Journey Dog Training

12/21/2022

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10/25/2022

One of the highlights - and the second central goal - of our trip to the Arctic was to see the midnight sun. On the night of the summer solstice, we hiked up a gorgeous ridgeline in the Yukon starting around 11pm and finishing around 3pm.

The night was cold and cloudy, but we were treated to dreamy 360* views of pink-tinged horizon and it never got truly dark.

This is what I came here for. I drove up to the Arctic Circle so I could experience all-night sunsets on the solstice. We hiked from 11pm to 3am up this gorg...

10/21/2022

Earlier this year, I took my dogs and van on the trip of a lifetime: a road trip to the Arctic Ocean. For the foreseeable future, Journey Dog Training will cover not just behavior issues but also and travel with dogs.

This video shows the emotional northern terminus of the trip, where I finally get to see the Arctic Ocean after spending several days thinking I wouldn't make it thanks to a closed ferry.

WE FINALLY MADE IT! After delayed ferries and thousands of kilometers of travel, we're at the Arctic Ocean. We also take time to go for a run and see a black...

10/17/2022

Just got the call. Partial CCL tear. He’s going in for surgery.

10/14/2022

A lot of dogs are hypersocial – they get uncontrollably excited at the sight or sound of other dogs. When they see another dog, these dogs might bark, whine, lie down and refuse to move, pull on leash, or even “kangaroo-hop” toward other dogs in desperation to say hi.

This is a really frustrating behavior problem that can be embarrassing – and I totally sympathize.

Let's talk about some of the basic ways we can help our dogs navigate this!

https://journeydogtraining.com/uncontrollable-around-other-dogs/

09/15/2022

Yesterday, Niffler growled at Barley for the first time ever. And I praised him.

WHY would I ever praise a dog for growling, you ask?

Since Niffler was 9 weeks old, Barley has had a bad habit of stealing food from Niffler. He's pushy, bigger, older, and always very hungry. Niffler is a more passive dog and is much lower drive for food.

For two years, I've simply fed them separately - it's not ok for Barley to bully Niffler.

Lately, I've been working on teaching Barley not to bug Niffler while Niffler is eating even without a physical barrier in place.

Yesterday Niffler was eating dinner in his crate and Barley walked over to investigate after wolfing down his own food. And Niffler told him "No, sir, not today."

Barley listened, and I applaud them both.

I don't plan on ever having them eat freely without supervision for obvious reasons, but this was great to see!

08/30/2022

We're in the market for some new dog collars. In the past we've seen lists of BIPOC makers in the dog world. Has anyone seen this list recently? We'd love to support a small business with Barley's new collar!

08/18/2022

You may notice Journey Dog Training posting a LOT about travel and outdoor activities with dogs in the future. While our team still focuses on helping dogs with fear, anxiety, aggression, and phobias... Kayla is driving the Pan-American Highway!

Check out a brief overview of the trip here and explore some of the vlog (video blog) posts from Kayla's trip up to the Arctic Ocean!

https://journeydogtraining.com/collies-without-borders/

The Trip of a Lifetime: The Longest Line on the Map with Two Canine CopilotsFrequently Asked Questions▸Why the Pan-American Highway?It's the longest line on the map. I love road trips. When I was 17 and lost in the world I met some folks biking it. Because I'm about to start a PhD program and I kn...

06/30/2022

Do you want to ensure that your pups don't chase or bark at your new drone? Or are your worried your dog might be a bit afraid of a giant buzzing mosquito?

Never fear, we've got a brand-new article for you!

https://journeydogtraining.com/introducing-your-dogs-to-a-drone/

Introducing Your Dogs to a Drone This post contains affiliate links. Sites like Amazon and Chewy give us a small amount of $ if you purchase something using a link from us (at no extra cost to you). We also run advertisements on the site. Please understand that the ads are randomly generated and we....

04/06/2022

It's BACK! We've reactivated our uber-popular free service: Ask a Behavior Consultant. If you've got a single nagging question about your pet's behavior, drop it into the form and we'll reply in blog post format.

https://journeydogtraining.com/how-to-train-your-dog/

Ask a TrainerAsk Journey Dog Training anything about how to train your dog, cat, or parrot. If you're selected, we'll answer your question in a blog post, video, or podcast episode - for $3!Whether you're really struggling to solve a problem behavior or trying to teach your dog a new trick, we can h...

12/28/2021

Does your dog go a little (or a lot) crazy at your fence line when your neighbor’s dogs are out? Maybe they run back and forth chasing the other dogs. Perhaps they growl and bark or even try to bite the other dogs through the fence.

This behavior is known as fence fighting. It can be really stressful for both you as an owner and your dog. A fenced yard can make owning a dog easier, but if your dog turns into a Tasmanian Devil every time the neighbor’s dog comes outside, it can actually make your life harder!

Seeing your dog display aggressive behavior can feel scary. Although there is a fence between your dog and the neighbor’s, it’s still possible for injuries to happen. And even if no injuries occur, this behavior can have a negative effect on your dog’s overall wellbeing. Fence fighting can be really stressful for both dogs because it reduces your dog’s ability to feel relaxed and comfortable in his own backyard.

In this article, you’ll learn:

Why dogs fence fight
Why you should prevent your dog from fence fighting
How to prevent fence fighting
How to train your dog not to fence fight

Well done on this one, Alisa Healy!

https://journeydogtraining.com/stop-your-dog-from-fighting-through-the-fence/

12/28/2021

My two border collies and I moved into a 2006 Dodge Sprinter in May 2021. As we’ve adjusted to vanlife with dogs, I have found a few skills are absolute must-haves for the pups.

In many ways, vanlife is pretty different from your average home. Vans are super small – about 80 square feet. This limited space means that your dog(s) need several practical skills to keep everyone sane. Since you may also park your van in a variety of places, safety skills are also paramount to avoid accidentally losing your dog to the great outdoors!

I have also found it very important to teach my dogs to quietly ignore hubbub outside the van, to stay quiet in their crates or seatbelts while driving, and to generally tolerate living in a van. I don’t include those here because they’re more of “life skills” than specific cues I use to instruct or guide them.

Here are the four skills I find most important while sharing my van with my dogs.

https://journeydogtraining.com/vanlife-with-a-dog-4-simple-skills-for-your-pup-to-master/

12/14/2021

Curious what Kayla and Barley get up to "for fun?" Last year, they competed in a dog-human survival challenge in Northern Maine. Barley was fed every day, but Kayla had to fend for herself. They had meager supplies of 10 survival items, but NO human food. Tune in TOMORROW on Nat Geo for the full episode!

https://youtu.be/LIpjZCLcU-M

This dog and human duo are all about teamwork and are using their incredible bond to venture through icy winds, freezing rain and frequent snowstorms to win ...

09/24/2021

Should I have written this 18 months ago? Probably. Did I? Nope! Hope that you agree it's better late than never!

https://journeydogtraining.com/dog-interrupting-zoom/

My Dog Won’t Stop Interrupting Zoom Meetings Many of us are *still* spending a ton of time on Zoom or other video calls for work. While our dogs (and cats) may be enjoying the extra social time, sometimes it’s less-than-convenient to have pets on-screen (or on-mic). Unfortunately, you can’t ju...

09/05/2021

When interacting with other dog owners, from Patricia McConnell: "WHAT’S THE GOAL? Ask yourself. Why do you want to influence the other person’s behavior? If you want to protect your own dog, do so. Putting the other owner on defense won’t help anything and it might make things worse. Are you concerned about their dog? Perhaps their dog didn’t sit when asked and they je**ed hard on the leash and screamed at it. Ouch, these situations are so painful to all of us. But you can’t go up to a stranger and tell them that they are abusing their dog. Sometimes you just have to walk away, painful as it is. Other times I’ve had some success by walking over (treats in pocket, always treats in pockets, heaven help me…) and commenting on what a lovely/handsome dog they have. “What breed is it?” I might ask. I may know perfectly well, but it doesn’t matter; the goal is to start a conversation. Or I might say, (lying through my teeth, yup, you heard it here) “Oh, I used to have a Saint Bernard/Poodle/Yorkie cross myself! That was the best dog! Can I give Rambo a treat?” And then Rambo and I have a little interchange and I walk away and leave it at that. Maybe the owner learned something about how quickly Rambo paid attention and did what I asked, maybe they didn’t. But either way I did not take it onto myself to be the dog police and tell someone how to handle their dog. It’s hard sometimes, but it is not our job to train other people’s dogs or raise their children."

https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/talking-to-other-dog-owners-tread-carefully

I’m taking some summery time off this week, and so am repeating a post from May, 2014, How to Talk to Other Dog Owners. Wanna talk about it? Here it is: When I was seeing a lot of clients I could always tell when I was tired because I started working with the dog, rather […]

09/02/2021

Yesterday was pretty awful.
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Barley is ok. If you don’t like minor blood, don’t swipe.
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So Barley is in Indiana with my dear friend for work. They worked on Sunday and he looked great. Then Monday he was a bit lethargic and was limping. Rachel checked him over thoroughly and couldn’t find anything. They rested for the day and he went to the vet Tuesday. They found swelling and bruising and gave him some pain meds. Then Wednesday at his physical therapy session (for his iliopsoas pain on his other rear leg) they found two lacerations. The current guess is either a spider or snake bite. He is resting for at least another week, and is doing much better with medications on board.
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I know he’s in the best of hands. When I told Rachel I trust her with Barley, I meant it. But I miss him so much and wish I could be with him. They’re 14 hours away and it’s just agonizing. Me being there wouldn’t help him, but I hate being apart. He is my heart dog, my soul mate. I am so glad he’s going to be ok. I’m also grateful for health insurance. It could be worse.
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08/14/2021

Many dogs LOVE the car: it means parks, playtime, and adventure. But for other dogs, car rides are a dreaded occurrence. This can be confusing for owners, especially if car rides usually predict something good. If you’re always driving to the park, why would your dog hate being in the car?

Let’s discuss why your dog hates the car and what to do about it. There are two main reasons your dog hates the car:

Your dog gets carsick, used to get carsick, or had another bad experience on a car ride.
Your dog thinks that car rides predict bad things (like the vet).
Of course, this is a pretty simplistic view and not all dogs will fit neatly into one of these categories. But for the purposes of this article, let’s start here.

https://journeydogtraining.com/help-my-dog-hates-the-car/

Help! My Dog Hates the Car Many dogs LOVE the car: it means parks, playtime, and adventure. But for other dogs, car rides are a dreaded occurrence. This can be confusing for owners, especially if car rides usually predict something good. If you’re always driving to the park, why would your dog hat...

08/14/2021

Some dogs love car rides a bit *too much.* While it might seem cute at first to have a yodeling bundle of furry excitement riding shotgun, it can actually be a bit dangerous (or just plain annoying)! Luckily, you don’t have to live with this problem forever. Rather than simply never taking your dog on a car ride again, we’ve got some solutions to help your over-excited dog learn to calm down on car rides.

https://journeydogtraining.com/my-dog-gets-excited-in-the-car-how-do-i-calm-him-down/

07/21/2021

🚨 An update from the field!
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We don’t have cell service or internet at our field site or cabins, so expect updates to be few and far between until October unless we get a solution! Sounds like Verizon has options but I currently use T-Mobile.
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The dogs are doing amazing. Barley heads to Ohio next week with for their field season. Niff is staying with me for summer camp.
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My dad and I are almost done with our solar panel fix. We found a blown fuse and are tearing it all up to make the panels more secure and adjustable for low-angle ☀️. It’s a LOT to deal with but we’re ok!
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I’m super bummed about the internet situation for my podcasts, but I’m hoping I can find a coffee shop or library to try and keep up with the uploads…. Stay tuned.
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07/17/2021

We were happy to help out with this piece on whether or not dogs can suffer from mental illness. The book "Animal Madness" is a great primer on this, and is quite readable!

https://doggiedesigner.com/can-dogs-suffer-from-mental-illness/

06/18/2021

In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, I discuss leash skills for you and your puppy:

It’s not entirely necessary for your dog to walk perfectly on leash
Pulling will always be self-reinforcing, so it can take a lot of patience and persistence to teach loose leash walking
Your equipment won’t teach your dog what to do, you will teach your dog what to do
You can teach your dogs to pull on certain equipment and not to pull on other equipment if it is of benefit to you
To start, you can reward your dog for position and check-ins
It can get worse before it gets better
You can start in the house then start building distractions and distance
Record keeping your sessions will help you!
If your puppy starts pulling you can stop moving or go in a different direction
Start slow and take your time, don’t expect too much too soon
https://journeydogtraining.com/leash-skills-for-puppies/

We're donating $1 from each sale in June to Gaza Unlocked and Tenacious Unicorn Ranch. All courses and e-books are 30% off during the pandemic!

06/13/2021

Inspired by real events: how to get your dog to stop biting at your hands.

https://journeydogtraining.com/my-dog-wont-stop-biting-my-hands/

06/04/2021

Puppies take a lot of work. Sometimes, all we want to do is go to the bathroom in peace. But how can you do that when your puppy panics, barks, and screams as soon as you close the door? How are you supposed to shower or use the facilities when your puppy is having a meltdown?

The first thing to understand is that your puppy isn’t doing this to be spiteful or difficult on purpose. Your puppy is a baby mammal, and it’s important for their survival to stay near the family unit. Evolutionarily, it makes sense for a puppy to bark and cry when they’re abandoned. Yes, you know your puppy is safe – but their instincts don’t know that!

Try your best to take a deep breath and have some empathy for your puppy. I know that’s hard when you’re exhausted and your life has been turned upside down, but try.

Now there are a few different things we can try to stop your puppy from panicking while you’re in the bathroom.

https://journeydogtraining.com/why-does-my-puppy-panic-when-i-go-to-the-bathroom/

06/04/2021

How much exercise should puppies get? Is it safe to bring your puppy on a hike? What's the actual science behind all these puppy-exercise recommendations?

We had the pleasure of talking to Dr. Leslie Eide about all of these topics in this week's Pandemic Puppy Podcast.

The Total Canine: Veterinary Sports Medicine & Conditioning

https://journeydogtraining.com/pandemic-puppy-23/

05/30/2021

In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla discusses potty training. Potty training is one of the most difficult parts of puppy raising, but it is so important. Whether you’re a dog trainer or new to the dog guardian world, potty training can be difficult! Kayla covers the best way to go about potty training.

Sparks note on setting your puppy up for success with potty training:

- Young puppies need to go out every 20-30 minutes
- In general, puppies can hold their bladder for as many hours as they are months old
- Take them out when they wake up, after they eat, and after they have a big drink
- Keep them confined in a “puppy palace” or pen, when not 100% supervised
- This not only prevents accidents, but keeps them safe
- Make sure good reinforcement follows after they go to the bathroom
- Play with them and treat them after they go
- Be relaxed about it, don’t follow them around nagging them to go
- If they don’t go when you let them out, there’s likely a good reason
- Either they don’t have to go, or something in the environment is making them not want to go
- Be patient and do not punish your puppy for accidents
- Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, whether its a trainer or a vet
- It’s okay to go back to the basics
- There are so many ways to do it! Do your research!

https://journeydogtraining.com/pandemic-puppy-22/

We're donating $1 from each sale in May to Indian Red Cross Society. Don't forget all courses and e-books are 30% off during the pandemic!

05/21/2021

In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla and Jane Lindquist of Puppy Culture discuss developmental stages in puppies! They cover fear periods, teething, increases in confidence, changes in energy level, and more!

https://journeydogtraining.com/pandemic-puppy-21/

We're donating $1 from each sale in May to Indian Red Cross Society. Don't forget all courses and e-books are 30% off during the pandemic!

05/18/2021

Are you interested in scent dog work? Then check out this episode on sourcing odor with Stacy Barnett! You'll learn SO MUCH.

Join our Patreon to get access to monthly webinars where we break down training sessions and get extra nerdy about conservation detection dog training! You must join at the $25 or $50 monthly level to access this benefit.

05/14/2021

In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla and Amber Quann of Summit Dog Training discuss preparing your puppy for adventures! They cover what supplies you should have and tips and tricks to make for a successful adventure.

https://journeydogtraining.com/pandemic-puppy-20/

We're donating $1 from each sale in May to Indian Red Cross Society. Don't forget all courses and e-books are 30% off during the pandemic!

05/07/2021

In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla and Marissa Martino discuss puppy blues. They cover what it is, why it happens, and what you can do about it!

What are the puppy blues?

Negative feels about having your puppy
Sadness, regret, guilt, etc.
Why does this happen?

Lack of sleep/interrupted sleep
Lack of schedule
If you have too high expectations
Comparing a puppy to a previous dog or a different dog
How can we give ourselves grace?

1. Having the right mindset.

You will do the best that you can.
You will not get everything done that you want.
You will make mistakes.
This process is not linear.
2. Building in breaks to the schedule.

When do you have time for yourself?
How do you know you’re reaching threshold?
How can you ask for help? In the moment? Ongoing?
3. Notice the projections.

Everyone has an opinion.
Come up with a short reply like I’ll look into that…..and then continue on the path that feels right to you.
4. Prioritize.

Focus on socialization, handling, bonding activities, house training, enrichment, puppy mouthing prevention, and don’t worry about skills just yet (work on SMARTx50 instead)
Prioritize YOURSELF
5. Choose enrichment that you both love.

How can you ask for help?

Expand your network with those with similar situations
It is okay to ask for help

https://journeydogtraining.com/pandemic-puppy-19/

In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla and Marissa Martino discuss puppy blues. They cover what it is, why it happens, and what you can do about it! What are ...

05/07/2021

Have a reactive dog? You might need to listen to this!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fenzi-dog-sports-podcast/id1183632758?i=1000520581424

‎Show Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast, Ep Amy Cook - Living and Loving a Reactive Dog - May 6, 2021