Right Direction K9 Education

08/12/2024

Check out what some of our clients have said about our training sessions!

08/02/2024

I love how much my clients love me.
When dogs I haven’t seen in 2 or so years see me, right away they know who I am and are excited to see me again.
It really reiterates what I’ve learned as a dog trainer and how I apply it. Sure, they get overly excited and jump when they first see me but then they quickly refocus and go “oh okay yeah that’s right, all four on the floor”.
It’s been a struggle with the divorce, but having the opportunity and taking the leap to become a dog trainer is something I will be forever thankful for.
I love my clients and I truly love what I do, and to all of my friends and clients who continue to support my dream,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 🩷

07/26/2024

This is such a great video on a getting rescue as a service dog!

Learn What Makes a Good Service Dog Prospect 👉🏽 https://youtu.be/I_oC3hCRYDQMy Free and Low-Cost Training Resources 👇: 🦮 Service Dog 101 Course: https://...

07/17/2024

😚

Our Christmas in July sale is almost over! 🎅🏽 ShopCanineAesthete.com

07/16/2024

07/16/2024

Now accepting clients for the Right Direction K9 Service Dog program! 🐕‍🦺

If you know anything about me, you know that I have been working on developing a program to help others with POTS and the accompanying symptoms and syndromes that come along with the condition. I'm thrilled to announce that I am ready to start accepting new clients to help in training their very own service dog.

This program is a one on one, private lesson based program wherein I work with the client and their selected and approved dog to help mitigate the handler's condition. As everyone's symptoms are different, having this hands on approach helps insure the working life and success rate of the client's dog, as well as teaches the handler how to work through common problems they may face in the wild calmly and diligently.

Once the training is complete, the dog will be able to pass all of the AKC's Canine Good Citizen tests and, if applicable, the AKC Temperament Test with their handlers, this shows that the dog is truly ready for the ins and outs of daily life that may prove to be a challenge to non working dogs.

Please keep in mind that this is a long term commitment and training a service dog could potentially take up to two years or more to be completely trained.

If you think you or someone you know would benefit from having a service dog, please reach out and we will gladly point you in the Right Direction! 🐾

07/15/2024

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05/22/2024

THE LOOK AWAY
Looking away is one of the calming signals in dog body language.

Just like a hard stare or prolonged eye contact may be a sign that a dog’s about to react, looking away is meant to calm a situation down.

The head position when looking away will vary – from side to side, holding in one position or subtle quick turns are all common variations, all while avoiding direct eye contact.

I have often watched in fascination when one of my dogs uses this form of communication with an insect! Her favourite thing to do is to hunt, catch and then play with a Parktown Prawn (King Cricket).

She means them no harm (I think) and just wants to engage in a game of how high can you jump before I can catch you.

She will carefully carry the cricket in her mouth without hurting it to the middle of the garden where there are no bushes where it may escape to.

After a quick play bow (from her, not the cricket!) the games begin. The game can go on for some time and when the cricket gets tired or plays dead, she will stop playing, sit quietly, avoid eye contact and keep looking away before starting the game again.

By this time, I usually feel really sorry for the cricket, will rescue it and put it out of reach, but I think this is a good example of how she uses the body language of looking away to try to calm the situation down, even if her intentions are completely selfish! I have no idea if the cricket understands what she is trying to communicate.

Body language can be subtle and fleeting, but with careful observation and knowing what to look for most of us can learn to recognize and interpret what our dogs are saying.

It’s always important to look at the context, the situation and especially what the rest of the body is doing when deciphering this amazing language.

Being able to understand a dog’s emotional state through their body language helps us to predict behaviour, prevent potential problems or allows us to just enjoy observing their language.

05/20/2024

This is 🎯

05/07/2024

Now offering private lessons!

Work one on one with your dog while learning the techniques the professionals use!

This is a great opportunity to work hands on with your dog in a real world environment! Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, if you want to crate a strong bond with your best friend, this is the way to go!

Contact us for more information and availability! 🐾

05/05/2024

Do you know the two questions you’re allowed to ask in order to determine if an animal is a service animal and not a pet? To determine if an animal is a service animal, you may ask two questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Visit our website to learn more: https://adata.org/faq/how-can-i-tell-if-animal-really-service-animal-and-not-just-pet

05/03/2024

Sharing this again!

Service dogs.
Probably one of the most unpopular topics for any pet dog trainer.
I cannot begin to count the amount of service dog training requests I receive.
“Can your online courses train my dog to be a service dog?”
“I need to make my dog a service dog so he can ride on the bus with me” (Yes, someone seriously asked me this)
“Do you certify service dogs?”
No - no - no - and more no.
Service dog training is completely different from pet dog training.
If your dog is trained to walk nicely on a leash and sit and stay, they are a pet dog.
If your dog comes up to you and nuzzles you when you are sad - they are still a pet dog.
If you want your dog to accompany you into stores or fly in-cabin on planes … they’re still only a pet dog and these privileges are not for them.
Service dogs are task-trained.
They are specifically taught to work for people with disabilities.
A dog that solely provides comfort is not a service dog.
I see a lot of people acquiring dogs, labeling them as “my service dog” and *then* going about training them.
This is not how that works.
You cannot just select a dog, put a service dog harness on them and figure the rest out as you go.
We regularly receive requests from dog owners who tell us that their “service dog” pulled them over on leash or has always been highly reactive.
That their service dog relentlessly chases wildlife on walks or has anxiety in social settings.
One time I got a request from a lady who told me that she got a dog from the shelter to be her son’s service dog, but that “service dog” was now biting the son and could I please fix it.
I’m sorry - none of those dogs are not service dogs then. And they likely won’t be service dogs in the future either.
Please be honest about the dog you own.
Unless you worked diligently to train them as a service animal with specific tasks, they are a pet.
A beloved, (hopefully) well-behaved, wonderful pet.
But not a working dog, and you should not demand the privileges that are reserved for true service dogs.
Staying clear with this distinction protects the actual service dogs and their owners :)

04/11/2024

Dogs are dogs. They're not fur babies. They're not children. They're dogs.

That doesn't mean I don't love my dogs. It doesn't mean you can't call them your "kids" or "fur children." But for their sake, respect that they are dogs. Treat them well, but treat them as they should be.

People humanizing dogs is actually what's getting a lot of them put down, rehomed, dumped, and loaded with behavioral issues.

The best way to honor and love your dog is to respect the fact that they are different from us. That's part of what makes them so amazing!!

Bringing home a new dog and giving it whatever it wants, whenever it wants, is not setting them up for success. It may feel good to "spoil" them. I get it, but what you're actually doing is creating a brat.

I hear this often: "My dog bit our friend on the couch because he thinks the couch is his." OK, who let them think that? The dog didn't just waltz in and claim your couch. The dog wasn't given boundaries to begin with. I let my dogs on the couch, but if I tell them to get off and go to their bed, they will without hesitation. They've earned that privilege based on respect, trust, and understanding.

If you want to "spoil" your dog, do it by setting them up for success. Exercise them, give them boundaries, give them a job, and give them what they actually need instead of the latest squeaky toy. The time you spend playing with your dog means more than the toy itself.

Love your dog. Cherish your dog. Respect your dog, but for the love of the dog, TREAT THEM LIKE A DOG.

(And before anyone wants to say something silly...My dogs are my family. They literally signed my marriage certificate, but they also have boundaries. Just like any healthy family should!)

03/25/2024

Article: When to Stop Using Food Rewards in Dog Training

The answer to this question is NEVER.

Really good trainers will never stop using food rewards. What they do is manage how often they use food in their training.

When people train with food rewards, they will always meet people who say how foolish they are for training with FOOD TREATS.

They say it’s only a matter of time before we ask our dog to do something and we don't have food with us, then what will you do?

This is the reason why it is so important to understand exactly how we reduce the use of food rewards in our training program.

When we start reward-based training, our dogs are put on a continuous reward program. The dog is rewarded every time it performs a behavior correctly.

In fact, we often jackpot rewards by giving the dog several food rewards in a row. Jackpotting helps maintain engagement after the behavior.

When we start teaching a new behavior, we often reward the dog for just TRYING to perform the behavior. That’s called successive approximation.

Successive approximation during the learning phase builds the dog's drive to figure out what we want. As it gains accuracy, we gradually wean the off successive approximation and back to rewarding when the dog performs correctly.

There is a fine line between using continuous rewards and weaning the dog off the reward....

Read Full Article: https://leerburg.com/when-to-stop-food-rewards.htm

03/24/2024

i’m a grandparent 🥲

—

meme: Barbie and Ken from the Greta Gerwig Barbie movie. Barbie is standing on the beach and smiling while Ken holds her, grovelling and admiring.

Barbie is labelled with the text, “long-term clients who start making and following their own training plans.”

Ken is labelled with the text, “dog trainers.”

03/14/2024

It’s not uncommon for “cookie cutter” methods, that many of us professional trainers use, to NOT work for some dogs. In these instances, more creativity, experimenting and sometimes “outside of the box” ideas are very helpful.

You’re in luck! Our one-on-one sessions give us a chance to talk, brainstorm and try different things to get you the results you need to be successful in the show ring.

Let us help you help your dog with our one-on-one training sessions!

Choose a single session or a bundle. Use your 60 minutes in a one-hour session or two 30 minute sessions.

www.showdogprepschool.com/one-on-one-training/

03/09/2024

When a service dog handler just wants to make a “quick trip” to the store to grab one thing...

03/01/2024

So true.

02/27/2024

MANAGING MULTIPLES
Having multiple dogs is challenging and time consuming.

This picture is of my 4 Schnauzers sleeping contentedly and peacefully together, albeit having their separate beds and space.

Pictures can be deceiving though, and this is certainly not always how it is.

Dogs don’t get to choose their housemates. We expect them to just get along with any other dog we choose to add to our home and are frustrated and stressed when this sometimes isn’t the case.

Just like people sharing a home, dogs certainly don’t always get along – at some time, there will be conflict and sometimes this can become a serious problem.

Different personalities, different needs, energy levels, ages, conflicts over resources, spaces, people, entrances, exits, health issues etc. are just some of the things that can lead to issues.

The importance of learning, recognizing and taking note of body language is so important, especially when caring for multiple dogs.

When we ignore the “whispers” of body language or simply don’t understand or notice, the whispers may soon become shouts or screams and we have missed an opportunity to manage and diffuse a situation.

Over time, sometimes just seeing the other dog becomes the trigger where initially it was only the specific circumstance or situation.

Prevention is always better than trying to “fix” a problem.

Being proactive instead of reactive is so important in managing multiple dogs.

02/27/2024

02/24/2024

This is the difference.

02/20/2024

Training dogs means good communication with humans, too!