Up N Atom Dog Training

Unconventional Solution to Recall Troubles

Toma is here primarily to work on her off leash obedience, namely recall. Very quickly I noticed her play style might be contributing to her difficulty recalling around high level distractions. Rather than hammer recall, I’m starting with engagement, and building proper fetch and play habits. This (in addition to classic obedience reps) should make the recall much more solid where her owner needs it to be!

Enrichment Feeding

Pro tip: feed your puppy in their crate EXTRA CREDIT PRO TIP: feed your puppy using an enrichment toy in their crate Using food is the quickest, simplest way to create a puppy who loves their kennel. In addition to feeding regular meals in a bowl, I’ll pop in something extra awesome for them midday like a frozen, stuffed Woof Pupsicle from NEO Pet and Working Dog. Less complaining about crate time and a happy puppy. Dog training made easy. 😄

Action in dog training

This video was made for Hobos owners, but I think it’s a topic that isn’t talked about often enough with sensitive dogs so figured I’d share it here as well. How we reward our dogs (rewarding stability vs being active in a reward event) can absolutely change a dogs current brain chemistry. While most social, overly excited dogs benefit a lot from calm, stability-focused rewards, nervous dogs should learn to play during reward events. It can help us overcome fear in a big way!

Rye is still learning how to stick with a lure, so I’m having some fun teaching him that the “down” position pays by using my body as a bridge. This is also a silly little confidence booster, as dogs tend to get more specially sensitive as they mature. Teaching him it’s valuable to be close to my body now will help him later on.

Sabel

This may seem small, but it’s quite huge for a dog who has shown me zero interest in having ANY fun in a full two weeks.

Today we used play to introduce Kevin to a new person. He was happy to participate! We’d gone to NEO Pet and Working Dog once before in the beginning of his program and he was very nervous. Nice to see his confidence growing with new environments and people!

Sabel

With this type of fearful dog, any small achievement is monumental. Eating out of a puzzle toy in a store is definitely a big one!

Bella and Chief Dog Pacer

A treadmill is a great supplementary tool in your dogs wellness toolbox! On days the weather is bad, or you just have too much on your plate to get outside much, your dog can still get in the exercise they need to live a healthier, well-behaved life. Bella and Chief are enjoying a nice stroll on this snowy Friday in Northeast Ohio. ❄️

Sabel the Pomsky

Sabel is here for five weeks of training, with the goal of getting him to “learn to be a dog”. He is incredibly fearful, and prone to escaping and running away. Despite only being six months old, he finds the world a VERY scary place and hasn’t really bonded with anyone. Hopefully we can find his personality and start to build his confidence so he can live a happy, meaningful life.

Remington distracting proofing

“My other dog isn’t trained, is a board and train still worth it?”… Other dogs in the household not being held to the same standard is just another distraction to work through! A bed stay is a bed stay, even if the other household dog(s) is loose in the home. 😁

4 week board and train, Kevin

Kevin is at a really critical age for a malinois. It’s “now or never” as far as getting him acclimated to changing handlers and environments. We’re going to do everything we can to build his confidence around new people, and set him up for being able to live a full malinois life of play and training. The next few days will be important for our relationship and will require skillful handling so he can have some positive experiences and minimize bite risks. After this walk, he hung out with Jess and I while doing some cleaning, took some food, and drank some water. He’ll come around and realize we’re pretty cool peeps, and speak the language of the pointy eared brown dogs.