The Dog House Academy

11/13/2023

Now that this cutie patootie knows place I use her breakfast and the Treat & Train to build duration. Here she is parked on place eating breakfast while I make my own breakfast. Effectively keeping her from being underfoot while I am cooking.

Eventually we will make the rewards come after longer periods of time until they are removed completely and then we just hold her accountable for maintaining place until I release her, thus building some really awesome duration skills!

11/12/2023

After we teach commands with food we layer in things like the leash, and accountability.

Miss Wrigley was super excited about her leash and kept jumping at it, so I layered ecollar over it to do some corrections that are less physical and more subtle. She responded beautifully and this was her first time on leash working heel without food to reward and guide her every move.

11/12/2023

I decided to use the Treat & Train to help shape Place with Wrigley. Because of her food obsession and her excited elimination I wanted to remove myself from the equation for the most part.

Every time she did something closer to the end result of Place I would click the Treat & Train which then results in a beep and dispenses food. She worked her way up to go to the bed, get up there, lay down, and stay there until I release you.

Tools really are the bridge to communication!

11/10/2023

One of the benefits of home based training…. The dogs here learn skills like how to navigate a doggy door. Passive training that goes a long way!

11/10/2023

Working on Heel with Miss Wrigley! I swear half the battle was getting her to stop jumping at my hand for food. She’s wild for her kibble!

I firmly believe teaching a dog how to walk well on a leash requires teaching them WHERE to walk next to the human, the leash comes in way later. Remember, heel is a position (at my left hand side) not a command to walk.

I say she’s rocking it!

11/09/2023

After recalls (come to me and sit) we worked on not only downs, but settling around food. Wrigley is CRAZY for food, and she also piddles when she gets excited… so you can imagine the aftermath. 😂

Here we are only rewarding calm, settled behaviors with food and pets. The calmer we can be, less p*e!

11/04/2023

Little Miss Wrigley checked into The Dog House for her Stay & Train! Her family wants her to get off on the right “paw” and start training right away!

I am always happy when families do this! It really does set everyone up for success. The more under control and the more structure and communication that’s built in the puppy stage, the easier adolescence is.

Stay tuned for more of Wrigley’s training. 🖤

11/03/2023

Miss Bella rocked her puppy camp and learned so much while she was here at the Dog House! Her family had such dedication to her training, especially their son! Bella was his dog, and he did a great job raising her and working with her after training.

Unfortunately, due to a tragic accident Bella is across the rainbow bridge. However, I still wanted to highlight and recognize all of her hard work as well as her family’s (with their permission of course). She will always hold a special place in all of our hearts. We love you Bella Boo!

🖤🐶🎓

10/30/2023

Cookie! Cookie-kins! This cutie patootie Mini Bernedoodle found herself checking into the Dog House Academy to work on her manners!

In true “I’m too cute” fashion this blueberry loving girl thought she ran the whole house and had her parents (especially Daddy) wrapped around her fluffy little paw. She was even getting to the point of barking and nipping to get what she wanted.

In addition to her obedience she learned that humans do run the show and definitely learned to coexist with us in the house. Respect is key! Until Miss Cookie pays the mortgage, she’s definitely not in charge. Now, she’s doing great and definitely enjoys friends coming to the house without being a crazy girl! Mom and Dad have reported they’re trying hard to stay consistent and make the changes needed to keep Cookie in line.

🖤🐶🎓

10/28/2023

Miss Georgie graduated from our Stay & Train program with a gold star!

She was testy in her crate and needed help walking on all four legs instead of two! 😂 She shaped right up and learned a ton. She is quite the sweet girl and was a joy to train!

🖤🐶🎓

10/28/2023

Miss Nandi Cakes is a Giant Schnauzer (one of my bucket list dogs!) who came through my Stay & Train program. We tailored it for her needs, initially she did 2 weeks to really work on her crate training and potty training as well as puppy basics.

Because she was at a place where I felt her paw-rents could do the reps on crate time we sent her home after the initial 2 weeks with the plan for her to come back when she’s a little older to work on the rest of her obedience and manners. She did come back and we fine tuned and worked on some more specific things she needed as she got older! And guess what… she rocked it!!!

She’s also the third dog I’ve trained for these awesome p*eps. I just love my clients. 🖤

🖤🐶🎓

10/26/2023

Jaxon came to the Dog House to work on his obedience back in March (yes, I’m suuuuper behind 😂). He’s also been back to board. Let me tell ya…. This guy is so handsome, smart, and just an overall good boy!

He learned all the basics: come, sit, down, stay, heel, and place. So happy to have worked with him and his family!

🖤🐶🎓

10/26/2023

Daisy Mae also graduated from the Dog House this year. She came to learn her obedience as well as crate training.

She did so well, and loved to learn! Her family was so excited to learn with her and work on all of her obedience to make life with kids and a dog much easier for everyone involved. She was a joy to work with, and so were her people!

🖤🐶🎓

10/25/2023

Miss McKale came to the Dog House for some training while her mom and dad went on vacation. A smart way of doing the whole “two birds, one stone” thing.

She learned her basic obedience, and some manners type things with people. She also worked on her social skills with other doggos too. I know her parents are dedicated with keeping up with her training, they had already started a lot of it before she got to me! So proud of this little lady.

🖤🐶🎓

10/24/2023

I realize I’m super behind on posting these grads!

This is Walter McBarkington the Westie who graduated from our Stay & Train program. This cute little pup learned his obedience and manners as well as worked on housebreaking while he was here with us!

Although, puppies may need a little more guidance and training once they hit adolescence getting started on training right away is always a good idea. Work on training and communication before it becomes a problem, trust me; life is easier that way! 🖤🐶🎓

04/10/2023

Spruced up the dog room after nearly 2 years in the same configuration, I needed some more space for storage and for food prep for them. So proud of this space and all the work we do here because of it. ❤️

04/06/2023

We have access to all the information at our fingertips. Trainers are popping up left and right and yet so many people are at their wits end with their dogs. Why?

It's not that the dogs have changed...

Our grandparents didn't have access to the internet, doggie daycares and trainers like we do. Shelters weren't bursting at the seams and there weren't rescues everywhere you turn.

Dogs weren't anthropomorphized to death back then. They were loved, but they weren't treated like infants. They were treated like dogs. They were given rules and were held accountable for their actions.

Everyday my inbox is full of requests for training from owners with out of control dogs. This isn't to shame them, but to shed some light on what's happening in the dog world right now.

We have so much information available, and with critical thinking, common sense and some research many of these issues can be resolved.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of terrible information out there, but if you read between the lines and make decisions based on what's best for the dog rather than what "feels good", you'll be able to decipher what's going to work and what is a fairy tale.

03/24/2023

Be their leader, not their enabler. Well said, my friend! 🖤

Regardless of your dogs past, YOU are their future.

I've worked with plenty of dogs from horrendous backgrounds, each one of them were able to be trained. Obviously they all had their own ceiling, but I made sure they were able to reach their full potential.

All too often owners make excuses for their dogs' behavior:

"He's a COVID dog"
"She was a abused"
"He's a rescue"

None of these reasons should stop you from helping your dog grow and thrive. If anything it should give you even more of a reason to help guide them. Especially for the scared, timid are fearful dogs.

Time and time again I hear owners just give up on training because the dog was scared of ________.

Instead of leaving your dog stuck in that fear, encourage them through it. Be their leader not their enabler.

You and your dog can accomplish so much with some time and effort.

03/16/2023

Not every dog is going to want to be petted by everyone. Not every dog is going to love the company of other dogs. Not every dog is going to be a "go everywhere" kind of dog.

And that's ok.

Be realistic in your expectations for your dog. Some dogs do great with other dogs, but can be very selective of the humans they interact with and vice versa.

Doesn't matter if your previous dog loved everything, each dog is an individual.

For these dogs we just want them to be neutral. They don't need to get pets or have dog friends, but they don't need to flip out either.

I get it. It's ok to be disappointed if you wanted a super friendly dog but got a more introverted dog instead. Don't force your dog to try and have friends, family or strangers pet them or give them treats if it's clearly something they don't need or want.

Part of setting them up for success is being realistic about the kind of dog you have. Focus on YOU being their best friend. Not everyone else.

03/11/2023

Archie graduated from our Stay & Train program!

This big boy is just a pup and boy is he STUBBORN! It took quite a bit of convincing that walking on a leash is a must, but now he’s trotting along like a champ. He was more of an fan of playtime, and obedience wasn’t his favorite… but he humored me. 😂

🖤🐶🎓

03/11/2023

London and Yomi graduated from our Stay & Train program!

Both adorable fluffs with two VERY different learning styles. One is an “anything you want for food” kind of dog, and the other is a “make me” dog. Just like with people, they have different learning styles! They both learned a ton and were such a joy to have at the Dog House.

🐶🎓🐶🎓

03/09/2023

Little Miss Ruby graduated from our Stay & Train program!

We have done lessons together and she learned a ton! Her mom just thought a little more repetition and support (plus some socialization) was needed to truly get to the next step with Rubes; plus she was going out of town, so it seemed like a natural step!

I am always happen to continue education for dogs that I do lessons with; plus boarding with someone they know is always a positive too!

So proud of this little gal and her mom!

🖤🐶🎓

03/06/2023

Dogs are getting anthropomorphized to DEATH. Literally.

Allow me to elaborate:

Dogs aren't babies. They're dogs. I know that seems obvious, but it's getting to the point where people don't want to be the heavy. They don't want to give any discipline, stucture or guidance to their dogs to the point that they are biting, killing and are mentally anxious without that leadership. Dogs are getting put to sleep that could have been saved had there been proper direction from the beginning.

Don't do yourself and your dog a disservice by treating them like infants. Treat them like the amazing, remarkable creatures that they are. Canis lupus familiaris. We've lived together for THOUSANDS of years. Why now are owners struggling more than ever? Emotional based "dog training" that's why. Owners are being bullied into believing that they can never say no to their precious fur baby, for if they do, they'll damage their relationship with that dog forever. It's lunacy.

I absolutely love my dogs. I love every dog that is part of my program. However I respect that they are a predator with 42 teeth capable of hurting me, other dogs, or my livestock.

Ana and Torben (the husky twins) are back for boarding. They've boot camped with me last year so they remember how we do things here, but this morning I had to remind them not to pester my livestock.

Huskies have extremely high prey drive. Just part of their nature. This morning they decided to test out if I was going to correct them for getting too curious with the goats. With a verbal OUT as well as a quick- well timed ecollar correction they immediately backed off & happily went back to playing.

If I had gotten caught up in emotion that I don't want these huskies with high prey drive to be uncomfortable, I might not have a goat right now. Or the dogs might have gotten kicked in the face. Rather than deal with all that, in 1 second the entire issue is settled and they're back to playing in the snow.

We were outside the rest of the morning and they didn't even so much as glance at the goats.

Respect them, guide them, and as Sean from The Good Dog Training And Rehabilitation says: love them by leading them.

03/01/2023

Congratulations to Miss Millie for graduating our Stay & Train program!

She learned all of her basics and worked on her dog reactivity on walks! Her family is excited to be able to walk her in the neighborhood without her pulling like a crazy train, and barking at all of the furry friends of the neighborhood.

🖤🐶🎓