How it’s going….
A little glimpse into our breakfast routine. I can now prep their food and feed them. Takes a little longer than usual but it’s good to be able to do some tasks. My friend @erins66 sent me these handy grabbers which makes it so much easier to pick up bowls.
I think this video highlights the importance of good crate manners and training as well as good socialization- the dogs are not afraid of the wheelchair nor the new object. Training and temperament will always have your back. #dogtrainer #dogtraining #staffordshirebullterrier #stafford #dogtrainerslife #puppytraining #dogbehavior
Maceo on the balance pad
Don’t say you don’t have time to train. You do. You can always find a few minutes to practice some things. This is a few minutes of fitness exercises with Maceo using the @fitpawsusa balance pad.
Due to my recent knee issue I can’t walk my dogs currently. But I can still exercise them mentally and physically by doing other things. Stop making excuses as to why you can’t train your dog. Nobody else trains my dogs. I have never handed off my dogs to anybody else to train. I find the time, even if it’s just a little time.
Even if it’s just a few minutes, you can find something to practice with them.
Sometimes people think that training has to be long and involved. It doesn’t.
You can get a lot done in just a few minutes of skill building.
. #dogtraining #dogtrainer #canineconditioning #fitness #exercise #fitpaws #sportdog #staffordshirebullterrier #stafford #dogtrainerslife
Macaroni in Flyball class
Macaroni, a terrier puppy, is doing great in #flyball class. Here, he is doing a “dead ball retrieve” over the jumps and we have added Maceo as a distraction dog outside of the lane. We begin with a stationary dog, and then we add more movement. Eventually, in the sport, the dog will have to run while another dog is racing simultaneously in the adjacent lane. Stay tuned for his progress!
Macaroni has taken many classes with us including puppy kindergarten and Puppy II, fitness fun class, recall class, etc.
For all of our sport classes, we require that students have some obedience training with us prior to taking sport classes. You can see how that foundation is so strong for this puppy and he is able to ignore the distraction. He also has a strong working relationship with both of his owners and he’s motivated to work with them.
Tucker in flyball class
Tucker is a young Labrador who is in our #flyball class. Here he is practicing a “dead ball retrieve” over the jumps, and recalling back to his owner. Great job!
All of our flyball students are making great progress!
Another super playgroup with these teenage dogs! Their social skills just keep getting better. Really nice play behavior. These dogs have been attending class regularly as well as our social events. It really does make the difference!
Nosework class
Our 5 and 6 PM group classes in Nosework had an introduction to suspended hides last night. I slowed down these clips so you can see the change in behavior when they pick up odor.  Everyone did a super job with this exercise. 
Flyball class
So much fun in Our Flyball class on Monday nights!
Teen Social 2/25/22
Really fun group in Teen Social last night!
Adolescence can be a challenging time for pups. Keep them in training and keep them in positive structured safe activities. These dogs have regularly attended class and socials, where we can shape good behaviors. Kudos to their owners for their commitment to their pups!
Our playgroups are not a “free for all” - we regularly interrupt the play with breaks, we redirect behavior when needed, and we talk about body language and play behavior in real time so that pet owners can learn more about dog play and behavior.
This is 2.5 minutes of some good play skills!
Flyball training
These dogs are progressing so nicely in our Flyball class! So much fun!
Crüe and Sergey in K9 Nosework class
This German Shepherd is really coming along in his searching skills. The challenge in this search is that the dogs can smell the hide from outside the barriers but they can only truly access it from the back of the search area. It’s so cool to watch the dogs problem solve.
This dog is not trained to offer a “final response” at source but look what he does!
Brady in K9 Nosework class
This is Brady. He is somewhere around 15 years old. He takes Nosework class to keep his mind active. He also really enjoys the social aspect of class, being around his human and canine classmates.
This is an exercise with a birch hide, paired with food reinforcement. The challenge was to figure out how to get to source, given the barriers set up. He did a super job! Look at those problem solving skills!
This activity of K9 Nosework is wonderful for so many reasons, and this is one giant one ❤️. Keep your seniors active!
Our beginner 2 and advanced beginner groups working on weave poles last night.
Great dogs and students in these groups!
Brady in K9 Nosework class
Let’s talk about the B man!
Brady, and his owner Marie, started taking classes with us at least 6 years ago in our first location. They took literally every class we offered! Marie later became a volunteer and is now a group class instructor. You may recognize her from Puppy or Basic class or level two classes or perhaps even a social that you attended 🙂
Brady is now a senior dog around age 15 years. K9 Nosework has been an excellent activity to keep his brain active. He loves his Tuesday night class! And we ❤️ him!
In this clip Brady is working to find two scent hides in the search area. Unpaired birch and anise.
Foot handling
Puppy students and level II students ! Here’s a real life example of WHY we practice body handling in class, and why we teach stand stay ! My boy Maceo has a torn pad. I need to cover it with a baggie to keep it dry when he goes out to potty. See how easy it is when your dog TRUSTS you and can stand stay. #dogtraining #puppytraining #cooperativecare #obedience #staffordshirebullterrier #stafford
Beginner Flyball
We had such fun last night in beginner Flyball class! What a wonderful group of dogs and people!
Hello! A reminder about our weather cancellation policy. If we have to cancel classes due to the weather, we will post in the following places:
-our page (here)
-outgoing message on our phone line
-email to students
Please check back to one or more of these places for updates regarding any possible weather related cancellations. We will give notice at least 2 hours before start of classes.
Students in our Beginner Agility II classes working on some skills: sit stay with a little lead out and front crosses. Stay tuned for progress with these awesome teams!
Rhetta and Tucker, K9 Nosework clasd
This is Rhetta and her “grand dog” Tucker! She has been training him since #Puppy kindergarten and has taken multiple classes with us. He is an excellent worker and is really taking off in our #Nosework classes! They are in their 3rd round of classes and have attended some of the Nosework seminars we’ve hosted. #rivervalenj #labradorretriever #dogtraining #scentwork #scentdetection #k9nosework
Such fun with this class!
Tonight we worked on recall, jumping skills, box turns, and dead ball retrieving. Handlers also practiced observation skills and clicker training.
Awesome work!
Small Dog Social - such fun!
Mochi, Drake, Marcel, and Baloo!
