MVP Dog Training

03/06/2024

Interesting new research for spaying and neutering dogs. This is an important thing to be aware of as new puppies are developing and need those vital hormones. Check out the list and be aware as you select your next breed!

15/04/2024

This is a hard conversation to share & have with clients about what we feed our pets. Everyone wants to know “what’s the best food for our dogs” it’s not a one kind fits all… But everyone needs to hear and be aware of this message about what is being put into our kibble so we can make educated choices…

But long story short— DOG KIBBLE IS POTENTIALLY SHORTENING OUR PETS LIVES at a faster rate than ever before.

Adding in good human foods from our diet into theirs can help…. But why not just feed good quality food (cough cough, check out Volhard Dog Nutrition) so you have peace of mind when it comes to our pets.

11/12/2023

Such great insight for those considering new puppies this holiday season! Take care of them - and let us know if you need help teaching new habits and skills to you and your new puppy in 2024!

Lorsque vous accueillez enfin vos chiots de 10 semaines, veuillez garder cette image à l'esprit. Leurs os ne se touchent même pas encore. Ils marchent si joliment avec de grosses pattes souples et des mouvements bancals parce que leurs articulations sont entièrement constituées de cartilages, de muscles, de tendons et de ligaments recouverts de peau. Rien n'est encore bien ajusté ou n'a encore de véritable prise.

Lorsque vous les faites courir de manière excessive ou que vous ne limitez pas leur exercice pour les empêcher d'en faire trop pendant cette période, vous ne leur donnez pas la chance de grandir correctement. Chaque grand saut ou course bondissante et excitée provoque des impacts entre les os.
En quantités raisonnables, ce n'est pas problématique et c'est une usure normale qui s’opèrera.

Mais lorsque vous laissez le chiot sauter du canapé ou du lit, l’emmenez faire de longues promenades, vous endommagez cette articulation en formation. Lorsque vous laissez le chiot se déplacer sur des carreaux glissants , vous endommagez l'articulation.

Vous n'avez la chance de les faire grandir qu'une seule fois. Un corps bien construit est quelque chose qui vient d'un excellent élevage et d'une bonne éducation. LES DEUX, pas seulement un.

Une fois adulte, vous aurez le reste de votre vie à passer à jouer et à vous engager dans des exercices à fort impact. Alors gardez le au calme tant qu’il est encore petit et offrez lui le cadeau qui ne peut être offert qu'une seule fois.

31/07/2023

Yes! We love our “insurance policy” for our dogs Recall!

“For me, the e-collar is a forever thing 💞✨ Do my dogs wear their e-collars all day in the house? No. But if they are off leash, they will always wear them. Why? Because there is always a WHAT IF. What if one day my dog decides to blow off my recall and chases a bird towards a road? Cause that’s totally something Finley would do 😂 I have two hard-headed high drive dogs who love to run, so I need some sort of leverage over them for those just-in-case moments. I have peace of mind knowing they are running free but I could still get their attention even at half a mile away. Don’t be in such a hurry to get rid of the tools. If they are working, keep it up 💞☺️”

🐾

12/07/2023

Great break down about the TOOLS we use for training and why the tool can make a difference in what you are trying to accomplish with your dog 🤩

LET’S TALK TOOLS

Red Arrow: Harness that fits around the dog’s body and when connected to a clip leash, creates a pulling reaction from the dog. This pulling reaction triggers the shoulders and chest muscles to be used which then influences the dog to use strength to get where they need to. If you have properly trained your dog to walk right next to you on a harness, you will not experience the pulling. Congratulations, I have yet to see this. 😂

Orange Arrow: Flat collar, usually used to connect a clip leash to and often times sits on the bottom of the neck due to gravity and the dog’s head being higher than the shoulders. This then triggers the dog’s shoulder muscles and the pulling starts. Again, this teaches the dog that strength needs to be used to get where they need to. If you have properly trained your dog to walk next to you on a flat collar, you will not experience the pulling. The majority of dogs I see are pulling during this setup.

Blue Arrow: Slip Leash is very high on the neck where it is placed behind the ears, behind the jaw bone, and it allows us to influence the dog’s head and brain. Shoulders and chest muscles are not triggered and physical strength is not used during the walk. When used correctly, little to no pressure is on the leash and physical strength is used by the dog to get from point A to point B. If you have properly trained your dog to walk next to you on a slip leash, you will not experience any pulling.

Out of the 3 tools shown, the slip leash is one of the most productive tools to create a structured walk, a calm mind, and a solid relationship.

Ever watch anyone walk a horse by the saddle?

Yeah, me either.

That’s because when you walk a 1000lb animal, you need to influence the brain and not the body.

Let’s start influencing our dog’s mentally and not physically.

28/02/2023

Great information about on Puppy Socialization. So many factors that are more important to having a dog that is good around other dogs 😉😉😉

Puppy socialisation is NOT just about playing with other dogs.

In fact, too much uncontrolled exposure to other dogs can cause so many unintended consequences.

If you have a puppy, make sure you try to work on ALL aspects of socialisation, as listed in the bottom graphic.

30/12/2022

Great thing to think about. Exercise isn’t a bad thing… but all you are doing is increasing the stamina for the next day 😉

Want them to settle nicely while you enjoy coffee with friends?
Teach them to relax.

Want to be able to answer an important phone call?
Teach them to relax.

Want to be able to live without constantly entertaining your pup?
Teach them to relax!



[image description: on a green background is a profile of a human runner mid-race. Nearby is a profile of a greyhound dog, also running. Below that is a small brown spotted dog wearing a blue striped sleep cap and sleeping on a blue pillow. The text reads "athletes gain stamina by exercising more. why would your dog be any different? A tired dog may be a better behaved dog, but they also may just be harder to tire tomorrow. Teach your dog to relax."]

09/06/2022

I’ve shared this probably in the past… Still just as important today!!! Socialization is soooooo much more than what people actually think….

Socialization... it's probably not what you think it is.

Dogs go through a critical period of development that lasts roughly from 3 weeks-16 weeks of age. In this time, they're forming ideas and opinions about the world around them; good and bad. They're developing social bonds, and learning how their behaviour impacts other living creatures.

A dog that has a quality socialization program is one that will reach its fullest genetic potential.

Socialization is about giving them the tools and outlook on life to navigate through our society with minimal stress to themselves and others... now to my point.

If your entire plan for socializing your puppy is taking it to puppy classes, puppy play parties or the dog beach, you are GOING to have problems. Unfortunately, the idea that puppy-puppy or puppy-dog interactions constitute 'socialization' has been continually force fed to well-meaning, but misinformed pet professionals.

Either two things will come of such a plan...

1. Your puppy meets the wrong dog and has a bad experience. Bad experiences are just as bad as no experiences. A bad experience during the critical period can result in lasting negative impressions and behavioural problems; namely, fear and aggression.
2. Your dog has a positive experience. And that positive experience creates a positive value for other dogs. And their positive value out-competes the puppy's value in you. Doesn't sound that bad?

As it stands, the second problem is waaaay more common than the first. Right now, the issues associated with an extreme positive value in other dogs is taking up probably 70-80% of my workload. What issues are they, you ask?

- Inconsistent Recalls
- Poor Leash Walking Skills
- Reactivity (sometimes eventuating into aggression)
- What many refer to as 'selective deafness'; *Fido is perfect when it's just us, but as soon as he sees another dog...*

Just to name a few. And the thing is, most owners see all that 👆 as the problem. When in fact, it's just the various symptoms of the real problem; a poorly structured socialization program that's resulted in their dogs developing a TONNE of value in other dogs, and comparatively little in them. The owner. The one that feeds, walks, plays and loves them.

And the thing is, it's not the owner's fault. It's my own industry's. Other trainers. Well-known, well-read sciency-folk. And I don't know why other people aren't seeing the correlation. I very rarely see behavioural cases that stem from a LACK of experience, but that overwhelming stem from an extremely skewed socialization picture.

I'm sure the word 'socialization' is the problem too. It implies *social* experiences and interactions. When really we can broadly divide 'socialization' into social and environmental experiences. And of the 'social' experiences, MOST should entail NO direct interaction.

While a lot is missing from most owner's socialization programs, that's probably the biggest thing; they've never given value to themselves, particularly in the presence of other dogs. A huge part of what I do with my personal dogs is to take them around other controlled dogs, and pay them for looking at me. In their head, they're learning that other dogs are good (socialization), and that when they're around, I'm going to pay them really good stuff. Here, I'm giving myself value. I'm building the puppy's engagement in me.

Thus, what often becomes a distraction and a constant thorn in the side of obedience and manners, now becomes a cue to focus on me.

The graph below is an example of a (not very detailed) socialization plan. The exact percentages will differ between puppies a great deal, but the main point to note is that MEETING OTHER DOGS and MEETING PEOPLE constitute a tiny fraction of the whole shebang. And that ratio will stay relatively consistent across the board.

I'm not offering nor recommending any puppy classes anymore, with the exception of . I'm now offering private lesson programs which I've found to be infinitely more successful in preparing puppies for life. If you're after a class environment, I'd also recommend you check out . And for online training purposes (for my remote followers) check out by

05/06/2022

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

To bring everyone up to speed, there is a toxic, social war going on between the Pure Positive/Force Free movement and Balanced Training. One of these bodies is massively funded and out to dictate how you train your dog. But don’t get fooled by the pretty language and perfectly-placed buzz words..

“Animals have never learned through punishment or consequences”
“Don’t train with pain”
“Reward what you like, ignore what you don’t”
“Dominance and force in dog training creates stress and fear”
“This dog just needs medication”

I’ll be honest, “Positive-only” sounds pretty great on paper, but practically? Not so much.

News flash: “Purely Positive” anything doesn’t exist. Life, parenting, career, school, nature, it all has consequences and it all has pressure. And if you want to talk about the quadrants of consequences, There’s FOUR. Yep, PP/FF peeps pick and choose which quadrants they want to train with. Balanced trainers use what works. We implement a holistic approach.

Rewards = information
Punishment = information

Information and communication are how dogs (and humans) learn. Punishment is NOT abuse.

If I’ve lost you in all of this chaos, allow me to break it down: Rewarding a behavior will encourage repeating, punishing a behavior will deter. These PP/FF folks are trying to change that.

The ban on these tools is coming. The ability to train how you want is being argued. The ability to use certain tools is being argued. The ability to say “no” to your dog is being argued.

So this post is to raise awareness as to what’s going on out there. I’m sharing my thoughts and stories because spreading the truth, sharing content and success is how I bring value to this community. My clients and followers are my motivation. I believe in these tools because I’ve seen them work, time and time again. Believe me, we were there one day. Stuck, stressed and struggling feeling like everything we tried with our dog wasn’t working. Trainers had failed us and it was incredibly crippling.

These tools and training methods have saved my dogs lives along with so many others, and I don’t want that to be taken from us. This current debate has really taken away from the dogs (and the training). Have we forgotten our mission? To help dogs, to clear shelters and empower owners to succeed.

Myself and all other balanced trainers have to deal with the constant hate, negativity and criticism from the PP/FF body. “Death before discomfort” is especially unsettling to me, and this idea is the reason so many dogs are being killed for no reason.

It’s time we stand up and share our success. Our rights are being stripped and our dogs are suffering.

P.S. Any hate or bashing will not be deleted, rather exposed. So watch your words :)

24/02/2022

I’ve had to preach this to different owners over the years. 2 puppies = double the work and you have to teach independence from the other puppy so they learn how to be their own self… or most dogs only learn how to act and be around their sibling and nothing else— which in turn causes issues.

If you’re adopting littermates, you can help them grow into dogs that are independent from each other while strengthening your relationship with each of them by using separate crates, training sessions and playtime. 🐶🐶

Learn how to help sibling puppies live in harmony in today’s free pet health article: https://bit.ly/3uYU0xN

15/02/2022

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 yes yes yesss!!!

Your dog is not a robot, and they don't come pre-programmed to do all the things us humans want them to be able to do.

Just like you had to learn about the world around you and how to exist within it, so do dogs!

Set your dog up for success by teaching them the skills they need to be able to meet your expectations.

04/11/2021

06/10/2021

Love this as it’s so true to many of the calls I get about dogs. The term “unemployed pet” is spot on. We have to give a purpose back to our dogs so they can thrive and be happy!

21/08/2021

This pup continues to impress me!! ALMOST 11 months old, so we have only just begun this fun game!

First day of BarnHunt, and I think he likes it…. 🤗😍😭

02/07/2021

Great tips from our friends at Kudos!

Let's keep those pups safe and calm!

07/06/2021

Love this! Do you agree?

06/05/2021

Pretty interesting read... now that we have “Oddles of Doodles” popping up now and days... you gotta do your research and understand what you are getting... The more you know 😉

Potential Genetic Complications of Designer Hybrid Breeds April 30, 2021 April 30, 2021 / General Health / By Hemopet Designer hybrid breed mixtures can be separated into two camps. The first is the designer breed mix that aims to avoid the potential genetic or inherited traits of popular dog breeds...

06/05/2021

30/03/2021

Things to think about with Your dogs kibble

29/01/2021

Yes yes yesssss!!! This post nailed it! We have to think of our dogs perspective and not force a relationship to get our own human satisfaction of petting a dog. For Overexcited to fearful dogs .... the rules are the same. No talk, no touch, no eye contact.

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

30/12/2020

Socializing puppies are soooooooo important! Sweet Cedar broke his femur over 2weeks and is on recovery for another 3 to make sure everything heals well. So I adjusted my plan for socializing and got a front backpack to continue exposing him to all the things in the human world. We have to show the “scary” things of the world are not anything for puppy and dogs to be unsure of and that we, as their humans, will handle any situation to help them out if they are unsure. It’s all comes down to relationship and how our dogs look to us.

25/12/2020

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to our wonderful clients (Human and Furry!) WHAT A YEAR 2020 has been. Let’s go into 2021 with continuing our relationship with our dogs, and excited to see what the future holds!

04/12/2020

The Main MVP Tucker showing his new little brother the ropes @ Home Depot.

Welcome Cedar the Border Terrier to the MVP family 🥳🥳

13/11/2020

Love getting updates the next day after working with a high energy 6 month old Heeler Puppy the night before with leash manners and setting up a schedule. Puppies THRIVE on schedules, just like human kids. But puppies needs are a work then rest type set up to help drain the mental energy and then letting them REST fully in a crate! Yes I said it.... Crating puppies is CRUCIAL to help them truly sleep and be ready for the next activity!

So happy I’m able to do this on a regular basis with clients and show them they don’t have to live with a naughty, nipping, over-active puppy.

14/10/2020

Fun training session for these 2 cuties. Both 7 month old puppies enjoying their best lives getting to go socialize at SCHEELS. So thankful for stores that welcome well-behaved dog inside! Rode the escalator, walked around different smells nicely on leash.

Tucker was lucky to come along for the Adventure too.

Then we met up with Thomas Jefferson outside (LOL) for a sit-stay review around distractions! Great job Poppy & Lizzy!

14/10/2020

I stand by this wholeheartedly. Remote collars/ Ecollar have helped many of my clients enjoy off leash freedom to enjoy their dogs to the fullest!

04/09/2020

“.... that “sweet spot” for adoption is when puppies are between 8 and 12 weeks of age. During this period, puppies are within the critical socialization window and are young enough to form a primary social attachment to their human companion/"owner.”

I have seen this issues come forward quickly when dogs are taken away from mom and their litter too early. Just bc mom isn’t giving them milk or caring for them as much... 6-8 weeks is critical learning period for puppies to build their more social time with their brother and sisters... sad to say— humans will never be able to replace those 2 weeks! Be aware of where you getting your puppies— it’s a lifetime having them in your life, give them the best start possible.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-dogs-go-heaven/202009/too-many-puppies-are-acquired-too-young-age

A recent UK study finds disturbing numbers of dogs being adopted before 8 weeks.

18/07/2020

BIG PART OF WHY I LOVE THIS COMPANY and use them for Tucker! He is thriving being at 14years because of this food! Wendy is a wealth of knowledge and I have learned from her personally on the importance on what we feed our dogs! It makes such a difference!

"My motivation is always longevity, I want them around for as long as I possibly can. A lot of time, effort, and love goes into these animals and we don’t want them to leave before their time. So I think that NOT putting medications into these dogs over a lifetime… rather trying to treat with the concept that food IS medicine, they’re going to live longer.” -Wendy Volhard, founder of Volhard Dog Nutrition

www.https://www.volharddognutrition.com/rescue-diet-c/

18/07/2020

Great breakdown onto leash holding! Yepppp it does help— try it out!