Better communication. Better relationship.
THANK YOU for an amazing 2024 - new students, former students who came back for more, ALL the dogs, fellow trainers and collaborators - each and every one of you are more important than I can express without sounding weird. 🥹. Thank you.
I hope you have the best of everything in the coming year.
#dogmaticsllc#positivedogtraining#positveimpact#happynewyear #
Hear your dog when they say no thank you, I don’t like this/it scares me/it hurts, no, seriously, no, please stop, I said STOP.
Some dogs tolerate our insistence, others stand up for themselves. Some start at tolerance then stand up for themselves.
If we pay attention, we can engage and recruit our dogs kindly and gently BEFORE we end up in a contest and without using discomfort or force to get there.
This doesn’t mean we let dogs do everything they want. It does mean we recognize that they have needs, feelings, and desires and we help them trust us and feel safe enough to willingly do what we want.
#positivetraining#noshockneeded#dogmaticsllc #positivedogtraining#forcefreedogtraining
Did you know @bayshoreanimalclinic does HAPPY VISITS?!?!
TLDR: My priority is not efficiency, it’s to make sure I don’t break my dog.
These are GREAT for puppies, dogs who don’t like the vet, or dogs like @georgeabulldog , who usually love the vet but are showing subtle signs of not being so sure about it lately.
Get ahead of and diminish dread of vet visits!!
Backstory: George had a few visits in a row that involved shots. He started to back away when he felt he was going to be cornered and poked. I hate seeing him so worried that he tries to hide - even if the reason is for his health. It makes me sad. (How would I feel in his paws?)
Rather than forcing, which can lead to a vicious upward spiral of more-protest-more-wrangling, Dr. Bloom suggested Happy Visits. A quick, no fee, vet tech visit that’s basically a dog party. (That’s a THING?!?!?😁😁👏👏🐾🐾)
YES, PLEASE!! We’re doing happy visits in between the must-have visits now. And, if a visit is causing stress, we’re NOT doing ALL the things that visit. We’ll come back another time. Maybe after another happy visit, even.
My priority is not efficiency of tasks, it’s to make sure I don’t break my dog.
A HUGE deal for this sweet girl, who was in a constant, frantic search for threats during her walks. We still have a ways to go but her parents have been doing great practice between lessons and it shows. She’s made so much improvement!
Ciry life can be really hard on dogs: constant stimulation, routine space invasion, sudden scary noises and events. And no place or time in the outside to decompress without going through “hell” to get there.
It can make a dog defensive - in a way that looks aggressive.
Treats, play and patience are crucial. And if you see me giving this girl a treat after someone gets too close (not part of the plan but it happens, bc..city life), it’s 💯% on purpose…
It does NOT teach her to repeat being so freaked out she loses her mind and barks. It does NOT TEACH her to bark at people. It seems like it would, but it does the opposite. At some point it could…after the fear is gone. A good R+ trainer can help you learn the difference in that timing.
The worst thing would be to yell at her or punish her in some way - completely not helpful. And not very nice.
#positivereinforcement#dogmaticsllcdogtraining #reactivedogs
Take a few minutes to reset and de-stress: Watch them do their thing. Rejoice in their victories. Help them when they struggle too much. Let them feel your love and attention. Just you and them. No other distractions (no tv, phone, talking to anyone else, no thinking about what’s next, just be IN the moments). Get lost in the engagement. Let me know what happens. 3 minutes, 5 minutes, whatever. Fill both of your tanks.
Less pulling, more attention. No yanks, pops or shocks needed.
#positivereinforcementdogtraining#dogmaticsllcdogtraining#forcefreetraining#ilovemystudents#lovethisjob#goodhumangooddog
We weren’t even able to get outside for our first lesson because she wasn’t comfortable enough to even hear the door open or be outside without jumping to immediate alert.
Look at how comfortable she is!!! Even with added noises! Kudos to her mom for all the great work and practice getting her to this point.
#positivereinforcementdogtraining#fearfreetraining#lovemyjob#dogmaticsllcdogtraining#reactivedogs
Hard no to waking up. Is there ANYTHING about me that says “yes I want to wake up now?!”
I thought about being offended, then remembered that he’s allowed to have an opinion. (and his opinion may be shared by many😂😂🤣)
#dogmaticsllcdogtraining#georgeabulldog#aversivefree#dogopinion#singingfail
Author, Owner-DogmaticsLLC, -positive reinforcement in-home dog training (www.DogmaticsLLC.com)
