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!

04/22/2022

First Wisconsin trail hike of the year.

Rory is one busy and happy boy with all the sights and smells.

I let him do all the sniffing he wants while reinforcing auto check-ins like this.

Periodically, (not too often), I also use a recall cue, “Rory, Come!” while he’s sniffing something interesting. The key here is to be almost 💯 sure he will be able to come with that level of distraction.

I also reinforce successful Recalls with something super high value to Rory in that setting. For Rory that would be chicken.

Also super important here is that after he comes to me and collects his chicken, I immediately release him back to sniffing whatever he was into.

Double reinforcer! So powerful for strengthening that reliable Recall.

I’ll try to capture exactly that on video next time.

04/12/2022

This makes me laugh so hard! 😂😂

Rory had the best time at ’sGoOut-SRB pet sitting in Santa Rosa Beach, FL while we visited with friends.

He made a lot of good friends during his stay. This is one of his new friends, Tito.

I think Rory might have accidentally got his paw peed on here. How would you caption his reaction? 😂😂

03/14/2022

I haven’t posted much lately. 🤗

But all is well here and Rory still loves life in FL and playing Frisbee!

I hope all is well with you too!

Soon we will be heading to WI to be with our loves and wait for spring to arrive. 🌺

03/01/2022

This girl! On my goodness! I’m so proud of Roxie the and her sweet family.

Roxie has had a tendency to pull on
leash which has posed a real safety concern for Mom and Dad out on their walks.

We moved our training sessions to a somewhat vacant parking lot to give her a new, less distracting environment in which to practice some new skills.

Check out her happy demeanor and focus on her Dad. This is what we’re after! Everyone is having fun and feels safe.

Eventually we will move training to her regular walking route.

02/23/2022

Meet Steve, the impossibly adorable puppy. 🐶

This video may look a little crazy but here Steve is learning some needed impulse control.

It was a challenge for this sweet boy but he made his mom so proud. 😍

02/12/2022

We continue our work with sweet Miss Molly the

Molly had a tendency to pull her Mom when on leash walks. To the point of being very unsafe.

Here she has progressed to happily walking (more like prancing! 😂) along with her Mom.

Here they are using a Balance Harness with the double leash clipped on both the front and back of the harness for extra safety and control. For Molly this has been a very helpful addition.

It will still take more consistent practice but this is a huge improvement. I’m
so proud of both of them!

01/31/2022

Little Millie the darling rescue is working on Stay here.

This little girl is in a wonderful family now but had a rough start in life. 😢

Everything we’re working on with her has a strong emphasis on confidence and trust-building.

She is starting to love training sessions, especially practicing with her Mom.

Every lesson I see her coming out of her shell more and more. She has a road ahead of her but I have every confidence that she’s going to have a great new life with her family! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

01/27/2022

The ever-sweet and gorgeous Miss Molly the is learning some focus skills that will help her out on walks with mom and dad.

Molly has a tendency to pull on leash so we’re building up her “toolbox” of skills that her family can call on during walks.

She’s doing great! They all are! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
















matter

01/24/2022

Little Lucy the Cavapom is learning some important impulse control here.

She’s figuring out that it pays to wait and to think before she acts.

Her wonderful family is helping her to succeed!

01/17/2022

Rory showing off and living his best life! 😍

🎥 cred:




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01/15/2022

Meet Molly the super sweet and stunning .

Molly is learning the value of walking at her Mom’s side as opposed to charging ahead.

She looks pretty happy about it! 😁 So cute.

Whenever possible, if it’s safe I like to begin this exercise without the leash, giving Molly full choice about where she walks.

And she is finding it most rewarding to walk right next to Mom. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

01/13/2022

Who has tried this style of slow-feeder bowl? How does your dog like it?

Rory really likes his so far and it takes him about 5 minutes to finish his meal vs. 30 seconds with a regular bowl! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

01/12/2022

I would love it if some of you would chime in here....Do you think our dogs want to please us?
In today's Live "Wednesday Wisdom", we explore that idea a bit more in-depth. Check it out.
Spoiler altert: Ultimately, our dogs pretty much do what works for them. And that's not a negative! 😁

01/09/2022

Meet Roxie the sweet, shy Havapoo little girl!

Her Mom made the comment that she believes Roxie is a needed gift from God. I agree!! 💕

Roxie needs some help with leash walking and coming when called but the first order of business will be to help her build some needed confidence.

And we’re going to make sure she’s having fun in the process!

I know it’s hard to see her face but her eyes could seriously melt the North Pole. 😍

01/05/2022

Join me in the 5 Day Focus Challenge!
Do you ever struggle to get your dog's attention?
If the answer is yes, no worries! There are some simple and fun focus games you can play with your dog for 5 minutes a day.
Five minutes a day can reap awesome results in your dog's ability to focus as well as overall behavior.
Click the link below to enter the 5 Day Focus Challenge. I hope to see you inside the Challenge!

In this 5-Day Focus Challenge, you and your dog will play 5 fun Focus Games that will improve your dog's ability to focus on you amidst distractions. Build this important foundation for great behavior and an even greater relationship with your dog.

12/30/2021

Pure, unbridled joy! 😂😂

Rory was living his best life in the WI snow! 🐶❄️☃️

He had never even seen snow before and I guess he’s a fan. So much fun!

Does your dog love the snow? Please feel free to share your doggie snow pics or videos in the comments!

Wishing a Happy and safe New Year to everyone!

12/26/2021

Lucy Lu the ever charming Cavapom is also learning to “Leave It”

She is also making some good strides toward house training.

I’m so thankful for families like hers who are willing to learn new ways of doing things and really put in the effort.

Does your dog understand what “Leave it” means? It’s a great skill to teach!