Let’s be honest! Very few people need a trainer to teach their dog to sit! Most of us have difficulty with the behavioral issues like jumping up, mouthiess, potty-training, reactivity, and loose-leash walking! These problems are our specialty! We have worked very hard to develop non-aversive methods to deal with these behaviors! Without special gadgets, collars, or harnesses … no shocking or anything unkind. See Freya, a young ginormous Grest Dane!
Huckleberry loves his Pupsickle!
Finally got some decent weather for the last out of our fall adventure series. We really enjoyed a little field work, riding the train, and visiting the pumpkin patch. The dogs and owners were wonderful. The staff at the WK&S railroad we’re very nice. The witches were especially adorable .
When you’re seven years old, and you listen in class and do your homework !!! Note the attention of BOTH pup AND handler !!!
We like to think of loose-leash walking as a dance. Sometimes I refer to it as pairs figure skating because timing is everything! This is what we teach at Whoodles! You have to despise being pulled by your dog and you have to be passionately teachable to succeed! I’m talking about the human end of the leash!!! There is no harness or gadget that will stop leash-pulling… there are some tools that help for a limited period of time, including shock collars (which ultimately, in the hands of a frustrated/impatient handler end up doing way more harm than good) but there is no substitute for genuine bond-building, positive training that yields a life-time of pleasure and connection! But, you have to want it badly!!
We had a spectacular time with these folks and their dogs! We are constantly tweaking our curriculum because we want our clients to become dog whisperers who feel confident and truly competent to take their dogs wherever they want! We want to develop confident, happy dogs who can coexist peacefully among other dogs in a public setting! This does not mean that they should be able to greet every dog they see with joy! On the contrary, we’d prefer they simply be able to walk past other dogs without reacting at all! Afterall, we don’t stop and chat with every person we meet on the street!!!
Anyway, our outing began with a brief lecture refreshing our clients on the Six D’s, healthy socialization, dealing with reactivity and learning to read some 20 plus calming signals ( those subtle behaviors in our dogs that indicate anxiety and which serve to diffuse conflict) ! We then went for a swim/splash, hiked in the woods, enjoyed some lunch and visited dog friendly shops! John and I both felt that this group of parents remained so beautifully in/tune and connected to their dogs that the entire excursion was an absolute joy!
We had a spectacular time with these folks and their dogs! We are constantly tweaking our curriculum because we want our clients to become dog whisperers who feel confident and truly competent to take their dogs wherever they want! We want to develop confident, happy dogs who can coexist peacefully among other dogs in a public setting! This does not mean that they should be able to greet every dog they see with joy! On the contrary, we’d prefer they simply be able to walk past other dogs without reacting at all! Afterall, we don’t stop and chat with every person we meet on the street!!!
Anyway, our outing began with a brief lecture refreshing our clients on the Six D’s, healthy socialization, dealing with reactivity and learning to read some 20 plus calming signals ( those subtle behaviors in our dogs that indicate anxiety and which serve to diffuse conflict) ! We then went for a swim/splash, hiked in the woods, enjoyed some lunch and visited dog friendly shops! John and I both felt that this group of parents remained so beautifully in/tune and connected to their dogs that the entire excursion was an absolute joy!
We had a spectacular time with these folks and their dogs! We are constantly tweaking our curriculum because we want our clients to become dog whisperers who feel confident and truly competent to take their dogs wherever they want! We want to develop confident, happy dogs who can coexist peacefully among other dogs in a public setting! This does not mean that they should be able to greet every dog they see with joy! On the contrary, we’d prefer they simply be able to walk past other dogs without reacting at all! Afterall, we don’t stop and chat with every person we meet on the street!!!
Anyway, our outing began with a brief lecture refreshing our clients on the Six D’s, healthy socialization, dealing with reactivity and learning to read some 20 plus calming signals ( those subtle behaviors in our dogs that indicate anxiety and which serve to diffuse conflict) ! We then went for a swim/splash, hiked in the woods, enjoyed some lunch and visited dog friendly shops! John and I both felt that this group of parents remained so beautifully in/tune and connected to their dogs that the entire excursion was an absolute joy!
We had a spectacular time with these folks and their dogs! We are constantly tweaking our curriculum because we want our clients to become dog whisperers who feel confident and truly competent to take their dogs wherever they want! We want to develop confident, happy dogs who can coexist peacefully among other dogs in a public setting! This does not mean that they should be able to greet every dog they see with joy! On the contrary, we’d prefer they simply be able to walk past other dogs without reacting at all! Afterall, we don’t stop and chat with every person we meet on the street!!!
Anyway, our outing began with a brief lecture refreshing our clients on the Six D’s, healthy socialization, dealing with reactivity and learning to read some 20 plus calming signals ( those subtle behaviors in our dogs that indicate anxiety and which serve to diffuse conflict) ! We then went for a swim/splash, hiked in the woods, enjoyed some lunch and visited dog friendly shops! John and I both felt that this group of parents remained so beautifully in/tune and connected to their dogs that the entire excursion was an absolute joy!
Perogi class 4 entering the store on a nice loose leash!! Not easy to do but ohhhh soooo sweet!
Sue and Chet and Lily’s Story
Sue is turning 80 and Chet is 85! They had raised Dobermans when they were younger! They wanted a puppy, someone to love and to pour their hearts into! They chose Lily, a little dachshund mix. First. We applaud their wise choice! Lily is small and doesn’t require much in the way of grooming except nail trims which they have been religious about scheduling! Many times seniors grow nostalgic for the breeds they loved in their younger days! As trainers, this is one of the greatest mistakes we encounter… seniors choosing larger more energetic breeds for which they no longer have the stamina! Often times, such choices become downright dangerous because of falls etc.
Second applause because they sought support and training. The first organization rejected them from beginning puppy class because Lily was too old at 12 weeks. So Sue and Chet brought Lily to Whoodles and trainer John worked with them one-on-one. They completed basic training. Then we carefully grouped them with another pup, Chunk, a Dalmatian of similar temperament owned by Kyle and Rosemarie Campbell for positive socialization and higher level obedience! They did absolutely fantabulous!!!
Lily is a pro at having her nails trimmed… and just check out this 50’ sit-stay! The requirement for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Tilte is 20 feet! Seniors can be successful with a new dog! We are very proud of Sue and Chet and Lily! Seniors can successfully incorporate a new dog into their lives!!! A little wisdom regarding choice, significant commitment and support goes a long way to a success story!
It’s not every day that nine Golden Retrievers grace Whoodles all at once…Shelby, Eric Church, and D’Artagnon came for training . Trixie, Chewie, Lizzy, Elliot, Archie, and Oliver all came for their Spa day! Everyone was wonderfully behaved ! It really was a Golden day!
We’re serious about loose-leash walking! It is a forte for us because we believe so strongly in going for a daily, unstressful walk that you both enjoy!! It doesn’t matter if you have beagle who is ruled by her nose or if you have an exuberant lab or if you have personal challenges such as MS or Parkinson’s or Down’s or anxiety, we are utterly committed to helping you enjoy your dog. The pups in this video have worked really hard with us! They are all going on a train ride together for their next excursion!!!
Here’s Buddha, an Old English Bulldog puppy learning to fetch! We think fetch is an important skill because it’s a healthy fun way to interact; your dog can get good exercise even on a rainy day and he learns to “Drop it” which comes in pretty handy when he grabs the remote or a squished toad on the sidewalk etc.
Part 3: Nail Trimming and Filing
Part 2B: Holding and Restraint for Little Dogs
Part2A: Holding and Restraint for Bigger Dogs
