You can't tell from the video but Ramba is a resource guarder...which means we're doing it right!
He has to learn being approached (when a 'resource' is around) is a good thing so we are starting with a short distance approach, an unguarded item, and an awesome reward.
Look at that little tail go!! This is the start of his conditioned emotional response...and it's adorable!! One day, after gradually and at Ramba's pace increasing the difficulty of this game, he'll be calm and perhaps even happy when his 🥎 tennis ball is taken away 😉
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#resourceguarder #ballguarder #conditionedemotionalresponse #bulldog #tennisballaddict #resourceguarding #resourceguardingrehabilitation #resourceguardingtips #tennisball
We are considering integrating a head halter into Neah's walking routine and this is the first step.
Stay tuned for how we progress 😉.
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#headhalter #gentleleader #dogsocialization #looseleashwalking #looseleashwalkingtraining #gooddogmanners #reactivedogwalk #reactivedogrehabilitation #reactivedogtrainersantamonica
Neah is loving her nose work class ♥️♥️♥️. She is very deliberate and strategic. It's so fun to watch her brain and nose work, and she is pooped afterwards 💤.
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#dogenrichment #nosework #scentwork #reactivedogactivities #activereactivedog #anxiousdog #anxiousdogtraining #reactivedogtraining #confidentcalmcanine #gooddog #japanesevillagedog #shelterdog #dogrehabilitation
Meeko and his mom are practicing my reverse bowling move 🎳. It's a helpful tool when your dog pulls forward and you'd like them to (find it rewarding to) return to your side.
Loose leash walking is one of the more challenging "basic behaviors" and this is just one exercise that will help you and your dog reach this goal together 😀.
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#looseleashwalking #looseleashpractice #looseleashtraining #losangelesdogtrainer #santamonicadogtrainer #leashmanners #leashtraining
Dolly and her mom are beginning their loose leash walking journey* ♥️, which can take 6+months even with consistent practice 🤯. This makes sense when you consider all the exciting things outside and how long we'd like her to perform this behavior (typically 20+ minutes).
Because Dolly has no idea what we want, it will involve a lot of back and forth. More importantly, it will include luring Dolly where we'd like her to be, at her mom's side, followed by praise and rewards.
*Dolly is reactive and on the dense urban streets I teach a loose leash/heel combo that still allows the dog to be a part of the walk conversation 😉.
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#reactivedogtraining #leashtraining #looseleashwalking #reactivedogtrainersantamonica #leashmanners #patienceindogtraining #patienceandlove #dollythedog #rescuechihuahua #reactivedoglooseleashwalking
To continue to work on Neah's reactivity we have been going to the parking lot of the nearby private off-leash dog park (not inside 😉).
Each visit allows me to desensitize and counter-condition her emotional response to seeing and hearing other dogs run and play in a controlled environment.
Today's visit was her best so far ♥️♥️♥️.
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#positiveinforcementdogtraining #forcefreedogtraining #positivereinforcement #positiverreinforcementdogtrainer #santamonicadogtrainer #desensitization #counterconditioning #conditionedemotionalresponse #santamonicadogtraining #losangelesreactivedogtrainer #shepherdmix #shelterdogrehabilitation
"My dog won't come when called."
Come is one of the most requested behaviors from my clients, and for good reason because it is a life-saving skill.
It's a simple behavior...but simple isn't always easy 😉.
After showing Lima's Dad the steps he started practicing with her (indoors with little to no distractions). He calls out her name, then immediately says, "Come!" in a loud but welcoming tone and is ready to reward her lavishly ♥️. Woohoo!
There are a few things to tweak (Lima has body handling sensitivities and isn't ready for the collar grab disguised as a massage yet, and she's not convinced she shouldn't take off after getting her 'reward'), but he (and her mom) are taking the time to learn the steps, practice, and gradually increase the difficulty of this important skill just in case they may need it in an emergency. Ounce of prevention, pound of cure!
Keep up the good work!
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#emergencyrecall #comewhencalled #dogrecall #dogcomewhencalled #come #dogtraining #dogtrainerlosangeles #westlosangelesdogtrainer
Neah is loving Nose Work Class! She's deliberate and methodical and so fascinating to watch.
How are you challenging your dog's brain?
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#dogenrichment #dognosework #dognoseworktraining #nosework #dogscentwork #scentwork #dognosebest #fundogtraining
(Apologies for the background screeching noise...not sure what that's about 😭)
Cute corgi, Piper, charges ahead and pulls on her leash during walks 🫤.
So, during today's session I showed her Mom some loose leash walking tips around their complex to increase the likelihood Piper can succeed.
In other words, besides needing to go potty in designated areas, right now there is no reason to walk on the sidewalks where Piper gets anxious from all the sights and sounds of traffic and barks at other dogs.
Instead I outlined how she can chip away at Piper's anxiety and reactivity in this space as well as their apartment while also providing her with the tools needed for when they see or hear a dog on their potty walks.
It's all about gradual counter-conditioning and desensitization and Piper's mom is already seeing progress ♥️♥️♥️.
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#corgi #corgitraining #cutecorgi #dogtrainerlosangeles #dogtrainersantamonica #reactivecorgi #anxiouscorgi #looseleashwalking #looseleashtraining #looseleashpractice
How impressive is Neah's #impulsecontrol? Do NOT try this at home with your pets without months of progressive practice 😉.
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#dogandcatlivingtogether #dogandcatfriends #prouddogmom #proudcatmom #dogmom #catmom #dogtrainerlosangeles
Sweet puppy Bailey was rescued from an abusive home 💔. Her new family is ready to share a life filled with love with her and that begins by helping her feel differently about men, including her dad and human brothers.
During our consultation I guided her dad through a short session to begin to change Bailey's conditioned emotional response (CER). You can see her older sister, Xena, wanted in on the fun too ♥️.
It will take time for Bailey to feel comfortable with all of her new family members but with patience and practice, this lucky girl can move forward from her past and have a fantastic future.
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#fearfulpuppy #dogwithfearofmen #anxiouspuppy #puppyrehabilitation #rescuepuppy #luckypuppy #puppytrainerlosangeles #losangelespuppytrainer #santamonicapuppy
Bingo is a quick learner ♥️.
This sweet 5 mos old pit puppy is very excited to greet his people and thinks their fingers are snacks. I guided his parents how to teach him alternate reward behaviors and, well, you can see for yourself 🥰.
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#responsiblepuppyownership #gooddogmanners #puppytraining #losangelesdogtrainer #puppytraining #pitbullpuppy #stoppuppyjumping #stoppuppybiting #sharkmouth
Curious what reactive dog training sessions look like? It looks like you're not training reactive dogs 😉.
Both Isla and Neah (can) go over threshold (barking, jumping, lunging, etc) at the sight of another dog so we're working at a distance that allows us the opportunity to create a rewarding, enjoyable experience for them as they remain under threshold ♥️♥️♥️.
Note: Neah is also alert to the other closer neighborhood sounds (cars, other dogs barking, etc), which can add to her anxiety so we kept the session short and sweet. She's not a confident, calm canine yet, but she's making leaps and bounds in her socialization progress. Isla is of course on her way too 🥰.
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#reactivedogtraining #reactivedogrehabilitation #reactivedog #reactivedogtrainersantamonica #reactivedogwalk #reactivedogtrainerlosangeles #dogrehabilitation #dogsocialization
Teaching Neah loose leash walking one step at a time 🥰.
Why doesn't Neah sit when I stop? I don't want her to 😉. This is in part because an auto-sit would interfere with our canine fitness work, but also, it's just not my preference. Will she sit if I ask? Yep 🥰.
Is this loose leash or heel? Heel is when your dog's shoulder is in line with your heel and they travel at whatever pace your going AND look up at you. It is very formal and shouldn't be held for more than 10-15 seconds. Loose leash is when there is a J-hook in the leash (aka slack)and your dog can be in front, behind or to either side of you, without eye contact. It's much more casual than heel.
For us, due to Neah's reactivity and the density of our neighborhood, this is our version of loose leash walking 🐾.
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#looseleashwalking #reactivedogtraining #caninefitnesstraining #looseleashtraining #heel #heeltraining #gooddog #gooddogmanners #caninefitness
Neah was showing hesitancy to put weight on her foot with the bootie, to the point of hopping on her other, bootless foot. Eek!
So, to help build her confidence I went back a step and I invited her to stand and lifted her opposite hind leg, just below her hock, to encourage her to shift her weight to the booted foot. Of course, all while she's earning high-value treats 🥰.
I kept the session short but we were able to built on this with individual steps, each time stopping in an assisted, evenly distributed stand.
Stay tuned for more of her progress!!
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#doganatomy
#dogboots #dogsinwinter #dogsocialization #cooperativecare #cooperativecarefordogs
#dogtraining #forcefreedogtraining #positivereinforcememt
Getting to the hind leg boots...one at a time 😉. We'll stay here (one boot on one hind leg) as long as Neah needs to feel comfortable (though our trip is coming up in 2.5 weeks 😳 so we'll be practicing daily).
What is comfortable? A nice, regular stride and evenly placing her weight when standing still. You got this, Neah!
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#dogboots #dogbootssocialization #dogbootsforwinter #dogbootsforsalt #dogsocialization #positivereinforcement #bambi #bambiimpression
This is the best payment ever! Just look at these two. Their friendship grows everyday and my heart could explode from happiness. All the effort, months of baby gates, exercise pens, and short training sessions are all paying off, and for years and years to come 🥰🤞🐾.
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#proudmom #prouddogmom #proudcatmom #bestbuddies #hardworkpaysoffs #hardworkpayingoff #dogandcatfriends #dogandcatlivingtogether #dogandcattraining #dogtrainer #losangelesdpgtrainer
Gahhh, Neah had a great play session with her classmate Ezra today. It's really remarkable to me how much she's learning ♥️.
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#dogplaytime #dogsplaying #keeppracticing #progress #dogsocialization #dogrehabilitation #shelterdogrehabilitation
Indy digs at the floor around the house 😳 so instead of just telling him 🚫 NO DIGGING, I showed his mom how to provide an acceptable place for him to dig, in this case a scratch board.
This was his first session and he's already picking up on it ♥️♥️♥️.
As you've heard me say before, it will take time and practice for Indy to choose to dig here and not other areas that *he* finds rewarding but are undesired by his humans, but this is a great start!
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#problemdigging #diggingdog #dogthatdigs #baddog #teachdogdig #privatedogtraining #losangelesdogtrainer #positivereinforcement #forcefreetraining
