Pathfinder Dog Training and Mobile Vet Tech Service

12/25/2023

Wishing my Pathfinder family and friends (and their pets, of course!) a Happy Christmas and wonderful New Year! ❄️🌲🎁

12/19/2023

Let's talk about impulse control!

Impulse control is one of my favorite things to teach, it can be really fun and it's also a great way to mentally exercise your dog. A dog with good impulse control is a much more polite and well-rounded dog as well.

Among the many benefits of impulse control:
- Great mental exercise
- Increased self-awareness and self-control
- The ability for your dog to think when very close to their threshold
- The ability to push thresholds back over time
- The ability to multitask (something that's challenging for dogs)
- A much more polite dog
- A dog that asks for permission before just barreling in to get what they want
- A dog who is much more proficient at any other task you ask of it, especially the recall

Impulse control can be done with food, toys or both. I use 'Stop' words and 'Go' words so the dog knows when they can or can't have the object. I also set up each short session so the dog can't lose. They get a reward for demonstrating impulse control and, consequently, when they control their impulses, they ultimately get the thing they want.

Here are some early baby steps with Zest. I use Leave It and Get It as my Stop and Go words. You'll see she gets a reward for not diving on the treat and ultimately gets the treat as a reward, after she gives me something first. At first I keep it simple and then begin to add more complex requests while she is distracted and wanting the treat on the ground. Calling her away from the treat can really helps build a great recall over time as well.

A little goes a long way with this stuff, especially with a kid. This session was plenty long enough and ended with a great note when I accidentally dropped a treat and she didn't dive on it. Good girl Zest!

I do teach a 4 week impulse control class, Can I Have It, Please? Let me know if you're interested!

12/16/2023

Teaching a solid recall takes time and patience. I start from day one with name recognition, build an automatic check in, and then start adding distractions to my recalls so they learn to come no matter what. They also learn that coming into me and checking in always gets them a big reward. I also use a longline to enforce a recall because if they learn they can either ignore you and nothing happens, or learn that ignoring you is more valuable than coming to you, that's a bigger issue that's much harder to fix.

Here Zest is getting rewarded for checking in despite the distractions of other dogs.

FB won't let me upload more than one video, so I'll add 2 more in the comments. The second video I called her with little distraction. Sweep was out ahead of her so she's ever so slightly slow to respond (and she waa tired), but she came. In the last video, she's distracted sniffing and with Java, but comes immediately, bringing him with her. Having other dogs who respond well to recalls can help confirm and reinforce a recall cue.

12/01/2023

There are many pitfalls to shock collar use and I could go on about those for a long time. Suffice it to say, any quick fixes are bound to come with unintended consequences and there's really no substitute for training behaviors you want versus forcing them through fear, pain and intimidation. No matter how much people defend a shock as just a stimulus, it is still startling, potentially painful and often scary enough for the dog to interrupt their behavior.

The biggest problem is there's a massive disconnect between what an owner feels they are shocking/stimulating their dog for versus what the dog perceives that shock/stimulus as. For example, if a dog is running up to a person or another dog and then gets shocked for it, the owner feels they are making it clear to the dog that they don't want the dog approaching other people or other dogs without permission. The dog does not link the shock with the owner. They link it with what they are engaging in at that moment, which happens to be the people or dogs they're approaching. If a dog approaches another dog and receives a shock every time, they begin to associate that stimulus with the other dog and develop anxiety, fear, and potentially aggression towards that other dog, as that dog is hurting it! This creates a whole morass of other behavioral pitfalls that can create a massive problem with increasing fear and aggression.

When I am out hiking and run into a dog wearing a shock collar, I can no longer predict that dog's behavior. I don't know how that collar has been used and what that dog perceives as threatening. Most importantly, a dog's natural behavioral chain of communication is often interrupted. Dogs generally have a lovely, non-verbal communicative conversation with one another from a distance, usually communicating that they don't want any engagement or interaction with a strange dog. If a dog has been shocked repeatedly during that conversation it retards their ability to communicate clearly to other dogs and confuses the conversation terribly.

Some of my most scary altercations with other dogs have been those wearing shock collars because they are not communicating well and they are sending very mixed signals to my dogs, which often leads to a confused interaction, and in a few occasions have almost resulted in a fight.

I've learned to pull way off the trail and stand in front of my dogs when we're approached by dogs wearing shock collars because almost every time, I see unpredictable and confused communication. Yesterday we had a collared husky stalk us from a distance, then it became very forward and bold and almost came right in to us, at the last minute it bolted and fled. That sudden flight elicited a chase response in my dogs (predator and herding breed driven) and only solid training stopped it and allowed the husky to keep running. The owner still shocked the dog as it wasn't coming when she called and it squeaked as it she shocked it. At that moment it was already circling back to her and her poor timing punished that.

Beware out there - if you need help reading dog body language and assessing situations with other dogs, I can help. Being fluent in dog communication can really help assess interactions when dealing with and passing other dogs on the trail. My primary concern is my dogs safety and happiness and they know I have their backs no matter what. I assess every dog approaching us so that we can all pass each other safely without nose-to-nose interactions as most dogs do not want to interact with others when they're out. If you feel you need a shock collar to keep your dog visiting, may I suggest a leash instead? It's safer and kinder. You're dog and every other dog out there will thank you.

Happy and safe trails!

11/25/2023

When training a puppy, it is always best to weave training opportunities into and throughout your day. Pups have very short attention spans and are too young for any sustained training. Taking each daily activity and making it a teaching opportunity can get you really far with little effort.

The cue that matters most to me is Come. I hike a ton and it is essential to me that my dogs come when called, no matter what. They also don't earn complete off-leash freedom until I know they have a rock solid recall and won't chase deer or wildlife, run off after people or dogs, chase bikes, or mess with horses.

I strive for connection - having the dogs mentally connected to me no matter what is going on. Over Zest's early hikes, I'm rewarding her every time she checks in with me on her own. If your dog is aware of you and checking in frequently, they are making you the most important thing out there. I often see clients walking dogs and completely missing their dogs attempt to check in and therefore getting nothing for it, which ultimately makes it more rewarding for the dog to disconnect. The opposite of what we want!

I think I a good recall involves three things-
1. Connection
2. Solid name recognition
3. Recall practice and heavy reward.

In this little video, Zest is off walking with the other dogs but checks in with me on her own and gets rewarded.

Next time you're waking your dog, reward the check-ins. Look for them, ask for them and heavily reward them. I think you'll be amazed at the results.

11/17/2023

Puppies! Such cute and adorable baby dogs and yet so much work! Between vigilance about bathroom trips and housebreaking, reigning in their desire to eat everything and trying to shape them into the dogs they will become, there's a lot to keep track of.

Things I always recommend -

- Always take your puppy out for bathroom trips on a long lead or longline so that you know they've gone, can praise the effort and es**rt them back in. Unsupervised puppies, even in a fenced yard is a bad idea. 🐕‍🦺
- Expose your puppy to everything you want them to do as adults. Whether it's car travel, hiking, going to work with you, start now.🚙
- Puppies are growing babies and need naps. Don't try to tire an over-tired puppy out! Make sure they have three or four periods of the day where they can sleep and recharge. 😴
- Don't wait for their vaccine series to be over to start building life skills. They run a greater risk of developing behavioral issues from not getting out during their critical development period of 8 to 16 weeks then they do of disease. You just need to be cognizant of the fact that they are not fully vaccinated and be careful where you take them and who you expose them to.🏙
- Socialization doesn't mean introducing them to a bunch of dogs, or taking them to a dog park for a free-for-all mauling. Socialization means developing life skills and exposing young puppies to different people (kids, men, women, people with hats, backpacks, beards etc), new places, different floor surfaces, loud noises, vehicle traffic, any situation you may wish for them to be able to manage as an adult, or that you can think of as being stimulating for a puppy is something they should be exposed to between the 8 to 16 week window.👨‍🌾
- Find a way to assimilate training opportunities into everything you do throughout the day. Puppies have a short attention span and tiny Training snippets go a long way. 💥
- Have fun! As overwhelming as it may seem, it goes by in the blink of an eye and adolescence is a grind. Love the heck out of your baby velociraptor before they grow into a T-rex!🦖

Zest is learning to hike, is almost housebroken (as long as I don't miss her going to the door) and has had a few trips to town to walk the sidewalks and parks and learn to greet people politely. I'm having a terrible time with her eating rocks so that is our biggest daily focus. At 11½ weeks, she's already growing up too fast!

If you need puppy help, let me know!

11/15/2023

I welcomed Zest to my Pathfinder family a few weeks ago. She is a Border Collie and turns 11 weeks tomorrow.

It's amazing how quickly we forget puppyhood and its details. I look at my adult dogs and draw a blank as to how I got there!

Puppybood is a whirlwind. It flies by and yet it's all hands on deck every minute of the day. Zest is a really good pup and settling in well. I'm a firm believer that puppies need a chance to be baby dogs for a bit and other than weaving some basics into the matrix of her day, she's just been getting to know her pack, her new life, and getting our for hikes. It's a big transition for a kid and she's rocking it!

I'll try to document some if our difficulties, successes, failures, etc. as we travel along through puppyhood and adolescence.

If you have a puppy and need help, let me know!

Welcome to Zest!

11/15/2023

I'm very late in congratulating the final graduating ABC class for the year!
Last Saturday was Graduation and unfortunately we were missing a few folks so it was a small but mighty crew. Well done everyone!

Also, Open Agility practices begins this Saturday for anyone who-

-Has taken agility classes from me in 2023.
-Has completed my Beginning Agility 1 class or any level beyond that.

We will be meeting this Satueday at 11 am.

10/29/2023

It was a chilly wintery day but that didn't dampen the fun and enthusiasm of today's classes! What a hardy crew. I am always grateful for our beautiful winter space and even though it isn't heated, it felt so much warmer inside than out.

Two ABC classes are currently ongoing but one of them graduated today. Please help me Congratulate -

Brenda and Stormy, Angelo, Megan and Wallace, Sabrina, John and West, and Pam and Bob! Unfortunately Denise and Gracie were unable to join us this week.

Well done everyone! 💜🐾🥳

10/20/2023

One of my constants all year long is my Advanced and Intermediate Agility classes. These are the addicts, the hard core crew, who have been bitten by the agility bug and want to keep playing. They show up week after week, all season long, with big smiles, lots of laughter and slay sequences over and over.

They are wonderful people with amazing dogs and they all share a mutual love of the sport. Some want to compete, some don't, but all of them want to ride the high of that perfect run, connect with their dogs and have FUN!

Both classes are among my favorites to teach each week and many people have become my friends and friends with each other. I couldn't ask for a better endorsement for my classes.

Tonight we had our last class of the season and I think the dogs knew.... Each one brought their A-game and knocked every sequence we did out of the park. What a rush! I'm so proud of every team and have loved my Thursday Agility days.

Thank you all!! Well done, keep up the hard work and I'll see you all in Open Practice in a few weeks! 💜🐾

10/17/2023

An important read. I always warn clients about the 'quick fix' and how detrimental excessive punishment or painful devices can be to our dogs.

Dog trainers that use aversive training methods, including Augusto DeOliveira, also known as "The Dog Daddy," have caught the attention of concerned animal welfare groups, trainers, veterinary behaviorists, and pet owners. The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) recently issued a stat...

10/08/2023

It was a quintessential, perfect fall day today and just right for a day of classes and some graduations!

Two Canine ABC classes are still ongoing but today the Come Here, Please (Recall), Can I have It? (Impulse Control) and advanced Nosework all graduated! Hooray!!

The temps were perfect, the sunshine felt divine and all the dogs were uber happy and frisky!! What a fun day!

Congrats to all 💜🐾

10/05/2023

Intermediate and advanced agility are up today....are you all ready for some fun?!

10/03/2023

Another graduation! There will be quite a few this week as the first round of fall classes start to end.

Last night a Canine ABC crew graduated and had all sorts of fun playing games and celebrating how far they've come.

Unfortunatley we were missing the two Stella's to prior obligations, but please congratulate-
Renee and Maddy, Kim and Lucy, Roger and Bailey, Joey and Captain and Virginia and Boone!

Way to go everyone!

09/30/2023

Two more Introduction to Agility classes graduated tonight!

Two great groups and talented dogs and all so much fun to work with. Everyone worked hard and improved a ton.

This concludes all agility classes, except Advanced and Intermediate, for the fall season.

Once we move to the indoor arena later this fall, I will have open practice weekly, but formal group classes will have to wait until I come back home in April or May. If you wish to be on the open pracice list, email me! Attendees must have completed at least Beginning Agility 1, and taken classes from me this year to attend open practice.

Thanks for an amazing season everyone!

Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 🥳

09/24/2023

Pathfinder fall classes are in full swing and what fun we are having!

Friday night the Intro to Agility classes (there are two) started to learn the tunnel and directional changes. The dogs lit up when they learned the tunnel was fun, making for lots of laughs and smiles.

Today one of the ABC classes graduated. They were a wonderful group, worked hard, showed up and are truly dedicated to helping their dogs be the best family members they can be! Congratulations to all!

Another ABC crew had their first class with their dogs today. There was a lot of energy and excitement at first, but everyone settled beautifully and went to work. Very well done!

This afternoon there was a Come Here, Please recall class that wore dogs and humans out! It was an upbeat positive group and they are all on their way to building the trust and connection required for a solid recall.

After the Come Here Please, we had a rollicking, energetic crew for the Can I Have It, Please? impulse control class. Every dogs was a wiggly, happy, energetic bundle of kinetic energy but they worked hard and as brains started tiring, the energy level subsided and a bunch of tired dogs and humans wandered back home! Success!

Lastly, Advance Nosework met and we began stretching the dogs' skills, firming up indicators and building skills. We worked on interior hides today with some very unexpected distractions (fleeing feral cat and tubs of livestock feed) and everyone nailed it!

What a great day! Thank you to my amazing clients and dogs for showing up, keeping a great attitude and trying to build life skills with your doggie partner. Learning is awesome when it's FUN!!!

09/22/2023

I think one of the hardest things to do when you are either training a puppy for working with a new-to-you dog, is managing other people and their interactions with your dog.

Trying to stand your ground and advocate for your dog when people are giving you a hard time can be tough! I think it is even harder when you're a single woman and have men calling you names or yelling at you simply because you asked them to not let their dogs visit yours or asked them to control their loose dogs. People that are nasty mean and rude can ruin your day and make you feel awful about yourself!

Working with your dog and molding them into the lifetime canine companion that you want to live with means standing your ground, standing tall, and taking the hits from people that just don't understand. It's hard! It's okay to not let people visit your puppy if they're not going to heed your request to prevent your pup from jumping. It's okay to not let your dogs visit with others on the trail even if their owners are yelling he's friendly! It's okay to tell people how they should behave around your dog or refuse to let them come closer if they wont listen.

The hard part is taking the hits from people when they get angry with you for not letting them do what they want and standing your ground about requesting they do what YOU want. It's hard to stay polite when people call you names. It's hard to feel like you're doing the right thing when someone deliberately tries to make you feel bad about it. I get it.

This is YOUR dog! This is YOUR companion! You will be living with your dog for the rest of their life and you have every right to ask people to do what YOU want, no matter how hard. As long as it is safe to do so, stick to your requests, don't hesitate to walk away if need be, and try not to let anyone make you feel bad about advocating for what's important to you and will keep your dog safe while promoting politeness.

And know, you aren't alone...the rest of us responsible dog owners are having the same struggles too! I can only hope that as we become a more educated society in dog manners and etiquette it will improve, one interaction at a time. Your dog, your rules! 💜🐾

09/16/2023

Little Gus, learning the mark bucket in Intro to Agility like the stud muffin that he is!!

09/14/2023

Wyatt patiently waiting for his turn in Advanced Agility early this morning 💜👀

09/12/2023

This morning I sent off my application for my CPDT-KA recertification.

So what does that mean? CPDT-KA stands for Certified Pet Dog Trainer (Knowledge Assesed). There are no requirements to be a dog trainer and neither the state nor the feds require any certification to train dogs. That means your neighbor could decide to hang up a sign and start training. It's actually how I started out a number of years ago, I just started offering classes in agility because I was pretty good at it and wanted to start sharing the sport with others.

As time went on, I decided I needed to expand my knowledge and business and began to diversify my class offerings. I also wanted to have the validation of certification and to be able to help those who sought out reward-based trainers to find me.

To become a CPDT, I had to apply for consideration. Once my application was accepted, I had to log 300+ training hours and have those accepted. I then had to go to Helena to take a 3 hour exam at a testing site there and sign an agreement with the CPDT pledging to use reward-based methods only and utilize minimally invasive training techniques and behavioral solutions.

To maintain my certification, I must reapply every 3 years, pay a hefty fee, and complete 36+ hours of continuing education over that 3 year period.

So when you bring your dog to me, you're tapping into a wealth of time, experience, knowledge and working with someone who is current on the newest theories and information. You're also choosing to teach your dog using rewards, not punishment, and working towards building an amazing relationship with your dog.

Behind the scenes when I'm not teaching, I'm learning! I'm taking classes, listening to webinars, communicating with other trainers and becoming even better at what I do!

Those letters after my name make me so much better at what I do and ensures that you are working with someone with a wealth of experience and that your dog will be treated with kindness and respect. 🐾

09/11/2023

Reward-based training - it's not just for dogs! 💜

09/04/2023

Deb and Tequila attended their first ever agility trial this weekend! That isn't so notable, what is notable is that Deb has only taken 4 classes and one private lesson from me and managed to not only get a qualifying run, but to also take quite a few first places! Well done, Team!!

Deb is motivated and works hard and Tequila is brilliant! They have a bright future ahead of them!

Congrats to all the other Pathfinder trams this weekend...You made me so very proud! 💜🐾

09/01/2023

Hey! That's not a dog!

You're right! This is Starman the Llama 🤩

Why is a llama on a dog training page? Well, I'm also a Mobile Veterinary Technician and do a lot of pet sitting under that umbrella!

This week Starman and his goat, sheep, horse, donkey and cat friends are under my care and responsibility - all 14 of them! They're getting twice a day visits, their food, fresh water, love, affection and are closely watched under my expert and experienced eye. Blossom the sheep had a health hiccup and I've been assessing her every visit and monitoring her health and progress. I have large and small animal experience and mad skills!

After visiting Starman, I went to a local boarding kennel to give subcutaneous fluids to an older gentleman cat who is in kidney failure and is boarding there.

If you are traveling and need your animals cared for, you now know who to call!

08/28/2023

In case you aren't on the email list - sent out today!

Hi Everyone -

I hope you have all had a fabulous summer and are looking forward to fall! It has been such a great, smoke-free, not-too-hot summer and hopefully fall won't disappoint. It can be such a lovely season in Montna.

It has been a busy summer at Pathfinder Headquarters! Lots of happy dogs and humans! It has been fun watching relationships build and meeting so many new people and their amazing dogs. I feel really fortunate.

The fall schedule has been released to those on the waiting lists and there are a few classes with spots available still:

Come Here, Please - Teaching your dog to come when called. A solid recall is arguably the most critical cue that dogs should know. This is a 4 week class, $95 and will begin Saturday, September 16th at 1pm. The first class is without dogs, the remaining 3, with. There is room for up to 2 more teams in this class.

Can I Have It? - Impulse Control. Impulse control helps drive everything! It helps create a polite dog who doesn't sn**ch treats, jump up, counter surf, raid the trash etc. It also helps them to focus with distractions and to be able to leave items or drop them. This is a 4 week class, $95 and will begin Saturday, September 16th at 2:30 pm. The first class is without dogs, the remaining 3, with.There is room for 3 to 4 more teams in this class.

If you are interested in either class, please email me asap ([email protected]) and I will forward you the registration emails with directions and instructions for registration and payment.

Also - I will likely put together another Pathfinder Logo wear order this fall. Last year we ordered long and short sleeve shirts and ball caps printed with the Pathfinder Logo. I will do the same this year and maybe add sweatshirts and Hoodies. If you are interested, email me please so that I can begin a list.

Finally - Agility clients- There are a few crates and x-pens stored here from classes over the last few years that have been abandoned. Are any of them yours? I would like to move some out of here as I am running out of room to store crates and xpens for Advanced and Intermediate agility. If you think you have left one here, please let me know so that I can make arrangements for you to pick it up. If there are any unclaimed crates or pens by the time we move to the indoor arena (likely early November), I will donate them to the shelter or let other clients take them.

Thank you - Don't forget to reach out if there are classes you wish to be on the waiting list for or if you need any private lessons or help with your dog! Have a wonderful fall!

08/24/2023

Look at those smiles!! Happy humans and happy dogs!!

The latest Beginning Agility 2 graduated tonight. This is a challenging class with a huge emphasis on handling but this crew nailed it!

They finished the evening with a 21 obstacle course and were all brilliant!

Congratulations to -
Lori and Felix (my biggest agility dog so far), Linda and Ella Blue, and Abby and Myloh.

Way to go everyone!! 💜🐾