A+ Obedience Training

08/24/2023

Please go to our NEW page, K-9 Cottage & A+ Obedience.

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03/04/2023

More graduates to share! These pups have worked SUPER hard and overcome some really hard obstacles to make their first steps toward being an A+ dog!

Great job everyone!

02/26/2023

Two more graduates from A+ this weekend! Kylo and Daisy are celebrating all of the hard work and determination their parents have put in to make them an A+ dog! We ALWAYS send them off into the real word knowing that training isn’t over, it’s just beginning and that EVERY day is an opportunity for them to continue to bond and learn to be better for each other!

For extra fun today, Stella brought her brother, Theo, with her today so we could work on heel together. Mom walks both dogs, almost 200 lbs of dog, and they usually have a good time walking her!🤣 Today, they all learned a lot about how to walk as a team WITH mom instead of AGAINST her!

A lot of play, learning and love at the Cottage, even on a Saturday!

02/12/2023

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Stella, 4 years old and CrAzY food motivated was doing an amazing heel with her dad past CHEESEBURGERS a on the floor as her distracters. She has come a LONG away in the last month- next class she brings her cohort in crime with her to class to learn to heel TOGETHER!

02/05/2023

Getting ready for rescheduled lessons today! Have extra coffee! 😀

🤣🤣🤣

01/31/2023

Training clients, remember…
When doing command work with your dog, if they are not 200% reliable on a leash, commands should NOT be used without a leash and collar on!

01/30/2023

Monday Morning Million $ question…

When was the last time you had your dog do a 10 minute sit/stay to keep your bond strong?

01/25/2023

NEEDED: We need 20 people to make 10 Valentine cards for our friends at the Veteran's Center! Who's in? Due by Wednesday 2/8

01/21/2023

This is Kylo and his parents. It’s week 2 of training for them. As we were talking during lesson today dad said something so incredibly smart, I only wish EVERY person training their dog anywhere would think… “ I just do the exercises whenever I’m bored. It’s not going to do any harm!” I could have hugged him!!!

Not only won’t it hurt but it will give you such INCREDIBLE results you can’t even imagine!!!

01/20/2023

One of the things we are focusing on in training this week is sit/stay or “wait” at doors. Making sure the handler goes first is very important in the relationship between dog and owner. Utilize the command when you are letting them out into the yard, getting out of the car and going into the house. It gives the owner the opportunity to make sure where the dog is going is safe and if on a leash, owner can get prepared in case the dog bolts.

01/16/2023

“STAY” is a simple word that is so important for a dog to understand. When you are letting your dog out of their crate, have them sit/stay. It teaches them to enter into your world in a calm fashion. Have your dog stay at the door before you let them out- it keeps them focused on YOUR wants not theirs. The one we stress a lot at day care drop off is have your dog sit/stay BEFORE you invite them to leave the car. It gives you those extra seconds you need to make sure you have a good grip on the leash and that there is no danger for them.

Stay is such an important command to us, we spend TWO weeks in our training program focused on the best times and ways to use it!

01/14/2023

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Stella, and her
Mom and dad, started training today. She is a 4 year old who has been with her family since 12 weeks but she needs some help learning how to live happily in her home with her family and canine brother. She had a great start today- be good Stella and mom & dad work hard!

01/13/2023

Tell me, what is the one obedience command your dog does best for you that you love the most?

For me, that’s easy! My favorite for Archie is bang bang! 💥💥
Cheena’s is speak- but NOT when she’s yelling at me for something she doesn’t like 🤣
Lily is sit- she looks so cute and happy when I pet her and tell her what a good old girl she is! ❤️❤️

01/13/2023

All dogs need to have boundaries and clear expectations. If your dog pees in the house and you don’t teach them that it is not acceptable behavior, they will not understand that the behavior is unacceptable. if your dog is pulling you so hard as you walk down the street, how do they know that they aren’t making you happy… TEACH THEM!!!

01/12/2023

Venmo payments are suspended temporarily- we hope to have it fixed soon!

01/11/2023

Are you getting work done in your house? Need an emergency plumber or heating guy? That is NOT the time to get your dog out of the house, it’s a chance to work on commands and TEACH your dog how to react and behave when something needs to be done!

How you ask? EASY! Put your dog on leash and practice commands- sit/stay at a distance is the BEST place to start! Always put the dog on leash to protect him and be his leader. After he behaves well it’s all about the reward to help reinforce the behavior for the next time!

01/11/2023

Remember- when training your dog, it is imperative to set them up for success, NOT a failure! Trying to do command practice at a busy park, festival or even at the busiest time of day in your house is not effective! Start working in a quiet atmosphere where your dog is comfortable and as they meet your expections add your distractions to make them work harder, praising their success at EVERY opportunity!

01/09/2023

This really says it all!

Let us help you enhance your dogs quality of life!

01/08/2023

Today I am being SUPER careful with choosing my topic since I don’t want my dear Sarah Cummings to feel called out AGAIN today! 🤣🤣

It was pretty easy for me to choose though… L❤️VE.

We all, human and canine alike, like to know we are loved, right? Of course! Make your dogs reward love and affection instead of a treat. (Yes, controversial thought again today!) When you are working with your dog and they are doing what you ask them to do, give them a good touch, ruffle their head hair or just praise them with a loving tone instead of passing them a treat. “WHY?” you are probably asking, my training clients usually ask, not only are you giving the dog what they want, love and affection as well as membership in your pack, they are working for YOU a and NOT a the treat. When that treat is gone, so is the memory of the reward but love and affection is a feeling that lingers and has true meaning to your dogs brain. ❤️❤️❤️

01/07/2023

I am the kind of person that loves to learn and is happiest when I learn something new. In my training experiences I have been luckier than most trainers can ever be. I have apprenticed and worked with some of the best local trainers there are, trainers from around the country and even some international professionals. Through all of those experiences and from each trainer I have had the honor and pleasure to learn with I have learned one thing from all of them…

Your dog is NOT a your baby! 🤣 You did NOT carry him or her with their multiple siblings in your uterus for 63 days. You did NOT push multiple pups through the birth canal (unless you had a multiple childbirth😉). You did NOT nurse them with their siblings round the clock and I can pretty much guarantee you did NOT stimulate their bowel after they nursed or ate 🤢.

It is time to dehumanize your pet. I don’t mean stop dressing them up and putting fun sweaters on because let’s face it that is tons of fun! What I mean is stop thinking that not letting your dog do something or correcting a negative behavior is “mean”. Yes, beating a dog for pottying in the house IS mean because all accidents in the house are human error, NOT canine. If all corrective training is followed up with positive reward it is NOT mean, it is teaching!

01/06/2023

Voice is your absolute most important training tool! Not just the loudness but more importantly the tone. When we yell or use an extreme tone with our dogs, it doesn’t usually have the effect we are looking for. Using a normal voice when giving your dog a command is the best way to get what you want. It is exhibiting your calm energy which lulls your dog into trust and encourages compliance.

Baby talk is not the voice to use with your dog when you are trying to calm them. Daily we have people at K-9 Cottage ( you know who you are!!) that pick their dogs up from play and get out of their cars and before the even get to the gate start talking saying things like, “Hi baby! I missed you so much today my whittle Bubba. Oh did you miss mommy?” Using a high pitched, baby talk voice. Besides making me cringe, the dog and the dogs around them become over excited and crazy. This level of excitement is difficult to refocus from and with other dogs around can be problematic.

So remember, a command voice is calm, cool and collected. Your play voice and be whatever other tone you choose. All I ask, is please don’t scream at your dog. 😉

01/05/2023

Socialization is todays training topic. Since I am the owner/operator of K-9 Cottage in Limerick, I’ll bet many of you are going to assume that I’m talking about dog day care. Well, you know what they say about assuming… 🤣🤣

Socialization does NOT necessarily mean playing and interacting with dogs and/or people. Socialization is as easy as taking your dog for a ride when you need to get gas and let them observe the surroundings. Take them to a park and let them people watch from a distance. Unlike what most people think, socialization does NOT mean that your dog has to run up and meet every dog or person that you run across. The act of watching and processing the motion is technically socializing and is positively developing not only their social skills but their brain. The key to socialization in this manner is to keep your dog under command of stay so they are receiving positive reinforcement for good behavior.

01/04/2023

Todays training thought is a bit controversial but those who know me know that that never stops me from sharing my thoughts. Today’s thought to share is the IMPORTANCE of crate training.

I can hear some of your thoughts, “OMG, that’s so mean! I don’t want to torture my dog like that!”

I have a few thoughts that you may have never thought of. If you do not teach your dog to be alone safely in a crate or pen, what happens if they need to be at the vet overnight because they are ill, being kept for observation or have had surgery? There is nothing worse (and yes, I have seen this first hand working in a veterinarian hospital) than seeing a dog who is in stress from one of the above and there is added stress because this is not something they are used to.

What if you leave your dog out and run to the store? Those cords sure look like fun! A good tug on that tv cord can pull it right over, or worse yet, it could be a shocking experience. ⚡️⚡️ A visit to the trash can can end up a bowel obstruction and expensive surgery.

Dogs actually enjoy having a place to call their own. Why not give them what they want and keep them safe all at the same time?

01/03/2023

EVERY dog needs training! From the 2 1/2 lb miniature poodle to the 250 lb mastiff. Not all dogs need a professional trainer IF it’s owner is committed to daily work and consistent activities to challenge their knowledge.

A good place for a recommendation for a trainer is your vet or groomer. Knowing the degree of training you want for your dog is imperative. To me, the most important commands I want my dog to do are stay, down (lay down, not off) and heel. All three are actually the same basic concept but in different positions!

Want to know more? Contact us for some training!

01/02/2023

Let’s talk leashes! We all love the idea of a retractable leash but down deep we all know it is not the best thing for our dogs safety, and really for ours either. I just heard of an encounter this morning about someone walking their dog while the leash was extended and the medium sized dog encountered a bunch of squirrels playing under a tree at a park. The dog gave no warning and lunged forward- the theory of motion clearly explains that the lunge is a far more powerful pull on that thin leash than a normal walking. Leave it to say, senior citizen goes down, shattered elbow and a lot of rehab ahead.

When you use a 6’ or 8 ‘ leash with a dog, you have more control, even if your dog has no leash manners. Keep your dog close to keep both of you safe!

01/01/2023

HaPpY NeW yEaR!

January is National Train Your Dog Month and we are here to help! Stay tuned for helpful training tips and ideas to help make your dog/owner relationship the absolute best relationship you will ever have!

From the number of calls, texts and emails I have gotten in the past week it seems easy to say that a lot of people welcomed a new dog into their family for the holidays. Please remember to be PATIENT as it can take (on average) 3 days for the dog to relax- make sure to give them space and not “force” yourself on them. It can take 3 weeks for them to decompress and up to 3 months to feel at home. It is so hard but letting the dog make your house it’s own on their time will build the trust that you NEED for your relationship.

12/31/2022

It is one of the two WORST nights of the year, if you’re an animal, domestic or wild!
Please remember that fireworks are h$&l for dogs and they need their leaders to be STRONG! Instead of, “it’s ok baby. Mommy (or daddy) is right here and I’m gonna keep you safe!” Put your dogs leash on and when they react, in a normal voice, say “ok, I’m right here. You’re safe. Enough.” Although this may sound ”mean” it is helping your dog learn and understand that those dumb old fireworks are NOT going to hurt them!

By using your normal or a more stern tone, it alerts your dog that YOU are not afraid and this is a nuisance and nothing else!

If you’re not going to be home, PLEASE secure your dog either in their crate or even a bathroom with a window that is high up. Leave them some music playing, loudly to buffer the outside noise and make a quick trip to our friends at Perk Valley Eatery to get a special chew like a Benebone or deer antler.

Either staying in, hosting or venturing out, wishes for
A very Happy and Healthy 2023 come to you from me!