What a huge moment for Griffyn and his Mom today! Griffyn met AND interacted with a completely novel person in this single session. This is a first since meeting me last summer so we are thrilled to see Griffyn choose to expand his inner circle, one person at a time! #positivereinforcementtraining
Lefty is rocking his working walks with his family! Sometimes small changes can have a big impact on increasing overall confidence (and as a result, fewer behavior concerns). Here we switched up some walking equipment, worked on leash handling skills and fine tuned some timing/mechanics and Lefty has made huge improvements. We still have work to do but I’m thrilled to hear things are trending in the right direction! #positivereinforcementtraining
Colter has such a wonderful “drop” behavior that we are able to use his favorite games and toy reinforcers to help him acclimate to novel situations. Here he is in a brand new location where he also successfully checked out several dogs from a distance! Go team Colter! #positivereinforcementtraining
This is from years ago but is such an excellent example of how encountering things “out of place” or novel can always be tricky for dogs, regardless of how social or bold they may be. Georgia was about 8 years old here, and had done this walk hundreds of times- but this day something was different (she would have called it “absolutely incorrect!! 🤣) We all know how cattle dogs like their structure and routine, but it’s awesome how she addressed the “concern”, recovered and then moved on. Georgia was very resilient overall, but dogs can also learn how to cope with stress and become more resilient in the face of stressors!😊💗🎄
I talk about scent work (and sniffing!) with so many colleagues and clients, I finally had to try it out myself! Sunny and I are having a fun time learning together, and she seemed to pick it up really quickly. This is her first session and it was awesome to watch her process things and figure out what we were doing. Next step - the sit alert! 🤞☀️💗
So proud of this little creature for rocking her practice ultrasound at Animal Blessings Pet Hospital! If you can’t tell by the audio in the video, Gaia has quickly become one of my favorite animals to work with at @animalwondersmontana 💗 I’m sure she recognizes my voice and she is so smart (of course I forgot my clicker this session 🤣) Training different species has been so beneficial for my mechanics and all of the things we may take for granted when working with a domesticated animal. Huge props to all the zoo and wildlife trainers out there and a huge thank you to Animal Blessings Per Hospital for helping us practice! And if you haven’t checked out the Animal Wonders YouTube page, you can follow Gaia and the stories of so many other incredible animals! #positivereinforcementtraining
So proud of this little creature for rocking her practice ultrasound at Animal Blessings Pet Hospital! If you can’t tell by the audio in the video, Gaia has quickly become one of my favorite animals to work with at Animal Wonders Inc.! 💗 I’m sure she recognizes my voice and she is so smart (of course I forgot my clicker this session 🤣) Training different species has been so beneficial for my mechanics and all of the things we may take for granted when working with a domesticated animal. Huge props to all the zoo and wildlife trainers out there! #positivereinforcementtraining
Sound on and up for this one! Helping a dog utilize the olfactory portion of their brain (foraging and sniffing!) has so many benefits. We have incorporated sniffing and foraging into Nova’s training plan and have observed increased attention on her Mom, improved recall, less pulling on leash and increased overall confidence. I could listen to Nova sniff all day 💗 Huge props to Nova’s family for working so hard with her!
Milo’s family lovingly described some of this recent progress as a “cognitive shift” ❤️ and I love this observation! While its true that practicing exercises like this have helped Milo view the world in a new and less concerning way, his family also supports him when he chooses to pause or move away from a concern in the environment. Dogs need more time than we think to adjust to their new life, family and surroundings, and being patient, in conjunction with a thoughtful training plan, makes all the difference for so many dogs. #positivereinforcementdogtraining
Capturing and shaping behavior is not easy but Kira and her Dad work beautifully together here! Waiting is SO hard sometimes but it will pay off when this family is busy with their new baby and the dogs are able to lie down and relax in their own - in one of a couple designated locations not on Mom’s lap or hovering over the baby 😊 #positivereinforcementtraining
R+ for the win (always!) Gaia is an ambassador animal with the wonderful organization @animalwondersmontana and I’m helping prep her for vet visits and voluntary medical treatments. Animal Wonders uses reward based training methods for all of their animals and I am so proud to have joined their Board of Directors this year. Training animals other then domesticated dogs and cats is always eye opening and I learn as much as they do. Plus, Gaia is the cutest creature and it is a joy to work with her! Check out more fun AW videos here https://m.youtube.com/@animalwondersmontana #positivereinforcementtraining
Such a beautiful example of how taking the time to connect and build relationship with your dog pays off. Copper enjoys some dogs but can be overwhelmed when they get in his face or are overly assertive. Here we are slowing down the approach, allowing him to greet a friendly dog and then reinforcing him for moving away and reconnecting with his Mom. Absolutely lovely watch this human/dog connection! #positivereinforcementtraining
Sunny learned how to use her scratching board in record time! There are more steps not included here but I’ve been told by non-behavior peeps that too many steps = boring! 🤣 Happy scratching!! #positivereinforcementtraining
So proud of Stevie and what her family describes as “her best walk ever”! This clip was after seeing 20+ other dogs so she really did have a fantastic day. Love these smarty pants blue dogs! #positivereinforcementtraining
Sniffy walks have been Georgia’s favorite activity this winter. Taking it indoors to pet stores (yes, our Petco really was this messy!) or setting up a sniffari/kibble hunt in the house has been so fun for her! #letthemsniff #positivereinforcementtraining
News alert! Beagle comes when called! 😃 So proud of Floyd’s family for working so hard to help him connect and check in while out in the world! #positivereinforcementtraining #letthemsniff
Dog communication is incredible to watch! Kermit (the staffy) was a little hesitant at a park that was new to him, meeting a new friend, etc. so he let Sunny take the lead today! Helper dogs rule!
So proud of this 120# love and his Mom for teaching alternate behaviors to jumping, mouthing, grabbing and sitting in laps! #positivereinforcementtraining
