excitement he has so far for what he sees as a game but what we hope will be a true Search & Rescue job for him down the road. Wish him luck!

11/12/2021

WHAT HAS PHARAOH BEEN UP TO LATELY? Besides hamming it up for pics - more training of course! (Ok, so we did take a break to just have some fun on a beautiful fall day this week.) Pharaoh's obedience has been coming along great, he's learning to get into and hold his positions longer, with some added self control around distractions. For our family dog clients, we have you do the same thing - slowly increase distractions based on your dog's success. Keep your markers timely, and rewards coming!

For his scent work, we've shaped him to the popper box - the scent we want him to find is in the box and when he alerts (sits at the box staring at the hole, quietly), we trigger a ball to shoot out of the box as his reward. He's caught on quickly!

10/07/2021

CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF PHARAOH! It's been a busy couple of weeks for Pharaoh - he's lost all his puppy teeth and is quite proud of his new clackers. During that time we stopped our tug play/engagement and concentrated on his obedience and some beginning tracking. We've also been doing some confidence building on the agility equipment as well as on everything else we have around here. (He's ready to help with mowing now!).

Just like many our client's dogs we are using a combination of markers for Pharaoh - a clicker, "good" (hold position, we'll bring reward to you) and "yes" (come to us for the reward). His obedience has been accomplished through shaping (asking & rewarding a little more from him each time until we get the final desired movement or position) and/or waiting for an offered behavior we like - this helps him learn to learn - staying in the game, knowing and trusting he'll get the reward eventually. In these pics Mike is working on the sit-on-recall and getting into the heel position. At the time of the heel position pic, we were still shaping a little more to get his butt swung around to be right next to Mike and he's doing great now!

09/30/2021

Welcome, K9 Stryker, to the Central MO Canine family! Stryker was laid off from his K9 patrol job after his handler transferred out of the area. He ultimately ended up with the great folks at Good Shepherd Humane Society in Eureka Springs, AR - where we scooped him up!
Stryker is getting some refresher work and continued training in hopes of regaining his working status. Check back for updates and more pics over the coming weeks to see what he can do.

09/11/2021

THE ADVENTURES OF PHARAOH
Pharaoh the Belgian Malinois came to us several weeks ago through Journey Home GSD Rescue. He's around 4 months old now and is a service K9 prospect. We'll see how he progresses, but hope to have him set up as a multi-purpose working dog able to be used for detection, tracking and patrol.

We thought it would be fun to share his progress through his training phases, while showing that we walk the talk! We have implemented with him the same relationship foundation work and engagement exercises we do with our clients and their dogs. Stay tuned for updates!

08/28/2021

It's back to school for puppies too! We've been having fun in our last few classes with a Golden Retriever, a Belgian Malinois and a Cane Corso. All very different personalities, drives and breed groups put together to learn, socialize and gain confidence. Puppy class is set up as open enrollment (start any time) and then attend the sessions that work with your schedule.

Find out more about our puppy packages, as well as our other training services on our website. Feel free to contact us if you need help with your pup or dog!

03/22/2021

Took advantage of the great weather this weekend and did a field trip with one of our students to work on good manners around some practical distractions. We have a discounted package for in-home/field trips - check it out at: www.centralmocanine.com

Mike (right) is working Liam. He is a great representation of the German Shepherd breed - he’s available for adoption thru Journey Home German Shepherd Rescue: www.journeyhomegsd.com for his bio and adoption requirements. We love this boy!

02/16/2021

GROUP CLASS CANCELLED TONIGHT - Weather and road conditions being what they are, we are cancelling tonight's class. We hope everyone stays safe & warm and we'll resume next week on Thursday, February 25th.