I spent the morning training with our three dogs, Mia the foster dog, and Ernie, our board & train guest.
I got out the Treat & Train to use in free shaping sessions with the dogs. Here, my ACD Wren came out of the gates with a nice attitude. Heās happy to āhave a jobā and open to hunting for behaviors that will get him rewards.
Messing around, trying new things, and seeing what happens have been aspects of working with dogs that carry a lot value to my approaches and mindset.
I encourage you to look at sharing life & training with your dog as a dialogue youāre having together. There may be some frustrations or disagreements along the way, but the goal is harmony and having fun together.
Ernie update: All of the little pieces that make up a dogās foundation training and understanding of the E-collar as a communication tool are starting to come together for this dude! We will start to head out on more field trips around town within the next few days.
Hereās a short video showing Ernie having fun with fetch, heel work, and his recall practice. Heās a Lab through & through!
Mia & I have been working on the down behavior in different scenarios. Mia likes to offer a sit behavior and this behavior has been heavily reinforced. Here, Mia offers a sit. I wait her out for a few seconds to see what sheāll do next. She offers the down behavior all on her own and receives a big reward. A fun learning moment for both of us!
Muzzle training & conditioning with Norma
More muzzle training & conditioning with Norma - A 5 minute training session can be really valuable to a dog, especially if there are multiple short sessions throughout the day. Training doesnāt always need to be long, drawn out, with your dog being exhausted at the end.
This morningās unedited training sesh with the littlest one (AKA Norma) š¶ Weāre working our way up to having Norma be comfortable and unconcerned with wearing the muzzle while off leash and not fussing with it. Norma has worn a muzzle for short periods of time, but not for off-leash walks & adventures. How are we working toward achieving our training goal? Short training sessions with a high rate of success for the dog in familiar, lower-distraction areas until weāre ready to move off property and train in different areas.I follow a similar process to achieve these results with client dogs, making sure we start at the beginning with the muzzle conditioning process. Muzzles are training & management tools, just like a leash. Donāt let it harsh your vibe if your dog wears a muzzle in certain scenarios and environments! Youāre doing a great job advocating for your canine companion. Is your dog muzzle trained?
š£ TRYING TO SLEEP IN WHEN THEREāS A TEENAGE MALINOIS IN YOUR HOUSE BE LIKE ... Not naming any names over here.
I work with clients & their dogs in a lot of the neighborhoods and trail systems that make up our beautiful Corvallis community. In recent months, Iāve noticed an uptick in stray piles of dog poop left on the sidewalks, on the trails, or in my own front yard and driveway. Sh!t happens, but no one ā¦ that I know of at least ā¦ likes to step in dog poop or have their kids bike over a fresh pile of animal feces. If your dog relieves themselves while out and about on public property and paths of travel, it is your responsibility to pick up their poop and dispose of it appropriately. May your day be free of poop bombs, yāall! š© #dogtrainer #corvallisoregon #dogcare #responsiblepetownership #corvallis #corvallisoregon #dogs #dogmom #doglover #willamettevalley
Day 2 with Mia
Day 2 with Mia - Weāre continuing to charge up Miaās new marker. Weāve also introduced some shaping using the elevated dog cot. The dog is encouraged to hunt for behaviors and think for herself. This will eventually lead into teaching the dog Place work and putting the behavior on cue. Here, Miaās new terminal marker (āYesā) is being put to use, too. Piece by piece, the dog starts to understand that theyāre building the puzzle and finding out what pieces fit together to get to the reward.
šŗ Luluās family recently asked about biking with their dog, so while sheās here for a boarding stay, we decided to give it a try. She rocked her first bike rideācheck out how much fun she had! š²
We had a blast at our Pop Up Group Class! We ā¦ š Warmed up with some movement and a pack walk š Shared introductions and successful achievements weāve celebrated with our canine companions š£ Played a game of Simon Says, dog training style š¾ Participated in leash work drills & practiced our foundation skills as a groupā³Wrapped with some intentional decompression time with a group Place sesh š And I told a few bad dad jokes throughout class. Thanks to everyone who joined us for class, traveling from Salem, Dallas, the Oregon Coast, and locally here in Corvallis. You & your dogs are looking great!
The little red dawg takes her Jolly Ball time very seriously šš
Zoey the English Mastiff & her owner have been doing a lovely job of keeping up with their maintenance training! Hereās a peek at our E-collar & advanced off-leash foundations wrap up session together guest starring Wren. š„ There are plenty of wonderful off leash adventures in store for Zoey & her family!
Getting in our recommended dose of Vitamin Sea š š¶
Miss Groot the Vizsla puppy is starting to generalize her foundation commands. This puppy has enthusiasm, drive, and wants to problem solve - Win, win, win! Thatās a great recipe for giving this young pup an opportunity to hunt for behaviors and figure out different training pictures as we make our way through the generalization process. For example, in this video clip, Groot offers to position herself on the wooden bench seat by her own doing. We mark & reward the behavior as a way to reinforce and encourage the dog to keep offering it. Groot is learning that Place could be a variety of surfaces and objects, from an elevated dog cot to a log in the forest. Shoutout to Grootās sister Lyra for joining us and helping out with our training exercises during the session, too! Theyāre both two really cool doggos with a dedicated family by their side. āØ
The Fantastic Mr. Fox is settling in back at home with his family following the successful completion of his 21-day custom board & train program! At their go home lesson, Foxās owner learned valuable leash handling skills, how to use their new E-collar system for clear & consistent communication, and what their new marker system looks like in daily life together with Fox. They are doing a great job of working together as a team and Iām so proud of Fox and all the learning heās achieved during our time together. Structure and understandable expectations can be incredibly helpful for dogs that show nervousness, uncertainty, and over-excitement at home and when theyāre out in the busy human world. These aspects of training are showing love to your dog in ways that help them navigate the world with increased confidence and clarity. Foxās owner said she was very impressed with her dogās newly-established impulse control, loose leash walking abilities, and that he settled on Place both in and outside of their home. I love watching owners share in these special moments with their dogs!
