Connect With A Click

09/11/2020

So many of us are trapped inside today homeschooling kids and trying to entertain our dogs🥺 Jake keeps wanting to go outside but, given the sensitivity of their noses, I am trying to minimize his exposure to the smoke. This has led to a very bored beagle searching for naughty things to do🙄

SO...I decided to solve two problems at once-make our home school break fun for the kids and create something that will entertain my dogs. Having easy pre prepped work-to-eat puzzles and chew sticks are life savers, especially on imperfect/stressful days.

Grab an ice tray, fill with your favorite filler (banana, pumpkin, baby food with savage ingredients, etc) and freeze. These round trays make the perfect size to pop in a Kong! Grab and go treats for your dogs on a moments notice👏🏻🐾

09/01/2020

Getting Your Dogs Ready For Digital Learning🐾❤️🐾

Equal to getting the kids ready for digital learning is getting these two 🐶🐶 ready! Their look this morning “it’s 8:35am...why are they still here😳?!?”🤣

The days of dropping kids off and heading out for a long walk and training are a thing of the future it seems🤪 Making sure dogs can remain quiet (or stop barking right away) and out of trouble is a key component to digital learning successs!. There is nothing more frustrating than kids asking you for a million things at once and dogs going crazy at the same time! SO....here are a few ideas to set everyone up for success as our schedules change👏🏻

Prep is key so I’ve worked hard to teach my dogs:
-to make good choices as dogs and people walk by. Reinforce behavior you want to see more of.
-they each have a quiet cue.
-they each have a recall cue to call them away when the distraction is just too much (cue bunny in the yard and squirrels stealing peanuts from the garage).🤣

If things get crazy and too much to balance in the moment I employ management:
-Jake is trained to enjoy his crate.
-Luci is trained to quietly relax in the bedroom behind a baby gate.
-work-to-eat puzzles are ready to go for mental stimulation.
-I use chew sticks as I need them (rather than leaving them out all of the time). We love Best Bully Stick Jerky, Ettas Says, No Hide, and Yak Cheese chews.

Finally, we use dog walks for recess and PE fun!

Happy First Day of School Everyone🐾❤️🐾

08/07/2020

We love Chewey.com arrival days❤️🐾👏🏻

08/07/2020

Oh, our spoiled hounds these days👏🏻🥰

07/24/2020

So cute🥰 Looks about right🤣🐾

07/15/2020

🤣

I'm here for you!!!

07/12/2020

07/07/2020

2020 will never end.

07/02/2020

It’s not too late — start today! A few short, positive sessions could make a huge difference for your pup!

06/26/2020

PSA for the day .... FIDO style! 🐶🥰

06/08/2020

... can’t wait for the groomers to open up 🤣

06/05/2020

*yup 🤣

05/26/2020

What an amazing place for them to start. Don’t let them down. Show them the same loyalty and love as you teach them new things❤️

🧡🤩🧡

05/21/2020

🥰🐾❤️

... so cute 🤣

05/05/2020

I really need to work on my video skills but...😏 This video is the start of how to use non-food reinforcers in your training. Jake is my first dog who truly is just not food motivated. He is super spotty as to when he likes to eat and he also has sensitivities we are still working out. This has forced me to be much more creative in my reinforcement strategy with him to ensure he is as motivated as possible to learn. One thing I realized early on with him is that he has a very high prey drive-meaning he likes to chase fast moving things. We use this to our advantage and the flirt pole is a great example of one of his very high value reinforcers. This is a great tool to teach dogs to balance their arousal levels and build impulse control. As you can see in the comments section 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 we also get a two for one in working both mental stimulation and physical exercise! Happy Training🐾

04/16/2020

I understand this now!

04/13/2020

What I love about dog training, aside from working with families and dogs all day, is that you never stop learning. As trainers we build a toolbox and we must continue to add knowledge and skills to that toolbox to remain effective. Every family, every dog, every environment will require a different curriculum for that dog to be successful. Today I’m filling my cup, adding to my toolbox, and digging deeper into the science with Lindsay Wood’s seminar! I just happen to have the beach and my little muse as the perfect backdrop☺️🐾🥰

04/07/2020

🤣😷🤣

03/30/2020

Here is a really easy way to extend your dog’s mealtime and burn some mental energy. All that you need is an old T-shirt cut into strips, a HOL-ee Roller ($8 on Amazon), and kibble/treats/or a small chew stick. Dogs that love to dissect toys will really get into this😜 If you have multiple dogs be sure to separate them into different spaces so they can relax and take their time!

02/11/2020

Me!

02/06/2020

Rainy day fun for Jake! More chew sticks, more puzzles, more short training sessions👊🏻🐾❤️

02/06/2020

I am so grateful to Northeast Living magazine and Alyssa for allowing me to submit articles on dog training! Check out the February issue!

01/30/2020

🤣

01/21/2020

❤️🐾❤️

Dogs are man’s best friends, and there are good reasons why that is so. Their love is always unconditional, they’re always happy to see us,

01/16/2020

Happy Thursday🤣😂🤣

01/06/2020

Wishing our Connect With A Click family a very Happy New Year. May 2020 be filled with endless joy, laughter, and long leisurely walks with your pup!