Happy Dog Institute

11/21/2024

We want to help you all through the holidays!
Check your email for our Newsletter and a free handout on how to get some quick wins in training.

11/17/2024

Big conversations in our Chaotic Canine class this week.
This course is build up slowly so we can really take time to get to know each other, our goals, and the things driving our dogs.

Check out the link in our bio for class registration.

11/16/2024

Did you know the way you train, or 'parent' your dog affects their attachment style?? 😮

It has been long recognised that a secure attachment style is the most optimum attachment style for human children, as it allows the child to feel more comfortable exploring and interacting with the world, and in the long term being able to grow into a well adjusted adult. The same parallel has also been found in dogs, and that secure attachment provides the optimum starting place for a well adjusted canine companion!

There is now even research showing that the pet parenting or training styles you use with your dog similarly mirror the parenting styles used for human children, and how they impact whether or not a secure attachment will form. With human children the styles of parenting are separated into several distinct styles including:

🔹Authoritative (responsive to needs, solves problems together, with clear expectations and rules)

🔹Authoritarian (demands obedience rather than working together, punishment based and little care of the child/learners needs or feelings)

🔹Permissive (no real boundaries or structure, indulgent of wants and needs of the child/learner)

And..
🔹 Neglectful/uninvolved (inconsistent boundaries, generally uninvolved and unresponsive to feelings or needs).

It has also been found that the authoritative style of pet parenting (shown through positive training, supportive and nurturing but not permissive) has the best outcome for producing securely attached dogs, and that the dogs were 'highly social, sensitive to social context and were more persistent and successful on the problem solving tasks'. Whereas authoritarian pet parenting (shown through balanced/alpha based training, strong boundaries and punishment based) had a significantly lower chance of producing a dog with a secure attachment. Permissive pet parenting styles (training with little to no boundaries or structure) also were less likely to have a secure attachment style (this research did not cover neglectful parenting styles).
This is further evidence, backed by scientific study, that punishment based training does not produce the most well adjusted canine companions, and that structure and boundaries taught with kindness rather than fear is the way to go! 👍

You can check out the study mentioned in the graphic for yourself here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36175745/

And learn more about attachment in our previous graphic here: https://www.facebook.com/DogNerdSussex/posts/pfbid02vKQKArqRNLn44TnsCQi7v4ck565piEE8idrT7rA5jEFN1SZvMGKo6aVnn9cz4yTjl

10/26/2024

Ready to Prepare your dog for holiday visitors?!?

Our Popular GET DOWN! workshop is looking for students.
Have an overexcited greeter? Maybe a shyer dog that thinks they want to visit, but needs more time to warm up?

Ashley will walk students through multiple ways to break down and build up happy visits with new people.

-open to new students- Dogs should be able to work alongside other dogs with minimal barriers

10/24/2024

Holidays seasons are a great time to practice being out and about with your puppy. Life gets so busy and it's hard to manage both training your dog AND running errands, so why not have a specific class time to continue to practice these vital skills.

Follow link in our bio to sign up!

10/23/2024

Show us your fall photos of your pups!

10/22/2024

Did you get your dog a costume this halloween season?
It's okay, most of our trainers did as well. Sometimes they are just too cute or on point to turn down.
For many of us, they have the practical purpose of helping keep our dogs warm AND in style.

There are reasons why your dog might enjoy wearing a costume (especially if you are taking time to build up interest in it).

Dogs who enjoy attention, dogs who require clothes to keep warm and/or comfortable, and dogs working on cooperative care skills tend to be some common groups that genuinely enjoy the process.

[Image descriptions: Set of 4 slides with black background and cream color block text. First slide includes some graphics of a sheet ghost, mummy, and jack-o-lantern and reads "reasons why your dog might enjoy wearing a costume". Second slide has two images, a merle smooth coated collie wearing a black pointy hat with orange frill and a thin german shepherd sitting up and looking at the camera wearing a headband with bee wings and antenae. The slide talks about dogs who might enjoy attention as a reinforcers. The third slide shows two different dogs wearing halloween theme sweaters, the slide discusses a variety of reasons why some dogs might benefit from wearing clothing. The fourth slide shows a Boston terrier wearing a fluffy monster costume and a herdy dog mix puppy putting her head through a donut shaped object. This slight discusses cooperative care and utilizing different objects can boost human motivation and help our dogs generalize.]

Mindful Pupper

10/10/2024

Tricks for Treats is back!

We have a full half day of tricks planned for you and your pup!
Join us October 26th and earn 1 (OR MORE!) AKC trick titles.
Novice + Intermediate start at 3:30pm
Advanced + Performer start at 5pm

Join us for one session OR sign up for the full afternoon.
Follow the link in our bio or comment "TRICK DOG" to be sent a direct class link!

10/08/2024

We love encouraging humans to expand the language they are using to describe their behavioral experience with their dogs!

So many times words are pretty charges with positive or negative associations and can sometimes imply judgements about what is happening.

I see a lot of people trying to communicate their dog’s issue and use very colorful, sometimes inflammatory language. Over time I’ve learned to temper their descriptions and get them to focus on observations, not extrapolations of what they think is going on.

Not only are colorful interpretations not terribly helpful from a training perspective but using negative or scary language about your dog colors how you see them. Instead of saying “my dog is aggressive,” tell me “my dog growls at me when I try to remove a bone from him.” The latter is much more informative, helpful and leaves little room for interpretation or misunderstanding.

The words you choose describe and express your emotions to others and repeated over and over, they begin to deepen those feelings and can even become what we experience.

Words are powerful and they always have emotion behind them. Choose them carefully.

09/28/2024

New door decals!
Sometimes it’s the small stuff that adds clarity.

09/27/2024

Moo Deng is the epitome of puppy attitude right now, and who can deny this adorable hippo?

The number one common concern we get is puppy biting. If Moo Deng is teaching us anything right now, it's that mouthing and biting is a very common behavior exhibited in early development my all sorts of species.

Maybe that doesn't feel reassuring...but we can totally help with that!

09/25/2024

We talk about this a lot for puppies: but it's really true for all dogs.

There are many reasons why your dog might be fading in training sessions. Here are a few examples of questions to ask your dog.

09/17/2024

Incase you missed it, we are continuing to grow our options for sports!

Fall and winter are a great time to highlight some hobbies for your dog to help keep them busy and (maybe) out of the mud.

Check out course calendar for signup options!

09/11/2024

Thanks Mitzi and Lynn!
We are so proud of the progress out Chaotic Canine students are making after graduation.

[Imagine Description: Photo of a light tan bully style dog snoozing on a couch. Text around the image is a review of their experience in class. Text reads "I have been meaning to post this for some time! I highly recommend Happy Dog Institute to anyone who could use some help with their dog. Mitzi has been there for two series of classes, and some private sessions, and the difference this had made for her has been amazing! It's not just about getting good behavior, it's about understanding your dog and their needs, understanding why they do what they do, and learning how to engage with them for positive outcomes.

Ashley and Paul at Happy Dog Institute are incredible! They both are so kind, caring, super patient, and totally invested in every dog and client they work with. The training has been very effective, but as importantly, it's been really fun! It has truly been a pleasure to work with them and I wouldn't hesitate to work with them again!"]

09/04/2024

For all our sports friends, if you are looking for a fun challenge that pieces together various heeling skills this is a wonderful opportunity.

I’m so excited to announce an upcoming training challenge, 21 Days to Tighter Heeling! Over the course of 21 days, we will provide you with daily exercises and training tips that will help you achieve a tighter heel position with your dog.

Registration will open next week, so follow along here for more details soon!