GO RALPHIE AND FRIENDS! 4 months ago, Ralphie could barely get outside to potty without losing his mind to every movement in the neighborhood. Through careful settling protocols and counter conditioning, Ralphie can relax in his yard now, even with a party across the street, and at night! WINNING!
#mindfulmethodstraining #reactivity #positivereinforcementdogtraining #dogtraining #chicago #Chicagoland #stcharlesil #aurorail #dogs
2 years ago, CeCe would have had a 75% chance of guarding the couch every single time a dog jumped on or off of it. These days I'd put it around 1% and that depends on how deeply she is sleeping and her pain levels that day. One thing I do for her now is lay my hand near her shoulders to make her aware first (and get ready to manage her if needed), and then offer tactile reinforcement with petting, praise, and her name once my dogs get on the couch. I also do this with my cats who like to share my lap. We've been incident free for a long time. ❤️ sometimes success looks like identifying triggers and implementing easy, reliable routines and offering reassurance. Behavior mod is not always about fixing, but rather greatly improving outcomes and setting up the environment/interactions appropriately. CeCe is available for adoption with Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus.
Does your dog guard? What are some easy ways you avoid conflict?
#mindfulmethodstraining #stcharlesIL #Chicagoland #dogtraining #dogtrainer #tipsandtricks #dogtrainingtips #resourceguarding #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #fearfree #rescuedog #fosterdog
How to tell if a dog wants to be kissed! As humans, kissing is a way we show affection but that's not something most dogs appreciate. Putting your face into a dog's face can feel very confrontational to them. Recently I was laying with my grandmothers Chihuahua and she kept putting the side of her face really close to mine and sitting still. My grandma said "she's giving you her face, she wants kisses." So I made a kissing sound and sure enough, she pressed into my lips heavily and asked for more. You can see that interaction in the first clip. This is a dog that is consenting. In the second clip, I offer to the same to CeCe. She doesn't appreciate being kissed and licks her lips (stress signal) and turns her head. This means NO CONSENT. Pushing dogs to accept interactions like this can cause escalation into growling/biting. For most dogs, kissy lip noises become a predictable cue for this interaction and they can choose to opt in or out of it. Does your dog like being kissed? How can you tell? Tell us in the comments!
#mindfulmethodstraining #dogbehavior #kiss #dog #dogs #chihuahua #bullterrier #fosterdog #rescuedog #dogtraining #dogbite #dogbiteprevention
If you felt I displayed Dobermans yesterday in a negative or scary manner, this video is for you. Let's have a deeper discussion regarding philosophies on behavior and what dogs may be trying to tell us instead of labeling things as "bad". Understanding helps promote acceptance and reduce feelings of embarrassment for people with any type of dog that displays these behaviors.
Do you have a reactive dog that you've ever felt embarrassed of? Tell us in the comments what helped ease your stress and gain understanding.
#mindfulmethodstraining #dogbehavior #dogtraining #doberman #tips #dobermanpinscher #rescuedogs #dogaggression #dog #dogs.#dobelove #dobermansofinstagram #reactivity #aggression
Just a friendly PSA that not everyone lives where you live and the internet is a big place. Striving to understand cultural differences (especially in the US where there is a huge melting pot of culture) should be paramount, whether you're a rescuer, animal welfare worker, or just an average citizen. We assist people of all backgrounds here at MMCC, and we always try to understand there may be differences in upbringing for people.
#psa #culture #culturalheritage #mindfulmethodstraining #dogtraining #positivereinforcement #forcefree #dogs #dog #unitedstates
Have a beautiful day. That's it. That's the post.
#beautiful #mindfulmethodstraining #dogs #nature #pondlife #cabinlife #doberman #bullterrier #gsdmix #enrichmentfordogs #fall
The moment of the truth when a dog leaves board and train. Did we proof the skill enough? Will it stick in a new environment? We proofed the HELL out of this one and it paid off in spades. Mindful Methods Companion Coaching offers force free training using positive reinforcement methods for private in-home training, day training, and board and train services in the Chicagoland area or virtual training anywhere.
#mindfulmethodstraining #cooperativecare #nailtrim #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #fearfree #dogtraining #tipsandtricks #lifehack #puppytraining #puppy #kingcharlescavalier #cavalierkingcharlesspaniel #spaniel #stcharlesIL #Chicagoland #dogtrainer #boardandtrain
One last surprise behavior for River's guardians - scratch board training. River learned how to cooperatively file down his own nails in record time, like everything else he achieved during board and train. River is obsessed with using his paws during training, and we wanted to play into those strengths and give him a valuable life skill. His guardians were surprised and delighted at the transfer session with this behavior and everything he accomplished in 21 days with Jessie. Go forth and be exceptional River. Such a smart boy. ❤️
#mindfulmethodstraining #cooperativecare #nailtrim #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #fearfree #dogtraining #tipsandtricks #lifehack #puppytraining #puppy #kingcharlescavalier #cavalierkingcharlesspaniel #spaniel #stcharlesIL #Chicagoland #dogtrainer #boardandtrain
Heck yea River! His table manners are tip top with the help of our trusty bath mat. Whenever this mat is applied anywhere in the home, River naturally seeks it out and lays on it, which is exactly what I wanted! 5 days ago, I posted the process I used to shape good table manners. If you haven't seen it yet, go look for it! Lots of good tips and tricks! Is River the best ever?
#mindfulmethodstraining #puppytraining #puppy #kingcharlescavalier #cavalierkingcharlesspaniel #spaniel #dogtraining #tipsandtricks #stcharlesIL #boardandtrain #positivereinforcementdogtraining
Little update on River: he's a genius still. He underwent a cue transfer today - that means that a formerly learned cue is associated with a new cue. The new cue to go to mat is the front door being opened! He's in the beginning stages of learning this one, but if how swift he picked up mat work in the first place is any indication, he'll have this in the bag soon, too! In just 2 sessions, he got mat work on cue, staying down on it while I walked away, and cuing to it from about 20 feet away. He'll run right over and place on his mat when asked, from a pretty good distance! These are things that some dogs find difficulty with always, or can take a lot of time to master. Go River!!
#mindfulmethodstraining #kingcharlescavalier #cavalierkingcharlesspaniel #dog #dogs #dogtraining
Ralphie and Kim's success!
Today we feel the need to celebrate Ralphie & Kim. The interaction you're seeing is something we've been working hard on. I never thought the day would come where Ralphie could lay in the room with another person & be neutral. This is such a MASSIVE success as she's avoided visitors (even sometimes her own family).
Ralphie has worked with several trainers & only been trained only with R+. As he has grown older, he's gotten wary of strangers & everything else along with it. Kim has carried a treat bag around religiously for 4 yrs trying to help him when he struggles. Kim has used such a heavy, hands-on training process all these years that she was mentally & physically exhausted.
Kim's goal: she needed a break
Ralphie's goal: self-regulation
At our first session, Ralphie couldn't be contained easily. Even behind a door & a gate, he was panicking so hard I was worried he would bust down the door. Ralphie added behavior meds into his training plan & we began setting up careful routines. We are now modifying & eliminating certain strigencies as time goes on & Ralphie settles into behavior mod.
With settling protocols, Ralphie has learned how to regulate, without so much input from Kim. This is another example of the "untraining" of the dog - reducing cued behavior & reinforcing calm choices. Ralphie now has the emotional tools to make good choices.
Today I saw Ralphie's tail wag at me for the first time. He rested peacefully in a variety of situations on his "calm" bed. He needed less input from Kim than I've seen before & was able to approach me, accept treats, do some tricks, & even LAID DOWN by my feet.
You'll hear me coaching Kim on her leash handling. You'll also hear me prepping Kim that I'm going to move so she can be prepared to use training. All of this helps with her fluency & confidence with handling. Kim is also undergoing some "unlearning" - when to give Ralphie a cue & when to let him ride. Helping her determine when Ralphie needs her is a big par
Piper has an aversion to nail trims so we are teaching her how to file her own nails, all by herself. She can do the front AND back paws. We get asked all the time if it's possible to train both and YES, it sure is! Scratch board training will help keep her nails maintained while we work on conditioning her to accept nail clippers, so we can avoid sedated nail trims. We are working in collaboration with Danada Veterinary Clinic. Go team go!
#mindfulmethodstraining #cooperativecare #grooming #doggrooming #dogtraining #dogtrainer #rescuedog #dogbehavior #dog #dogs #canine #canines #behaviormodification #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementdogtraining #forcefree #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #fearfree #pets
