Offering custom board and train and puppy raising programs to help good dogs become great companions.
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Cannoli, Oliver, and Storm enjoyed our trip to a beautiful cabin in the woods of Pennsylvania.
It’s helpful to see how well your dog listens (or doesn’t listen, OLIVER) in a new location.
Take your training out and generalize what they know!
Cute Dog Summer 😎
Fun at Camp Dog Nerd this month 🤓 🏕️
Dogs behave the way they do for many reasons. They do NOT do things deliberately to be stubborn or ‘naughty’, nor do they aim to assert control. Outdated mythologies and training methods have detrimental effects on well-being and strain the relationship between a dog and their caregiver.
🧬A dog's breed and genetic makeup can play a significant role in determining certain behavioural traits. Dogs have genetic predispositions and breed-specific tendencies that contribute to their behaviour.
Some breeds are predisposed to specific behaviours, such as herding, hunting, or guarding.
The environment in which a dog is raised and lives can profoundly impact their behaviour. Early socialisation, which involves exposing a puppy to a wide range of people, animals, and environments during their critical developmental period, is crucial for building confidence and shaping a dog's social behaviour to reduce fear or aggression.
Overstimulation can cause all kinds of unwanted behaviours as it overwhelms their senses and can lead to hyperactivity or erratic responses. For example, if a dog is exposed to loud noises, multiple people, and various stimuli all at once, or on a daily basis, they might exhibit excessive excitable behaviour, poor impulse control, become agitated and exhibit behaviours like jumping, barking, or pulling on the leash, as their senses are overwhelmed by the excessive input.
Previous experiences and learning consequences can influence a dog's behaviour. Traumatic experiences, in particular, can lead to fear, anxiety, or aggression.
How a dog is trained and educated by their caregiver or handler can significantly affect their behaviour. Consistent, positive reinforcement-based training can lead to desired behaviours, while harsh or inconsistent methods can result in confusion or fear.
A dog's health, including their physical and mental well-being, can influence their behaviour. Illness, pain, or discomfort can lead to changes in behaviour.
A dog's emotional state, including fear, anxiety, and excitement, can affect their behaviour. For example, a fearful dog may display unpredictable defensive reactive behaviours or might avoid any encounters and run away trying to hide. While a confident dog may exhibit playfulness and a relaxed demeanour.
A dog can become frustrated and destructive if their mental and physical needs are not met. This dog, full of pent-up energy and boredom, may become frustrated and exhibit poor impulse control. In their frustration, they might resort to destructive behaviours, such as chewing furniture, digging up the garden, or incessant barking. This destructive behaviour is often an expression of their frustration and an attempt to alleviate their built-up energy and mental stress.
The type of diet a dog receives can significantly influence their behaviour, with high-quality nutrition promoting better energy levels, mood, and overall well-being, while poor diet choices can lead to issues like irritability, hyperactivity, or digestive problems.
As dogs age, they may experience canine cognitive decline, which can manifest as changes in memory, learning, and behaviour. This condition can lead to increased confusion, disorientation, and altered social interactions in older dogs.
It is really important to understand that each dog is unique, and their behaviour can vary widely, even within the same breed. Dogs use body language, vocalizations, and other forms of communication to express their needs, emotions, and intentions. Understanding a dog's communication cues is essential for interpreting their behaviour.
Baret has gone from being WAY TOO AMPED any time she even saw another animal…
to calmly snuggling with her buddy while other dogs and the cat walk around the house. 🥹
Blue eyed dogs are as creepy as they are gorgeous 🩵🩵
💥 Kaboom 💥 is the highlight of my week, every week!
4 months old and taking his lessons on the road. The bulk of the important training is in how you live with your dog or puppy, but it’s also important to show them how to be neutral in public early on.
Private puppy lesson Aubrey is going to be a SUPERSTAR!
Recess! ⛄️
Can you tell which dogs are visiting graduates, and which are new? In between training sessions, hikes, and playtime, everybody is expected to chill together. Those who don’t automatically do it are helped along by tethers and our behavioral down protocol!
💥 Puppy Private Lesson student Kaboom is too cute to pick just one picture!
This high energy Australian Shepherd is going to be BIG, so his family is getting a jumpstart on teaching him how to access his inner zen.
His mom has already trained her past dogs to be very competitive sport dogs, so I’m flattered to help show her how to work towards a dog who will be as chill on the sidelines as he will be explosive on the agility course 🧨
Swipe to see how Ralphie’s little girls have helped advocate for his space when they have friends over (and as a reminder to their own family!) 🥹❤️
They love their puppy, and I love how the whole family is coming together as a team to raise him together!
Everybody got a hike today, but can you guess who the birthday pup is? Swipe to the end to see!
Today I am thankful for dogs who actually LOOK at the camera when I’m trying to take their picture 🙏
Unfortunately all these dogs are smart enough to know that they’ll get a lot more treats if they take forever to get in position for the shot.
Happy FIFTH birthday to the OG, my bonus dog, the cult leader and HBIC, Lu 🖤
(She’s here for a sleepover, so she got to pick out a toy from the store)
⚠️ Yearly reminder that poinsettia plants are poisonous to dogs ⚠️
Y’all like muddy dogs?
Here you go. 🐾
Nail time for Boba 💅
Beer run with the B boys!
Bentley and Buckley are becoming great go anywhere doodles
Let’s hope Lola is a really good listener, because this Old English Sheepdog sure can’t see anything I’m trying to teach her 🙈
Happy birthday ! 🥳
Nothing beats the positive attitude of a doodle puppy 😆
Handsome Boba is proving just how smart herding dogs are! Even moreso when they’re half poodle 🐩
My neighbors are building a shed, and I hope they’re enjoying watching the dogs play while they work on the roof. 🐾
Some good weather to help us through
Can you tell which doodle thinks training is super fun, and which handsome boy is super offended that he’s not allowed to barrel out of every door like a caffeinated bull?
Bentley and Buckley are sweet housemates who are struggling with some anxiety, and moonlight as sled dogs on every neighborhood walk.
We’re getting to work helping them find a way to navigate our world with fewer worries in their sweet scruffy heads.
Brad is repping Maryland at the today! Players from around the world fly in to play disc with their dogs- which is more exciting than it may sound. The training dogs have been excellent traveling companions and spectators!
Some of these ducks are glad it’s raining ☔️
The rest of us… I think Winnie’s face says it all.
Mount Airy, MD
21777
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How to get that dog back into that HEEL POSITION 👏 The more you do this, the quicker they get!
A dog who can be appropriately calm and playful with a small puppy is worth their weight in gold! Cannoli was taught these same lessons when she was a pup (shoutout to Lu), and passes them down to every puppy we have here for training. She will gently correct and redirect naughtiness without going over the top, she’ll teach them how to play gentle bitey face, chase, and when she done with them, she teaches them what to do when the other dog doesn’t want to play anymore. Do you have your own Cannoli? Volunteer their services to your friends with new puppies! Just be ready to step in and advocate for both dogs if things don’t stay chill. ✌️
Not every dog is born naturally knowing how to play fetch or engage with toys. These are the basic first steps I take to show them how! 1. TUG TUG TUG, make fun noises, be loose and silly! 2. When you want them to drop it, lock your elbow close to your body while holding the toy still. Don’t make a single noise. Just be flat and boring. The moment they drop you can say “Out!” or “Drop!”, but wait for them to actually spit it out before you give your desired cue. 3. Throw the toy or make it come “alive” again for tugging. Rinse and repeat until the disengage, or after 3 minutes (you don’t want to overdo it). 4. If they check out for even a moment, the game is over and I typically will tease them with the toy for a moment and then put them away to rest and think about how much fun they were having. If the grab the toy and run away, (be sure they’re on a long line or in a fence) and you run the opposite direction! Never chase them down unless that’s what you want fetch to look like forever.
I don’t know what I was expecting. 😅 Off to the pool with 6 lucky dogs!
These happy hikers hope you take your dog somewhere nice today!
This is now a Koa stan account, not sorry. This was immediately after I brought him out of the car for this disc event. All these dogs moving around and barking is challenging for any dog, let alone a reactive one! He’ll only get better (more calm and neutral) from here. 🦊
Sooo… my phone fell in the pool this morning while we were swimming dogs 🫡 Maybe the camera lens will dry out soon, but for now all my content will look a little foggy. Check out Oscar and these cute baby groundhogs!
Augustus’s walk has improved after literally one session of clear and consistent feedback from me: Pull, and I’m going to immediately do a 180 and walk the other direction. Give in to leash pressure and follow, and I’ll immediately praise and reward in position as we walk together. Sometimes things can be simple, but we have to follow through!
One last romp before we start the long drive home from Georgia, where board and train pup Zoey tagged along for 4 days of the most exciting dog frisbee competition in the world. I don’t plan on bringing clients along for too many cross country trips in the future, but talk about a full immersive experience for Zoey! A 9 hour drive for a dog who previously suffered from car sickness (she didn’t feel sick at all!), hanging out surrounded by dogs but not meeting them (for a dog who is used to going to dog parks), and being calm around hundreds of strangers and so much food and frisbees flying through the air. I am so proud of her!
We headed to @athomestores to practice Ranger’s ability to remember his training in new and busy places. I think he did great! As always, I kindly told strangers who approached that he was in training and could not be pet. Everybody understood and gave him compliments instead! 🐺
We don’t have control over strangers or the environment… so it’s our job to advocate for and protect our dogs when we choose to take them into public spaces. You can’t control the noises people make, or the children who rush up to pet, but you can control your response to the situation! STAY CALM, and do whatever you need to make your dog feel safe. Move away from the stranger, block the oncoming child or loose dog with your leg. Once the threat is neutralized, get your dog into work mode and carry on. You can (and honestly should) teach your dog a non negotiable Down Stay that can withstand the test of a baby talking and quickly approaching stranger- but you’d better be hustling over to remove the stranger instead of assuming your dog can handle it on their own.
Millie had a hard time separating over the top excited play from actually looking to her humans for guidance. While it’s impossible to be mad at that sweet face, being clobbered by a playful dog when you need them to be calm is FRUSTRATING! I’ve been going at the pace I felt she needed to help her understand the “right” way to behave, but even though we’ve been taking it slow, I’m very pleased with her improvement in the few short days we’ve had her!
We’ve been out of office for the past two weeks taking care of our forever employee of the month, Mr. Taco. He had a spinal cord injury on Saint Patrick’s day that left him unable to walk normally, but we’re so proud of his improvement and looking forward to getting him back in action! Bring on the training dogs to keep me busy while he’s resting 🥳
The difference 1 walk with clear direction and well timed rewards can make! Biggie the city slicker is enjoying all the space to run here. 🥳
Baby Donnie heads home tonight! We’re taking one last trip into public to see how his training has stuck. What do you think? 😁
When people ask what the first thing is they should teach their puppy, they’ll hear all sorts of opinions. “To come when called!” “Their name.” “Sit, obviously...” All of these are great places to start! But my favorite thing to start teaching is: NOTHING. Teach them how to calmly exist, even when they aren’t directly interacting with a human. We ❤️ mat work since it gives the dog a clear and easily rewardable option- if you go on this mat, really good things happen the entire time. If you’re not on the mat, nothing cool happens at all. Your choice. 💁♀️
Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue
PO Box 353
Pet Supplies Plus - Mt. Airy East, MD
E Ridgeville Boulevard
The Puppies of Autumn View Farms
Woodville Road
