Your Dog’s Coach

10/06/2023

PSA Princeton Dog Owners :

LEASH LAWS WITHIN TOWN LIMITS

Unfortunately, I have noticed an influx of dogs “at large” or off leash. Because of this, I have decided to make a post regarding these laws.

I have had the opportunity to fact check with an animal control officer in town, as well as attached the written laws outlined online.

Leash Laws
• Dogs are allowed to be off leash within the boundaries of their own property
• Dogs are NOT allowed to be off leash outside of their own property and must be on leash accompanied by their person
• Dogs found outside of their property off leash will be fined PER DOG - meaning if two of your dogs enter your neighbors yard off leash they are considered AT LARGE and are liable for double the original fine cost (I believe the fine is equal to $250 for one dog)
• Public Parks also keep these same laws - all dogs must be leashed and accompanied by their person

Why are leash laws important? Not only is it the LAW, but they are there to keep the community safe. Your dog might be friendly, but other dogs may not be. You might love all dogs and want to greet all dogs, but someone else might be terrified of dogs due to an accident and not want to greet them. Wildlife is also important to protect.

Please abide by all leash laws within town city limits for the greater good of all.

Thank you!

09/15/2023

In this round of Ditch the Bowl let’s talk about snuffle mats! 🐶🐕🐾

Snuffle mats can be bought or handmade and are essentially a brain game designed to simulate foraging activities that our dogs naturally love to do. Have you ever watched your dog sniff through the grass to find tiny morsels of rabbit p**p? We might find this gross considering they are eating p**p, but a snuffle matt gives them this same critical outlet while also getting the proper nutrients their body needs!

Snuffle matt’s come in many different shapes and sizes as well as difficulty levels. This makes it easy to find the right fit for your dog!

Remember: In every aspect of training, we start slow and simple to give our dogs easy wins! This boosts their confidence while eliminating frustration and the “I can’t so ill give up” phenomenon. Then as you go, increase the difficulty in small baby like steps!

Below I attached in the comments are some commons store bought snuffle matt’s and if you’re looking for an easy DIY one to cut down on costs the link is right here :

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lg8NC_GBON8&feature=shared
(this is one of many tutorials feel free to find one that suits your needs!)

A snuffle mat is a popular nose work, brain game that consists of fleece fabric strips tied onto a sturdy backing. You hide dog treats inside the fleece -- b...

08/22/2023

"Success isn't overnight.
It's when everyday you get a little better than the day before.
It all adds up."
- Dwayne Johnson

08/22/2023

Have you ever heard of an app called SniffSpot?

SniffSpot was developed to help reactive dog owners enrich their dogs lives in environments free of triggers like dogs and strange people! This app can also be useful for those who do not have access to their own yard to play and train with their dog, like people who live in apartments!

So.. How does it work? You as the homeowner can set a price per hour per dog. You can add pictures and information to your site to let prospective renter’s understand the rules around your yard, how/where to park, and how to get into the yard. Then, when your Spot is set up in the app, you can schedule as many or as few appointments as you’d like.

You get to help out other dogs and their owners while making a supplemental income on the side without having to do much of anything!

Plus — After each appointment, you’ll have your very own SniffSpot for your dogs at home enriching their senses and stimulating their brains!

What do you think? Would you use SniffSpot for your dog? Would you allow other dogs to enjoy quality time with their owners in your yard?

08/18/2023

Hello everyone!
Welcome to Ditch the Bowl series Part 2! 🐕🐾

In todays series, we are going to cover stuffed enrichment toys! 🦴🐶

One way we can change up the way our dogs eat their meals and add in mental stimulation is through hallow stuffed toys like Kongs, Toppls, and Beef Tracheas! (and many more!)

Safety tip : Please make sure whatever you choose to stuff has 2 holes uncovered to prevent suction accidents.

To make one of these enrichment activities, you’ll want to create a soft filling from your dogs typical food. You can hydrate the kibble by having it sit in warm water/bone broth for around 10 minutes. The kibble will turn into a mush, similar to a mashed potato texture! Then, you’ll want to add in some extra tasty treats at the bottom/middle/very top to entice our dogs into working hard for every molecule! (For added difficulty after our dog understands how to get the food, we can freeze them to make it last even longer!)

Our dogs have to use their brains to lick out and eat every last piece which extends meal time significantly. What usually takes a minute or two, can now take up to 15-30 minutes! And often, our dogs LOVE this activity!

Fun Fact : the behavior of licking acts as a calming behavior! Licking sends good hormones like dopamine to our dogs brains and helps settle anxiety, fear, anxiousness, and overexcitedness!

Let me know what you think! Does you dog enjoy stuffed toys like this?
Do you notice the difference in your dog when you feed them with a stuffed toy?

Happy Training 🐕🐾♥️

*disclaimer : not every dog will love this activity, which goes for all activities! start slow and easy, upping the difficulty as they get the hang of it!

08/07/2023

Today, take a few minutes and sit quietly, and be thankful for all that you have.

08/07/2023

A Bored Dog is a Bad Dog

Do you have a dog that chews everything in sight? That destroys the house when you leave? That seems to have energy even after long walks? This post is for you!

Did you know that working our dogs brains is just as important as working our dogs bodies? Many unwanted behaviors our dogs exhibit can often be due to boredom and lack of mental stimulation.

How do we provide mental stimulation for our dogs?
There are tons of ideas out there to find. What’s awesome is our dogs were bred for specific purposes that can clue us in to what they might enjoy most!

For example: Husky’s were bred to pull sleds long distances, so activities that allow them to pull safely are often very enjoyable for Husky’s!

One easy way we can add mental stimulation into our dogs every day lives is by switching up the way they get their meals.

Im beginning a new series called “Ditch the Bowl” where we discuss all kinds of ways to modify our dogs meals to add in mental stimulation.

My personal favorite is the EARTH BOWL!

Take your dogs regular breakfast meal and toss it out into the grassy area of your yard! This exercise gets our dogs nose engaged for foraging fun.

Fun Fact: 20 minutes of intentional sniffing is comparable to a 2 hour walk around the neighborhood in terms of mental stimulation!

Tips:
• Some dogs that have less energy may need to start will small piles on the ground first, especially if they’ve never searched for food before! Start with half of their meal and put them in small easy to find groupings. As they get better and find they love this activity then you can begin spreading it out more!
• Let your dog watch you do it! This builds anticipation and helps them understand what the object of the game is!
• Make sure your yard is clear of all hazardous materials prior to doing this exercise.
• Use a cue “Find it” to begin putting foraging for food on cue!

Happy Training 🥰

07/28/2023

Happiness is letting go of what you think life is supposed to be like...

07/24/2023

Show off a pic of your pup in the comments!

07/24/2023

Hi there! My name is Taylor Weatherington, I am a ”Baby Dog Trainer” and this is my page, Your Dog’s Coach. A ”Baby Dog Trainer” means I’ve had 300+ hours of experience working under an amazing Force Free professional trainer: Heath from HellHounds Canine Training Program. Now, I am gaining more experience on my own helping Pet Parents and their furry babies. I am planning to take my certification test in the Fall/Spring this year.

My training style is considered LIMA (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive). I utilize reward based systematic training, setting up our dogs for success at every stage. The two most important skills I believe every dog would benefit the most from learning is “Come When Called” and “ItsYerChoice” by Susan Garrett that teaches our dogs a “Leave it” cue.

This page is dedicated to teaching Pet Parents about dog breeds, enrichment, management, dog behavior, scheduling one-on-one Private Training Classes and more!

Thank you for being here and I am excited to work with you. For questions, please message me here on facebook or Whatsapp!

07/16/2023

Having troublesome behaviors with your fur baby? Are you in need of personalized training plans that are kind and fun? Check out Your Dogs’ Coach or send us a message to get you and your dog started with private training classes to help you out 😁

07/16/2023

Hi everyone! Welcome to Your Dogs Coach Training Page.