We want to know… Do you take pictures in front of the clumps of hair like they are trophies of some sort of shedding Olympics??
#shepherdhusky #shedding #takehomethegold #olympics
Tupper has arrived! We brought him home last night. Meeko did well with introductions. Nala also did pretty good! Stay tuned for puppy content.
#goldenpuppy #goldenretriever #welcomehome
WE’RE HAVING A BABY! Well… a puppy! We are working with an amazing breeder and will be bringing home a male Golden Retriever in 2 weeks. Stay tuned for a TON of puppy content!!
#puppies #goldenretrieverpuppy #remedyretrievers
We’ve had almost a week of 90 degree days in NY. Here’s just one way to exercise your dog’s body and mind inside while keeping them cool!
If your dog is not conditioned to a marker word or clicker, that will be your first step. Not sure how to do that? Just ask!
#beattheheat #hotdogs #enrichment #fundog
Ragnar is a very young dog that had a rough start in life. However, he is also a VERY smart dog. He’s come a long way in his training in a short time. #l
Remember to keep your sessions fun! Allow for some silliness and breaks. It keeps it interesting for them and helps them want to come back and work with you.
Do I work weekends? Yes. I work 7 days a week taking care of dogs in the kennel. However, Sundays we take some time to spend doing “us” things. Today’s adventure was following the gun club property line and looking for mushrooms! What do you do to unwind or spend time with family?
#forestadventure #foraging #wedontcareaboutmud #sundayreset
This is a good example of experience over formal training. This is the first time Ashe has been to the rail trail so the focus is on creating a positive experience. I would rather her explore and experience the new smells, sights etc. than to continually try to keep her focused on me. When things do pop up, I used movement, play and excitement to get her attention diverted. I am also utilizing only a small portion of the trail. We’ll do this again tomorrow but we will start adding in some more formal cues along with the play.
We’re changing things up a little here! I am going to start showing more of myself and my life while also continuing to bring you dog info. You are going to see more posts and stories on a regular consistent basis. Anything you want to know? Ask in the comments!
This repost of an old video seems appropriate. So to my clients that may be struggling with life challenges right now… just know I’m here for you and will@offer support in any way I can.
Ever had a day that you ran around like crazy, but you didn’t really use your brain much? Post office, bank, grocery shopping. All the routine stuff. When you got home you were physically tired, but you couldn’t sleep because your brain wouldn’t shut off?
We tend to prioritize physical exercise for our dogs when we think about tiring them out. Don’t get me wrong, physical exercise is super important for a healthy dog. So is mental exercise. Think of the brain as a muscle… It must be worked!
20 minutes of hard and fast paced play
20 minutes of training
Give your dog something to work on… bone, frozen Kong, a chew of some kind
Then let them relax!
Just because a dog chooses to lay down, does not mean that they have “calmed down”. In fact, positions like this rarely have anything to do with the mindset of a dog. The only reason Layla is laying down is because I have been ignoring her for about 15-20 mins at this point. The second I moved, which was just to switch my position in my chair, she immediately got up.
So why am I filming an anxious dog? I’ve been seeing too many videos recently of trainers boasting about how they “increased confidence” when in reality they have just forced a dog to do something. The general public needs to be able to look closer at what trainers are calling “results”.
Why is this dog anxious and why does it seem I am doing nothing to help her? I have been working with Layla and her mom for a year. We do weekly sessions getting her comfortable with everything from other dogs, Halloween decorations, people, body handling, muzzles, etc. Her mom would now like her to get comfortable being left at our boarding facility. This was our first attempt. She was dropped off for 1 hour. This is just the beginning part of that session.
Hear me out. Harnesses are not for every dog, every owner or even every situation. Just like with anything else, what works for one may not work for another.
So why a harness on this dog? Bruce is not reactive, is responsive to the clicker, has a very dedicated owner that spends a lot of time training and also has an owner that can handle the sudden tugging if he does try to pull.
What makes a harness not appropriate for some dogs?
🐶First, harnesses are designed to distribute pressure evenly. That means that when a dog pulls, harnesses actually make is more comfortable to continue pulling. It also means they may not feel that pressure as much.
🐶If you have mobility or strength issues, a harness may not be the safest tool for you to use when walking your dog. Especially for those unexpected triggers that may make your dog lunge.
🐶If your dog is reactive or has a large prey drive, meaning that chasing something is more important than anything you are going to offer them.
🐶If you have a breed such as a husky that has been bred to pull!!
So how do you know what tool may be best to train your dog with? How do you get started on a loose leash walk, engagement, food motivation and clicker conditioning - all the things utilized in this video to make this walk possible? You guessed it - HIRE A TRAINER!!
Need a trainer? Contact us!
Bruce’s dad got a hold of me for basic obedience and leash pulling. We’ve been working on obedience, but I also like to work on things like being comfortable in changing environments. Taking the time for short stops like this helps us create positive experiences for the dog.
This is also an example of times when obedience does not matter. I truly do not care if he breaks his sit here. I am more concerned with the dog being comfortable in the situation.
Some follow games to get Ashe ready for loose leash walking.
#cattledogpuppy #walkitout #smartgirl
Watson finished a 21 session package with us for behavior modification. He was fearful, anxious, human reactive, dog reactive and had landed a bite in the past. The 21 sessions took about 2 1/2 months to complete. We made sure to give adequate breaks and rest. I also gave my clients adequate time to practice and get comfortable at each step. Watson is now able to go out on the town with minimal reactivity!
It is possible to help your reactive dog, regardless of what is causing the reactivity. Please understand that you will be putting in a LOT of work, but it’s so worth it in the end!
These clients have put in a TON of work with their dogs. This was one of the ultimate goals… being able to walk their wooded property with the dogs off leash and not worry about them running off. The e-collar allows them to have the freedom to enjoy their dogs the way they want to.
Is off leash freedom a goal of yours? First we must teach a solid recall. Then we can add in the e-collar. However, you must also have a good relationship with your dog.
This is realistic dog training. It’s not the flashy sh*t you see on TV or the idiots dragging dogs around on the internet. It requires patience. It requires that you respect where the dog is at mentally and emotionally. It’s slowing down and building a relationship.
We have worked with Watson to condition a clicker and leash pressure. You see in this video that he loads quickly and before an auditory interrupter can be applied, he reacts. The leash pressure does exactly what it’s meant to. It provides a tactile stimulation that gets his attention quickly and punishes the behavior. He is then able to listen and comprehend the clicker as well as start to make better decisions.
This took a lot of work on the backend to get to this point. It may look like a failure in a training exercise, but in reality it’s a huge success!
Questions? Put them in the comments?
Reactive dog you need help with? Contact me!
Relationship is way more important than people think. How will a dog learn from me if they don’t trust me. This is one way of building a relationship but certainly not the only. #relationship #gsd #playtime
Relationship is a much bigger part of dog training than most people think. If the dog doesn’t trust you then how will you get them to do what you’re asking?
This is only 1 way of building a relationship with a dog and certainly NOT the ONLY way!
