Star Dog Training & Behavior Specialists

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Star Dog Training & Behavior Specialists Through StarDog Training, Judy Borsheim, MS, VSPDT, teaches dogs & people how to live great lives together.
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Using positive, humane, force-free techniques, Judy will help you with anything from puppy training and socialization to aggression and reactivity.

đŸŽ¶ All the leaves are (all the leaves are brown)đŸŽ¶ đŸŽ¶ just like your dog’s poo (Just like your dog’s pooo-oooop) đŸŽ¶ It’s tha...
07/12/2024

đŸŽ¶ All the leaves are (all the leaves are brown)đŸŽ¶
đŸŽ¶ just like your dog’s poo (Just like your dog’s pooo-oooop) đŸŽ¶

It’s that time of year again! The time when you re-discover that you need to watch EXACTLY where your dog “goes,” lest you find yourself practicing your Where’s Waldo skills searching for your dog’s #2 in front of a school on nature’s canvas of what I’ll call bathroom camo.
Can you find it in this pic?!

But let us give thanks for it being a Friday afternoon and school has adjourned for the weekend. Because I’ve always been terrible at Where’s Waldo, and I’m no better at this real-life application I think. I’m hovering somewhere between 94 and 96% positive that I did not find 25-40% of what I should have. And it’s right at the main entrance.

Let me read my news in pees! â˜źïž You wouldn’t like it if someone pulled you away from your news and messages all the time...
19/08/2024

Let me read my news in pees! â˜źïž

You wouldn’t like it if someone pulled you away from your news and messages all the time, so don’t do it to your dog. Sniffing on walks is how dogs get information about their environment. It’s their version of reading messages, newsfeeds and emails.

Let your dog ‘snift’ through its ‘peemail’😁

🐕

If you’re in the market for a puppy or dog, It’s a great opportunity when a rescue has mama and puppies together. Behavi...
17/07/2024

If you’re in the market for a puppy or dog, It’s a great opportunity when a rescue has mama and puppies together. Behavior does have a genetic component, so when you can meet a mama with her pups, you get a bigger picture of potential.
And don’t forget to socialize the heck out of puppies! Puppy classes guided by behavior specialists like me are crucial for setting you and your pup up for success :)

27/06/2024

HELP YOUR DOG LIKE FIREWORKS AND THUNDER!

I posted about this years ago but it’s a good reminder!

Here’s what works for many dogs I work with (including my dog who every year forgets that fireworks and thunder aren’t scary):

ACT LIKE YOU LIKE THE SOUND - When the “bad noise” happens, acknowledge it with a positive, but not-too-over-the-top cheerful voice, “ooh fireworks!” Your emotions become your dog’s emotions if you’re consistent.

MAKE THEIR FAVORITE THING HAPPEN BRIEFLY immediately after “bad noise” and your positive response. For my dog it’s playing with his toys with him. Your dog’s favorites might be ice cubes, ball, belly rubs, bacon, whatever works! Keep in mind this isn’t coddling, it’s creating a strong positive association to shift an emotional response.
🌟 Keep it to ten seconds or so, then go back to what you were doing. 🌟 Favorite thing only happens immediately after the noise occurs. This gives your dog many times associating a positive with the scary thing!

REPEAT, every time the noise happens.

PLAY MUSIC and SHUT WINDOWS & DOORS - reggae or light classical music (best for stress reduction). A fan or white noise machine also work okay. Closing windows and doors helps dampen the sound too.

IF THEY JUST CAN’T

Their favorite thing isn’t helping?

Continue with the positive response to the “bad noise” and happily make them a nest where they usually take shelter away from exterior walls where it’s quieter. “Ooh, thunder! Let’s make your bed!” Again, not too over the top.

Try a dog calming wrap, DIY style. It’s pretty cute! Look it up 😊

Look into doggie ear muffs

Look into calming supplements like CBDs, Rescue Remedy, or calming chews made for dogs such as Composure or True H**p Chews. Don’t rely on these - they won’t shift the negative response like we want to, they usually take the edge off just a little. It’s best when paired with the positive association exercise discussed above.

Do set-ups: Play a recording of the noises at a volume they can tolerate and associate it with things they love. Over time, work up to louder volume (you can work on this year round and build up slowly, but it’s tough to do at this time of year).

If none of the above works, consider talking to your vet about meds and start working with a behavior specialist (like me!)

Walks with this boy are such a joy. Blessed with a lovely, temperate evening and a most wonderfur companion! ❀
27/06/2024

Walks with this boy are such a joy. Blessed with a lovely, temperate evening and a most wonderfur companion! ❀

How to introduce dogs:With the help of some human friends, I introduced my dog Bucky (right) and Jack (left). I’ve helpe...
19/05/2024

How to introduce dogs:

With the help of some human friends, I introduced my dog Bucky (right) and Jack (left). I’ve helped train and am currently dog sitting Jack so I know him and Bucky well enough to trust they’ll get along. Even then without a proper introduction, things don’t always go smoothly. With a little know how, you can successfully introduce your dog to new friends too!

FIRST, Find a neutral area - an open space where neither dog frequents regularly is an excellent option.

NO face-to-face meetings!! Dogs stiffen up, feel tense, and can’t get a good read for eachother - not to mention all of the fighting parts (teeth and claws) that are right near vulnerable areas such as the eyes, face, and neck.

INSTEAD, start with parallel, distanced walks. As long as the dogs aren’t reactive on leash, walking the two dogs parallel to each other at a distance of about 10 feet helps them watch each other’s body language and figure out they’re safe. Throughout this, praise and be happy about the dogs glancing at each other and then away from each other! Yay, friends!
Don’t let them meet quite yet! Wait for it


NEXT, have them both follow some cues they know, such as sit or down. Engaging the brain helps get and keep dogs calm! It’s also a good indicator of how comfortable vs nervous/excited they are. If either is unable to respond to requests that they are normally able to, give some more distance between them and try again. Once that goes well


FINALLY, find a way for them to meet off leash in the open space. Bucky and Jack had some initial testing and posturing toward each other but they diffused it themselves. That’s almost always the case so don’t helicopter mom them! They establish boundaries and play preferences this way and learn each other. It’s best to walk around a bit and keep praising them and enjoying the budding relationship!

If you ever need help or run into a hitch with this, or if you would feel better with a little guidance, reach out to a behavior specialist, like me! I love helping dogs enrich their lives with doggie friends and fun!

Training a solid recall!Chloe, Snoopy and Coco loved their first training session, and their humans did too! Dachshunds ...
18/04/2024

Training a solid recall!

Chloe, Snoopy and Coco loved their first training session, and their humans did too! Dachshunds can have big personalities, and like a lot of dogs they usually have strong opinions about what their “job” should be.

A fantastic recall is no minor feat when working with independent-minded, prey-driven pups, especially with bunnies in the backyard!
I love teaching people how to harness their dogs’ innate desires in order to build a solid response when they hear, “Puppies, come come come!!”

Three important tools:
20-30 foot line
Yummy treats for responding
Let ‘em go do what they wanted in the first place! Within reason of course.

Make it happen 90% of the time! This way, they aren’t choosing between listening to you and the thrill of doing Dog’s work - in this case, chasing varmints down their hidey holes!

Had a great Doggie Q&A event at Sunroom Brewing! Lots of adorable pups and awesome people :)
26/02/2024

Had a great Doggie Q&A event at Sunroom Brewing! Lots of adorable pups and awesome people :)

16/01/2024

Cooped up with the pup? Get that puppy energy out at Puppy class tonight at southwest veterinary clinic - 6pm! See more information at StarDog-training.com!

Paw rum pum pum pum! đŸŸ StarDog Training Puppy Class and Good Dog Grade School start in Littleton on Tuesday, January 9th...
18/12/2023

Paw rum pum pum pum! đŸŸ StarDog Training Puppy Class and Good Dog Grade School start in Littleton on Tuesday, January 9th. Happy pup, happy human, happy howlidays!
Sign up now to help you and your furry friend be the best team ever at StarDog-training.com

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