The K9 Effect

08/20/2024

The most rewarding part of my job....seeing dogs go home and being successful. Photon went home last weekend and his owners are so happy to have him home, happy, and we'll adjusted. Their work isn't over, it's just beginning, but now they have a starting point, a guide, and support! 💜

Also, shout out to KEngle K9
for grooming him! I'll be making another post in the next day or two about what the owners were told about their dog from a previous groomer, what the dog was actually showing, and how to continue a good groomer experience for the dog!

07/29/2024

THIS IS SO COOL 😭😍

I couldn't be more grateful for this long line (SO EXCITED TO GO TRACKINNNNGGGG) and this beautiful leash! I truly appreciate it. Thank you American Leash Co. , this really made my whole year.

Guys, if you want quality, beautiful, versatile dog gear, go check them out. Mindy has put together an AMAZING brand. Thank you so much 🙏.

07/19/2024

Serious question.
Is there ANYTHING cuter than a dog named Cookie Dough playing with a Cookie Monster toy 😍 🍪 ?

Personally, I don't think there is 🤷🏻‍♀️

PLEASE go to www.fixingtheboro.com to fill out an application and set up a meet and greet to adopt baby Cookie Monster....I mean Cookie Dough 😉.

07/18/2024

Cookie Dough is just a baby, but she is already such an impressive little puppy! She is SO smart and easy to work with. I brought her home Sunday the 14th and placed her kennel between my two oldest Shepherds (you see her playing with) who are quiet and well mannered in their kennels. She doesn't bark and is very clean. She doesn't chew or destroy her blanket. She is brave and curious. She is THE sweetest. She will give you ALL of the kisses. All of them. You don't even need to ask. She'll just give them to you for free 💋💋 💋!

Plus, while she's here, with me, a trainer, she will begin obedience training! This gal has WINS written all over her!

Please fill out an application with Fixing the Boro in order to adopt. A meet and greet would be awesome! 😃💜

Fixing the Boro is located in Statesboro, GA

06/25/2024

Have you ever wanted some help just getting your dog to be better behaved at the vet or the groomer but you can't afford the full price of a board and train?

I have a program that is designed to specifically target those issues! If you'd like more information, please like this post, follow, and shoot me a PM!

I am located in the Statesboro, GA area. This particular course would have to be multiple sessions so you would have to be in the or area.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Bottom right picture for all of your grooming needs. Kyra is located in Florida so go check out her page!

05/31/2024

There are many times, while I'm working with clients, that I catch myself guiding but having to step back and remember to explain the function or purpose. If you don't understand the purpose of something, then it isn't going to be as meaningful to you. Understanding to purpose of something as simple as taking your dog to a public place can really change how a client views things. No, it isn't to show off your dog or to let people pet them. It's to allow the the experience, to see people move about and not be engaged every single time with each one, it's about letting them hear the traffic, hear that loud noise of chairs scraping against the concrete. It's about them being content in one spot in a strange new place while you hang out and visit with a friend, do some school work, watch videos, or do whatever you do. It's about down means down no matter where we're at.

Trainers, if you aren't training FOR your client (training the dog with the specific environment and lifestyle of your client) in mind, then you are setting all 3 of you up for failure.

Clients, if you aren't asking questions and advocating for yourself and your dog and trying to learn as much as possible rather than just going through the motions, you aren't being fair to your trainer or your dog.

*I do not own the rights to this music

04/01/2024

A little experiment I want to try. I'm adding a poll to this 6 or 7 second clip. I want to know what you think the dog is in my board and train program for.

🖤 Fear Reactivity/Obedience/Environmental
❤️ Aggression Issues (Human and Animal)
💛 Overly Confident/Handler Aggression/Conflict
💙 Basic Obedience, No real Issues

Leave your choice in the comments by leaving the heart that matches your answer! Feel free to leave a reason and what you saw in the video that made you decide! I'll be posting my answer tomorrow evening along woth a video and details!

02/24/2024

Hey people, my phone broke at training today. none of my text messages transferred so if you needed something, please message me again.

02/19/2024

I am so very proud of the work we have put in as a team. I had known her weight was up for a while and had tried small things here and there with no results. But the last time I took her to the vet, seeing the raw numbers shook me to my core. 20 lbs over weight 😓. I had failed my dog. She doesn't control what she eats, I do. She doesn't control how much exercise she gets, I do.

So the work began. Switched foods to a weight control food, cut the amount in half, we go outside and do work at least 3 times a day. Her spirits have lifted, her energy is up, she's running again, not taking as many breaks. I let it get out if control so it's up to me to fix it. I live her too much to just watch her blow up into something barely recognizable as a dog. I respect her too much to allow that. 💜

01/29/2024

If you have been on the fence about training for your dog and are close enough or able to travel to me, feel free to come out. I will be holding 2 free group sessions. One starting at 10 a.m. and one starting at 1 p.m. Please PM/DM me to let me know you will be coming and which time slot so I can keep track of how many people. I will also send you a consent form. I will also have them available the day of. Some things to note:

🐕 ALL DOGS WILL BE ON A LEASH
🐕 COLLARS SNUG ENOUGH TO NOT SLIP OVER THE HEAD
🐕 IF YOU HAVE A HARNESS, THEY MUST BE SNUG AS WELL TO PREVENT THEM FROM BACKING OUT OF IT.
🐕 ALL BREEDS ARE WELCOME.
🐕 ALL SIZES ARE WELCOME.
🐕 ALL AGES ARE WELCOME.
🐕 IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, THEY MUST BE WELL BEHAVED. THEY ARE WELCOME, BUT THEY MUST BE RESPECTFUL AND UNDER YOUR CONTROL AT ALL TIMES.
🐕 ALL ISSUES/PROBLEMS ARE WELCOME.

Please keep in mind, this is a group session where I will work the group as well as individuals. Please do not expect that I "fix" your dog in one session, but rather watch, listen, and take in the information as it applies to you. Ask questions, be open minded, and have fun with your dog. 😊

Location: Millen, GA

01/23/2024

Hey everybody! I've just set up the ability to be included in searches on Google. If you wouldn't mind taking a few minutes and leaving me a Google review so it can start showing up, I'd greatly appreciate it. If I've ever trained your dog or consulted with you through messaging, please click the link and scroll over to reviews! Thank you so much!

5.0 ★ · Dog trainer

01/10/2024

Christmas puppy causing a stir? Or just have a dog you've been wanting to get some training done with but couldn't find the resources you needed?

❤️ Contact me. I work with all breeds, sizes, ages, issues, goals, etc. I offer everything from board and train to one on one sessions to online training.

You can even put a deposit down for training when the pup is old enough if he/she isn't of age quite yet.

The first step is sending a text, email, PM/DM, or making a phone call.

I look forward to hearing from you! 🐶

12/07/2023

Please consider adopting. If you adopt one of these dogs before Christmas and need help with training, contact me for a free consultation and a discounted rate on training. Let's get these dogs adopted! 🌲 🎅

12/07/2023

When you are working off leash recall with a clients "pet only" pointer, but genetics kick the door down and say, "HERE I AM."

YOU CAN NOT OUT TRAIN GENETICS.
Just keep that in mind when you're getting your "Christmas puppy" 🤷🏻‍♀️👍🏻.

I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THIS MUSIC
Song: Meet you at the graveyard"
Artist: Cleffy

11/30/2023

Part 3: Using the treats sparingly, using your verbal/physical praise more, and expecting more from your dog.

Nash does a very good job with staying attentive, which isn't always the case with this breed. He has really done a great job of understanding what is being asked of him. He used to pull, jump, and get overly excited. With a dog as large as Nash, that can become very destructive and dangerous. Not because he would intend to do harm, but his sheer size means he can do damage, even innocently jumping on someone.

Some key things to learn from this video:

💫 Have fun, loosen up!
💫 Be very clear.
💫 Begin testing your dog with things like the duration of a command (sit for 30 sec) or distractions during the command (another person walking by during the heel or sit).

💫 Do not overdo the praise unless your dog needs high-level praise. This is part of knowing your dog. Some need extra encouragement. None of the dogs I've shown you from Part 1 to Part 3 need over dramatic praise. Save it for the end!

💫 Timing is still going to be important! You can see in the video that there were one or two times that I corrected Nash for what appears to be "nothing." If you go back and watch, you can see slight movements that are indicators that he's getting ready to break. So, rather than waiting for him to completely break the position, correcting him when he's thinking about breaking the position will keep him from making that decision.

💫 Be patient with yourself. Record yourself as I did in these videos. It really helps you to see where your flaws are and where you can improve your communication skills with your dog!

I used Bil-Jac treats here at Shady Acres Retrievers

11/30/2023

Part 2: How to progress your dog through food luring.

Here is the next phase in the treat luring progression. Here, you see C**t understands the commands but still needs some help with the positioning. You can also see that he gets rewarded less often with food. This is because he understands what I am asking. The more he understands, the less he will be rewarded with food (but keep in mind he will still receive verbal/physical praise.

Some things to keep in mind:

💫 Keep it short!
💫 Have fun!
💫 Don't expect perfection!
💫 Remember your marker words. Your marker words are going to be used as placeholders in the future. So when you reward and say "good", in the future when you say "good" it will be an indication to the dog that they are doing it correctly and that a reward will be coming, just not right now.

💫 Keep it simple. If you watch both Part 1 and Part 2, you will see that I don't say much other than the command and the markers (yes, good, no). This is so that the dog can have a clear understanding of what I'm asking. The dog isn't going to understand what "MYFLUFFYWUFFYBEEBEEGOODESTBOICANYOUPLEASESITFORMOMMY" means. So be sure to be clear with your dog.

💫Stand up straight. I promise your dog can hear you without you having to bend all the way down to the dog when you give a command 😉.

Follow for Part 3, where I work the next phase of luring with a BIG puppy! As usual, Shady Acres Retrievers
uses Bil-Jac treats!

🐶🐾🏡❤️

11/23/2023

Part 1: Working with 5 month old Ralphie!

Be sure to like, follow, and ask questions!

This process is all about treat luring and marking behaviors. There is no pressure, there are no corrections, just reward or no reward. The only things you are worried about in this stage is just your timing with the reward and paying attention to what the dog is catching on to. Remember to use your marker word. Your marker word is what will be your bridge when you start progressing and not rewarding for every movement. This is a fun stage of training. Some things to keep in mind:

💫 TIMING IS EVERYTHING
💫 IF YOU ARE FRUSTRATED THEN YOURE DOING IT WRONG. THIS SHOULD BE FUN AND NO PRESSURE.
💫 KEEP THE DOGS ATTENTION BY NOT WAITING A LONG TIME IN BETWEEN REWARDS. ALSO, AVOID FRUSTRATION BY KEEPING THE DOG MOVING AND ENGAGED.
💫 KEEP SESSIONS SHORT
💫 DO NOT EXPECT PERFECTION
💫 ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS END TRAINING ON A POSITIVE NOTE!
💫 I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH TO HAVE FUN AND PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR TIMING.

Treats used here were Bil-Jac
dog treats. Shady Acres Retrievers uses these treats and they're perfect! You can also use kibble for this. Be sure you're balancing your dogs feeding to incorporate the calories from your training sessions.

🐾

11/20/2023

What do working Shepherds do when they're not working?

The thing about working dogs is that no matter what you are doing, whether it's training, working, or playing, they are having fun and doing what they love. When they're given free time, they all have different ways they use it. Some like to just sprint around the yard and sniff. Others are all about the sticks, and some take "fetch" VERY seriously.

So you might have the question, "If they love whatever it is they're doing, why do they need a break?"

They need a break because we ask so much of them. We ask their brains to be engaged and focused, we ask them to move through immense pressure, and we ask them to always learn new tasks and ignore things around them. That isn't sustainable for any living being for extended periods of time. Giving them some freedoms and watching them do things they choose to do to unwind is just as fulfilling as working them or doing any type of training.

If you aren't incorporating breaks or freedom in your dogs regimen, this may be the sign you need to do just that.

11/16/2023

I just want to say thank you to those of you who follow me. It truly helps in this age of technology. Clients always want to see videos of work and positive comments. I really appreciate every one of you. The cool part is I actually know most of you! If you are a client or former client, please go to the "Reviews" section and leave me a review. If ive worked with your dog or even helped you with your dog through messages, let me know how I did in the review. It helps other clients decide if I'm the right fit for them. 💜💫💜 I really do appreciate you all.

Feel free to invite your friends to my page by clicking the "more"/three dots section and then clicking on "invite friends". It will then send them an invitation to my page 😊. If there is a topic or something you would like me to cover in a post or video, leave a comment or PM me! 😊 If you have someone who isn't on FB but has IG, tell them to search and follow me there!

11/15/2023

Did you know?

Labs are more than just eating machines 🤣? They're also working machines! The first 3 clips are of Celeste and the last 3 clips are Selene (sisters from the same litter). They are both available. Celeste is food driven and would make an excellent active family pet. Selene is very toy/bumper motivated and would be a great starter working dog. She would also be a great active family pet. Both have had obedience started and environmental work built up. AKC papers. Very reasonable.

Shoot me a message!

11/12/2023

It is bittersweet but I said goodbye to this beautiful young lady today for the best reason possible! She has found a home! Congratulations to them and I wish them the best! She is truly a special and deserving puppy.

Fixing the Boro

11/07/2023

Hey everybody! I know the holidays are around the corner and everybody seems to get puppy fever. It truly is a fever because it lasts a short time and then once it wears off, your puppies find themselves in shelters or rescues waiting for the next 3, 6, 12, 24 months to find a home. WHY do most puppies get rehomed? Because they're work. Right now I have 5 dogs, all juveniles and past the puppy stage, that need homes, varying ages and varying degrees of training. Scroll through and if you have any questions please reach out. PLEASE READ THE CAPTION FOR EACH DOG. YOU WILL FIND THE INFO ABOUT THE DOG AS WELL AS CONTACT INFO.

TALK TO YOUR SPOUSE/SO BEFORE YOU CONTACT ME.

10/27/2023

If you are looking for something like a doodle, forego an unpredictable mixed breed (or adopt one of the thousands in a shelter/rescue) and go with something that is purebred, with proven health quality and proven temperament. Let me introduce you to the beloved Otterhound.
...and then contact me immediately for training because I wanna play....I mean train, I want to train...your new fluffawufagus.

10/16/2023

GET CONTROL OF YOUR DOGS.
STOP THINKING JUMPING IS CUTE.
STOP THINKING INCESSANT BARKING IS "TALKING".
STOP THINKING RUSHING THE DOOR IS FUNNY.
STOP THINKING AGGRESSION IS "BEING PROTECTIVE.

If you cannot even safely open your door, whether because your dog may attack someone or whether it's because you're afraid your dog will rush out of the door, then you need to begin working with your dog to ensure their safety as well as the safety of people who come to your home. If you don't know where to begin, contact a trainer. Spend the money.

You know what's more expensive than hiring a trainer?
The life of a human or your dog that may get put down because of your recklessness.

09/27/2023

It's one of those moments that you have to say "Am I going to NOT listen to it based on my own perceived principals, which may actually just be stubbornness, or am I going to listen with an unbiased ear of an educator of my craft". I feel like I owe it to myself for every time I've been misunderstood, taken a misstep in this field, and every time I've been ill informed, to listen to it. I also owe it to my clients who ask me to offer perspective on whatever trainer pops up on their IG, TicTok, FB, etc. I am a professional, and this is part of being a professional.
What do you think?

08/18/2023

Here are 5 videos of all 5 of my dogs "just being dogs." Discipline, clear boundaries, fair reward/punishment system, stable environment, stimulation appropriate for the breeds, and allowing them to make mistakes. Because of the work I put in, they get to have freedom. Understanding what a dog is before asking somebody with a well trained dog "Why don't you just let them be a dog" will prevent that question from ever being asked.
🐾