Morning romps at the park
If you want to follow what your pups are up to while they’re with me, check out my Instagram @dogtrainingtogether. I’m starting to actually use it. 😂 Particularly the “story” feature for capturing more live, every-day moments.
E-collar recall (coming when called) training with Lucky, the Great Dane puppy. 8 month old Lucky is gigantic and absolutely needs off-leash time in a big space to stretch those long legs of hers. She’s doing great with her training. Super happy to also see her more confident and explorative—as a puppy, she was hard pressed to leave her handler’s side. 💕🌈
Bulldogs be Bulldog-ing
Bulldogs be Bulldog-ing: 😂🏋🏻♂️ This is a classic video of Penny the English Bulldog fearlessly dominating Lucky, a Great Dane puppy that’s easily 4X her size. Bulldogs, like many terriers, are tenacious. They don’t want to back down from a challenge or a threat. (Or in this case, a giant playmate).
While her behavior is humorous and entertaining, you have to ask yourself: “would this be funny if Lucky was my small child?” …….. Maybe. Just kidding. 😜😂 While English Bulldogs may be stereotyped as lazy couch potatoes, plenty of them are active, physical dogs like Penny. They require intentional and professional dog training to be safe and manageable, and even then, they may not be a good fit for most families.
This is why I try to encourage my community to not just do internet research when considering adding a dog to the family, but to actually meet lots of dogs of that breed. Try and foster some if you can. Go to a dog show or local Bay Area meet-up for the breed you’re interested in. If you can’t find local resources reach out to a local dog trainer!
Dogs can teach us how to loosen up, if we let them. 💕
Dogs can teach us how to loosen up, if we let them. 💕 If you allow your dog to be their stinky, silly, sometimes gross self, you may be surprised at how much joy you can find in those messy moments. ☀️🌈
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Giving your dog free off-leash time is priceless.
When dogs have the opportunity for free off-leash time, they can have the space to express their unique personalities and instincts. Whether it’s chasing birds 🪶, tracking scents, rolling in stinky smells 🥴, marking everywhere, or sprinting around aimlessly💥, giving your dog free time off leash is enriching both mentally and physically. ✨Get the training you need and want so you can take your dog on all the on and off-leash adventures you want!!✨🏕️
Boarding your pup with me post-training is a great way for them to reunite with their buddies! Nala the giant doodle is a total sweetie, but she’s a puppy and wants to play like one! Luckily Peanut the Golden Retriever has a really compatible play style, so they quickly became best friends when they first met a while back. 🙂
Big boys need big space.
Took these big boys to run the other day after getting a break from the rain. While little dogs love their off-leash time too, the big guys really need a lot of space to be able to run like this!!
Little pups off leash
The last of my off-leash rounds at the park with Bug aka Buggles aka Bugscicle aka Bugalicious, Birdie aka little bird, and my girl Bogie aka Bogsters, aka Boges 😂🥰
Why Off-Leash Time is So Important
I think giving your puppy or adult dog time off leash is so important for multiple reasons:
1.) Physical enrichment: While walking is great exercise, dogs who are given free off-leash time are able to jump, climb, and sprint, which can help your dog maintain a healthy weight and muscle tone.
2.) Ability to express natural instincts and desires: A lot of people have challenges with their dogs because their dogs don’t have proper outlets to satiate their natural instincts and desires. When dogs are free off-leash, they can be curious, suspicious, exhuberant, and engage in activities like searching, chasing, sniffing, digging, etc.
3.) Independence and confidence: in this very boring video of Lucky the Great Dane puppy, I’m giving a thumbs up because Lucky decided to go off and smell something. Lucky is a major sweetie who can be inclined to cling to her people. Giving her free off-leash time allows her to practice more independence and feel more confident navigating the world without being in my shadow.
4.) Better bond: this may sound counterintuitive, especially after point #3, but it’s been my experience that very independent dogs become more bonded with me once I am able to safely take them off leash. Perhaps it’s the obedience (recall) I practice with them off-leash, because they ultimately have to follow me, or the fact that I’m providing them with the enrichment. Whatever it is, I’ve found independent dogs are able to become more bonded with me when I can start taking them off-leash.
So get your dog some off-leash training so you can feel safe with them off-leash, they can express their unique self and explore the amazing world around us.
Little bug off-leash
Free flying bug alert! Little bug is on her way with her e collar training. Bug has totally warmed up to me and the house, but because she’s pretty overweight, she hasn’t been consistently wanting to work for food. I’m hoping that giving her free running and exploring time will help her shed weight and boost her appetite. 🙂
A good reminder that if you want the best health and performance for your dog, keeping them nice and lean is super helpful! This can be really challenging with the little guys, because they usually require such little food it looks criminal. 😂 My family has a mini Goldendoodle and we add green beans to his meals to help satiate his hunger while keeping his caloric intake balanced for his small size. 🙂
First time off-leash for Bandana
Bandana the pit bull mix can now get his crazies out safely! A dog who has their physical needs met is so much easier to train. This is why coming when called is one of the first things I’ve worked on with Bandana. He has so much energy and is super easily aroused—these qualities can become a nightmare if a dog doesn’t have the right outlets and training.
Bug Making Herself at Home
Bug is starting to warm up here and enjoy her “accommodations” at The Dog House. 🙂
Why I let my dogs chase critters:
I like to let my dogs (personal and training dogs) chase critters for multiple reasons:
1.) Predatory instincts are natural! In my training programs, I want to enhance the dog in front of me, not suppress the heck out of them and change their core being.
2.) We can use a dog’s predatory instincts in training! If we let our dogs chase critters and express themselves, sometimes we can use those moments to practice obedience, which helps them learn how to actually control their impulses and listen when they are aroused!
3.) It’s fun to watch dogs enjoy themselves. 🙂
Here is a video of Nala and Bodie chasing geese and then returning when I call them. This was a difficult recall both because I was calling them off of chasing, and because they were really far away. I didn’t start here! I taught them how to come when called around distractions incrementally and thoughtfully, so I could set them up for learning.
(My videoing got kind of poor during the recall because I was focused on helping Nala figure out where I was, as she was just booking it in my general direction but clearly couldn’t see me fully. 😂 I didn’t use the e collar on either dog here, though they are each wearing one).
Dogs need to play!!
I think a lot owners struggle with their dogs because they are (unknowingly) not meeting their dog’s needs. While training is obviously important in having a well-mannered dog, if dogs don’t have outlets to express their unique traits and desires, they will be much more challenging to manage as they try to satiate their needs however they can. I think a lot of owners have been fed misinformation that playing tug with your dog is dangerous or teaches them bad behaviors. Of course, like anything, there are ways we can reinforce desirable and undesirable behaviors in our dogs in everything we do with them. There is a way to play tug with your dog that can enhance your relationship with them and even their training and ability to control themselves when aroused.
The next time your puppy or dog is mischievous, nipping you or the kids, clobbering you, etc, and have you have a spare few minutes, grab a soft toy and play tug with them!
Reach out if you want to learn how to play with your dog to enhance your relationship and more easily manage your dog. 🙂
Big Steps for Little Birdie
I’m so proud of this little girl!!! This is why I make my programs RESULTS BASED, and don’t use cookie cutter timelines.
Little Birdie here is doing a Behavior Modification program to help her with severe anxiety. I’ve had her for a few weeks now and our training has not been linear at all.
When I would try to take her out to train in the front of my house for some simple engagement and food play, she was so afraid she just simply couldn’t do it. She would stare at the world around her with her big buggy eyes and try to flee back into the house. I tried on and off to do some engagement with her out front and I just was not liking it. So, I took a long break from it and just worked her inside my house, where she did GREAT!
Today, she told me she was ready to go out front, actually looking curious to go out. I brought her out thinking we would just do some engagement and she was ready to rock and roll with some obedience training!! This was actually our second session. I kept the first one super short and had to basically pull her inside because she wanted to keep training outside.
I’m so proud of this little girl!! I can’t wait to see her continue to blossom now that she’s starting to realize the world isn’t so scary. 💕
Off Leash Fun
Free park time with Otis, Honey and Buddy!! I can’t believe I haven’t introduced adorable Buddy the lab yet. I will give him his spotlight shortly!! He’s here for a customized program and just became off-leash safe!!
Happy Free Dogs
Loaf and Otis enjoying free time at the park. 🥰 I love giving dogs in my program the opportunity to express themselves, use their nose and play in big outdoor spaces. I think it really improves their overall mental state and quality of life!
Freedom looks so good on Loaf. 😂😭🥰 Doodle “graduates” and friends Honey and Lucky are here for the day and helping give Loaf his exercise. 😂
I train my own pups too!! I’m currently having a blast teaching my girls Bogie and Kiyah to put their toys away. Fun and convenient!! 😜😃❤️
Here is Bogie showing off her skills. 🥰🥹
