K9 Embrace, LLC

20/10/2024

We’re all about positive reinforcement here at FDSA. Most of us use food a lot of the time. That’s great – and we want you to keep doing it! With that said, food doesn’t always get us the results we want. For one thing, some animals get so overexcited around food that they can’t think straight. Some even take matters into their own hands (paws/hooves/etc.) and try to get the food when you haven’t offered it yet! On the flip side, some animals run away as soon as you pull out treats. And then there are the animals that refuse to work if there is no food around. All of this can make food feel like a mixed blessing at best.

In this week's webinar with Irith Bloom, we'll explore the use of food in training. Irith will offer suggestions for troubleshooting common issues that come up when we use food. She’ll delve into when, where, and how best to deliver food. Special attention will be paid to situations involving fear, anxiety, and over-excitement. She’ll also talk about when we might want to avoid food, and how to fade food out of our training.

Whether you are a training novice or have years of experience under your belt, this webinar will help you re-examine and fine-tune your use of food. Come join us Thursday, October 24th!

Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/self-study/webinars

02/10/2024

Muzzles are excellent safety tools.

❌ They are NOT permission to put your dog in a situation they aren’t ready for.

❓What does that mean?

Your dog and the general public may be safe from a bite BUT you may be:
- Putting your dog in situations that are compounding negative associations
- Risking your dog reacting towards triggers and rehearsing a behaviour you should be trying to prevent in combination with a training plan
- Flooding your dog, putting them in the deep end of the pool and suppressing emotions that WILL come out at some point likely even more pronounced
- Exposing the general public to a dog that attacks (charges, pins, snarls, etc) and impacts them negatively, a muzzle protects from a bit but not a reaction

If your thought process is “well, it gives my dog more freedom off leash”, I get it. It absolutely can. But, you are still taking some big risks that may not come with a bite but are going to be VERY difficult to to try and undo down the line.

Muzzles should:
- ALWAYS be conditioned and introduced, trained with regularly before your dog even wears it
- Be part of a plan that integrates the right environments to set your dog, and anyone interacting with your dog, up for success
- Combine behaviour modification to address your dog’s emotions with use of a muzzle
- Always fit properly and in some cases be custom made

Resources:
The Muzzle Movement .muzzle.movement
The Pet Rescue Resource thepetrescueresource.com/muzzle-training

29/08/2024

02/08/2024

19/07/2024

01/07/2024

Quick results doesn’t mean ethical results.

If some guy (or girl) tells you to ignore your dog's cries, to show your dog you're in charge or disregards how your dog feels, then grab your beautiful, vulnerable dog and run the other way. Our dogs rely on us to understand and care for them, to be their advocates and protectors from harm. Let's live up to their needs. It's our responsibility.