Abbi's Dog Training Service's

08/29/2024

Just an update for you all that have inquired about dog walking and are waiting for me to contact you on that. Dog walking has been put on hold as my daughter had a knee surgery that has her non weight bearing and not driving for 6 weeks with 6 months of rehab. I will be at her beck and call and trying to help her enjoy her senior year as best she can while missing her last volleyball season. I appreciate your patience as life throws us curve balls! I am still taking training clients through this.

08/26/2024

National Dog Day! Let’s see your babies!!!

08/24/2024

Living with a reactive dog is rough.

And it’s not just the dog who is always on edge … it is the owner as well!

It can be tempting to try and correct the dog with words or actions.

There are a lot of trainers online who use very harsh training methods to “cure” reactivity.

I highly recommend to not copy them … and to always keep in mind:

🧡 Your dog does not WANT to be bad

🧡 Your dog does not WANT to cause trouble

🧡 Your dog does not WANT to be a problem

Reactive dogs improve dramatically when we grow a relationship where they can trust us.

With a training method that keeps them under their reactivity threshold, they can actually make POSITIVE memories.

And with positive memories … they can start to relax and not be so stressed out all the time.

One of my dogs is reactive. I know what you’re going through. She trusts me to lead her when she’s in a situation now.

08/22/2024

Bowie is the best boy and learning “place” for when his mama needs him to go somewhere safe. Look at that focus 😁

08/21/2024

Can you guess what the most underrated dog training tool is?

Hint: every dog owner has one!

It can curb a myriad of problems if used consistently.

It's a leash!!!
Don't be afraid to use a leash in the house.
Stop jumping, bolting, chasing cats, counter surfing, barking, distruction, etc.

If your struggling with problem behaviors, leash your dog for a while, keep them tethered to you if they wander.

Always supervise your dog while it's leashed, they can get caught on things.

Try it for a week and see how many behaviors you can stop or prevent.

08/20/2024

This is needs to be addressed. I see post after post of people rehoming puppies for biting. Not even that this is an Aussie herding like genetics would have it do. This is a 16 WEEK old puppy rehomed twice for biting. People who don’t understand that dogs are dogs and need to be taught should not have a dog to begin with. And the people in these shelters offering Courtesy posts should be educating people when they contact them on how to help with the issue and sending them to trainers if they can’t.
They list she’s good with kids but bites daily. This dog is bound to end up in the wrong hands or a euthanasia list. Please educate yourself and family before getting that cute puppy.

08/19/2024

This guy is tired but Velcro so trying to stay awake making sure I don’t move. He is a dog that doesn’t want to be left behind so we worked his brain hard on not rushing the door when it opens. He’s learning to sit and wait till he gets a release word.

08/17/2024

A good percentage of dogs with behavioral issues are free-fed. This is when we leave food out all day long for the dog to graze as they please. Most owners that relinquish this opportunity to take more control of one of their dog’s most valuable resources, do so because of their dog’s finicky eating habits. So many people say “my dog isn’t hungry when I fill the bowl”

Regardless if a dog is finicky around feeding time or not, they WILL NEVER STARVE themselves. Their primitive fight for survival will kick in and overcome any anxiety or stress that may be suppressing their hunger drive.

Now realize, free-feeding doesn’t necessarily lead to, or cause bad behavior! But… if the dog is reactive, pushy, obstinate, anxious, nervy, or willfully defies commands, you may want to reconsider one of the easiest ways to shift their mindset over one of their most prized resources.

Food is critical to control for the relationship. It’s not enough to just hand over food indulgently! It’s HOW you give the food that determines the corresponding behavior. A dog whose resources are magically dumped in front of them without having worked or earned it, will soon feel entitled, and most certainly won’t see you as a leader.

Teaching a dog to WAIT for Permission before diving into their food bowl can make a tremendous difference in their overall mindset and the way they view you as someone to have to listen to.

By taking a few extra moments at mealtimes to wait for eye contact, and calm and polite behavior, rather than giving into a dog that is overly excited and pushy when being fed, can be the difference between a dog that resource guards, barges through thresholds, is reactive on leash, or one that truly respects your wishes. You may not think bad eating manners have anythingto do with any of those behavioral transgressions, but they do.

EVERYTHING, every interaction... MATTERS.

I like to have dogs wait calmly for my release command “free” before eating, rather than allowing impatient whining or anticipating food. Dogs are fed two meals a day and get 15 minutes to finish. If they ignore the food, it gets poured back into the bag, and they aren’t offered a meal again until the next feeding time.

08/16/2024

This baby is 4 months old and his first lesson has worn him out completely but we learned how smart he is!
After just doing something twice he started trying to predict what I was going to ask him to do next.
I don’t reward predictions, he’s not learning that way so I will ask for something else and then reward for that 😊

08/15/2024

Play outside rain or shine! Your dog won’t be afraid to go out when it’s raining and then won’t have accidents in the house when they hold it too long! Play creates a positive association with the rain!

08/15/2024

Things that are hard telling clients:

To not let their two puppies be together the majority of the time. People get two puppies to keep the other one entertained. But what I've seen are two dogs that can't be 4 feet apart without pi***ng themselves or having a panic attack. They rely so heavily on each other that their owners end up being meaningless.

Litter-mate syndrome is a real thing and it doesn't just effect puppies from the same litter. I've seen puppies similar in age have issues and they end up hating each other, wanting to kill each other every chance they get.

That their dog is genetically off. That the dog may never love other people. We can work on the dog tolerating people and learning appropriate behaviours, but it may never be the dog that does great at barbeques. Or the dog doesn't have the genetics to do what the owner wants it to do. Some dogs don't have the right drives for protection work or for agility.

Not taking your 12 week old puppy on a 10 mile hike. Doing any extensive exercising while the puppies bones are growing can be detrimental to their health. The spacing between a puppies growing bones is huge. They need time to fuse together. Too much exercise too young can cause a ray of issues.

Don't expect too much from your puppy or dog/don't compare your puppy or dog to someone else's. Every. Single. Dog. is different. They learn, grow, mature at their own pace. Let them be puppies and help mold them into the dog you want them to be without putting too much pressure on them or yourself.

Hand feeding. I can ALWAYS tell who hand feeds their puppies/dogs and who don't. This helps create a bond and teaches them a work ethic. It helps you dedicate 3 to 8 minutes twice a day to your four legged best friend. If your dog won't work for their food in their living room with you, how do you expect it to work with 4 to 6 other dogs and people?

Crate training. This is the number one way to make sure your dog is SAFE! This is also setting it up for success for potty issues and eating things they shouldn't. Micromanage them so they earn the trust and freedom instead of giving too much freedom and ending up in a situation that was 100% preventable.

I will continue having the uncomfortable and hard to have conversations. If it helps or educates or saves one person or dog, it's worth it.

08/13/2024

There is no more room. A very powerful image that is not at all exaggerated…

“Free to a good home!”
“Has to go today!”
“I’m moving…”
“I’m having a baby…”
“I just can’t give him the time he needs…”
“I work!”
“Just an oops litter!”
“I bred her and the pups ain’t sellin like they use to.”
“You’ll find her a new home though, right?”
“He’s aggressive and tries to kill other animals, bit a child, but he’s a really good dog! What do you mean he’ll be put to sleep?!”
“My dogs pups never end up in shelters.”
“This dog is worth a lot of money that I’m surrendering to you!”
“I’ve got a dog to donate to ya!”
“Shes older and just hates the new puppy we got!”
“I just adopted him a week ago from ____ pound.”
“She was a Facebook rehome and they didn’t tell me that she _____.”
“We rescued her.”
“She has separation anxiety and eats walls and doors.”
“He needs training.”
“We got them both as puppies but now they’re just too much.”
“No she’s not spayed.”
“No they’ve never had shots.”
“No he’s never really been on a leash before.”
“She can scale a fence, eat her way out of a kennel, cant contain her.”
“He’s never been around other dogs.”
“She doesn’t like men or children, I think she was abused.”
“Hes food aggressive.”
“She just needs a farm to run!”

Artist unknown❤️

08/12/2024

Laser light play with dogs. Don't do it.

Have you ever played with a laser light with your dog? Seems like a fun, harmless activity to do with him doesn't it?
But it isn't.
With some dogs it can be the beginning of an obsessive search for the "thing" he so desperately wants to find but can never find satisfaction from the search.

Some dogs are more likely to develop light obsessions. Herding dogs, high drive dogs are most apt to develop it, but any dog can display an unhealthy obsession with lights and shadows.

Think of it this way; the light triggers the prey drive....gotta catch this thing or herd it into submittal. When the dog cannot ever "win" the game, she continues searching for it...in reflections from your watch, a sparkle of light through the window, a flashlight, or her own shadow. This condition without intervention often escalates and becomes firmly rooted in the dog's behavior. It's like searching for your keys that will never be found. It's frustrating and can often take over your dog's entire behavior and personality.

If you have played laser chase with your dog stop now. If your dog is displaying obsessive light/shadow chasing interrupt the behavior and redirect to more acceptable activity. Need help with fixing the behavior call a trainer for help and guidance.

Laser lights are not a toy for your dog.

08/07/2024

A very important part of leveraging respect from our dogs is by making everything they do PERMISSION-based.

Eating your food - wait for permission.
Going through a doorway - wait for permission.
Coming out of the crate - wait for permission.
Getting into and out of the car - wait for permission.
Holding Commands - wait until released or told to do something else.
Playtime - wait for permission.
Affection - wait until “I” ask for it.

Each and every instance we can use to make our dog wait for permission will compound to create a relationship based in respect.

Days, months, and even years of experiences that involve overindulgence, allowances, treats, unearned affection, toys, and unbridled freedom to act at will, become a powerful representation of our relationship — one where respect is rarely be offered because it has never, NOT ONCE, been demanded. This lack of believability can very well spur full-scale anarchy as time ticks by.

PERMISSION-based interactions are how we begin to leverage the leadership skills needed to take back control of your home. PERMISSION removes a dog’s impulse to make decisions on their own where they become mindful of their choices, and learn to look to their human for guidance and instruction before impulsively acting.

Start with something simple, like the crate or meal time! And watch your pup’s mind begin to shift 😊

08/06/2024

08/02/2024

Dog Walking:
-Monday, Wednesday and Friday
-6 slots available
-all dogs will be walked one at a time
-enrichment walks and structured walks available
-1st come-1st serve basis

♨️Beginning September 4th I will be walking 6 dogs a day. First slot will be at 8:20 and proceed from there.

🔹If you are super busy with work and fall sports it’s a great way to get your dog the exercise you aren’t able to get them.

🔹Know anyone with a problem getting around and they want their dog to have their needs met too?

🔹Need to go away for a random day and know you won’t get your dog exercised?

🔹Having surgery or an illness that will keep
You from fulfilling your dog for awhile?

Al these can be covered by me 3 days a week!

(Currently only doing Morrison as there hasn’t been enough interest outside of town lfor me to travel)

07/30/2024

This is my last few days with dogs in the kennel. I want to express how grateful I am for all of your trust and support over the last 9 years since we started this process. Tye was one of my first dogs as a puppy and he’s here as one of my last boarders now. I’m going to miss them all but am looking forward to being back in the family life!
I’m looking forward to training with so many of you in the future!!!

07/29/2024

Tonight we have 6 dogs in the house. 5 are herding breeds. The play is different and hard. Riley isn’t allowed to play when they’re all together due to her history. 3 were playing in the living room by that gray container and she still went to sleep on me.
I made sure she used her brain a lot today so she could be in the right mindset to chill with the other dogs around and not be stressed and just have to submit. Love watching her growth and meeting her needs!
It is possible and I can help you if you reach out!

07/27/2024

Choose your hard.

Puppy training can be hard, but it's much harder to have an out of control, pushy, and much larger two year old dog.

Leash training can be difficult. It is far more difficult to walk a dog with a busted wrist after they pulled you off the porch.

Crate training can be strenuous. An expensive surgery to remove a sock from their intestines causes way more strain on your dog and your wallet!

For those with very strong-willed dogs, there will DEFINITELY be challenges ahead. However, you'll be surprised how happy you and your dog will be when you rise to those challenges.

Trainers are here to guide you through the growing pains of training. It's not always easy, but I promise you it's worth it.

07/25/2024

You all see my videos of fancy obedience with Riley and think that’s what it’s about but it’s not. It’s about building a great relationship. Yes she has to use her brain and do it right but the power and enjoyment of the games is way more important than the number of obedience commands but you still need to be able to trade work for reward. Everyday. Now go play with your dog.

07/23/2024

I’m going to be starting dog walking in September. Half hour walks in the morning. If you have any interest in this please message me so I can start a list and know what days I can make work in what towns. Thanks!

07/23/2024

Bowie had his first session and his sister had to show off 😊

07/22/2024

My foster girl leaves tomorrow and shes made amazing strides in the last month! She’s been a flighty fearful girl for a long time. These 2 girls couldn’t play together because they both had a few issues. You all know Riley’s been doing better but still has limits on what she can handle but to see them both playing like this together is wonderful! We’ve gotten to where this little girl will approach men for pets on leash, she no longer guards me from others if she’s on my lap and looks for guidance instead of fleeing or correcting another dog 😊
She’s been visiting her new family on and off all month and will officially join them tomorrow. I’m going to miss her so much! If you have a fearful dog, they pull at my heart strings for training. They’re my favorite to work with and see the amazing dog they can become!

07/19/2024

While there are a gazillion different methods and approaches to building confidence for a dog that skews to the fearful side of the spectrum, the one thing that produces the most tangible improvement is highly defined STRUCTURE, paired with accountability.

A life filled with clearly defined rules, where the fearful are both rewarded for healthy existence, and corrected for irrational behavior, will suffocate fear, and the anxiety or stress associated with an unpredictable future.

07/17/2024

My sweet girl is doing amazing in her new home with a new brother and farm life! Thank you all for sharing her to find the perfect placement!
That said, I’m booking into September for training sessions if you would like to get on the books!

07/13/2024

I find lots of people actually size their crates too small. If your dog can’t stand up, the crate is too small.

07/12/2024

Dogs operate on desire alone… How to sniff out and acquire more of what they want, or how to avoid that which does not bring them immediate pleasure. They are opportunists.

Their only impulse… self gratification. How do I get more of what I like?

Smell > See > Act (with no forethought on the outcome).

Without a moral compass to guide their impulses… It’s simply a game of acquisitions.

If I beg, will you give me a bite?
If I bark and nip, will you give me attention?
If I jump on you, will you touch and pet my head?
If I pull hard enough, will you let me say Hi to that dog?
If I whine or howl, will you let me out of the crate?
If I slam my body into the sliding glass door, will you let me in?
If I show my teeth, will you back away?

When we cave to our dog’s desires over our own, we invite rude, disrespectful behavior.

Knowing this… we can take back control over the resources that do bring them joy, and start providing consequences for things we DO NOT enjoy, and subsequently begin to regulate our dog’s behavior. We then can shift them from acting WITHOUT thinking, to thinking BEFORE acting.

Knowing when, and when not to cave to our dog’s desires, and how to make an outcome for unwanted behavior unsavory enough to sway their immoral inclination, is the secret sauce to shaping a life in harmony with them.

07/10/2024

I got to work with this s smart little babe who’s just about 4 months! Putting good habits in place early so we don’t have to re-teach later! Structure and consistency pays off!!!