Positive Life Dog Training

12/14/2022

Meet Luna! Luna is a super sweet and very chill Husky mix. 💕

The second photo is at the end of the lesson. Sweet girl was so pooped from all the brain work! 😂

Isn’t she so gorgeous?

Her family rescued her a few months back and are providing such a wonderful home environment for her.

Our first order of business: House training. Aka potty training. Luna had regressed in recent weeks so potty training has become a pretty high priority for the family. Understandably!

We are getting after it from all the angles. And all are positive solutions.

Next we are working on an enthusiastic Coming When Called. Miss Luna likes to take her time. 😂

Seriously though, we meet her where she’s at and set her up for success at every stage of training.

I can’t wait to see how this girl progresses in the weeks ahead.

If you’re interested in some of these easy potty training tips, comment below or DM me. I’m happy to share!

12/01/2022

Who’s pups love lick mats? Have you tried them?

Rory loves his as you can see! 👅

The possibilities are endless and it depends on what your dog likes, but here a few ideas for
fillings:

🍌 Smashed banana
🥜 Peanut butter (watch those ingredients. No Xylitol)
🍳 Eggs
🧀 Shredded cheese
🍗 Soft dog food
🥛Yogurt
🥕 Shredded carrots
🎃 Canned pumpkin
🫐 Top with blueberries

If you’re watching your dog’s weight, you can split some of your dog’s regular meal and soften it to spread on a lick mat. So lick mats don’t necessarily need to add calories if that’s a concern.

Why use a lick mat?

🐾 Licking is naturally calming and enriching to our dogs.

🐾 Offers a calm alternative to potentially unwanted behaviors.

🐾 Keeps the pups occupied and quiet for a bit.

🐾 Can be used as a distraction when you need to take care of some grooming or even bring one along to the vet.

Final tip: If you put them in the freezer after filling, they last longer.

11/28/2022

Rory is still trying to decide what he thinks about this new little grandbaby. Playmate? Intruder? Stealer of Mom’s attention?

He’s gotten used to toddlers and come to love them but this is Rory’s first baby experience.

He’s mostly pretty happy to get in on the snuggles.

We’re working to create as many positive associations as possible for Rory with the baby.

And even though Rory is my sweet boy, we never leave him and the baby together unattended.

I have to say, snuggling with this little one with Rory calmly at my side is feeding my soul!! 💕❤️

11/16/2022

I'm reposting a Blog post that I wrote early-pandemic. It's still so relevant and hopefully you will find some good tips here. Let me know if you have any questions when it comes to socializing your dog.

When you’re lucky to enough to add a dog to your family, whether it’s a puppy or an adult dog, what do you think is the # 1 most important thing you should focus on first?

10/06/2022

Fall is in the air. 🍁🍂Can you spot the Sheltie?

Feeling so blessed to have a place like this to hike. And for the gorgeous weather.

And I love how Rory utterly crashes after a long hike. 😴😂

09/27/2022

Rory got to walk with his sweet friend Jaxson on the trail today.

Somehow only Rory managed to pick up every burr in southeastern Wisconsin on this walk! 😆

But he did have the time of his life so there’s that. 😉

Poor boy! There were literally thousands of burrs stuck in his fur.

He was such a trooper as I spent hours untangling and cutting them out. I think we got them all! Of course he got lots of treats and loves in the process.

Tomorrow he goes to the groomer. Hoping they can work their magic and fix my horrible hack job!

09/22/2022

Ok so I blew it on National dog day but I am here for National Dog WEEK!

Celebrating the most amazing, beautiful, smart, sweet, loving creatures on the planet.

So very thankful for the many ways that many dogs have impacted my life for good.

They teach me. They bring me so much joy. They bring people together. They make me want to be better.

How have dogs had a positive impact on your life?

09/14/2022

It’s too bad Rory doesn’t know how to relax. 😜

There was a period there at the height of his adolescence when I wondered if he would willingly choose this beautiful calm behavior.

He’s still an adolescent and he definitely has his cuckoo moments but I’m seeing more and more of this. 🙌🏼

09/02/2022

Grandma here was taking care of a sick little boy.

Rory also stood guard all day with his favorite boy. ❤️

And Rory has no space bubble with the ones he loves! 🥰

Does your dog act different when you or your family are sick?

08/30/2022

Who can relate to this?

When I decide to do a workout at home this is my typical view. 😂😂😂

07/12/2022

Rory and I did our first agility class together. He got to be the demo dog here!

He started out a bit uncomfortable as you can see but by the end he was happily walking across an elevated plank, going through a tunnel and just having a ball.

The hardest part for Rory was staying calm in the crate while he waited his turn. ☺️

We may do more classes. Just for a fun thing for us to do together.

Thank you for a great introduction to agility!

Who else has tried agility or other fun class with your dog? Was it a good experience?

05/15/2022

I recently had the privilege of working with these two. What a delight!

This is Fritz, the sweet and stunning 7 month old Golden Retriever.

He is also one big strong boy with a mind to pull on walks.

This is Fritz in his first lesson where we opted to move away from his normal walking route temporarily so we can set him up for success.

Check out his proud and joyful prance! 😍🐕

Since this video we also switched to a 6 foot leash for practice sessions for better control and comfort for Fritz’s Mom/handlers.

I just received an awesome report that they are rocking their homework. They are still practicing in a parking lot setting sometimes but are back to walks in the neighborhood with almost no pulling! 🙌🏼🙌🏼

I know this family will keep up their great work and enjoy their walks with Fritz for years to come!