SideKick Dog Training

27/08/2024

TIP TUESDAY
Often, we think our SideKicks are "trained" after we've taken a puppy class or we finished up a dog manners class or after we've finished up working on basic manners with a private trainer. When they're well-behaved, fitting in well, and have moved beyond some of their more frustrating puppy and teenager behaviors, it's easy to forget that our SideKicks are STILL learning - all the time!

Every day, we (us and our SideKicks) are encountering multiple "teachable moments" that give our SideKicks information about how to navigate in the human world; it's simply become easier for us to teach them and guide our SideKicks because of the basis we built (with basic dog manners and with a foundation of a relationship). Always keep in mind that our SideKicks are watching and learning - whether we like it or not!

27/08/2024

Help us welcome Rory to our Board & Train program! This gal is already fitting in super well in Leann's household (and with the other Board & Train doggo, Mozzarella)! She will be working on a few specifics with Leann during her stay: Recalls, leash walking skills, mat work (or stationing), and an intro to baby stuff, since the family expanded the same day Leann picked Rory up!! We're excited to see her flourish in our program!

26/08/2024

Ensuring that our SideKicks get the appropriate amount of physical exercise is extremely important; it's something we all know about having a pet: get exercise, flex those muscles, keep the joints active, etc. It's good for their overall health and well-being. But, did you know that mental exercise....

22/08/2024

20/08/2024

TIP TUESDAY
When I'm working with folks and their SideKicks, I work really hard not to focus on labels - words like defiant and stubborn and guilty. Really, attributing any sort of emotional label to our dogs is risky because we can't ACTUALLY crawl inside their heads to figure out how they're feeling (it would make my job a lot easier if we could!). Any time we're tempted to start slapping labels on our SideKick's behaviors, remember the points made in this graphic; it's very likely there's a different explanation for their behavior - AND an explanation we can do something about*!

*If we describe our dogs as being defiant and stubborn, those are personality traits or characteristics that we can't change. Different explanations that focus on your dog's behaviors, mean we can make changes to your dog's environment or the scenario!

Inspired by a post from SpiritDog Training!

20/08/2024

Help us welcome the newest Board & Train doggo: Mozzarella!! This cute stuffed animal, er, doggo is going to be working on a variety of goals with Leann: Less barking at things outside the window, wait at the door, less jumping on furniture and people, leash walking skills, and stealing things he's not supposed to have! Mozzarella has already settled in really nicely at Leann's house and we're looking forward to the next couple of weeks of practice and learning!

19/08/2024

So, you brought home a cute, fuzzy puppy and you were so excited to add to your household! Maybe you did a bunch of research about the breed and raising a puppy; or maybe adding to the family was a little more spur of the moment. Regardless, it's been about a week or two weeks and the honeymoon phas...

15/08/2024

❓Do you know how to tell when a dog wants to be pet❓

It's common for people to assume that when a dog comes near us, it's an invitation to be pet. That is not always the case! We must realize that dogs are allowed to have preferences regarding when and how they receive physical interactions or affection from us.

Asking for attention can look different in each dog, but some common behaviors you may notice can be:
▪pushing their head or other body part towards or into your hands
▪leaning into you with their body
▪using their paw to pull your hand closer

If they don't want to be pet, you may see:
▪them pulling away, leaning away, or leaving the space you are in
▪their body (and/or) face tensing/freezing- look at the dog in the first photo!
▪yawning
▪lip-licking
▪lifting up their paw, without using it to move your hand closer

We always talk about advocating for our pets with other humans and in other environments, but it is JUST as important to respect their boundaries and comfort with us, too!💙

P.S. Children especially need to learn this, with your help!

14/08/2024

TIP TUESDAY
This quote reminds us to view our dogs from a variety of lenses and to ask ourselves WHY our dogs may be performing certain behaviors. Big feelings about something, genetics, learning history - these are all factors in why a behavior is happening and they can greatly affect how you "deal" with the behavior!

12/08/2024

The concept seems simple to us, right? Dogs do their business outside on the grass or wood chips - not inside on the antique carpet or kitchen throw rug. But, puppies aren’t born with these rules in their heads! It's up to us to teach them the Dos and Don'ts of doing their business. Many first-tim...

08/08/2024

The "just get it done" model is all about human convenience and not about your pet. It's outdated and can be both emotionally and physically harmful to animals. If your vet, groomer (& pet care pro) tell you they "can't," it's because they care. The team at Off Leash MKE follows these principles & it's the reason we are Fear Free certified. We will not force your pets to do anything they are not comfortable with, ensuring every walk, adventure & pet sit is enriching & rewarding!

Learn more about creating a Fear Free lifestyle for your pets at www.fearfreehappyhomes.com or send us a message!

Thanks to Lakeland Veterinary Care: Lori Rockwell, DVM

07/08/2024

TIP TUESDAY
Most people see "begging" as a dog sitting really close while eating, the dog putting their head in the lap of the person eating, a dog touching or nudging the person eating, or a dog barking at the person eating. There are, I'm sure, plenty of other behaviors that we could call begging in varying degrees of the behavior. It may be surprising for you to learn that these behaviors are not innate - they're learned behaviors! Our SideKicks learn to beg from us because it pays off for them. And, whether we know it or not or whether we like it or not, we may be encouraging this behavior (or members of our family may be encouraging the behaviors)!

If you'd like to see something else during meal times, reward your dog for those behaviors! My favorite behavior to reward during meals - at the dinner table, the counter, or on the couch - is lying on a mat off to the side; if your dog is laying on the mat, it's very unlikely that they'd be able to participate in most - if not, all - of the behaviors I mentioned above!

Note: It's an unfortunate myth that "human food" causes begging behaviors; feeding your SideKick treats or human food does not make your dog beg and doesn't, by itself, teach your dog begging behaviors!

05/08/2024

My dog is not perfect. Wait, what? I'm a dog trainer and my dog isn't perfect?! Nope. My Ruby is absolutely not perfect. And, you know, we love her just like that! I often joke with clients that Ruby serves as an excellent example of things I talk about with them and she's my training guinea pig bec...

01/08/2024

Many owners want a dog that will come when called in the face of distractions, or walk nicely on leash. A foundation for both of those are reinforcing your dog for checking in with you. While you shouldn't expect your dog to give you their 100% attention at all times, a dog who periodically looks to see where you are and what you're doing is a dog who is more likely to respond to cues.

Teaching your dog to check-in is fairly simple. The hardest part for most owners is focusing on their dog when out and about. Once you notice that your dog is looking at you, or if your dog is off leash coming back to you, you're just simply going to give a marker cue or praise, and then reinforce with something your dog likes. While I typically use food, it can also be a short chase game, a period of play, or a treasured toy. Remember that the reinforcer needs to be something your dog wants in the moment.

Note that this is not a cued behavior. Don't ask your dog to look at or come to you, just mark and reinforce when it happens naturally. The more you acknowledge your dog's check-ins, the more your dog will do it.

31/07/2024

Miss Pearl went home after her Board & Train stay last week and, goodness, did she have a blast (and Leann had a blast having her)! Pearl absolutley blossomed during her stay, learning so much and getting along so super well with the other B&T dogs whose stays overlapped hers! She's a compact package of joy and fun and enthusiasm and we miss her already! Best of luck to Team Pearl as they continue their training journey!

30/07/2024

TIP TUESDAY
Training with your puppy gives you the opportunity to teach them how to navigate this weird, human world! I encourage you to start teaching your puppy early - let them know what you like to see and build good habits - before they have the chance to develop "bad" habits! (Keep in mind, as well, that "training" isn't just teaching Sit and Down, etc.!)

29/07/2024

My SideKick, Ruby, is a slave to the pull of cheese. And tuna. And peanut butter. Well...in reality? She loves (or thinks she loves) almost anything you have and aren't currently sharing:"Oh...I see you've got something edible there...I'm willing to, at a minimum, sit, stare deep into your eyes, and...

25/07/2024

Thank you, The Kind Canine, for the reminder!

Mental health matters. YOU matter. 🫶

It can be emotionally turbulent to be the one in charge of caring for other complex beings with their own unique experiences of the world - whether it be children, dogs, cats or others - and inevitably, we struggle sometimes.

I hope these small reminders are helpful for you, and that they reach the people who need them today.

If you need a listening ear, just know that we are here.

23/07/2024

TIP TUESDAY
I've been mentioning this a lot lately to clients - especially the pawrents of adolescent doggos! Training is a skill and, like any skill, it takes practice; it takes patience as your skills (and your dog's skills) improve; and it takes persistence - having faith that the consistency and time and effort you put into the training is going to pay off in the end!

22/07/2024

With the weather finally stable in WI and an acceptable temperature to take our SideKicks out for longer strolls and exploration, a lot of my recent clients - naturally - have questions about improving their SideKicks' leash-walking skills. It's an understandably difficult skill to learn and teach b...

17/07/2024

Help us welcome back Riley to our Board & Train program! He's back for a Refresher Stay to brush up on his walking skills, Recalls, less jumping, fetching, and other enrichment games/tricks (like putting his toys away!)! We're excited to have him back and he's fit in really nicely with Pearl Jam!

16/07/2024

TIP TUESDAY
Your boss may feel like you respond well to a paycheck, but they'd love to not have to use money forever...

That's a bit of a cheeky comment, but, truly, you expect payment for your work - you don't do it because you respect or love your boss; your dog doesn't work for free either! On top of that, the behavior that is rewarded (in some way) is the behavior that sticks around! Your dog is much more likely to make a habit of the behaviors you would like them to be doing if you're letting them know - with something they find valuable - that those behaviors will pay off for them. That doesn't mean that every Sit is going to get a treat for the rest of your dog's life, but it may mean that they get a treat for Sitting when the electrician comes over to fix an outlet or when your dog can calmly watch a cat through the front window slinking around your yard and front porch!

15/07/2024

Dixie went home after her Board & Train stay last week! It was a pleasure to have her back (this was a Refresher stay for her, her second time with us) and she truly blended back into Leann's household like she'd never left! Dixie and Leann brushed up on the basics and things they'd worked on previously, but, as you can see, lots of fun was had, as well!

15/07/2024

"I don't have the time." Earlier this month, a lot of kiddos started another school year, which means band practice, sports, clubs, social events, school events, projects, homework, papers (the list goes on) are back in full force. It's very easy to say we don't have time to squeeze one more thing i...

11/07/2024

10/07/2024

Help us welcome Pearl Jam to our Board & Train program! She joined Leann's household last week for a stay with us and she's already settled in, warming up to everyone, and getting some great work in! Pearl Jam has joined us to work on some manners at doors/gates, Recalls, long leash/of leash walking for hiking, curbing some of her vocal behavior, and a bit of guarding behavior with certain resources! Pearl and Leann are getting to know each other and really hitting a good stride already!

10/07/2024

Goose went home after his Board & Train stay last week and his goofy attitude is missed! He made big strides in progress during his stay and we could not be more proud of him! His family has already sent a couple of updates about their progress and what they're working on with him and we're delighted for all of them!