Practical Obedience LLC - Custom Dog Training

Enjoy some puppy parkour fun from this week of Puppy DaySchool! #puppyplay #parkour

Sadie Nail Trims

We're following up last week's nail trim success story with another one: Sadie! Sweet Sadie's owners reached out with one simple goal for her; they wanted to be able to trim her nails. Up to this point, Sadie's vet had been handling the nail trims. In these appointments, she was been physically restrained and would squirm and growl at the staff working on her. Nail trims are a necessity for dogs and unfortunately, not every dog is a fan! Our careful approach puts the dog in charge and allows them to set the pace of the trims. Over the course of six DayTraining sessions, Sadie and Kailey worked to get her comfortable having her nails done. This process always starts with a lateral position, teaching the dog to lay flat on their side. Then we work through the pieces of handling until the pup is comfortable with us holding their paw, touching them with the trimmer, and clipping. We learned pretty quickly that Sadie LOVES her ball, so while we used food to get her in position, every clip of her nails means she gets to play some fetch, a huge motivator for this girl! She's now a big fan of having her nails trimmed by Kailey and is thrilled to head in the training center and get to work! Her owners are taking advantage of her willingness to work with Kailey by scheduling regular visits to have her nails done. We've loved watching her comfort grow from a dog who required restraint and growled at the experience to one who can lay willingly on her side to have her nails trimmed! #gbdogtraining #cooperativecare #forcefreedogtraining #patiencewins

Rogan Nail Trim

We have another HUGE cooperative care win to celebrate today! Rogan had his first FULL nail trim completed in his session today - all four paws! We're so proud of this kid and how far he's come to rebuild this important skill. Many people are surprised to hear that Rogan's mom - also a qualified, certified trainer (Best Friend - Companion Dog Training, LLC) - hired Maggie to help with this training goal! The truth is, it's not strange at all! Trainers frequently seek outside help for their own dogs and the best trainers out there know their own strengths. When it came time to tackle this problem, Silvia knew our team was the local expert on cooperative care and more than happy to invest in Rogan's success! Here's her take on their training journey: "As a puppy Rogan had no trouble at all and would happily & easily allow routine nail trims. During a veterinary exam, as my veterinarian performed range of motion on his left front Rogan jumped and "squeaked" but had no apparent injury. [𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦 - 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯!] This pattern continued and nail trims on that foot started to be difficult and then transferred to the other paws as well. Ultimately I asked my groomer to take care of trims over the next year. He has never been quicked, has had x-rays and no injury has been noted but nail trimming became more & more difficult. Last fall, Rogan had to be muzzled and heavily restrained and I decided then and there it was time to change the process for Rogan. Rogan had his first of 13 appointments with Maggie in October 2024. The progress from flailing and fighting to quiet

Duke's Stress-Free Nail Trim

We are SO excited to share an update on Duke's progress! This special guy & his family started their training journey with us 3 months ago and we couldn't be more thrilled with how far he has come! Duke's mom shared a bit about their journey leading up to this training: "We began getting his nails trimmed at the vet, which was always somewhat of a challenge, but doable with treats & a muzzle. About a year after adopting him his quick accidentally got clipped & his anxiety steadily increased getting his nails clipped. We tried EVERYTHING including pre-appointment medication, treats, lick mats, covering his eyes & ears, new clippers, trying at home & nothing was working. Our vets did an outstanding job being patient with him & trying everything they could think of but we were all at a loss. Finally, we had to fully sedate him just to get his nails trimmed. His anxiety got so severe through this process he began fighting the injection & we could no longer safely put a needle in, even with a muzzle on & multiple people restraining him. It was super traumatic for Duke and for my husband & I. The trust Duke had with my husband & I began to waiver at the vet because we had to keep restraining him when he was scared." Referred by our colleague Silvia at Best Friend - Companion Dog Training, LLC, Duke's family was skeptical that training could help them overcome such a serious problem. After a few sessions to build trust (he's not a big fan of strangers) we dove into a training plan that includes choice, cooperation & going at Duke's pace. In approximately a dozen visits over the course of the last 3 months, Duke's confidence & comfort with the process has steadily improved! Duke dives into training sessions with enthusiasm, can handle multiple clippings per session & requires no sedation, muzzle or restraint to complete this necessary work. Not only has this reduced major stress & anxiety for Duke and his family but it's going to save them so much money in the long run

Let's see those snow-loving pups! 👇🏻 #winterinwisconsin #miatortilla #snowdog

Lucky 7 Blossom

We're back with another update from one of our favorite foster pups, Blossom! Blossom has been in foster care with Lucky 7 Dog Rescue for over a year now and we seriously can not figure out why! She's an extremely friendly girl who loves people, plays well with other dogs, and does great with older kids! She's an adventurous gal who would love a walking or running partner but is also happy to get some snuggles on the couch. We also know she's an exceptionally great learner based on the progress she's made working with us these past 6 months! Blossom's biggest concern when she entered the rescue was her reactivity. She had A LOT to say about people, dogs, and vehicles that she saw while out on a walk. Her reactions weren't out of aggression, she just really couldn't help shouting "HI" at everyone she passed! Blossom and her foster mom have had several sessions with Kailey working to teach her alternative behaviors to shouting when she sees someone new. And now look at her! She's able to look and pass quietly by helper dogs at a close distance in our practice sessions! What you're seeing in these videos was, frankly, impossible for Blossom to do a few months ago. But thanks to some behavior modification and the incredible dedication of her foster mom, Emily, she's made some pretty impressive strides. Blossom would love nothing more than a forever family for Christmas this year. We're hear to say she's absolutely ready for a new home! When she's adopted, we'll be including a free behavior session with Kailey to transfer over everything she's been working on! If you are looking for a pup or know someone who might be, consider sharing this sweet girl so we can find her a home for the holidays!! #lucky7gb #rescuerehomerepeat #adoptablepup #rescuedogsrule

Good Morning from Puppy DaySchool! This is a typical day at Green Bay's BEST puppy program. Two puppies are off getting individual training time working on skills with their assigned trainer. The rest of the crew is enjoying supervised playtime and socialization activities. In addition to their skills training time, they get pulled for individual time with Kailey & Ally to work on handling and other rotating activities to introduce a wide variety of experiences and novel things. Our crew is also trained to notice and discuss deficits, so our entire team can take extra time in areas that individual puppies may struggle. This information is also shared with owners so they know what to prioritize at home. Don't miss your opportunity, limited spaces are available so we can ensure every puppy gets this much individual attention. Available for puppies under 16 weeks at start date. More info, including pricing, is on our website. #scenesfrompuppydayschool #puppytrainersofgreenbay #puppysocialization #bestofthebayfinalist

We're looking at more real-world application of our training skills in this week's edition of #SocializationSaturday. One of our sweet Puppy DaySchool pups, Tavish, has been presenting with some nerves when outside, especially when hearing the noise coming from the road. This is a concern we flag immediately because we want to tackle it EARLY, before it really starts to become an issue. Fear like this does not go away on it's own; it's very unlikely Tavish would "grow out of it". Sensitivity to noises needs intervention, and the younger we can get ahead of this concern, the more likely we are to reduce or resolve it. When there are loud noises, Tavish can get nervous, stop eating, and try to run away from the sound. Our job is to change those feelings, using really good snacks to teach him that scary noise = really great things! We have the luxury of using our main road as practice when loud vehicles drive past, and can get as much distance away as Tavish needs to feel comfortable and safe enough to eat. While this training is often slow, tedious, and exceptionally boring, it does pay off with consistency. Already we've seen on field trips that Tavish is becoming more confident when he hears something new and far less likely to bolt in fear. We're thankful his family chose us for Puppy DaySchool so that we could intervene and start teaching Tavish how to feel safe in our loud and busy world! #puppysocialization #gbpuppytraining #soundsensitivity #counterconditioning

Empty tissue box + treats = cheap & easy indoor enrichment for a hot Sunday. *please monitor for box ingestion and rescue of stuck body parts. 😆 #sundayfunday #wisconsinsummer #enrichment #lifewithlittlejack

For #SocializationSaturday this week, we had an opportunity for some "real-world" practice! There were a few repairs needed in our Puppy DaySchool room, and we needed to use some loud tools to get them done. We decided to wait until school was in session so the pups could experience these noises in a contolled environment. In this clip we are using a drill, a noise most of the pups haven't heard before and one that can be very scary and surprising. We keep this game very simple for them: when the loud noise happens and they notice, the pups get lots of tasty snacks! This builds their comfort with the drill because it predicts great things for them! You can see that none of the pups are running in fear of the sound, but rather are excited and happy to chow down their treats. We love taking advantage of moments like these to teach all our pups that new things aren't as scary as they might seem! (As a bonus in this clip, look at how politely these sweet pups sit patiently waiting for their next treat! ❤) #gbpuppytraining #puppysocialization #puppydayschool #realworldpractice

For this week's edition of #SocializationSaturday, we are introducing our Puppy DaySchool pups to recovery collars! Recovery collars (often referred to lovingly as the cone of shame 😉) are used to prevent our dogs from accessing certain areas of their bodies while they heal. Owners don't often think about this, but recovery collars can be terrifying to a dog. Imagine that suddenly something appeared around your neck and you could no longer see around you. You'd probably feel trapped and work as hard as you can to get that thing off. That's exactly the thoughts your dog is having the first time a cone is put on them. It's why it is so important to prep our pups to wear these devices, well ahead of the time when they actually need to. Our first pup, Sheba, is in the early stages of recovery collar practice. We start by offering her treats through the collar, without the pressure of having to wear it. As she becomes more comfortable, she willingly sticks her head in further until she is fully wearing it. Then we offer a long and generous treat party for the duration that Sheba wears it, so that all she learns is recovery collar = lots of treats! With practice, these pups turn in to Annie. At the sight of the collar, Annie enthusiastically shoves her head in, fully anticipating some tasty treats. From there, we encourage her to move around or ask for easy behaviors, like sit. We want the pups to feel as comfortable as Annie does; happy to move easily around the room and focused on the snacks instead of trying to get the collar off. This practice is well-worth the payoff of having a dog who is relaxed during their recovery in the future. #puppydayschool #puppysocialization #recoverycollar #cooperativecare

One of those most important lifelong skills that you could teach your puppy is being able to be crated. Whether you intend to kennel your dog in day-to-day life or not, there will still be moments in your dog’s life where they will be confined and away from you. Post-surgery, dogs are kept in a kennel during their recovery before they’re sent home. If your dog is boarded, they'll likely need to be able to spend some time in a kennel. If an emergency arises where you have to be away from your dog for a period of time or they need to stay somewhere else, a crate may be necessary to keep them safe for those longer periods. And for puppies, a crate keeps them safe by preventing them from causing trouble when their owner isn’t able to give them their full attention. All these reasons, along with countless others, are why it is critical that we introduce pups to confinement training early, so that they aren’t panicked the first time they need to be crated long-term. Sweet Finley started Puppy DaySchool this week and isn’t the biggest fan of being crated (very normal for a young pup like him!). Owners are provided a crate training plan to work on this skill at home, but for these more sensitive pups, we spend a little extra time during DaySchool acclimating them to a kennel. In this video, Ally starts by getting Finley comfortable entering the crate and laying down. Once he’s in position we start building on two pieces: duration (how long can you hold still between treats) and distractions (can you stay while we close the kennel door). We build these at intervals that the puppy is comfortable with and don’t push them to a point where they feel might start to feel anxious. During DaySchool, we also have “nap time” mid-way through the day. This allows us to continue building on our confinement practice and also helps to keep the afternoon sassies away (puppies need naps, too!). By the end of their program, the pups are far more comfortable being kenneled a