Dee's Dog Training

21/03/2020

While at a client's house in Connell this morning, this little girl joined our training session. Nobody seemed to know where she belongs, and the City Hall/PD was closed. She has a license but no other tags.

She is safe with me until her owners can be located. If this is your pup, please contact me!

16/03/2020

Social distancing, isolation and weeks at home with nothing to do? Let's make the best of things!

😂

12/03/2020

If your dog doesn't have current parvo immunity, please believe you have bigger things to worry about than coronavirus.

While you may not want to get the coronavirus 🦠, I bet you do want to get some of our dog sport merch! | bit.ly/dogsportmerch

10/03/2020

Manners. Are Required.

Take a lesson from this momma. There is no need to overreact or be heavy-handed when it comes to teaching the rules.

No puppy was hurt by this display (physically or emotionally), but even the persistent ones got the point. Momma won't tolerate wild behavior, and you shouldn't either!

09/03/2020

If you start with complete discipline, your dog will end up with freedom.

If you start with complete freedom, your dog will end up desperate for discipline.

No matter where your starting point is, Dee's Dog Training can help you and your dog find your way to freedom!

09/03/2020

Meet Chewy! This beautiful boy is a 9-month old Cavalier King Charles spaniel and he melts my heart. 🥰

08/03/2020

Do you regularly clip or file your dog's nails?

Trimming your dog's nails is an important part of keeping your dog healthy. Nails that are too long can cause anything from discomfort to severe structural damage and behavioral problems. Imagine walking in shoes one size too small, with toenails that haven't been clipped in months... No fun!

One of the most common reasons people don't trim their dog's nails is that their dogs simply won't cooperate. If your dog falls into this category, you are not alone! Call Dee to find out what you can do to make the process smoother and easier for both you and your dog!

08/03/2020

Happy International Women's Day!

Ladies, whether it is an elaborate Girls' Night Out, or taking some quiet time for yourself, I hope every one of you does something special to celebrate today. You deserve it!

07/03/2020

Pardon my French.

No, really. The French word for "stand up" is "debout" and I do not speak French, so I'm sure my pronunciation is off.

Recon doesn't care. He nailed it, even if I didn't.

07/03/2020

Tonight we set our clocks forward!

Dogs can't tell time, and they certainly don't understand Daylight Savings. (Let's be honest, most humans don't understand the point of DST either.)

How does a time change affect your dog, and how can you prevent problems for the next week or so while everyone readjusts?

First, remember that your dog is a creature of habit and routine. They, like you, may not be excited about getting up an hour early. You may find that when you let them out to potty, they stare at you blankly. Depending on your dog, they will either be ecstatic to get breakfast early (mine fall into this category), or they will turn it down altogether because they just aren't hungry yet!

The best thing you can do is plan ahead. Understand that it may take a few extra minutes for them to do their outside duties or to eat breakfast, and have patience. If they don't cooperate at first, give them another chance before you leave the house. Better to set aside extra time in the morning than to come home to a mess!

06/03/2020

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...

Training your dog or puppy does not happen overnight. Having a well-trained dog is a process. Successful training requires good management. What does that mean, exactly?

First, "training" is an event where you teach your dog a specific skill. Training sessions are usually short, spaced out, and frequent. For most people, this takes up a very small portion of life with your dog -- 5 to 10 minutes a few times a day, for example.

"Management" is how you live with your dog for the other 99% of the time. The routines you follow, the rules you enforce (or don't), how you interact with your dog, the tools you use to prevent problems... all management.

Here is an example... You have just brought home a puppy and your first task is potty-training. If your puppy needs to go the bathroom 5 times a day, you have 5 TRAINING opportunities per day. That's it. Teaching them where to go, requires that they need to go to begin with. Good MANAGMENT means you have a plan, set a routine, and use tools and techniques that allow you to control and supervise your puppy at all other times. The better you manage, the faster your puppy learns. Poor management means your puppy is left unsupervised, makes their own routine, and you are left guessing... and probably doing a lot of clean-up. Things go downhill from there.

The same is true no matter what skills we are training. The better your management skills are, the better your training will be. The better your training is, the less you will need to manage your dog's behavior!

ALL of our puppy and dog training programs come with personalized management plans that will help you and your dog be successful, no matter what your training goals are. If you are struggling with your puppy or dog, call me and we will get things sorted out!

05/03/2020

Puppy season is here! If you are a new puppy owner, or you are counting down the days until your puppy comes home, NOW is the best time to enroll in our training programs.

Prevent problem behaviors, avoid frustration, and join fellow puppy owners on the journey to a well-behaved and well-rounded dog!

Registration for Spring 2020 programs closes March 27th! Call Dee today to find out more and get enrolled!

03/03/2020

Socialization ISN'T what you think it is.

Everyone tells you to "socialize" your puppy. Introduce it to lots of strange dogs. Let every stranger pet it when you go to the park. Take it to explore the pet store and everything and everyone in it. Visit dog parks and set up play dates. Enroll it in puppy day care.

The problem is that this advice comes from your breeder, your vet, your friends, strangers on Facebook and Google. I absolutely guarantee you it didn't come from a reputable dog trainer. Because dog trainers know that this is the fastest way to create major problems for your dog in the future.

Follow that advice, and by the time your puppy is 6 months or a year old, you will have a monster who pulls frantically on the leash, choking itself trying to get to the person down the street... lunging and barking at every dog they see... not hearing a word you yell at it. You will be *that* owner, completely out of control while you insist your dog "just wants to say hi" because you don't know what else to do. I promise.

My clients don't "socialize" their puppies. They "neutralize" them. They teach their puppies to IGNORE strangers and other dogs. They expose them to situations and environments in order to teach their puppies that nothing is worth getting excited about. They present their puppies with distractions to build and practice focus on what really matters... their owner.

If you are looking to socialize your puppy, you are looking for problems. Call us next year to solve them.

If you are looking to neutralize your puppy, you're looking to prevent problems. Call us today to learn how!

03/03/2020

Are your expectations of your dog realistic?

I know I expect too much from my dogs sometimes. As a trainer (and a perfectionist), it can be hard not to take it personally when they misbehave.

But the reality is... dogs are living, breathing creatures who have good days and bad days, just like us. They make their own decisions, and not all of them are stellar. They have their own desires and sometimes, following the rules isn't high on their priority list. Dogs may be teachable, but they are not programmable.

Mistakes will be made. Boundaries will be tested. No matter how often or how well you train your dog, they will have their moments at the top of your s**t list.

Train for perfection, and you can get close. Expect perfection, and you will be disappointed. Because at the end of the day... you have a dog, not a robot.

And despite their flaws, I bet they are a good dog.

02/03/2020

Doctors can't take your medicine for you.
Personal trainers can't do your work out for you.
Therapists can't become self-aware for you.
Dog trainers can't train your dog for you.

It isn't magic. We are to show you how, when and why. We are here to support you.

But you have to be willing to put the work in!

17/02/2020

There is a number! 509-948-5788

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