I don't talk about it enough, but most of us (myself included) move too fast with our dogs. This can be true in many different ways. We rush training sessions or try to do too much in a session. Our dog learns a particular skill or command, and we jump right to the next one. Whatever the case, this is your reminder to slow down.
Moose is different from the dogs I typically work with. He is a very low energy, low drive dog. Very typical of a Saint Bernard. What does this mean? It means Moose doesn't have any huge motivators. He isn't food or toy driven. In fact, all he really wants is to sit at your side and be pet. Although we can use this to our advantage and make praise & attention his reward, it doesn't mean he's going to move fast.
I'm really having to slow down and take my time in order to do things correctly and effectively for him. Sessions are kept short and sweet to keep his focus and build a little bit of drive. We need and want him to enjoy working for us as well as be confident about it and his surroundings.
So remember to slow down, enjoy the process, and train the dog in front of you.
#saintbernard #dogtraining #basicobediencetraining #dogkennel #trainthedoginfrontofyou
I posted this to our story, but wanted to leave it here as well. Sale ends tomorrow at 11:59PM EST!
If you are interested in a kennel, one thing to note: the darker the color, the darker the interior. If you want your dog to have a brighter interior, go with a lighter color! Sandstone is a great color for that.
Another Jax update!
This boy just wants love. From people & other dogs. Unfortunately, Lena (my bernese) doesn't love other dogs and Maze (my lab) is in heat and therefore doesn't love other dogs either, at the moment. Especially dogs that won't leave the poor girl alone (Jax). That has been my biggest struggle with him - getting him to settle down around my personal dogs and to respect their space when they tell him no.
When they're not around or separated? This is how he is. He has been so good in the house. He hasn't tried to chew hardly anything he shouldn't (he does go for a baby toy in this video but I verbally correct him and he leaves it alone). And he's been respecting the furniture boundary I established. I personally let my dogs on the couch, but I don't know what type of home Jax will go to so he is not allowed.
He does get hyper and can get a little mouthy, but he's a Beagle puppy. He is very manageable. I tell him 'no' and slow down the session or make him slow down his body and he'll settle and become calm again.
I would really love to find this guy a home before I have to return him to the SPCA next week. There is someone out there for him! Help us find this sweet, loving boy a home.
✨️Chloe✨️
This was Chloe's first outing to a store (at least with me). She is a very nervous and skittish dog around new people, places, and noises so we kept it short and sweet.
You can see in the video she is constantly scanning her surroundings making sure she is safe and feels safe. It is always important that YOU, the handler, advocate for your dogs space. Especially dogs like Chloe. If you don't advocate for her, she'll do it herself which could be barking, growling, or even biting. We want to avoid these scenarios as much as possible, so I don't typically let people approach or pet any dog that I have out in public. There are of course exceptions, but fearful and reactive dogs are off limits. I simply want her to feel comfortable in new settings and be able to ignore what is going on around her.
✨️ Chloe ✨️
Chloe & I are still working together 1 hour a week. She is a very timid & jumpy dog around new people, places, and noises so we are working on exposure and building her confidence.
As you can see from this short clip, she has beautiful leash manners. She is not in a heel command, she just chooses to hold that position. However, you can see that she is a bit uneasy. She looks behind her and is very attentive at anything that moves or makes noise. By exposing her to new things and guiding her through it, I am showing her that these things aren't as scary as she thinks. We also walked McElhattan Ave with all of the large trucks driving by and worked through that anxiety as well.
We have plenty of openings left for the month of April. I will be taking maternity leave starting June 1st so get scheduled for training or boarding while you can!
✨️Macy✨️
I laid this 211 yd blood/leg drag at 2pm yesterday afternoon, 3/9. My initial plan was to take Macy out to track it at 6pm, 4 hours old, but I decided to make it more challenging and wait until morning. Due to regular kennel responsibilities and drop offs, I wasn't able to get her out until 10:40 to track. That makes it almost 21 hours old and covered in dusting of snow.
I know we did not follow the blood trail exactly, but instead of guiding her, I treated it like any real world track. You're not always going to have blood to go off of. You have to learn to trust the dog. Macy proved she can be trusted. She is a young dog with so much chaotic energy, but as she matures, she'll be a mean tracking machine.
For those wondering, yes, Macy is still here and kicking butt in her training.
I set this 80 yd track on Monday before the weather prior to realizing how nasty it was supposed to get. We ended up waiting 24 hours to track it, and I'll be honest, I didn't have high expectations as it was only a blood trail & leg drag. I didn't expect there to be much scent left for her to go off of. Happy to say she proved me wrong!
We have 1 1/2 weeks left to button up her obedience, get her on some more tracks, and get some more sheds under her belt. Let's get to work!