Instinct and Intelligence Canine

09/02/2024

I was so busy making sure everyone else got their classes promoted, I forgot to do mine 😅.

Tuesdays 7:30pm we'll be covering all things loose leash walking! Let us help you take your loose leash walking to the next level. We'll cover the basics as well as some new add in skills (but also practice practice practice!)

Starting September 3rd and running for 4 weeks.

09/01/2024

Laura is opening up a new beginner barn hunt course!

Thursdays 5:30pm, September 12th

This 6 week course will cover all the basics of learning to hunt. Dogs should be exposed to rats before class but if that is what's stopping you, please reach out! Laura has offered to do a pre-class session for rat introductions.

08/31/2024

2 Working Spots Remain!

Have a sensitive dog? No natural retrieve? of just tired of forced fetch methods? Join Becky for a workshop on shaping a retrieve for any sport!

We also have audit spots available. Please reach out if you need help signing up!

08/30/2024

Our core classes are all enrolling!

Puppy Pre-School | Wednesdays 6:30 | September 11th
Family Dog | Mondays 7:30 | September 16th

Don't see a day that works for you? Reach out!

08/28/2024

What's stopping you from living your best life with your dog?

One of the most common behaviors that is limiting life is barking lunging and other big displays, usually directed at people and dogs. Sometimes its fear/anxiety and sometimes its an unbridled zest for life but both cause a lot of difficulties navigating the world. Join us for this 8 week course and learn the skills you need to manage and overcome reactivity.

We want to set your dog up for success. If you think this might be a good fit for your dog please reach out and we'll help you find the right solutions for your dog!

08/26/2024

September is coming!!

We've got a month packed full of courses, pop ups and events. Check out or portal or website for more details!

Some highlights:
Puppy Socials are Back!
Loose Leash Walking short course Tuesdays starting 9/3 at 7:30pm
AKC Scent work Sniff and Go's for trial prep 9/12 and 13th
Big Feelings Anonymous- Sunday starting 9/15 at 2:30pm
Barn Hunt for Beginners Class Thursdays starting 9/12 at 5:30pm
Make Fetch Happen Workshop Sunday 9/22 at 10am

08/25/2024

Its Maple! On a Mat!

I love this team 💕 Maple joined us for both the Rally Run Throughs and Dogs and Kids event today so that she could work on her comfort level in the weird and worrying world. Needless to say she crushed it. All the teams did! Brodie, Jonas, Bella and Maple were rockstars right along with the wonderful kids who came to help. If I could hire the kids full time legally, I totally would.

08/24/2024

How's everyone's nap going after the Enrichment Party? Annie had the best time and the best nap, change my mind!

08/19/2024

Love a good movement puzzle! Have you tried movement puzzles with your dog? Would you be interested in learning?
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Yae2dq8y8SrFaMws/

08/18/2024

Hear me out. Kids are weird. They move funny. They're unpredictable. They make weird sounds. If your dog hasn't had a chance to grow accustom to them, it can be a big ask to have them coexist with children that are visiting.

If you'd like to work on some positive associations with kids, join us August 25th for our dogs and kids pop up. We'll be setting everyone up for safety and success and your dog does not need to directly interact with kids. Kids will be doing kid things behind a barrier while we work on settling and observing them and all their silliness without our dogs feeling the need to chase, bark or panic about it.

Please reach out if you have questions about the suitability of this event for your dog. For example, if your dog is stressed about other dogs, new people and kids, this will probably be too much. We want everyone to leave feeling successful not stressed.

08/18/2024

This is your reminder for the week: Go touch grass!

Got pictures of your adventures this week? We'd love to see them!

08/17/2024

You've been waiting and sign ups are live!

Learn how to make fetch happen with Becky on September 22nd at 10am.

Using food rewards and back chaining to build a solid, enthusiastic retrieve that can be a foundation behavior in a variety of sports or a fun game in your back yard. Please note, despite the lovely model in our photo, this is NOT a disc focused workshop. The skills being covered are valuable for all sports requiring a retrieve.

There are 6 working spots and 10 audit spots available. Working spots are $35 and audit spots are $20. Both sign ups are live in the group classes portion of our portal. Because technology is fun, you won't be able to pay for the audit spots online and will need to pay in person. Please register regardless so we can keep track of who is coming.

08/17/2024

More data for you: here is Sam on the same search. Is there odor in the tool box?

08/17/2024

Do you know when your dog is on odor? Take a look at Gwen running during our Sniff and Go event this weekend. We ran container searches with a range of distractors. Is she on odor or a distractor here?

08/13/2024

Its time to party! Enrichment Party! Join Sarah in exploring the world of enrichment activities for your dog. There are so many options that don't involve buying hundreds of dollars in puzzle toys. Come try them without the clean up 😉

August 24th 10-11:30am

08/13/2024

How is it only Tuesday!? Gwen says its way too much work to be her. She votes for a pup cup break. Peer pressure! Go get your dog a pup cup!

08/11/2024

Our next Round of Scentwork classes begins Tuesday August 20th at 6:30pm

More information here:
https://www.instinctandintelligencecanine.com/scent-work

Login to register:
https://iandik9.portal.gingrapp.com

07/29/2024

Its almost SHOW TIME!!! The Mountain Valley Cluster starts on Wednesday at the Salem Civic Center. Dogs will be in the ring from 8am until Best in Show late in the afternoon Wednesday through Sunday.

My personal bias is showing but the one and only Mercedes ( #1 GSD in the Country, Westminster Reserve BIS) will be there. She is fantastic to watch even if she will be beating me every day 😂

What dogs or breeds are you hoping to see?

07/28/2024

We'll likely keep adding but the August Calendar is ready to roll!

We've got a little bit of everything starting this month so feel free to check out the website for more details.

07/26/2024

GET HYPED, PHOTOS ARE IN!

Made by Marjorielee got some fantastic shots! Thank you!

07/23/2024

We've got another pop up training day coming up!

This Saturday we'll be meeting at Fishburn Park at 10am to work on all those life skills in the real world! All skill levels are welcome but it will help if your dog has some basic skills under their belt in familiar environments.

Sign up: https://www.instinctandintelligencecanine.com/classes

07/21/2024

All the dogs woke up ready for picture day! I can't wait until Margie has the edits done 😍

Thank you again Made by Marjorielee for a fantastic photo shoot!

07/20/2024

Enrollment is open for our next round of classes starting July 27th!

Puppy Preschool: Saturday 10am
Family Dog: Saturday 11am
Big Feelings Anonymous: Saturday 12pm

Tricks 101 is also open for Wednesdays at 7:30pm July 31st

More details can be found on our classes page but please reach out with any questions!
https://www.instinctandintelligencecanine.com/classes

07/18/2024

Bubbles?!

07/16/2024

UPDATE: FULL

Most people doing obedience/rally are familiar with the concept of a pivot platform and rear end movement but making the leap from a pivot on a bowl to precision heeling is... challenging. This workshop will break down the basics of pivoting and how to get from point A to Z. All levels are welcome. We'll advance each team at whatever rate is best for them. You'll receive detailed notes and videos after the workshop to help you to keep building your skills so there is no rush to complete the task in a single day.

07/14/2024

Did you know that pain rewires the brain?

Pain is an important factor in many behavioral cases. When an animal presents with physical signs of pain, such as lameness or flinching when an area is touched, diagnosis is straightforward.

However, less severe pain is more difficult to recognize as the only signs may be increased anxiety, changes in arousal level, a tendency towards aggression or other more subtle behavioral changes, which may cause or exacerbate other behavioral problems. These changes are brought about by the brains' rewiring in response to pain and may never be associated with more obvious signs of pain, and so these patients often present as behavior cases.

A review of the caseloads of 100 recent dog cases of several authors indicates that a conservative estimate of around a third of referred cases involve some form of painful condition, and in some instances, the figure may be nearly 80%. (Mills et al., 2020)

Understanding these rewiring processes is the first step to being able to effectively onboard clients, with including pain as a key consideration. Please join us for a discussion about the most common behavioral changes known to accompany pain, with a focus on Aggression, Arousal, Anxiety, & Reactivity.

This webinar series is suitable for veterinary professionals, animal trainers, animal behaviorists, shelter and rescue staff and volunteers, and anyone with an interest in evidence-based behavior intervention.

https://behaviorvets.mylearnworlds.com/course/pain-rewires-the-brain

07/04/2024

We're super excited to be hosting this!

UPDATE: FULL!
Keep an eye out, we would love to host more of these with different themes and photo styles in the future!

Excited to celebrate the opening of Instinct and Intelligence Canine with a pet portrait pop up event! I'll be out at their new Roanoke facility on July 21 doing black background portraits and treat catching shots!

30-minute time slots, space limited! You can bring multiple pets or share with a friend!

More info and sign ups at: www.instinctandintelligencecanine.com

07/03/2024

Polly was the cutest little flyball rockstar tonight! Intro to Sports is having a blast thanks to our guest instructors Laura and Eric.

07/02/2024

Family Dog Course Enrolling Now!

This 8 week course covers all the basic life skills needed to live happily with your dog. We build a strong foundation of engagement and build skills like loose leash walking, recall, impulse control, and all the skills needed for your dog to be a model citizen.

Saturday 11am, July 27th
https://www.instinctandintelligencecanine.com/family-dog