I've been able to sneak some fun time in with Havoc and Tia! I've known Havoc since they brought him home as a puppy! Working place and the "right here" command is so good for him, but.......I gotta be ready for 130 pounds of him slamming against my leg🤣
The way I'm praising him might sound as though I'm surprised by his obedience. I'm not, lol. I'm actually calmly praising him because he's actually able to stay under control (mostly) and not so overexcited he can't think straight! Think bull in a china shop 🤣
Tia is a sweetheart too! I haven't done any formal work with her because she's not nearly as high drive as Havoc is. She just wants love!
I LOVE these two❤️💙
This is an owner video shared with me on the awesome progress they are making with their dogs! This particular video shows their dog in Lowe's. He hasn't been able to go to Lowe's in almost 2 years because he would be so anxious and overly aroused. They couldn't walk him because he would pull all over the place, he was fearful of all the busyness and loud noises in the store, and he would whine incessantly if he saw other dogs and kids.
We've been working for 3 sessions on basic obedience, structure and accountability. The third lesson was all about a structured walk and more recall practice. It's important to help your dog to understand their focus should be on you, the handler. When you have focus and engagement with your dog, you can do so much more with them! Here in this video, the owner is using engagement moves they learned in our session. This is to keep the dog focused on her instead of him being focused on the environment. This is not a forever answer to the issues he's having, but it's a start! It was literally a day after our FIRST walking session.
Another thing to keep in mind is that all the structure and accountability they have been teaching their dogs over the last 3 weeks, is also contributing to their walking success.
So proud of this family! Their lives have literally changed for the better, in such a short amount of time!!
Great job guys💙
Good morning guys! This morning I was having fun with my dogs! I love them so much! The most simple things I was asking them to do, and they were thrilled to do it! All it takes is 5-10 minutes of drills with your dog! I did simple tasks they know and my dogs love to do them quickly! You can add any skill into this that your dog knows. All they want is to be with you and work with you......well...and the food😁 Notice my dogs are not perfect! They messed up and broke commands and Klover got confused with what I was asking and it's OKAY! Practice with them. They learn clarity, impulse control, how to switch from one command to another as well as pay attention to who I'm working with! This was a great mental exercise for them and to be honest, they wanted more!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my awesome Academy families ❤️❤️❤️ Hold your pups and humans close today and enjoy some awesome food🦃
Look at Curtis stroll 😁 Doesn't he just make you smile! This is the beginnings of a very nice walk! I'm setting the foundation of a heel in this session. Not looking for a tight, competition heel during this phas , but what I was looking for was no forging ahead. Teaching proper leash pressure takes some skill, especially with nosey, hound puppies ❤️ His owner was not able to really walk with him because he was much more interested in the environment. He's still very very much interested in the environment during this session, but we are laying a foundation. This is a start and he's doing fantastic!
It's completely possible to have a dog under the age of one, to walk in a heel! This didn't just start today. This started back when Tina( the Boston Terrier )was a puppy! She'll be one this week!
If you want your dog to heel, you have to teach proper leash skills first BUT even before that, you must lead your dog! This behavior doesn't just happen on walks. It's all through the day! Leadership is giving your dog/puppy boundaries, rules and accountability! This goes on all day long! If you don't live this way with your dog, then please don't expect them to hold a position on the most engaging part of their day.
My dogs are not required to stay in position the entire walk but they do a good portion of it. You see at one point I stop and do a direction change. This is because Tina was wanting to go ahead of me. This is a great way to keep your dog engaged with you so they remain in position. A structured walk is one of the best ways to show your dog leadership so that all the other fun stuff is possible. If you have a nervous dog, a highly anxious dog, a reactive dog, then this IS the best way to walk your dog. By doing so, you're giving them a job to do by giving them something to focus on.
If you need help getting your dog to walk nicely, I can help!
This was day 5 of Princess's day training with e-collar. I worked with the owners for 4 weeks prior to her 5 day, day train program. In those in home sessions we set the foundation of basic commands and prong collar. Once the foundation is laid, then the e-collar training can begin.
Here we were in a large field, getting some practice on recall under distractions and overall leadership. She's on a long line so she gets the idea of off leash but technically isn't. The importance of practicing recall under distractions is sooo important! Princess has never been to this field before so all the smells were very interesting to her. When you are practicing a command your dog knows, and you're practicing it in new environments, it helps them realize under any circumstance, the command is the command! If they choose not to be compliant, then they will be held accountable. In this video, if Princess would not have been compliant, she would have received an e-collar correction. This is what we've been practicing all week! She did amazing!
If you're looking for off leash freedom with your dog, I have a program for that! Message me for a specialized program that's perfect for you and your dog!
Hey guys! Out walking my dogs this morning and decided to give Tina some off leash practice! She did awesome! We walk this route pretty frequently, so the environment wasn't really new to her. I mainly wanted to practice recall with her under the distractions she is fairly used to. I would not take her somewhere she is not familiar with, mainly because she is not e-collar trained yet, but she did really great!
E-collar training is one of the easiest things to do for you and your dog! It gives you and your dog sooooo much freedom!! You still have to put in the training though! It's not the collar or any other tool that trains your dog, it's the training itself!!
If you're interested in e-collar training, I have a day train program that is perfect for you! My training is customized to your dog, so the length of time it takes may vary. Touch base with me and we'll get it started!
Exposure!
When it's raining and storming, instead of running indoors, we go out! My dogs have been exposed to rain, and storms since they were babies and I continue to expose them! By constant exposure, you have a very very high chance your dogs will learn to be neutral during storms and other loud environments. If my dogs showed any kind of fear or anxiety in these environments, I would be working them on a leash with food! I would practice sits, downs, and place. This way, I'm giving them a job to do during the event that's causing them anxiety. This way, they're concentrating on the job and not the storm. Over time, they will learn to be neutral.
If you haven't done this with your dog and they are already exhibiting worried behavior, it's never too late to start practicing! Short sessions and high value food rewards! If they won't take food, that's okay! Just work them through it anyway. Your body language and your voice are also very powerful training tools.
Need more help with this? Message me❤️
Teach the out command! Nuff said😁
Doodlebugs rocking the walk together! These two are only 7 months old! They are getting the right start in life so they can be a joy for their owner, and honestly, easier to take care of!
This walk you see didn't just happen. It didnt even start with the leash! It started with leadership and engagement! The more leadership you show your dog the more they engage, the more they engage, the more eager they are to learn and work with you! I stress leadership and engagement with all of my clients because it's sooo important to start from the beginning!
Who wouldn't want their pup to walk so nicely! Not one correction was given to these two other than a verbal "heel," which they have been taught first through prong collar and then e-collar. We walked through construction vehicles which they were unsure of, we met several people along the way and all through that, they held position! All they needed was my guidance to keep them focused.
These doodles are coming along quite nicely!
Annie is working on the place command. She's had a couple sessions with her owner prior to this, so I'm just reinforcing what she knows. Also during this session, I introduced the come command. I'm throwing everything at her in this session. Food, no food, leash pressure, no pressure, guidance, vocal guidance and body language. We also go from working to a quick play session, right back into working. She's doing great!
What I want to be sure of, is that Annie and her brother(barking in the background), have a clear understanding of all basic things commands before we introduce them to off leash e-collar work. We do not teach new commands with the e-collar for the majority of dogs. It's preferable they already know and understand the commands first, however, no two dogs are alike in how they learn. It's my job to have the ability to train each dog the way they learn best!
Tina on the loose!
Doing some recall practice today! Haven't really done a lot of formal recall training with her yet. This is really the first time, outside. I would recommend practicing with your dog/puppy while on a long line. This way, when they decide they don't want to come when called, they really don't have a choice. Just reel them in!
Recall can be really difficult to start, especially if you have a dog who isn't really interested in..... YOU. Yes, you! Recall is all.about teaching your dog you are valuable. You do this by creating a relationship with your dog based on leadership NOT affection. When your dog learns working with you means fun, interaction with their favorite person, then recalling is a lot easier. So...if you're not fun and valuable to your dog, build that first and then go for other obedience commands!
If you need help getting started, let me know!
River did a 3 week board and train with me. She came to me with some leash reactivity towards dogs while on walks. She had some big dog behavior in a small dog body. Anyway, we worked out the kinks and got her feeling more confident in herself and her owner.
You can see at the end, her tail is up, her body is relaxed and she's very happy to walk beside me and her friend!
A prong collar is a fantastic tool to help owners walk their dogs who are leash reactive and like to pull ahead. When they are taught how to yield to the pressure by staying at your side, the end result is a dog who is working for you! They are working to stay in position and mind their manners.
Any tool you put on your dog can be used incorrectly, no matter if it's a flat collar, a harness, a gentle leader, a slip lead or a prong collar. The tools don't train your dog, training trains your dog, but tools can help! Teach your dog what you want and what you don't want and live your happy life together! Don't let other people tell you what you should or shouldn't use on your dog!
While watching these two play, I'm listening to something that makes a looooot of sense for owners! Listen to Sean O'Shea talk about dynamics in the home. This is valuable stuff!
Chloe was another past board and train! She stayed with me for a bit while her owner was on a missions trip, serving the Lord.
Chloe is a nervous girl, especially in unfamiliar territory, but she loves being off leash! Look at that recall!
If you're looking for an off leash trained dog, so you can enjoy real freedom, Kim's K9 Academy is here to help!
