Real Terms Dog Training Solutions

09/07/2021

Bodhi and i have a full weekend of dock diving! He is the competitor and I am his handler. And one of the judges. I’ve got lots to keep him cool. Ryobi fans, cold water, air conditioned building, a cooling coat, and lots of pool time. As for myself, I’m hoping to jump into the pool when he gets a personal best! A couple of weeks ago, at a different dock, Bodhi decided he could jump 20’4”! I know I say this often, but Bodhi blows me away daily with how far he has come! He’s so confident and driven now!

28/06/2021

Let’s talk about treats, treat values and when to use various treat values!

First of all, your dog chooses what they find valuable. What my dog likes, yours may spit out. And value changes over time. When Bodhi first came home with me, he wouldn’t dream of working for kibble, but now he is willing to because he loves working!

Let’s list different types of treat from low value to high value-this is according to my own dogs and dogs I’ve worked with. First, kibble. Second, soft dog treats such as Zukes. Third, meat based treats like Ziwi peak, rawwble, Stella and chewy. Fourth is people food, such as cheese, hotdogs, cooked chicken. Finally, raw meat, tripe, occasionally ice cream.

The value of the treat changes depending on the location. My dog happily works for kibble at home, in a training class, or pretty much any indoor location. We train with kibble in place or meals, to prevent adding unwanted calories. However, he won’t recall off of a bunny for kibble. It’s kind of like us. If your boss asks you to do a task at work, no problem. If they ask you to do the same task on your day off, you need extra incentive. If your dog doesn’t want to work, it could either be that the treat isn’t worth their time or it could be they aren’t hungry.

Don’t hesitate to try some different treats and figure it out what your dog enjoys working for.

18/05/2021

A Bodhi update: as of last post, he was preparing for his first AKC scent trial. He Q’d in 7 out of 8 runs, 4 of those were with his favorite auntie. The following weekend was barnhunt and he earned his Crazy 8’s bronze title! We opened the pool and he’s jumping with a lot of enthusiasm. He participated in the first UKI trial in Montana. We had a lot of successes and tried some harder handling techniques. This last weekend, he finished up his open jumpers and open hoopers in NADAC. And tonight was the last night of toss and fetch frisbee league. Somehow our raw score put us in first place of everyone in the league. It’s definitely because Bodhi did better at giving me the frisbee this year. I love this dog and all that he does! He’s a great partner and he pushes me to be the handler he deserves. If you want to know more about dog sports, let me know!

19/04/2021

This is so true! I think both of my dogs fall into the middle category. Dakota gets along with most dogs. He’s only disliked a few other dogs in his lifetime. But he also likes to he left alone, lacks skills to play, and dislikes being pushed around. Bodhi gets along with fewer dogs than Dakota, but the ones he likes, he plays very nicely with. He just struggles with dogs who are too happy, masculine, big, small, pawsy...he likes certain female dogs and that is it. Both are fine to be places, I just have to watch their backs and prevent unwanted encounters.

17/04/2021

Bodhi has his first AKC scent work trial tomorrow. As long as I take my time and read his alerts well, he’s got this. I’m excited for this trial because I love how much confidence this sport has given to Bodhi. Wish us luck!

12/04/2021

How did you celebrate National Pet Day? My boys had a business as usual day. Bodhi helped me teach classes, played frisbee and had marathon nosework practice. He is trialing next weekend! Dakota kept his bed warm and had a delicious turkey neck. Both get special food for supper, complete with tripe!

10/04/2021

Oh boy, this is familiar! I taught a certain dog that when he returns the toy, we tug. This worked great when we were building toy drive. And it works on some toys. But when he tries to tug on the obedience dumbbell or frisbees during toss and fetch...I will be forever grateful for his toy drive though!

07/04/2021

Bodhi got to help me with some reactive dog rehab yesterday. Up to this point, this has been Dakota’s job. Dakota has a natural talent of diffusing other dogs and giving off all the signals that he’s not a threat. Bodhi is actually a bit dog reactive himself. But he’s very well managed and I know when reactive behavior may occur. He likes his space, but generally has no desire to start fights outside of his space. Yesterday, we worked with a sweet pup who likes other dogs and tries to make friends with all of them. So his goal was to work near another dog without losing his mind. Bodhi was able to perform heels and fronts while a dog twice his size walked around us. I’m so proud of him! It wasn’t his favorite thing, but he has learned that I will keep him safe. This was a big moment for Bodhi and shows how far he’s come!

06/04/2021

I’ve got a couple of spots open in recallers starting this Sunday! This is a favorite class that I teach and a truly useful one, especially heading into summer and hiking/camping season. Click the blue link to join!!

There are a few spots open in the upcoming Recallers class. Be prepared for hiking season. Sign up here under events tab

https://www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/BKCUD96/workshops

05/04/2021

🐣🌷🐰💐 Happy Easter from Bodhi!

03/04/2021

I’m super excited to get to teach this class! Come check it out, take your dog’s training to the next level, earn an AKC title and brag about your awesome partner. Class is designed around the CGC test, and is a great class for pet dogs and sport dogs alike!

There are still 2 spots open in the upcoming CGC class at BKC. See events tab to get registered.
https://www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/BKCUD96/workshops

27/03/2021

I’m going to be real with you here for a second. I hope I don’t make working with my own dogs sound likes it’s all fun and games. I love it more than anything, but it can also be challenging. Today, Bodhi and I were working on a new trick. I figured it would be easy, because it’s just putting pieces together of behaviors he already knows. But he needed it broken down a little more. When Bodhi gets frustrated with me, he comes at my fave, and licks my eyeballs. It’s not aggressive, but it’s his way of saying that he doesn’t understand what I’m asking. He got frustrated, I got frustrated, he walked away from a training session, which is something I haven’t seen him do in over a year. So, we went outside to play and I asked him to do a couple of tricks that he knows well. We went back to our new trick and he picked it up right away! Not to fluency, but enough to keep moving forward. When we quit, he was happy! Here’s the thing-I don’t know why I got frustrated with him. I’m usually really patient. But as soon as I realized it, we quit and worked on stuff where there was no pressure. If you find yourself in this position, don’t beat yourself up. Just step away, and either give your dog a break or let tj be successful at something they can be. Training should be fun!

21/03/2021

20/03/2021

15/03/2021

Bodhi agility! Bodhi has come so far and continues to grow into a confident and athletic sport dog. This is open hoopers, and this is the most connected I’ve felt with him on a run. Both runs were great and both first places. Agility has given both of us so much! It helps me to better communicate with my dog and it gives my dog a lot of confidence. I never forget that he was a distracted, slow moving, easily disengaged dog when we first started. And look at him now, he’s come so far! Let me know if you’d like to know more about this sport!

13/03/2021

This is always good advice! It’s not necessarily your job to make life easier for other dogs, but it does make you an awesome human if you do! I don’t know if you’ve ever been on the end of the leash of the reactive dog, but if you have, you’ll appreciate people who give your dog space to succeed.

Dogs who wear muzzles are good dogs. Dogs who aren’t dog friendly are good dogs. Dogs who are leash reactive are good dogs. Dogs who need space are good dogs. Dogs who are scared of strangers are good dogs.

If you see someone clearly making steps to avoid you or your dog while you are out walking, please respect them.

If someone lets you know that their dog needs space or isn’t dog friendly, please respect them.

If you see someone clip their dog on lead when you approach, clip yours on too and give them space.

Some dogs don't want to interact with other dogs or people and that's fine. I'm sure you don't want to interact with everyone you see either! They still deserve to have a great quality of life and go everywhere yours gets to go as long as they are taking the right precautions.

Having a dog that needs space is a challenge all of its own, but we are doing our best to advocate for them to insure they live the best lives we can give them. Training can't happen at all unless we take these dogs into public places. To everyone with friendly dogs, please don’t be offended and please don't judge. A nervous dog can happen to anyone at anytime. Instead of playing the blame game, let's all try make that dog's life more comfortable and its owners life much easier by being understanding 🖤
Picture credit : whole dog journal.
- hope, the rescued street dog ❤️🐾

🌟For help with barking/ lunging or aggression towards other people or dogs on walks our online reactivity course is available via this link:

Want to take part in a dog sport with your reactive dog?

Look up mantrailing Global.

🖥️https://unleashingpossibilities.thinkific.com/

08/03/2021

Can I see photos of your senior pets?

I played with my old dog today! At 13.5 years, Dakota is partially deaf and has bad knees. But he still loves to do things. We modified a rally course to suit him and he still remembered how to do things. He’s not able to sit any more and down is hard to get up from. Then, he got to do some nosework as well. He’s a ton of fun to handle because there are no expectations. He just asks me to be patient, understanding and fully present. If you are looking for ways to add activity and enrichment to your senior pet’s life, let me know and I’d love to help!

26/02/2021

This is so important to remember! I have the dog who isn’t particularly friendly. And I manage him with leashes and training. But if an off leash dog rushes him, he will react. And whether he is at fault or not, it worries me that he would be blamed. I am on high alert to keep my dog safe. Please keep your dog safe as well.

This is so important for pet parents everywhere! (via Mighty Dog Graphics)

21/02/2021

While waiting for our class to arrive, Bodhi learned a new trick! He has been learning to pick things up and something put them away. This week, he learned how to bring me his bowl and now his leash. Basically, he’s learning service dog tasks without being a service dog.
Billings K9 Coaching

16/02/2021

Help me wish my right hand man a very happy 4th birthday! He’s such a great teammate and training partner and is the best coworker I could ask for! He got to play agility all weekend, so today, he slept in and enjoyed a bone and cookie. Love this boy and hope for many more birthdays!

15/02/2021

Share pics of your sweet 4 legged valentines!

11/01/2021

Does your dog have a New Year’s resolution to shed a few pounds and get summer collar ready? If you’ve ever talked to me, you know how important I think it is to have your dog at their ideal weight. Why? Well, the best way I can explain it is that unfortunately, our dogs have a shorter lifespan than we want them to. To give them the best chance at a long and comfortable life, ideal weight is key! It helps their joints, heart and overall movement.
How do you help your dog reach ideal weight? It’s pretty easy, in theory. Feed less, exercise more. Feed them a high quality diet and feed the amount recommended for their ideal weight, not their current weight. Lots of options for exercise too. Walks, runs, swimming are all great!
If you need help walking your dog, I still have a few spaces. I’m mainly focusing on heights and north westend. You can schedule walks as needed, daily, or a few times a week. And you can plan to have your dog walked indefinitely or for the season. I’m insured, experienced and fun for the dogs! I also can coordinate a covid plan with you. It’s always an option to include leash training with your walk for a small additional fee. Message me if you’d like to get on my walk rotation!

23/12/2020

*Revised Qualifying Period: December 1, 2019 through January 3, 2021 Entries Open: Tuesday, December 1, 2020 @ 8:00 am Eastern Entries Close: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 @ 8:00 pm Eastern

08/12/2020

If you’ve ever wanted to try barnhunt, this is a great price to register with Barnhunt Association. If you have any questions about barnhunt or BHA, please message me. It’s definitely one of our favorite dog sports!

It's an unprecedented year. This is an unprecedented price. You will never see it again, not even close.

To answer some questions in advance, yes, the timeframe is absolutely firm. No, you can't get the discount either a second before or a second after that time. Note that the time is CENTRAL STANDARD time. Adjust accordingly. :)

YOU MUST INPUT THE CODE: COVID2020. If you fail to input the code and end up paying full price, you will not be eligible for a refund of the difference.

Yes, you can register as many dogs as you like at that price and no, a dog does not need to be 6 months old to be registered. They do need to be born though. :)

Feel free to share.

18/11/2020

Hey all, I have some spots available for dog walking! I’m looking for daily or multiple times per week dogs. I’m willing to travel to the west end, heights and everywhere in between. I can handle up to 4 dogs from one household, and can handle dogs of all sizes. I have experience with reactive dogs and it is always an option to add training to your walk time! You can even share walks with a neighbor. I love my dog walking clients and the relationships we form. Especially now, with the weather cooling off and the days getting shorter, this can be a lifesaver for busy pet parents.

Here’s the logistics- my rate is $15 for a 30 minute walk and $25 for an hour. I take several forms of contact free payment, and am flexible on payment schedules. I’ll need a way to get into your house or yard, generally with me holding on to your key. I can also use my own leashes to minimize contact between us. I schedule walks between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, but can also do earlier, later or even help those who work night shifts.

Here’s the top 10 dogs who would benefit from a dog walker.
1- puppies: I can help with housetraining and let you know if your puppy is doing well.
2- senior dogs: sometimes seniors need to move to offset stiffness. They set the pace and get to sniff. Also, seniors can have a hard time holding it all day.
3-active dogs: a daily walk can help your active dog be a little more relaxed when you get home. It may also keep them from chewing up the couch.
4-overweight dogs: just like us, extra pounds are hard on joints. A daily walk can be an important part of your dog’s fitness routine.
5-bored dogs: a chance to get out of the house and to sniff can offset lots of alternate entertainment, such as chewing and digging.
6-anxious dogs: sometimes predictable routine is important and it helps your dog to feel more secure. Plus, tired dogs have less time to feel anxious.
7-dogs recovering from surgery: while I am not a vet, I will notice if something is off with your dog and can help them rehabilitate from surgery.
8-apartment dogs: dogs that don’t have regular access to a backyard will love a walk and a chance to stretch their legs.
9- dogs with busy owners: it’s just life, and we all get busy. Especially with shorter daylight hours, kids to take to practice and odd work schedules, the dog might get left out. A dog walker can ensure that your dog gets attention and exercise every day.
10- dogs still learning: you see those dogs walking nicely through the park while your freight train is pulling you to visit squirrels. Your dog will benefit from being walked by a trainer and can also learn to be one of those dogs that we envy.

If this sounds like your dog, message me! I’m licensed, insured, professional and would love to help you with your dog!

01/10/2020

Bodacious Bodhi the bumper loving,dock diving, magnificent McNab is heading to dock diving regionals tomorrow! He gets to cross Idaho and Washington off of his states visited list. He earned an invite in both distance and air retrieve! It should be a fun adventure and a great end to a great dock diving season! Thank you for all the support!

30/06/2020

To my followers, it’s been too long since I’ve shared anything with you, and you all deserve better than that. So, here is a long overdue update on how the 3 of us are doing.

Bodhi: Bodhi has arrived. That’s all I can say. He earned two new agility titles over memorial weekend and competed in a harder class. He earned 12/18 Q’s in his last trial. He decided he’s jumping into junior division in dock diving and senior air retrieve. He also finished his barnhunt senior title. With a gimpy handler. (See my update down below.) He’s also participating in frisbee league and is holding his own. He celebrated his 2 year anniversary with me and he’s just the best!

Dakota: Dakota is 13 years old, and I made the tough decision to retire him from agility. He got his last trial and earned his intro barrelers title. He’s got some arthritis and pain, and I’d hate to see him injure himself beyond repair. It was an emotional day for sure, because he’s the best partner ever! He attempted to play some barnhunt, but it was a tough day, because that was the day I hurt my hand. Dakota also has a pretty blue tail! And he got to hang out with my family a couple of weekends ago.

Me: I did something stupid. I got in a knife fight...with a pocket knife...and the knife won. I came out with 6 stitches, and a hand that is still bruised and swollen. I’ve had to turn some walking clients away and training has been hard. But the pain is slowly diminishing and I’m getting a little use back. No as fast as I’d like though. I included it as the last photo for people who are interested.

23/05/2020

This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer! This summer may look different than others, but there are still places to be explored and adventures to be had, with a loyal dog at your side. I am incredibly grateful for dog sports and this weekend, Dakota and Bodhi get to do some agility! And Bodhi gets to go swimming. My dogs live a good life. Enjoy your weekend and be safe!
P.S. what are you doing with your dogs this weekend?

07/05/2020

One of my favorite parts of dog walking is getting to enjoy the seasons! I love seeing flowers blooming, things becoming green and all the signs of new life. Even though life is strange, it still goes on and I find a lot of comfort in that! Enjoy the spring and enjoy time with your dog!