Here We Go Dog Training

05/20/2024

Dex is a truly nice dog who will make someone an outstanding partner in service or facility work. I've had the opportunity to evaluate and work with this sweet boy, and he is something special. See original post/comments on original post for more details, application, and videos.

It’s time for the goodest boy to find his placement 🥹 Dex was pulled from Shelter From The Storm in March and has been in training ever since. He’s brilliant, sweet and will make someone a great working dog. He’s a true rags to riches story! We are currently taking applications for him as a started service dog or facility therapy dog. Once his final placement is decided, he begins his task training.

Interested? Read more on his application here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2c9K55yBOrJB3gmYVCFBalrN5_xYfW0yiLn-3GStUcu3Fig/viewform?usp=sf_link
Videos of his current training level in the comments.

11/27/2022

Very excited about this collaboration and growing this already amazing program!

11/09/2021

A walk doesn't always have to be a "walk", but a way to explore. Author is https://m.facebook.com/Dogkindtraining

11/04/2021

A friendly reminder for you to always keep in mind while training with your dogs.

Check out our Etsy Shop ➡️ etsy.com/shop/canineaesthete

10/26/2021

My Jonesy kid doesn't bat an eye at the large, inflatable decorations that move, but the simplest of simple scarecrows? Yeah, we had to work on that! Listen to your dog and help them feel safe enough to be brave and learn to be even braver. Empower your dog when things get spooky!

10/23/2021

Got some one-on-one in a scholar session with gorgeous Nali yesterday 😍

This kid's toolkit is always expanding and I just love working with her. What did we do?
✅ Met a new human and dog without totally losing our cool in excitement
✅ Watched lots of unfamiliar dogs and people walking around and appearing suddenly
✅ Practiced mat work, including awesome settles and watching the world go by
✅ Processed sudden environmental changes and followed recovery patterns when they were a little much
✅ KILLED IT with loose-leash walking
✅ Started chin rests for cooperative care and general cuteness
✅ Nailed some challenging leave its
✅ Enjoyed some toy and personal play for work and wellbeing

Brilliant girl.

10/21/2021

10/15/2021

CHOICE.... It is something that many dog owners do not think enough about. How many aspects of your dog's life are in your control? Where they walk, what equipment they wear, what they eat and when, and more. Often times our dogs don't have enough choice.

One area of their life I give them ALOT of choice is regarding animal husbandry with nail care, grooming, foot trimming, veterinary care and more. Here is one example of a great grooming game you can play with your dogs at home.

🐶Sit or stand by your dog's bed, mat, or place with some treats and the brush and wait.
🐶When your dog comes over, reward them.
🐶Then every few brush strokes you reward your dog.
🐶And at any point they feel stressed, overwhelmed, or like they have had enough they get to get up and walk away. It is their choice!

Often times for dogs who might be a little nervous about grooming, knowing they have a choice and won't be forced into a stressful situation not only strengthens your relationship and trust with your dog, but also improves their stress levels and ability to tolerate and eventually enjoy these important life long necessities.

Where do you give your dog choice in their life?

10/15/2021

Environments can cue SO MANY different behaviors. The world is one of opportunity--not frustration!

Jolene got some dog parkour foundations back in her Explore & Learn days, and now those are part of her everyday toolkit. Her human is showing Jolene all the good choices available so she can access all kinds of reinforcement, and that makes this little teenage hound more confident and capable. Love watching this team grow.

Featured here with ace work buddy AJ.

10/12/2021

People hear me say that my wonderful AJ is perfect--by which I mean she does so many of the things I care about so well that she comes darn close, and everyone is safe and secure. Places where she isn't perfect/"perfect"? They're good enough. ❤

My dog is not perfect. Wait, what? I'm a dog trainer and my dog isn't perfect?! Nope.

10/11/2021

How does the Karate Kid teach us to be better dog trainers?

So you are probably thinking “there’s nothing similar about a movie from 1984 and training my dog.” But oh my--there is nothing farther from the truth!

The Karate Kid gives us an exceptional example of splitting behaviors into easily achievable pieces that are easy to learn and repeat. “Wax on, wax off” seemed so mundane but taught Daniel to have perfect form. Miyagi split the final behavior into its components to make each easy to master. The movements became muscle memory, so he did not have to think about the basics when he began putting them together.

When I work with client dogs, this is exactly what I do. We never teach the final behavior at the beginning. It’s built up over many sessions, from a simple behavior that is easy for the dog, to a behavior that is complex and looks completely different. Take closing a cabinet: I teach the dog to touch my hand (a common and easy trick), then stick a post-it note to my hand, then transfer the post-it note to a wall, then to an open cabinet door. Each step is a simple progression for the dog, so they stay motivated and ready to learn more.

It's so important to realize that Daniel doesn’t practice karate by doing karate--by going straight to the tournament and expecting to make progress. He'd skip so many essential steps (and much of the film's plot), and there's no way he'd succeed! That we can skip straight to the goal context is a huge misconception in dog training. Everyone tries to start training skills in the situation where the dog will need to perform those skills. To get the best, most reliable results you need to practice, practice, practice in a distraction-free environment. Once your dog masters a behavior in that space, then and only then can you take it elsewhere.

I get it: we all want instant results. We'd all like to earn Johnny Lawrence's respect and put a stop to the Cobra Kai's bullying right from the start. But the reality is we will get much better results if we split our behaviors and practice before we need the skills. We will be happier with our dogs' performance, and our dogs will feel much more secure in their knowledge.

10/08/2021

For Nali, having AJ around during a lesson in a busy environment provides a noticeable confidence boost and some additional, canine-legible information about whatever stimuli we encounter. Kinda like:

Nali: AJ! It's a person carrying a traffic cone! Do we need to worry?
AJ: Don't care.
Nali: Really?
AJ: Really. But if you sit politely, you will get a snack, and the person with the cone will probably leave.
Nali: Whoa! Mom totally did a treat scatter! And the person left!
AJ: Noticing stuff doesn't mean you need to give a hoot about it, kiddo.

So proud of this team! So much hard work, and it keeps paying off! Brave little tank. 💕

10/07/2021

If you are not familiar with my friend and colleague, Sarah Stremming then you’re missing out! Sarah speaks in quotes (literally) and it always blows my mind. Last night during our Connection Summit Conversation, she pulled this one out of thin air, “Everyone deserves to live in an enrichment rich with positive reinforcement.” She said this as we were exploring the idea of using Kathy Sdao’s SMARTx50 (See Mark And Reward Training) not only with our dogs (as it was intended) but also with our loved ones, INCLUDING OURSELVES!

Reinforce yourself after:
**Helping your reactive dog get through a challenging situation.
**Being an advocate for your dog.
**Trying a new enrichment game with your dog.
**Remembering to bring high-value treats on your walk.

We deserve positive reinforcement as well! How do you reinforce your behavior?

10/01/2021

If a behavior is reinforced often, you can bank on that behavior occurring in the future. This is true of almost anything - including recalling off of fun distractions like critter chasing.

It isn't so much about the value of the food in my hand (I'm pretty sure squirrel chasing is way more fun than pepperoni) but rather the money you put into your reinforcement bank.

If you always pay a recall, your dog will be more likely to come when called because that's guaranteed reinforcement.

Their learning history shows that answering that call promptly will earn them a reward - even if that reward is lower in value than chasing squirrels.

09/30/2021

Socialization vs Exposure
What are they and how do they differ?

Socialization and exposure are closely tied processes. The act of both is to thoughtfully expose your dog or puppy to new situations, objects and living beings. In neither process is the dog required to be “social”.

True socialization only happens during puppyhood before the development of neophobia (fear of new things)at or around 16 weeks of age. In the first 16 weeks of your puppy’s life you want to expose them to as many experiences as possible in a controlled and safe manner. This helps them be ready to be confident and calm adults in many situations.

When working with service dogs in training that may not have been raised with that end goal in mind, I do a lot of exposure work. We thoughtfully pick places to train so the dogs see new and unusual things in a manner in which we can make it a great experience for them over a period of several sessions. Our end goal is confidence and neutrality. We don’t want our service dogs thinking that they can and should greet every person and dog they see. We visit busy places, loud places and meet unusual animals. These experiences don’t make up for lack of socialization but can help the dog become more confident.

Pictured are service dogs in training Poe and Luca learning to be around horses

09/24/2021

Training with friends and colleagues is so very rewarding. When it means I also get to work on a fun new project with that friend and colleague? Better still.

Medi-Dogs and I are ✨ up to something ✨ and I'm so excited to share it with clients. Stay tuned!

09/21/2021

As a reactive dog guardian, I can totally empathize with training issues, mistakes, and declines.

The reality is that just like us, animals have off days too.

It's okay to skip a walk and work on a food puzzle instead or to take a day off from "working" your horse to do something more laid back. It's okay to reflect on training mistakes and victories, to alter your goals. It's okay to JUST enjoy your animal companion!

What are some ways you help manage your emotions when your ideas aren't going as planned?

09/17/2021

After dropping my youngest kiddo off for surgery this morning, I'm grateful for my primary care veterinarian, the other vets at the clinic, and their techs and staff. These folks turn their considerable skill, knowledge, and compassion to each client's care. They remain patient and kind, even when the human client is not exactly low maintenance. 😅 Many thanks to all veterinary staff for all you do to keep our non-human family members well!

09/15/2021

Warning: the content of this video is kind of awkward. 🙈

I'm going to need to be able to ice a sensitive area on Jones's body soon, so we've been training. I suspect he won't be like AJ, who cheerfully played dead while I held the cold pack in place without a lick of preparation when she had a muscle strain.

So! I've been breaking down the skills we need to keep the process low-stress. Luckily for me, Jones has a learning history I can draw on so I don't have to build *all* the little slices of the larger behavior from scratch. I've been able to dust things off to get them as clean as I need them (which isn't very) and start plugging them in. This is one of our sessions combining a few different elements.

Check the comments for a version of the video that really embraces the awkward and is, um, really annoying.

Jones has some surgery coming up, so we are getting him ready for some of the procedures we will use during his recovery. One of those? Icing a sensitive are...

09/13/2021

Sometimes = often...

Truth.

09/12/2021

Dog social magic 🪄

Yesterday we took 7 dogs out for an adventure through rolling pastures at the edge of the Driftless area. Jones, my little tricolor border collie in the photos, has Big Feelings about the world in general and other dogs in particular. He may have parallel walked with Goomba the frenchie (who also has Big Feelings!) once, but never really met him; Scully, the moose of a rottie x GSD x other stuff, was totally new. And yet...

With time and hard work, Jones has come a long way with his behavior and the expression of his Feelings. We figured these dogs would be able to function together in a wide open space with a thousand smells and at least a few dog friends per dog. It was lovely to watch how little intensity their was in greeting and how readily they took and gave the space they needed. Jones could return to me to play briefly. Nothing prepared me to see Jones and Scully pair off in loose, easy, friendly, turn-taking games of chase. 🤯🥰🥳

Some caveats: 4 out of 4 humans present are dog professionals, and there was an order to the loosing of the hounds to establish good energy and security for the awkward kids. There were contingency plans and very watchful eyes. But when the dogs are ready, they're ready, and it sure feels like magic.

09/08/2021

If I trained everything and managed nothing, life would not be good--not for me, not for my dogs.

Just because you are training through something--counter-surfing, jumping on strangers, worrying about the vacuum--doesn't mean you need to work on it all the time.

Having management strategies ready to go will keep you and your dog happy and healthy, and you can feel *just fine* when you choose them.

✨ Don’t Bother ✨

One of my top pieces of training advice.
If it’s too much to deal with in the moment right now? Management.

Internet is getting set up at my new apartment. That means a stranger coming in and out of the front and back door, occasionally chatting with me, moving stuff around, and generally being Unlawful as far as Greg is concerned.

Could I train through it? Sure.

Do I want to train a 70 lb dog with feelings about strangers coming into his house at 8am? In a house that’s precariously full of boxes and piles of stuff from the tenant moving out? While I’m trying to get ready for a flight bright and early tomorrow morning? While packing for Greg’s Weekend of Fun with Apsara Windsprites? At 8am???

No I do not.

It’s a lovely, crisp, autumn-y morning so Greg is finishing his morning snooze in a car crate.

Because my needs matter too. And right now I need to caffeinate and sort out all the things I’m juggling.

And honestly? It’s not fair to bring anything less than my A Game when training with him.

09/01/2021

This is wonderfully informative video and commentary. Take a moment to read the original post's text (and to reach out to Adam, who is great to work with!).

Did anyone else say something like "oh, buddy" by the 3-second mark?

08/31/2021

Recalls! What very good pup-pups. We don't do a ton of these on walks, but regular practice keeps their skills fresh.

08/30/2021

I'm fairly confident the original tweet's author was not thinking about training dogs, so while you take on this message as you grow and develop as a trainer/partner with your dog, do think about it in other parts of life. Let's shape ourselves, working on successive approximations as we learn more.

"We can measure how brave you are by how vulnerable you're willing to be" Brené Brown

When we're confronted with new information which contradicts or questions what we believe we have two choices.

1. Reject the new information and cling to what we believe
2. Take on board the new information and let go of what we previously believed

The first is easy; the second is hard.

I used to be a very black & white person with strong opinions about lots of things. Then I met some people who understood more about behaviour and motivation and the effects of environment than I did. And I took on board what I learned from them and I had to admit that, often, I'd been wrong. And that was hard to do.

Historically, training has been largely based on using aversive consequences to teach dogs. But science (NB not opinion....science) has shown us that these techniques risk fallout for our learners and can negatively impact our relationships with them..amongst many other negative consequences.

Being open to new ideas is challenging. It makes us feel vulnerable. But vulnerable is brave. Clinging onto old beliefs in the face of contradictory evidence might feel safe but, in the end, it stifles growth, learning and understanding.

When you realise you've been wrong there's no shame in admitting it. There's strength.

08/27/2021

Noises are hard.

Jones has a much easier time with the big booms than he used to (it's been a lot of careful work to get here!), but they're still far from his favorite. This is how I wind up with a Border Collie "helping" me write client notes.

This little bit of security and comfort on top of some saw Jones through to the end of the storm today. He was back to silly and wiggly and ready to GO! My pretty kid joined us for a quick trip to Home Depot, where he was called gorgeous and we were told how great his training is going. If you know Jones, you know how happy that made me.

Setting our dogs up for success in the human world has so many moving parts, but being compassionate is central.

08/26/2021

Last day of with Ellie. ☹ But what better day than to spend time with this lovely golden girl?

The biggest difference between today's Ellie and the Ellie who began adventuring with me is that she is so much more engaged and ready to work. This girl is SMART, and it is so fun to introduce new skills to her now that she has a larger training vocabulary. We are getting a glimpse of who she will be once she matures, and I think she will be a very nice dog indeed.

Ellie will always have a special place in my heart for being on my sensitive pup Jones's list of dogs he likes. They're super cute together. 💕 So glad I will get to see her and her sister Stella in upcoming private lessons!!

08/23/2021

Visualizing your ideal life *with the dog you have* is a necessary part of your training journey together.

Is it easy? Painless? Not always.

You hope for a quiet companion, but your dog is a Tigger-like bundle of zest for life. You hope to chat with people while your dog plays at the dog park, but your pup neither wants many canine friends nor feels safe in that environment. You hope for a running buddy, but your dog physically cannot pursue the activity.

Recalibrating your expectations to meet your and your dog's needs in a way you both enjoy is vital. I've done it--still working on it, in fact!--and I know it can be tough to find the path forward. Sometimes that path leads to another home, but that is a whole different topic. Finding the path and planning your route is where a trainer may be especially useful, but it is worth your time no matter how you approach it.

In the photo is me loving an early pre-racing walk with my best girl this weekend. She told me she was a flyball dog, not an agility dog like I hoped. Our flyball journey has been incredible, and AJ has only grown into a better partner and companion. Her stellar camping skills plus the .002 and .001 starts she gave me this weekend as she pushed to beat the dog in the other lane are pretty good evidence that I found an ideal path for us both. 🥰

08/20/2021

Did you miss her? I missed her.

Jolene's human and I are doing some private lessons to keep building on the skills she learned during Explore & Learn and to, well, simply continue training! Our dogs are well served with a lifetime of learning, especially smarty-pants hounds like this one.

Part of the fun of working with Team Jolene is that Jo-Jo has fantastic foundation skills. Her robust reinforcement procedures are a thing of beauty. Reward-based training is 1000x more fun and effective when your learner understands that a reward is available and how to access it.

08/20/2021

Off-leash with some of our own kiddos. 💕

"I love the one with the cattle things emerging from the tree, where they obviously live." 🤣

We hit the trails early yesterday morning, and it was beautiful and quiet and SO nice to know we could safely let these kids run freely in an off-leash area. Our policy is that our dogs are leashed or at minimum cooperatively restrained by the collar or harness when we spot another human or dog in these spaces. It's a polite signal to others that our dogs will not "help" them on their walks, and it makes encounters safer and more predictable. If your dog's recall is not proofed for these situations, best to just keep them leashed! And definitely leash your dogs where required.

As a side note, Scully was so much more confident with her hind end! She is still growing 😳 so her proprioception is still developing. But those muscles are coming in with developmentally appropriate support from her humans (including opportunities to move off-leash or on a long line over a variety of surfaces), and you can see her moving more and more like the gorgeous, powerful adult she will be in a year or two. 💕