Friendly Fido Dog Training

02/05/2024

01/21/2024

Obedience skills are great! We love 'em. We teach 'em. BUT. We never let them take priority over social and emotional skills.

When your dog's a baby, let formal obedience training take the backseat. Instead, focus on making your puppy feel safe. Help him learn how to navigate the world around him with confidence. Support him so that he learns emotional resilience. Young puppies' brains are busy building a blueprint of how everything works... his first impressions will shape his behavior and personality for the rest of his life. This is the stuff you can't skip, and you don't get a do-over!! The social skills you're developing now are forming the bedrock upon which allll future skills will be built.

So, go ahead. Stop and smell the roses. Show your puppy how safe and loved he is. Rescue him when he gets in over his head. Reward him when he gets it right. Sprinkle in a little age-appropriate obedience sessions, if puppy is coping well.

Most of all, cherish your time with your new baby. Enjoy his silly puppy antics. Take in that sweet puppy breath. Formal obedience can wait 'til later, but puppies don't keep. 💜

11/23/2023

11/17/2023

11/14/2023

😉

11/12/2023

A very common issue for dogs and puppies...and the cause of a lot of damage to furnishings, homes, clothing and shoes.
Having a dog chew inappropriate items (and worse ingest) is a really worrying issue and sometimes we have inadvertently added to the issues.
🔵Hyper attachment or separation issues not taken seriously enough.
🔵Constantly redirecting puppies back onto a chew toy and not respecting the need for other enrichment (or the value of teaching calmness).....a puppy that is always chewing can create a lifelong habit.
🔵Having no other (or very limited) physical outlets or enrichment.
🔵Not believing that the chewing they are now displaying can come from pain, because you had a quick look in the mouth and couldn't see anything.
🔵Leaving puppies or dogs alone while we work 9 - 5.
🔵Leaving tempting items such as shoes and socks on the ground.
🔵Only providing a quick walk around the same block and returning to the same house they have been alone in for at least 8 hours.
🔵Not believing that anxiousness could be the reason for the hyper/grabbing/chewing/destructive behaviour.
🔵Failing to manage the environment when we do leave and believing that they have just been bad for chewing the door frame....again.

There are SO many ways to help with this behaviour and pinpointing why is a great first step.
Enrichment and mental stimulation just cannot be overlooked. Dogs need more than throwing a ball for 5 mins and then returning to the same house they have spent the last 10 hours alone in.
If dogs are bored, many WILL find ways to amuse themselves, or to soothe themselves and that can mean chewing....anything.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited. Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

09/19/2023

A week left to the Walk. Yappy Pack is still busy serving donations. I'd you'd like to make a Fondation, please click on the picture below. No donation is ever too small. Thank you.

I need your help! I want to help the homeless at the Nebraska Humane Society and what a more perfect place to begin than the 2023 Walk & Dog Fest! In reality, there is a greater need than ever before to come together and provide a second chance for the animals at the Nebraska Humane Society. More th...

09/02/2023

✨🙅‍♂️ 100% force-free, reward-based training philosophy
🌟🤝 Lifetime access to course materials and trainer support

08/26/2023

What an honor to have The Other End of the Leash, which first came out twenty-two years ago, named as one of the best dog training books of 2023 by Spruce Pets. I’m so grateful!



https://www.thesprucepets.com/best-dog-training-books-4164678

08/19/2023

It seems as though Summer has finally arrived ☀️ Whilst that may be great for some of us, it's important to remember to keep our pooches safe and cool in the heat 🐶💛 And another very important reminder from us 👉 please never leave your dog in a warm car 🚗

08/11/2023

Don't take your dog's good behavior for granted. Notice it, praise it, reward it and reinforce it.

Look at your dog right now? I bet they're being a GOOD DOG! Let them know you like what they're doing.

Don't wait until your dog misbehaves to pay attention to them.

Join the Top Dog Academy now with a 1-Month Free Trial and get access to ALL of our online courses PLUS over three weeks of personalized support from the Dunbars, for FREE:
https://dunbar.info/august2023

Whether you are trying to resolve a behavior problem, improve your relationship with your dog, take their training to the next level, or promote and grow your own dog-related business, the Top Dog Academy has something to offer all dog lovers!

08/05/2023

Recall (having your dog come to you when called). Recall is one of those cues in training that depends heavily on your relationship together.
However there are other things we can inadvertently do which damage a good recall and we often don't even realise we do this.
One of the advantages of having an In Home trainer.......we see all those little things that make SUCH a big difference.

Calling your dog to you when you are about to do something unpleasant to them (or they view as could be a negative experience)....even for the best of intentions....can poison recalls.
Calling them to their dreaded bath.
You know they dislike having their nails cut, but they are called to you.....usually ignoring your calls and then finally skulking slowly forward... with their head down low.
Calling them to you when you have the ear drops in your hand.

They will start to make associations with recall and what you actually want them for.

The opposite (calling away from fun and positive experiences) is also true.
Constantly calling your dog away from fun and positive experiences is a recall destroyer.
One of the biggest destroyers of a recall is calling them to you and clipping their lead straight on and leaving the fun area.....have a play with them first, clip on the lead and continue to have fun for a few minutes. This is a little thing that turns that negative association into a really positive one..

So DON"T call them when they may view what you are wanting (or importantly needing to do)....go and get them.

If you need to groom, please take the time and look into cooperative care, it makes SUCH a difference.
Recently I worked with a Pitbull that was in a desperate situation with their claws.
No-one would do them, not their veterinary clinic, no groomer...no-one...even with a muzzle.

It took 2 half hour sessions with some very easy steps that the motivated guardians did a few times a day for a minute or two.......The result.
Claws done....with no muzzle......and NO stress.
A pleasant experience for everyone.

One of the other issues we picked up on was he was called to them for everything , including being called away from positive/fun experiences and for what he may view as negative.....and it certainly affected their recall too. The recall was about 30 %.

So if your recall is more miss than hit....look at when you actually call them too you and why.
If you change little habits you can make some very big differences.

#

08/01/2023

Find out which puppy shots your new friend will need, and the right schedule for when your puppy should receive vaccinations.

07/27/2023

THE GIFT OF THE GROWL
Dogs don’t bite if a growl will suffice

Not all growling is a sign that a dog’s unhappy. Some growls may be part of a particular play style, seeking attention, from frustration or other reasons.

They may all sound a little different and may be unique to that particular dog.

This post is not about different types of growls, but about reactive, aggressive or early warning growls.

When a dog growls, especially when it’s directed at us, our natural human response is to feel offended and maybe even angry.

Surely dogs need to learn not to growl, growling is bad, it’s not acceptable, a problem that needs to be stopped or punished so a dog learns that it’s wrong, disrespectful and unacceptable, right?

This couldn’t be further from the truth! A dog that growls has just provided us with very valuable information. In their way, they have just told us how they feel without resorting to a bite.

Dogs use growling in an attempt to avoid having to resort to biting, not to initiate it. They could just as easily not have even bothered to growl and gone straight to a bite.

A dog that growls is trying to communicate how they feel. Ignoring or punishing it only suppresses this communication. Punishment increases the level of a dog's discomfort and creates more stress.

A dog that bites without the warning of a growl is a far more serious problem than a dog that growls but doesn’t bite.

Look for any other early warning signals that may precede a growl. Learn to recognise body language. Take note of what makes your dog feel uncomfortable and create distance or give them space.

Be grateful for the gift of a growl – the growl is an early warning signal that we need to respect, understand & acknowledge.

07/20/2023

ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?
Distracted dog walkers
The distracted dog walker is obliviously chatting away on their cell phone, listening to music or a podcast while wearing headphones, catching up on the daily news or socializing with other people while they’re not aware of what their dog is doing or what is going on in the environment.

This may not sound like a problem to some people, but it is something that I have a problem with.

I understand that we often need to multi task – there simply doesn’t seem to be enough time in our day to accomplish everything we need to, but walking your dog should not be one of these times.

Some people might say – “but my dog is really friendly, well socialized, gets on well with everyone, is well trained, knows this environment well etc. and I hear that. But another dog might not be – maybe they need space, are reactive, are not sociable, are recovering from an illness, might be terrified of another dog racing straight towards them chasing a ball thrown from a ball launcher….

If distracted dog walkers have no regard for other dogs or other people, they should at least have regard for their own dogs. Walking your dog should be a time of bonding, of relationship, of seeing the environment through the eyes of your dog, of reinforcing or teaching wanted behaviors, of keeping them safe and protected from the unknown.

Leave the multi-tasking for another time – your dog needs you to pay attention.

07/15/2023

Very well said...

One thing that is often over looked when training dogs is the word (and the meaning) of fairness.....it isn't a hard concept but for some reason it doesn't seem to be talked about or put into practice when it comes to training dogs.
It isn't fair to expect dogs to just change their unwanted behaviour when they haven't been shown the behaviour you want to see instead.....It doesn't just magically happen.

Being fair means boundaries and consistency.
Not showing your dog these....expecting something different and then punishing dogs because they behave in a way we don't want is OUR issue....not your dogs.

It isn't fair to delay training and let problematic behaviours be rehearsed again and again.....and yet some people expect a different result when no effort or guidance is put in.

Fairness starts with us and guidance from everyone in the family.
If as a family you have made rules....and someone in the family allows that unwanted behaviour to still be practiced and repeated.......WHY IS IT THE DOGS FAULT ?

Always doing the same thing and expecting different results is shown time and time again when training (or not training) dogs.....and if we cannot change our behaviours it is completely unfair to expect our dogs to change theirs.....and worse... some dogs are punished for what is NOT their fault.

Let's start adding fairness back into dog training, and all interactions we have with our dogs.
It isn't a difficult concept...but for some it is painfully difficult to grasp.

07/15/2023

Did you know we offer free personalized Nutritional Consultations with one of our Certified Pet Nutrition Specialists?

Does your dog or cat have special dietary needs? Are you switching foods and not sure where to start? Or do you want to feed a raw diet? We’re here for you. Schedule your pet’s free 30 minute one-on-one nutrition consultation at the link below.

https://bit.ly/46mgYPv

07/15/2023

Puppy toys are a great way to soothe the discomfort a dog undergoes while teething. These puppy toys are our top picks for keeping teething dogs satisfied.