Eastern Shore Canine

Posting unedited footage of ViVi's first "obedience" session. The choice of a dog trainer matters because not all trainers focus on the dog’s mindset—many are simply content with achieving the desired behavior without considering how the dog feels about it. This can lead to superficial obedience, where the dog is complying with commands but still experiencing internal stress, frustration, or confusion. In the case of ViVi, she may be physically laying down as instructed, but her panting, whining, and overall energy level indicate that she’s still chaotic in her mind. These behaviors are symptoms of a dog that isn’t truly settled but is instead just physically restrained by obedience rather than mentally understanding and accepting the command. A trainer who only cares about surface-level behavior would see this as a success, but in reality, ViVi isn’t in a good place emotionally. A well-rounded training approach goes beyond mechanics and works to change how the dog feels about training and the world around them. This means addressing stress, anxiety, and over-arousal, so the dog isn’t just doing the right thing but also feeling good about it. Over the next five weeks, the goal isn’t just for ViVi to obey commands—it’s for her to develop a calmer, more confident, and more stable mindset so that obedience is a reflection of true understanding rather than just forced compliance.

In this video, I use two termination markers and one duration marker to clearly communicate with the dog: - Toss-to-Reward Marker: Ends the behavior and lets the dog chase the reward for excitement and fun. - clicker sound: Ends the behavior and brings the dog to me for engagement and focus. "Good" Marker: Maintains the behavior while I deliver the reward, building duration and clarity. Markers work because they bridge the gap between the correct behavior and the reward, creating precise, consistent communication that dogs easily understand. For example, when i throw or drop food, it is not an invitation to get it unless I explicitly say so. Excuse my outfit. It's 9 PM and I'm still out here working dogs😂

Gus saw a statue that made him nervous, so he barked and jumped at it. Instead of avoiding the situation, I used it as a chance to teach him. By using his "toss" and "yes" markers, I helped him get more comfortable. The key was to work up to the point where he felt a little unsure but not overwhelmed. Once he showed confidence, I rewarded him big (a jackpot!) and moved on. Later, we passed by the statue again, and Gus wasn’t bothered at all. Statues are AWESOME for reactive dogs because statues don't move :) It might look like “protective” behavior, but this was more about fear and uncertainty than actual protection.

Gus is a naturally nervous Shepherd, so building his confidence is a key part of his training. In this video, you’ll see how we use a combination of toys, food, and clear markers to motivate and reward him. Playing with toys helps him tap into his natural drives and feel more relaxed and engaged. Playing with me was unnatural for him (I was a stranger at one point!) so we played and I let him win. We pair this with food rewards for precise communication, ensuring he understands exactly what behaviors we want. It is all about what the dog finds rewarding. For example, when he goes to place, we mark the behavior with a verbal marker (yes for on me and toss for permission to go get it). We use play as a way to celebrate and reinforce his efforts, keeping the training fun and positive. This balance of play, food, and structure helps Gus gain confidence and enjoy the learning process. I pieced together different sessions to show you:)

An indirect reward is when the reward your dog is working for isn’t coming directly from you, like a treat from your hand, but instead is something in the environment that they get access to after following a command as shown in this video. Some dogs just aren't happy to work for food or toys. That's where we find what makes them click and makes the work rewarding. Some dogs may want to interact with the environment. So we will use that as a reward and release to sniff breaks for good behavior.

Miss Olive is doing so well.

What a great end to the day. Where you can bring your dog, we want you to be able to do.🐾

We’ve all seen the Malinois excited teeth chatter but have you seen a golden retrievers? Even at the vet these fella can not hide his excitement for some food 😂😅

Dolly goes home today. She spent 2 weeks here just to learn the puppy foundations. Since all programs are customizable, her family chose to focus on stopping jumping, recall, leash walking, and learning when and how to be calm. They have a young daughter who is so excited to have her girl back.

Clutch and Riot on a walk around the neighborhood!