Problem Solved Dog Training

11/07/2023

This is exactly the same with your dog. No goals to work toward=anxiety. How do we counteract? Work for food, learn new things especially with free shaping, being exposed and working through new places/smells/sounds which makes them braver around new things, play whatever game they love like tug/ball/flirt pole and intermix with training skills, walks with half fun/half structure, puzzles…etc. if your dog is just an ornament in your life you’re not thinking of what the dog NEEDS. I START EVERY CLIENT LESSON 1 WITH MAKING SURE THE DOGS NEEDS ARE FULLY MET.

11/02/2023

Dogs should never live their entire lives attached to a leash. It causes frustration. It would for you too! My experience has shown me that the more freedom I allow my dogs, the more they want to be near me. They’re more fulfilled, hence more calm and better behaved.

10/23/2023

These two little siblings brought me so much joy. 1) Two chihuahuas who couldn’t stop barking at the cat. As a result the cats were hiding. By the end of our first lesson, we have calm and curious and happy. I love this picture because it shows air sniffing from one of them. Curious. Not judgmental. 2) my client wanted to sit outside and enjoy the dogs without fence fighting with the dog next door. Here is my client relaxing with happy calm dogs on her sun chair.

I love solving your problematic behavior!

08/17/2023

Puppies. Sponges. He’s proud he can do a down with only a verbal cue now. “I get it!! I get it!!” Puppies/dogs simply need to know what we WANT from them. Once they know, they want to be successful at doing it. Teach!

11/16/2022

I’m so bad at maintaining/updating social media but man I get to meet the greatest people and dogs. This dog Allie and I totally made out at our first lesson. She is your typical derpy squiggle butt, crazy fun loving boxer with awesome drive who loves to learn. I’m so honored to be a part of her journey.

11/02/2022

A simple impulse control exercise video using food. You get your reinforcement by staying on the bed-not by grabbing the falling food.

10/27/2022

We love Lowe's Home Improvement stores because they are so welcoming of dogs. Yoshi tends to be skiddish around new things, so this is a great place to introduce him to novel sights, sounds and smells. His comfort level from our first lesson to our third is astronomically improved. Having a plan on HOW to approach this was key to Yoshi’s success.

02/23/2022

This is my dog Lucy. She masturbates. NOT KIDDING! Every day. I have never ever corrected her. Why? She enjoys it and one day she will be gone and we will all laugh about her having done that. Do I have your attention? Sometime I meet people who want to “fix” their dog being a damn dog. Please-allow your dog to dog! Celebrate your dogs unique personality. If it gets the zoomies everyday around 6pm, laugh when you watch your dog enjoying life!! Why correct it?!! They’re happy! One day they’ll be old and the zoomies will be a distant memory. My other dog growls a bit when he’s tired and I want to move him. I know his ways. He never ever bites and it’s almost a game we play. He growls. I say “whaaaat whaaaat” while I put my fingers by his mouth then he playfully lovingly mouths at them. He’s not biting. He’s happy. He loves me and it’s a game. Stop trying to figure out why your dog does every little thing and stopping them from doing it. Manners are one thing. Safety is one thing. Being themselves is another. They do these strange things because they like it. Also-Your dog does NOT have to heel on the walk 24/7. Let them have times to sniff and move freely and enjoy moving around and making choices in their world. Get a long line leash and let them feel slightly free when you walk to the park. Bring a toy. They want to tug toys? TUG WITH THEM!!They whip their butts a little too crazy? Laugh at it. Love the zoomies. Who cares? They have needs and wants and desires just like you and I. Enjoy them for being unique. Let your dog DOG!

02/04/2022

Truth

11/27/2021

Having lived with three different beagles I can tell you this is so true so I had to share. If you consider getting a hound dog, you have to know what you’re getting!

If you are not a hound person, it may be hard to understand, but this says it all.
A basic understanding... Regarding your hound dog that I think most people miss.
*Hounds do not believe that they need you. You are a convenience - like a favorite coffee cup or a favorite pair of shoes. If the cup is broken or the shoes are lost, we can get along just fine.
Let me explain:
Other dogs like Labs, Shepherds, herding breeds, and a host of others, are bred to work WITH man; neither can do their work without the other. Even the worst behaved Lab cares when mom and dad are annoyed. It is in their DNA to make man happy.
*Hounds... not so much.
Hounds have been bred to be taken out to the edge of the woods or field and be let loose to go out and do what they do with NO INSTRUCTION from the hunter or handler. They go out and do their thing, all on their own. They make their own decisions and do their own work. And when that work is done and they have found their quarry, they command/call the hunter to come to them with those beautiful voices. (Who is working for whom in that scenario?)
Do you see how your hound thinks differently?
Life with a Hound is far more like having a spouse than a dog. It is far more of a "cooperative effort" with all the give and take that implies. Hounds are not going to do what you say just because you have said it. You are secondary to their desire. There has to be something in it for them. There has to be a trade off. If there is no reward or benefit for the Hound, the Hound cares little what you are asking him/her to do. People incorrectly refer to this as being stubborn - or worse, stupid. Hounds are actually neither of those things - they are just independent and cunning. They prioritize things differently than do other breeds. They prioritize differently and *you* are not always their priority. This is EXACTLY AS THEY SHOULD BE. They were bred to be this way. It is all necessary to be a Houndy Dawg.
When working with a Hound you have to always be thinking:
How do I make myself the priority?
What do I have to give this dog to make me more important than what it smells - or wants? (and do not expect that anything will ever be 100% successful every time - always be looking for your Hound to act like a Hound.)
We humans always think we are in charge of things. We think that we are top of the chain, the head honchos ... and we naturally approach training our dogs and living with our dogs this way - as though we are in charge.
Your Hound doesn't see it that way.
Your Hound - at best - sees you as a family member or as a sibling (if you are very fortunate - as a parent). Do you walk into your sister or brother's house, start barking orders and they hop to?
Mostly your Hound sees you as a good friend. And what do we do with our friends? When a friend does something for us, we return those favors. There is give and take. When a friendship is out of balance - when one friend takes and takes but does not give - the friendship suffers. It is okay for one friend to be the strong friend - the dominant friend in the partnership -- -but it is *always* a partnership.
Hounds are happiest when their humans are humble.

10/12/2021

TRUTH!!!!

"Its all in how you raise them"

Such a popular myth full that can be so incredibly harmful. While socialization and training are vital to how a dogs temperment will turn out, genetics also play an incredibly important role.

If it was "all in how you raise them" any dog that was abused or neglected would be fearful for life. There would be no point in saving dogs from fighting operations as they would always be aggressive since that's how they were raised.

If it was "all in how you raise them" you wouldn't see select breeds or types of dogs being primarily used for specific jobs. Why are shepherds primarily used as apprehension K9's in police work and not Greyhounds or Golden Retrievers?  Why aren't Fila's or Kangal's commonly used as therapy dogs? Because their genetic disposition makes them not an ideal fit, no matter how they are raised and trained.

While there will always be outliers- sure you'll find that Afghan Hound on its way to being an Obedience Champion, or the Labrador doing bite work, the genetic predisposition of that breed is why these will be outliers. Working against genetics is a challenge, and while it may be a fun challenge in competing in sports, it can be a very stressful challenge in trying to fit a dog for a job or as a companion in a lifestyle that doesn't fit. Embracing the genetic predisposition of a dog and realizing its not *all* in how you raise them is the start to avoiding disappointment, frustration, or washing out a dog for a job/poor fit for a home.

10/07/2021

Test your skills: what is this expression suggesting in your opinion?

10/04/2021

Fromm’s canned food recall!

Complete details of the October 2021 Fromm Dog Food recall as reported by the editors of the Dog Food Advisor.

09/17/2021

YESSSS crate training is a MUST. I feel it’s cruel NOT to.

So many people think crating is cruel - if done correctly it’s anything but cruel. Your dog is safe when you’re not home and has his/her own spot to hang in - they love it. Teaching when young is key.

And if you want to know how to properly crate train your dog, check this out, Anya of the Well Mannered Mutt has great info.

https://pitstop-training.com/blog/f/crate-training

09/14/2021

A friend asked me for my top training tips for her new puppy. After I sent the text, I realized maybe someone else would enjoy reading this as well :) It’s also ok if you don’t agree with some of it!

1) crate training is so important. It teaches puppies how to hold it, prevents separation distress, teaches impulse control and enforces the relaxation and sleep that all babies require. Crates always go into the most social area of the house. Crate on and off while you are home too. Don’t just use it as the box that means you’re leaving.
2) socialization. It looks like you’re right on path with this one! (As long as she is past two weeks after her second distemper vaccination) Take her everywhere. These early months are essential to imprint as many sounds, sights, people, places and textures as possible. That’s what I would do whenever I brought puppies in travel kennels to the gym. Take her to Lowe’s, Home Depot, parks, social gatherings, festivals, car shows, out for ice cream, car rides. Make her world huge and you’ll have the best dog. Always always make sure that any dog you have her near is social and fair. But make sure she sees small, medium and large dogs and has the ability to learn how to “dog” by simply being around them. Under exposing can lead them to become insecure around certain dogs, which can lead to them coping by either showing teeth and lunging or trying to escape.
3) provide for her needs!! Not providing for the things she needs as an individual, she may become frustrated and try to provide for them in ways you don’t like. Prey drive: If she has high prey drive (likes to chase moving things) then use a toy like the Tail Teaser by Outward Hound either on Amazon or Chewy. We call them flirt poles and they chase the toy at the end of the rope because it triggers their prey drive. Tug a bit if she likes that but be careful of her baby teeth especially around 4-6 months when she is losing them. You don’t want her to feel that the pulling toy hurts her. Chewing needs: I LOVE using jumbo bully sticks as well as a bully stick holder so they don’t swallow the last piece. Pups learn to self soothe as well as fulfill the need to chew by pacifying themselves with those. We give babies pacifiers-I give dogs bully sticks. Every time I bring one to a puppy lesson, they end up buying it from me because they’re like omg she’s just sitting there with her eyes closed chewing. Yup. They love them. I let them have it for 30-60 minutes at a time before I put them back in crate to rest. Clients tell me adding these has been a lifesaver.
4) work for food to teach skills. Lure your hand, palm facing pup always, into behaviors like
Sit, down, go to bed, into crate, tricks. Work on stay, even tethering leash onto something to encourage staying just like I did with pups at the gym. Teaching dogs skills by working for food is great because they learn skills and provides mental stimulation. Thinking is a great thing! We want to mold dogs into intelligent beings who know how to do the things we are asking and enjoy doing them. Plus, reinforcement is what makes any behavior valuable! So molding those behaviors at such a young age and attaching getting their meal by doing them, makes them LOVE doing the behaviors you are teaching!

5) never reprimand over a “bad” behavior you didn’t see happen. Do NOT ever rub puppy’s heads in messes. They do not make the connection -it only makes them scared of you. If you catch puppy doing an accident in the moment, just tell them NO and bang feet on ground and clap hands. Then pick up pup and go outside. You’re done. If you don’t catch puppy in the act, you just clean it up and do better watching her from that point forward. Most homes use gates to keep pup in certain sections of the house. Example: Kitchen is blocked off from living room. If your puppy just potties outside chances are she can come into the living room and hang with you for awhile without worrying.
*lastly-if your puppy is making too many p*e accidents and can’t seem to learn how to hold it despite crate training and being on a schedule, go see your vet as demand they test Urine for a UTI. Sssoooo many times my clients reported back to me their dog had a UTI. How horrible would it have been to treat is as a behavior issue.

I hope you gained a little knowledge from this! Thanks for reading!

08/29/2021

Cookie’s family learned some skills to calm his separation anxiety and manage marking (his distress caused marking in the house when they left). We learned to go into the kennel and not elevate when we left and then go to a bed and stay. These are skills that, when utilized, over time can help a dog’s distress. A little structure in a dogs life can help so much! We also added femur bones for chewing, a flirt pole to stimulate prey drive and a bit of tug for Fun. Turns out he loves my towel so I gave it to him. I can’t wait for an update :)

08/11/2021

07/29/2021

It is amazing what a little direction can do to completely change a dogs behavior and a family’s situation.

06/30/2021

Looking to revamp my logo. These are premilimary ideas. Votes? Suggestions?