Heal Cove Dog Training

23/08/2024

Competed another Drink With Your Dog project Brewery Manners Class at Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV!

The last class of this season will begin on Wednesday, September 11th.

FMI send an email or message!

20/08/2024

Wrapping up another successful (and FUN!) four week Brewery Manners Class at Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV this week! Interested in getting into one of these before the season is over? Message me!

Cheers! 🍻

08/08/2024

⬇️⬇️ THIS!! ⬇️⬇️

Best tip I can give you if you want a reliable recall with your dog?

Stop giving him reasons to NOT want to come back to you.

So often we call our dogs and do the following -

- bring them inside
- crate them
- put them back on leash
- physically pet them and hug them (a lot of dogs reaallllly don't like this even though WE do!)
- take something from them
- check them for ticks
- wipe their eye boogers
- remove them from the fun

If you've done one or any of these, you've taken a huge deduction out of your dogs "recall account" balance. YES, EVEN IF YOU USED FOOD WHEN THEY CAME BACK! Food - even though very rewarding - is rarely as reinforcing as freedom to dog!

There are many other factors to help you have a reliable recall with your dog, but this is the most important one of them all. STOP calling your dog and then doing something they don't find reinforcing, even if you treat them anyway. Often times, the food very quickly becomes not worth it to your dog, and you find yourself at 5am on your porch in your bathrobe screaming "COME!" rattling a bag of treats just to up the ante more and more, only to have your dog look at you like "Yeah, no, I've been there before human - see ya!"

Build your recall account by calling your dog, rewarding them, and then letting them GO BACK to whatever they were doing before, and do that many more times than times that you actually do have to stop their fun. Walk over while they are chewing on a stick, toss them a treat and tell them what a great find it is, and then walk away. Teach your dog that coming to you, having cool stuff around you (water logged stick, a soggy ball they just found etc) doesn’t always mean their fun is over and you’re going to remove them or the item.

While doing all this, if you’re not sure that your dog is safe to be off leash or reliable DONT let them off leash. Use a long dragline, even in the yard, so you can just bring them to you rather than chase them around or run the risk of them taking off.

Reliable recall doesn’t just happen. It takes time and patience and lots of repetitions. Keep treating, keep letting them have fun, keep your sense of humor!

-Helen St. Pierre

26/07/2024

Don't allow your dog to practice behavior you don't like or want repeated. Use management until an alternate behavior is in place.

Management is the other side of the training coin. This looks different for different households, but it's no different than what we'd do with a human child. We start with heavier structure and management, and over time, as the dog or puppy becomes more reliable with the appropriate habits and behaviors, we can lessen it and give them more freedom.

18/07/2024

17/07/2024

Local newspaper coverage of my recent Drink With Your Dog Brewery Manners class graduates. 🎓🎓

If you like to visit the brewery/taproom or outdoor restaurants/cafes, and your pup needs to work on the skills needed for a successful experience, think about joining my next four week brewery manners course! Class will start Wednesday, July 31st @ 5:15 PM again with my friends at Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV

Here’s the newspaper link:

https://www.wiscassetnewspaper.com/article/dog-training-class-caters-those-wanting-go-beer-their-dog/188671

Cheers! 🍻

What’s better than having a cold one with your best friend? Well, if your best friend has four legs and barks, your options were limited. Now you can take your dog to a brewery and enjoy a cold beer or another adult beverage. Ann Walko began brewery...

13/07/2024

07/07/2024

🍺🍺 Another four week Drink With Your Dog (R) brewery manners class at Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV coming up!

Register today at this link:

https://forms.gle/DZcMRxy9iBQgt89o9

One of the best things you can do to keep breweries dog friendly is to teach your dog GREAT brewery skills! When you visit a brewery with a well-behaved dog, you not only set a good example for other visitors with dogs, but you also remind breweries that there are wonderful dogs out there who are fun and hassle-free to welcome into their spaces.

Join local dog trainer and Drink With Your Dog ® certified class instructor Ann Walko for this FOUR WEEK Brewery Manners course. You will work on skills your dog needs in order to safely join you at the brewery and be a great brewery dog.

Dogs joining this class must be dog and people tolerant. This class is not appropriate for aggressive or reactive dogs. If you are uncertain if this pertains to your dog, please contact the instructor at [email protected]

Wednesdays @ 5:15 PM starting July 31st

ETA: For those of you who are goal oriented you can earn Certified Brewery-Friendly Dog titles!

PLUS students get a token for a cold tasty beverage (aka beer) at each class! 🍻

Please answer these questions to register for the four week Drink With Your Dog (R) Brewery Manners course to be held at Boothbay Craft Brewery, Wednesdays @ 5:15 PM, starting July 17th. CLASS FEE IS $120: Payable by Venmo (see below) or cash/check at first class ** Dogs must be dog and people toler...

06/07/2024

🐾 🍺 🎓

Completed my first Drink With Your Dog brewery manners course this past week! The Biergarten at Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV was PACKED so we shifted to the loading dock and parking area after a walk through the busy Biergarten.

Here are photos of the 🎓 graduates 🎓 and also putting their new skills to work at other local breweries!

If you are interested in taking a brewery manners class, send me a message!

Cheers! 🍻

29/06/2024

July 4th is this coming Thursday!!

27/06/2024

🚨HR professionals and people managers: don’t miss out!

We’re hosting a free event on LinkedIn this Thursday at 12 pm ET/9 am PT with two workplace well-being experts who’ll teach you how a visit from a therapy animal could change the overall mood in your office.

Explore this heartwarming way to bring smiles to your employees: https://www.linkedin.com/events/findouthowtherapydogvisitshelpi7204567320529170433/theater/

19/06/2024

In Boothbay Harbor!!

17/06/2024

❤️❤️

Don’t look at the other dogs in your class.

Don’t look at your neighbor’s dog, or the dog you see out on their walk everyday.

Don’t look at your old dog who was a literal reincarnation of Lassie.

Look at your dog. Look at where they are now, and how far they have come. Look at the relationship you have developed with the help of your training. THAT is the only comparison game you should be playing.

It can be so tempting to compare our dog’s behavior to another’s; “why does my dog do X, Susan’s dog next door has NEVER done that! Did she do something right that I did wrong?” But the truth is that the answer to these questions is never simple, and comparing your dog to other dogs around you is setting yourself up for failure and frustration.

Instead, look at where you and your dog started, and be proud. Be proud of the hard work you’ve done. Be proud of the trust you have built with your dog. Focus on progress, not perfection, and don’t forget to celebrate even the littlest wins.

17/06/2024

Useful quick read article on how to tell an expert from an imitator. Most common signals in my experience (at least among dog trainers): use of jargon and popular "recipes."

What are the tell-tale signs *you* see that tell you someone is an expert or merely an imitator? Link in comments too!

Picture of dog in truck just because. . . He was not going to let us drive off without him! This is his face when we asked him to get out of the vehicle. He won the negotiation.

https://fs.blog/experts-vs-imitators/

17/06/2024

🤣🤣❤️🐕🐾

09/06/2024

07/06/2024

Why are we still asking for (or demanding) sit?

I know this is some thing you’ve heard me harp on before but I want to break it down a little bit today in terms of how you can get away from defaulting to sit when you’re worried about your dogs behavior.

Let’s break it down first:

☀️Sit is a behavior that means put your butt on the ground
☀️Find it is a behavior that means sniff and look for food that is in the grass

Neither is morally “better” than the other, they are just two different behaviors. Just like laying down, looking at something, and eating are all behaviors.

Here you can see my two dogs sniffing for food in the grass (performing find it) while a cyclist goes by. I think that a lot of owners whose dogs might be reactive to or very distracted by such things would be focused on chanting (or maybe even yelling) sit sit! sit!! SIT! as their dogs lunge, pull towards, and bark at the passing cyclist.

Don’t misunderstand: the food is not a distraction, it is part of and the reinforcement for a behavior of find it. The dogs have seen the cyclist, they know that she’s there, and they are even allowed to look over at her but they are continuing to engage in this behavior instead.

This is our default when we see some thing that is too distracting or triggering for my dogs to walk successfully by. We choose this behavior because my dogs love it, it’s easy, it’s fun.

So, again: why sit? Why bother trying to get a behavior that is likely to fail and that is probably going to be very frustrating for both myself and my dogs?

I’m sure for some owners, yelling sit has to do with wanting to feel like they have control over their dogs and possibly even to impress others. But my guess is for many of you the thought of alternatives to sit just haven’t crossed your mind yet. I hear the statement a lot “I need her to sit!” But sit is just one of many behaviors we can train and ask for and for many dogs it is too still of a behavior to be successful when approached by a trigger or distraction.

So try something else! Teach your dog “find it” instead.

31/05/2024

⏰⏰ REGISTER TODAY! This course begins next Wednesday, June 5th - only a few spots left! ⏰⏰

Use the QR code on the flyer below or click this link to register
https://forms.gle/ZdDiLySEVe6nUd9R6
🍺🍺

One of the best things you can do to keep breweries dog friendly is to teach your dog GREAT brewery skills! When you visit a brewery with a well-behaved dog, you not only set a good example for other visitors with dogs, but you also remind breweries that there are wonderful dogs out there who are fun and hassle-free to welcome into their spaces.

Join local dog trainer and Drink With Your Dog ® certified class instructor Ann Walko for this FOUR WEEK Brewery Manners course. You will work on skills your dog needs in order to safely join you at the brewery and be a great brewery dog.

Dogs joining this class must be dog and people tolerant. This class is not appropriate for aggressive or reactive dogs. If you are uncertain if this pertains to your dog, please contact the instructor at [email protected]

Wednesdays @ 5:30PM starting June 5th

ETA: For those of you who are goal oriented you can earn Certified Brewery-Friendly Dog titles!

PLUS students get a token for a cold tasty beverage (aka beer) at each class!🍻

Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV
Drink With Your Dog

28/05/2024

A technique I used with W***y to teach heeling - I use it for AKC Rally!

One useful tool for teaching heeling is the pocket hand. It works great for helping the dog learn the position and working on rear end movement. Pocket hand is super versatile and can be used by itself or combined with other heeling methods. It does a great job helping you train a dog to really […...

22/05/2024

Advanced version of “polite ordering skills” - carrying your puppy and a beer (and a smart phone) at the same time! 🤣🤣

Drink With Your Dog
Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV

18/05/2024

Is your dog not responding to cues? Check out this blog post for some ideas!

Often, we hear the comment, that if a dog doesn't respond to a handler's cue it is because they didn't understand, but not understanding is only one of the many reasons why our dog may not respond rapidly or accurately to our cues.In this blog we

18/05/2024

REGISTER TODAY! There will be a size limit for this course so I can help everyone individually as needed - don’t wait until the last minute! ⏰⏰

Use the QR code on the flyer below or click this link to register

https://forms.gle/ZdDiLySEVe6nUd9R6

🍺🍺

One of the best things you can do to keep breweries dog friendly is to teach your dog GREAT brewery skills! When you visit a brewery with a well-behaved dog, you not only set a good example for other visitors with dogs, but you also remind breweries that there are wonderful dogs out there who are fun and hassle-free to welcome into their spaces.

Join local dog trainer and Drink With Your Dog ® certified class instructor Ann Walko for this FOUR WEEK Brewery Manners course. You will work on skills your dog needs in order to safely join you at the brewery and be a great brewery dog.

Dogs joining this class must be dog and people tolerant. This class is not appropriate for aggressive or reactive dogs. If you are uncertain if this pertains to your dog, please contact the instructor at [email protected]

Wednesdays @ 5:30PM starting June 5th

ETA: For those of you who are goal oriented you can earn Certified Brewery-Friendly Dog titles!

PLUS students get a token for a cold tasty beverage (aka beer) at each class!🍻

Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV
Drink With Your Dog

15/05/2024

15/05/2024

❤️❤️

JUST SHAKE IT OFF
Dogs constantly communicate through their body language.

A “shake off” is one of the many types of body language and is one of the easier ones to notice.

The shake off can provide us with important insights as to how our dogs are feeling.

Besides being a very effective way to get rid of dirt, pesky bugs and water - dogs can remove up to 70% of water in one single shake off - the shake off is often seen just after something that a dog needs a mental reset from.

It’s a way to flush out adrenaline and could be compared to us taking a deep breath to reset our nervous system and calm ourselves down.

Dogs instinctively know they feel better when they just shake it all off!

It’s their way of saying “Phew, I’m glad that’s over, now I can put it behind me and move on”.

Shaking off is a positive way to calm down, reset and cope with stress – be that negative or positive stress.

Sometimes a shake off could be due to an underlying medical reason like an ear infection, allergy, itching or pain.

If you notice a shake off, look at what has just happened beforehand. This will provide a good clue as to what it is that your dog needs to reset from.

13/05/2024

One of the best things you can do to keep breweries dog friendly is to teach your dog GREAT brewery skills! When you visit a brewery with a well-behaved dog, you not only set a good example for other visitors with dogs, but you also remind breweries that there are wonderful dogs out there who are fun and hassle-free to welcome into their spaces.

Join local dog trainer and Drink With Your Dog ® certified class instructor Ann Walko for this FOUR WEEK Brewery Manners course. You will work on skills your dog needs in order to safely join you at the brewery and be a great brewery dog.

Dogs joining this class must be dog and people tolerant. This class is not appropriate for aggressive or reactive dogs. If you are uncertain if this pertains to your dog, please contact the instructor at [email protected]

Wednesdays @ 5:30PM starting June 5th

ETA: For those of you who are goal oriented you can earn Certified Brewery-Friendly Dog titles!

PLUS students get a token for a cold tasty beverage (aka beer) at each class!🍻

Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV
Drink With Your Dog

09/05/2024

Here is the video with Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV about the Brewery Manners Sampler classes I’m running there on Wednesdays. If you’re interested in attending one, shoot me an email at my business email address (healcove207 AT gmail DOT com) or register using the QR code in the video.

One of the best things you can do to keep breweries dog friendly is to teach your dog GREAT brewery skills! When you visit a brewery with a well-behaved dog,...

08/05/2024

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=837419178430305&id=100064866901039

08/05/2024

Enrichment!