Canine Connection

03/22/2025

Resource guarding food is a very natural behavior for dogs. Subtle distance increasing communication should be sufficient to inform an approaching party that the object, space, person, or whatever is being coveted, is of high value and they wish to maintain possession. However, when that communication is not received well, or worse yet, is admonished, things can escalate. Dogs that are fearful or anxious are more prone to escalating past subtle communication as well as more prone to responding incorrectly to such communication. Resource guarding isn’t about your dog being dominant or ‘alpha’, a common misconception.
There are many factors that can contribute to the severity of resource guarding issues. Genetics and stress/anxiety seem to be the most common. History of access to the resource as well as history of response to their behavior over the resource as well as the inherent value or added value of a specific resource can all contribute to the problem. You can see how it may be natural for a dog to ‘guard’ many things, including their safe place and that may include their car, their crate, their bed, or even you!
Working through resource guarding issues can help build your dog’s confidence, create a better relationship between members in the household (both dog and human) and allow you to become more aware of your dog’s emotional state. So, whether you think you have guarding issues or not, this class can help your dog succeed in life!

Online dog training classes for obedience, rally, agility, tracking, nosework, dog behavior, freestyle, and foundation skills.

03/19/2025

Online dog training classes for obedience, rally, agility, tracking, nosework, dog behavior, freestyle, and foundation skills.

01/18/2025

The purpose of a private lesson is to teach you how to train your dog. Sure, we can do advanced levels of training spanning multiple packages, but the most common package is usually about problem solving. We normally teach you how to identify and target problem areas, then to picture a better outcome than the behavior that causes the problem. Then we give you basic skills to transition your dog into a new, more acceptable behavior. We like to use the word “tendency”. Identify the tendency you don’t like and create a new (incompatible behavior) tendency that you like. There is SO much more to the best life with your dog or puppy than “obedience”.
A client had problems with her big yellow lab being over exuberant in play sessions. She’d been knocked down during a game of fetch causing serious injury. (…We’re talking broken bones!) and she’d developed a healthy fear of her own dog. Look what SHE taught her dog in this video, using skills we gave her. Notice, she’s not commanding her dog to do anything. She’s using the word “Fetch” to mark a successful completion of a simple chain.

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas to all of you that have become part of our Canine Connection family. We could do nothing without your love and support. Merry Christmas and a most blessed New Year!!!