A to Z Dog FUNdamentals

01/13/2025

“When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.”
~ Joe Namath
What kind of fun are you planning for this week? 🤩

01/12/2025

Weekends are for relaxing and recharging body and mind! These two know how to take a good snooze!
Show us how you’re relaxing ☺️

01/10/2025

The “art”…and the artist!
I guess she didn’t like the color 😩😂 When I think we are out of content for Friday Funnies, Kinna delivers! 🙃 I don’t know what got into her; she hasn’t done this since puppyhood.
Show us your “art and/or artists.”

01/10/2025

Kinna and I moved on to the next phase of our NOSEWORK journey - odor recognition. Great first class with Bright Mind Canine . Some boxes did survive Kinna’s enthusiasm! 😆

01/07/2025

Have you met a cuter little guy? 🥰 I was so lucky to do some puppy sitting the other day. Of course we had to play and learn! He’s one smart cookie!

https://youtu.be/bQ6C9KjlhT0?si=Ek7BBYiDQf0zi6wB

This precious nugget stayed with us for the majority of the day. Of course we had to keep him engaged and learning with some Recallers games from Susan Garre...

01/05/2025

Oftentimes we go through the motions of the day not even realizing how much easier dog training makes our lives! Crate Games and working on thresholds made loading and unloading groceries so much stress-free today. I didn’t need to tie them or hold them back or even say anything really. They know to stay until released. Of course, they got a snack when we got home ☺️

Check out this helpful podcast from Susan Garrett's DogsThat on the topic: https://dogsthat.com/podcast/258/

01/04/2025

It’s challenging to keep our dogs active during cold winter months. You can still meet their needs by teaching the simple or more complex tricks and fitness exercises at home. They’re great boredom busters and will keep your pup physically and mentally stimulated. If you need ideas, check out our trick group A to Z Dog FUNdamentals and join this month’s challenge of teaching tricks with a blanket.

01/03/2025

My co-worker yesterday…🙄 she’s even snoring! 😂
Show us your “hardly-working” coworkers.

12/31/2024

From my party animals to you and yours - Best Wishes for the New Year! Keep smiling, having fun and doing what you love! 🧡 Looking forward to what 2025 has in store for us! We'll make it awesome! 🥳
Much Love,
Natalia, Tabby & Kinna

12/30/2024

“Life is a journey with big rocks to climb, little ones to trip over, and milestones to mark where we have been.” 🪨🧗‍♀️
~ David Cuschieri

As we wrap up 2024, share some milestones (small or big) you want to celebrate from the year. 🎉

12/29/2024

We are wrapping up the year with a couple more accomplishments! It’s not about the glossy certificates or pretty ribbons, but about goal setting, striving, and having fun with our dogs in the process!

If you have aspirations to do more with your dogs in the new year and need an evaluator, a cheerleader or a support system, please reach out or join our friendly trick group A to Z Dog FUNdamentals. I am certified to evaluate AKC or Do More With Your Dog titles (tricks, fitness, and animal actors). 🧡

12/28/2024

🦌 GAME 12: HUNGRY REINDEER! 🦌🥣

What an amazing job our reindeer have done leading up to the holidays! For our last game, they really earned a break and a snack! You’re charged to prepare a snack for them while they lay back and relax, focusing on impulse control. You can use chopsticks or a spoon. I’m terrible with chopsticks, so I used string cheese as a snack, being ready to poke it if needed 😆 Your dog can stay in a “down” and/or you can try with a “sit.” You also have a choice of sitting on the floor or serving from a chair. It’s Yer Choice! Have fun playing this last game and use it either as a diagnostic tool or a way to practice and solidify your dog’s understanding of duration “down” with distractions. And remember to give your reindeer their well-earned snack for all the hard work they’ve done throughout our Reindeer Games!

I think my two hungry reindeer Kinna and foster puppy Mischa passed the challenge and made it to the Nice List: https://youtu.be/o4wnIknCWsM?si=bC0936ptR2vLZtpy

12/27/2024

Stages of a bored & bossy maligator when mom is not home:
1. The stare down 👀
2. The harassment 🤪
3. The winner! 🎉 Game on!
How do your dogs ask for “dog time?”

12/27/2024

And DONE ✅ Love these short on-demand courses for continued education.

12/26/2024

🦌 GAME 11: FLY & STOP, REINDEER! 🎯

Our reindeer have gone through a rigorous selection and training process. They all have made the team! It’s time to FLY, STOP, and deliver presents! The objective is to see how well our dogs respond to sit/down/stand cues while they’re in motion and hopefully hit the target mark (aka deliver gifts to the correct address). It’s your way to test latency, speed and build a skill that has safety benefits. Obviously, work with the dog in front of you to increase their confidence and consider/adjust the following:

- target mark: size/texture of the target

- practice on or off-leash

- consider yours/dog’s distance away from the target

- which behavior you’re asking for (sit or down)

- where you play: indoors or outside

Once again, have fun with it and let your dog guide your training process.

https://youtu.be/GWVCL69aCwE?si=pMoEv9GAH3jK8lhG

12/24/2024

Happy Holidays from our family to yours! And warm wishes for a wonderful New Year!🎄🎊🎅🕎 ✨

12/23/2024

🦌GAME 10: REINDEER OBSTACLES! 🦌

While guiding Santa’s sleigh and delivering gifts, reindeer not only follow traffic signs, they might need to overcome many obstacles along the way. Today you’re going to help your reindeer face the challenge by setting up a proprioception obstacle course in your house, garage, or outside. It doesn’t need to be anything elaborate - just use what you have around the house to create a sensory path where your dog will encounter different textures, heights, and spaces going under, over, in, around, stepping, jumping, crawling, etc. You can play on or off-leash and you can build it as long or as short as you wish. Have fun with it and keep building your dog’s confidence!

My reindeer conquering obstacles: https://youtu.be/m8n6UT6iR_k?si=nSZfww4l1XLXx3lG