Had a great time doing some nosework with Nova at the park this morning before our group class! I’m working on building up her focus to search/hunt in a new environment! She’s searching for a bowl of food and loving every minute of it 🤣. Huge shoutout to @emilee.envisionk9 for teaching us how to do this! If you’re interested in nosework make sure to check out the Canine Sport Detection classes that @emilee.envisionk9 teaches, they’re SO fun and a great option if you’re looking for something new to try out with your dog!
Group Support Class fun!
GROUP SUPPORT CLASS FUN! 😍
We had another fantastic Group Support Class this morning where clients who have been through a training program can practice their skills around other dogs and people! This is such a fun group of dogs and it was great seeing everyone out playing, learning and trying something new. Way to go everyone!
Envision K9
PUPPY CLASS FUN 🤩
This weeks group puppy class (taught in collaboration with Envision K9) was all about play and working through obstacles as a team! So much laughter and learning happened last night and it was such a joy to see these puppy-owner teams learning to have fun together.
SIGN UP INFO FOR OUR NEXT PUPPY CLASS 🐶 ⬇️
Do you have a puppy under the age of 6 months? Now is the time to enroll in our next 4 week puppy class starting on Monday, April 10th at 4pm. Hurry, spots are limited! Here is the link for registration: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=18219619&appointmentType=42293404
THIS is what it’s all about!! Watching this interaction between a new client and her dog last night was so heart warming and exciting. This client had mentioned that her dog, Bam Bam, prefers to play with the toy by himself, versus playing with them. He usually would run off with the toy and prefer to possess it on his own, without them near. The video you are watching is the result of us spending about 10 minutes showing Bam Bam that we really wanted to play and have fun. Once he saw that we were actually invested in the game, he became invested too and this beautiful, cooperative, fun interaction was the result. How often does your dog see you being REALLY invested in your interactions with them? No phone, no getting distracted, no giving up after a couple minutes. These are the moments that make or break training. These owners are struggling with a lot of different behavior issues, most of which are the result of the dogs not having healthy outlets, and there being no system of communication in place. Teamwork, fun, motivation and cooperation are the building blocks of good training. I can’t wait to work with these guys throughout their program!
The best part of my Saturday ❤️❤️
The best way to start the day, playing with my boy Zero ❤️. My form of morning meditation!
#deafdogsrock #deafdogsofinstagram #happysaturday
Dog trainer fail: accidentally launching your client dogs favorite toy over the fence, deep into the woods, while trying to film a training video 😑🤪
🎊THE POWER OF PLAY 🎊
Words can’t describe how happy this video makes me!! Chase is only 7 months old but has A LOT of insecurities and is very reactive outside of his home. He’s slowly been making some great progress, and today we spent most of our session on the longline in front of their house. We have been focusing on building up Chase’s trust in his Dog Parents, and increasing his desire for social interaction with his handler around big distractions. Previously he would have been constantly at the end of the leash barking, lunging and expressing his insecurities very loudly.
All of Chase’s BIGGEST TRIGGERS (strangers walking by, cars passing, big lawn mowers, etc…) were present for our session today, as you can see in the video, and he totally blew us away! The fact that he was so committed to playing with his handler outside around distractions is pretty amazing. He was also recalling beautifully and overall being so much more calm and relaxed out in the world than the first time I met these guys. He still can struggle on walks in the neighborhood so for now we are focusing on practicing in and around their home and out at strategic parks where they are able to create a lot of distance from triggers when necessary.
For me, building up a dogs confidence and desire to interact with their handler in a variety of environments is WAY more important than strict obedience. We can work more on obedience later once we get the relationship to a strong place! 🐶👍
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO IMPROVE ON
No matter how much training you’ve done with your dog there will always be something you can improve on or something new to learn. Just because your dog learned something once does not mean they will retain that information or impulse control forever. You must stay consistent and incorporate expectations, rules and boundaries into your daily routine. If you start backsliding on helping your dog maintain a healthy state of mind, most likely their behavior will start to backslide as well.
In this video I am polishing up on Zero’s impulse control with thresholds. He was really pushy as we were getting ready to leave for our walk this morning. So, instead of ignoring it and just getting on with the walk I decided to spend a few minutes working his brain. In the first part of the video I am working with the front door threshold and challenging him by creating distance and going out of sight. I’m occasionally coming back and rewarding him for waiting patiently. In the second part of the video I’m doing the same thing at the top of the stairs leading down to the driveway.
This only took a few minutes out of my day and helps set Zero up for success. If you are not staying consistent with your expectations, taking the time to work your dog through unhealthy states of mind, or not providing them within biological fulfillment then of course they are going to act out. A little bit a day goes a long way! 🐶
I had a great time with Nala and her Dog Parents this evening! In the past Nala has struggled with leash pulling on the walk and she can also be reactive when she sees other dogs. Nala is a sweet, goofy girl but sometimes her over excitement gets the better of her. Her Dog Parents have done a great job working with her throughout the course of our program and today we put her skills to the test on a high distraction outing! We had a lot of people/dogs to navigate around this evening, and I also brought along Zero to help Nala learn to walk calmly with another dog. So proud of all the progress these guys have made! 👏🏻👏🏻
Working on some down-stays with Nova and Zero this morning! We sprinkle little challenges like this in for them throughout our daily routine. If you want your dog to have impulse control and be able to hold positions around distractions you have to practice! Never forget there are training opportunities all around you everyday, you just have to act on them!
Dog trainer in Omaha, NE, helping owners and dogs live their best lives together!
