Big A man here has been struggling at home with reactions to other dogs. This was tough for him because there was not 1, but 2 dogs 6ft away. But, by the end of the session and with clearer communication, we had some progress!
A difference you get with the team at Fresh Coast K9 is that we are OPEN to other ideas, methods and other people being involved in a dog's training. Sadly, the dog industry is plagued by ego or lack of knowledge which in the end lets the dogs down. While we certainly have our own way of doing things with valid reasoning, we are not afraid or too proud to admit when we need someone else's input.
A simple "have you tried this?" or "I'm seeing that in the dog" does two primary things: helps the dog AND helps the trainer be better! We all have our own experience levels, but nobody has "seen it all" or can see it all. We can sometimes be stuck in a narrow view (because its been working) that we can miss things that might be simple observations to others.
Point being, don't get stuck in the flat zone. Get out of your comfort zone and see what others might offer for the dog you're working with. "Know it all trainers" should be a red flag to those seeking out help, because they're less likely to be open for change. Experience does mean something, but it means less if that experience is stuck too much in the past...
#fck9life
#don'tbeatrainerdinosaur
#not_theway_we'vealwaysdoneit
Arek, Full Sending his Friday with a turn on the dime recall...💥🔥
The full video is well past the time limit of what is allowed to post. But, this is a 35sec clip of what was his first attempt on a toy recall...like ever! 😬 We didn't do ANY practice reps of this skill beforehand...per se...
What we DID do, is rep after rep after rep of recalls in various ways with food, but no toys to entice away from us. Then we did reps of leave it commands and reps of heel around toys, showing him it only "pays" to stay engaged with me. All independent skills, built seperate and blended together today. And *bam*, he nailed it!
Recalling off a high value object is an important skill for any dog owner. No matter how you get there, or the tool you use, it's probably the most important obedience skill to have in your toolbelt. Call them off of people, other dogs, cats, deer, critters, cars etc etc etc. It's a safety command.
While Arek has some genetics helping him, this can be acheived by any dog. Just have to find the right motivation, the right training and communication system in place!
Also, if you pull your phone out while training, your dog will see you are distracted and break...until they learn not to. So pay attention to THEM first while they are learning.
Enjoy the weekend!
Fresh Coast, out!
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#recallyourdog
#trainyourdog
#safetycommandsfordogs
Grinding out some reps with Maisie...
Late flight in, but nobody wants to hear those woes. Getting Maisie the Golden R on some better loose lead stuff and a "leave it" command. Like many dogs, curiousity gets the better of them. So things like rocks, trash etc that they can get off the ground is a no go (or running into the street etc etc). Its common safety.
But just cuz you say "leave it", doesn't mean your dog understands it! They don't enter this world knowing words or cues from us, they learn it...one way or another. Good and bad.
What you cannot see are the food pieces on the floor and on some elevated surfaces. Teaching her don't pay attention to those, but pay attention to me. IM the source of what you want. Nature tells animals "no" all the time and it either keeps them safe...or it doesn't ☠️.
Because dogs aren't as one with nature anymore, we have to step in sometimes and teach them not to touch, ingest or play with the pointy end of the stick. There can be various ways to accomplish this, but there has to be real meaning for the dog in a safe and controlled manner. You wouldn't let your kid chew on rocks, so don't let your fur kid either! 🐶🚫🪨🌮🍪🥩🚗
Day Train, with reactive doggo Ahren.
These are 3 consecutive clips, from our 3 different training locations today. He made progress in different ways in each one.
Vid.1 we worked with heeling and some scatter feeding first with many passing dogs, bikes and people, followed by some "do-nothing-long-down". His prey drive was in full effect when the guy crossing the street waved his shirt around like a flirt pole. We were 40yds away and that's how heavy Ahren's prey drive is.
Vid.2 we crashed a kids softball tournament and heeled near the playground. He handled this locale very well IMO given the disractions, despite one big reaction. As luck had it, we hit stop on the video, rewarded him and then another dog (GSD) had his own reaction (shocker) behind us. Depsite having some difficulty, we went into a couple heel maneuvers and his emotional state went calmer.
Vid.3 was a less distraction spot, but there were other dogs. As he goes away from, hes moving toward a dog on the path. While he was a good 30ydd still, if he's allowed to get closer and closer his behavior would turn. This was a test of his recall, honestly...and he nailed it!!
We have worked with many "reactive" dogs in the last year and more are on the list. One common theme has been owner reluctance to take their out places. Or only go when nobody is around. While we understand the reasons why, your dog won't get better if you leave them in isolation!
Have more questions about your reactive dog? Need training that isn't a "one-size fits all" program? Fresh Coast K9 will customize a training program that works for YOUR DOG! They are all similar, but all different.
Contact us today! www.freshcoastk9.com
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#trainingdogsandhumans
#dogreactivetraining
#notonesizek9training
So we said we would share the "good, the bad and the ugly"... here's a not so good, crate whining and pawing video.
Arek is overall decent in a crate, as far as we know and have seen. However (and this goes for all dogs not just rescues, puppies or special cases) when you change the picture, it has an effect on behavior. From Day 1, Arek has been using a crate. Its very important for many reasons not to be discussed here. He woule make a small bit of noise, but given the circumstance of life, he was not directly in sight when in the crate.
We just moved houses and created some choas in his picture of what life had been looking like. Long story short, we moved his crate into an area where he can safely observe the daily coming and goings of life, when it's not time to have interactions.
This was the first night of this and it went on for about 15-20min. Yes, that is nothing compared to those who have dogs screaming in there for hours etc etc. So we are glad it was only the time it was. But here is the important part... PATIENCE!!
If you are crate training or your dog does similar or worse, especially when you're around the crate, DO NOT acknowledge it. Yes, if it's difficult. Yes, it's obnoxious. Yes, you might feel bad. But, if you race over there when the dog is barking and making a fuss, they win! They have manipulated you and you just reinforced their actions. Which means they will do more and more and more and louder and harder because it worked on you.
So, moral of the story... be patient. Be prepared. And don't give in. Yes, sometimes the noise is because they have to go potty. If you think that's true and it is outside of normal potty routine, take them out to potty, then go right back into the crate. That will help keep things clear and structured. As this is typed, he's in the crate and quiet. They are fast learners when there is routine and structure.
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@freshcoastk9
#trainingdogsathome
Wet Working Dog Wednesday!🌊
Someone's suit didn't arrive as planned, so we had to improv a little, but thats life. Use what you have "laying around" and turn it into fun training! Stop being so serious about it...they're just dogs! Have fun with them. Engage with them. Enjoy them. Little, often small confidence builders like bounding thru a creek for a ball can do wonders for your relationship. You may not see it right away, but it will pay out later!
Later we worked on some hard surface tracking and started Mr. A on his first day intro to tracking!
🌊🏖🐕🚔🇺🇸
www.freshcoastk9.com
#workingdogwednesday
#k9leadstheway
Well said my friend!
@hgk9i is a friend, colleague and helluva great dog trainer! If you're a cleint of @freshcoastk9 you likely already have some info from him and you didn't know it!! 😉 he is in this for the right reasons...HELPING DOGS and OWNERS!
If you don't follow him yet, do it now! He is no nonsense and realistic with expectations!
Wish we were closer by, because it would be awesome working dogs all day together!
...rockin the hair too bro! 🤘
Just getting some clarity on what to do when you feel leash pressure... Mr A likes to pull. And hes a stout fella. This was his first session. Teaching him to release the pressure on his own and it gets him paid. Rinse and repeat. Its not glamorous. Its not exciting dog training. But if we allow the dog to drag us all over, wherever they want, that behavior gets reinforced!
Any behavior that is rewarded, in whatever fashion, is likely to be repeated. Reward the behavior YOU want. While often it becomes a hassle to "stop" or pause, or about face turn every 4ft when teaching some loose leash behavior, if you give in to that 5th foot step forward, you've reinforced it...over...and over...and over... Even for simple things like quick potty breaks. We now have to re-think Arek's brain so that he can learn the pulling is not what we want. It takes time and doesn't happen overnight!!
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#workingpetsanddoggos
We're walking, we're walking, we're walking....
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#FreshCoastK9Fitness
I made a comment (unusual for FCK9) on a podcast post recently, related their topic of "contextual pictures". While related to working dogs and how handlers influence their dogs behavior (or not), it absolutely applies to ALL DOGS! To me, that phrase "contextual pictures", refers to association. Association with environment. Association with movement, with actions, with words. Or lack of any. Associations can be dictated by or through influence. Our influence can affect a dogs association.
Take Ms. Hazel for example. She "knows" place. Does place at home etc. But does she "know" it here? She has an association with place, but only in the context of home, or with her owner. Full disclosure, I did intro place to her last summer, but she hasn't seen or done it with me for a long time. There is a different association when here. (I'll save the idea or topic of relationship, as it pertains to dog training for another day, but thats in play here too).
Therefore, in order to help bridge some of this training gap, I change the context of what place looks like to her. 1) the place cot might look different, or be positioned different than what shes used to 2) the words I was trying to use were not being as effective, so I shut my mouth and try to only use body language and motion. 3) I make or introduce a new association to place before I add the place command (not completed yet). Its nothing thats going to degrade her know association or conditioned place command behavior at home. Its just giving her the same "place" action in a newer, yet slight variation of association. Same action of place, slightly different context. The movement I give, or cue, is a way to influence her behavior and create an associtation for and with action.
This is all a precursor to Ms. Hazel learning to associate place with here, there or anywhere she may be in her life. We humans influence our dogs all day and we don't even know or realize we're doing it...but trust me, they do!
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Day 2 for Zu and her leash walking manners work. Sometimes you have to start with the right tool. You are not going to be building a bridge with a rubber mallet!! Use what works for the dog in front of you.
Zu won't work for food. Oh she'll eat it from my hand in a pile, but won't take it as a reward. So what would you do? How do you communicate and reinforce the behavior you want?
Give your answer below! Lets see what kind of dog trainers we have amongst us and learn from each other!!!
#talkingdogstuesday
#dogtrainertuesdays
@freshcoastk9
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Brain AND physical needs met=this...
