Obi finished up his board & train a few weeks ago.
He's a prime example of a "good dog" that still benefited from ECollar training.
He didn't have any behavior issues and already knew a lot but his owner wanted more off leash ability and a better communication system with him.
She also wanted to be able to do things with him like her other dog Leia who has also been through our program.
Chevy went home yesterday!
Can't believe it's already been 3 weeks since Chevy started training!
I'm so excited for his owner to be able to walk him and take him on more adventures now that he has way better leash and listening skills.
Chevy has been with us for almost a week now!
He's settling in and learning lots of new things. He's a lot more focused and eager to learn now!
The other day I had a good training moment with the dogs and wanted to share.
I was recording some stories and talking to my phone camera. While I was distracted and my attention was elsewhere, Kat and Leia took the opportunity to mean they were done and tried getting up a few times.
I didn't make a big fuss. I just verbally corrected them and had them lay back down. They didn't get released to go play in the yard until they were all waiting patiently.
Dogs are opportunistic and will take advantage if they think you're not paying attention. So practice and set up scenarios to test your dog's skills.
Ace went home this weekend!
He wasn't a bad dog but wasn't really good at listening and struggled with some anxiety.
Sometimes you don't even know what's possible with your dog until you try!
Training is a lifestyle and a journey. There's not one final destination that says. "We're done training"
It's about the small things you do daily that all add up.
Embrace the learning opportunities and challenges. Take what you can learn from your experiences.
Your dog is not the same dog you had as a child growing up. Or the same as your best friend's dog. Acknowledge your dog for who he is and his own individual needs and fulfillments.
Slow down and celebrate your wins! Look at how far you've come!
Don't be afraid to reach out to a friend or trainer for support! We're never here to judge but help your through this journey.
A little recap of our day!
Winn - went for a walk and practiced our offleash stay and recall. He finished training soon so we're upping the challenge a little with his training.
Ace - walked around the neighborhood. Was pretty nervous and distracted but did great overall even when a group of kids rode by on their bikes!
Charlie - here for boarding for a few days and a little training refresh. He trained with us back in January. We always welcome training dogs back for boarding. It's nice because they just fall right back into routine with us.
We always like to challenge the dogs and test their skills.
It's one thing for your dog to know a few commands like Sit, Down, Stay, etc.
But can they listen and follow your instructions when there are distractions?
A big part of our training is preparing your dog for real-life distractions. Dogs, people, etc.
If you don't keep these skills in practice and challenge your dog routinely, then these skills can lapse and get messy.
If you don't use it, you lose it.
Ise & Maci joined us at Food Truck Friday.
It was a challenge, but overall, it was a great learning opportunity for the dogs.
Ise did really well except for a few mishaps, but perfection is unrealistic. He saw another dog that got him a little excited and he really wanted someone to share their food with him. Once we got settled in and the initial overwhelm passed, he fell right in line.
Maci did great! She was honestly very overwhelmed but still minded her manners very well.
So proud of these two pups!!
Sad my video quality was kinda crappy. But oh well!
After a long day of training lessons, emails, phone calls, texts, and all other dog trainer related tasks, I love when I just get to sit and enjoy the quiet time at the end of the day.
Charlie had his outing in Atwoods. He definitely was a little jumpy at first. He's usually reverts to flight when he's in uncomfortable situations. But we stuck in through, and we quickly found our flow.
We did a little people watching also. This is a good exercise to do to help our dogs learn to relax while the world goes on around them. It can be challenging for dogs to hold still while people walk by or large noises happening around them.
The other day, Leia went on her first outing while in training. She was definitely super excited but contained herself very well.
It's great seeing all the things we practice at home begin to add up and come together for practical purposes.
One of my favorite parts of the board & train is when owners come to train with their dogs.
Charlie's owner came for a lesson to begin learning what he knew and start practicing some handling skills.
Even though Charlie knows all of his commands, he definitely tested his mom.
It was a good opportunity for me also to learn what areas may need more focus during his remaining time with us.
Leia's owner came by for a midway lesson.
The midway is a good opportunity for learning. I get to see where the owner may struggle and what areas may need more focus.
Leia had a few tough moments, but we worked through them. It was a good experience for us all.
There were a few icey areas on our walk where we had to slow down and watch our steps. Leia slowed down and kept pace with her owner. Before training, there's no way Leia's owner could have walked her without being tugged and pulled on.
I love how quickly dogs can learn things when you start communicating with them in a way they can understand.
Leia and Charlie have only been here a few days and their leash manners are already a ton better.
The first few days of training can be a stressful for dogs. New people. New environment. Being asked to do new things. Just think back to your first day of school.
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Hello Leia!!
Leia is a super sweet lab. But she's a wild child. No chill at all.
She doesn't know her own strength and pulls bad, making walks not so fun for her owner.
Can't wait to show her some manners and teach her some impulse control.
Say hello to Charlie!!
Charlie is a good boy but struggles with a few things.
His owner says he'll come when called after about 5 tries. He likes to jump and he can be whiny at times. He pulls on leash and overall just does things on his own terms.
Charlie will be with us for four weeks and we're so excited to get started with him.
We had a rainy day today so did our training lessons in the garage.
Lots of dogs find it hard to practice impulse control while another dog plays. That's just what we worked on today. I took turns playing with each dog and sprinkling in some obedience while each dog had to wait their turn.
