In-home dog training and owner coaching for the York, Harrisburg, Lancaster, PA areas.
(15)
Disregard the terrible attire rofl
Practicing a marker (think a clicker; 'Huzzah' is Theo's marker to let him know he's done well and is getting rewarded for it), Sit, and Drop It / Leave It (I am using 'Enough' as my command here) with Theo.
You don't have to use treats to reward!
Unceremonious Puppy Tip #2 - Want a puppy who will be nice and quiet in the crate as an adult (and trust me, YOU DO!)? This is how. Out-persist the tantrums and they will fade away. It's far more simple than you think.
Trivia: We were unable to find the year this happened, but Sweden declared the Vallhund as a *lantras,* “a designation that includes the exhibition of qualities such as long life, patience to hardship, and hardiness.”
An exploration of what the word means in Swedish reveals that lantras is a characteristic of a native breed in its good ability to survive in local conditions. We also found this: För att räknas som lantras ska de ha funnits i ett område så länge att de anpassat sig till den lokala miljön.” Translation: To qualify as a native breed, it must have existed in a particular area long enough to have become adapted to the local environment. Given that the Vallhund has been known since the time of the Vikings, lantras is appropriate.
Photo of Axel done by Powell Creative, shared by Bill Tsioles
Vallhunds being featured today!
We are delighted to welcome the owners and heritage breeders of the Swedish Vallhund to National Purebred Dog Day as we celebrate their breed today. We always start our Purebred of Interest feature by asking this question: How you came to choose THIS breed as the one for you? Where did you see your first one, and it made you decide that it was THE one for you?
Photo of Lainey by Marri Khalaj
2 potty breaks, play with me and Jake, breakfast, chase and play with his foster brother, and tethered self-play with toys he showed interest. Now it's nap time while I have breakfast and catch up one some reading.
Gotta love second-hand equipment (FB Marketplace is so convenient) and a puppy who has no hesitation to try something new. Love a good cot bed!
Every moment is a training moment!
Theo (not demonstrated here, apparently) has been - more often than not - pawing and yapping to get out of the crate when I approach.
Every time I come to let him out, I out-wait his frustration until he calms down. When I open the crate, he must wait inside until I leash him and tell him he can leave. Simple.
Sometimes it takes nothing at all, like in the video. Sometimes it takes a couple minutes. But every time gets faster and easier.
This video was more of a fluke than evidence of progress, but it still ends with a successful moment of rewarding what I want. Persistently repeat and progress is guaranteed.
Learning how to chill while I make some food for myself. Also learning to not enter the kitchen without permission. Every moment is a training moment!
It's apparently National Dog Day! Let's see those pups! You all know my sweet perfect puppy, Theo, by now! Can't stop gushing over him!
THIS! No laser pointers! Dogs NEED a resolution after going into prey drive. Flirt poles are AWESOME for this sort of play while also giving resolution to the dog. And they're maybe $15 on Amazon.
Seriously. Flirt pole. Do it.
I was just cruising around Tractor Supply for some dog treats and toys and came across this. I wanted to post an important PSA about the dangers of using a laser pointer with your dog.
The movement of a laser pointer triggers a dog's prey drive, prompting them to chase it. However, unlike chasing a physical toy or food, the laser beam is elusive and cannot be caught. This results in an unending game with no resolution for the dog.
Even after the laser pointer is turned off, many dogs continue searching for the light. This can confuse and frustrate them, as the "prey" has simply vanished. This game can lead to obsessive-compulsive tendencies, including searching for the light, fixating on the last spot where it was seen, or reacting to other light reflections, like a watch face or a tablet screen glare, also known as “light chasing.” These behaviors often stem from confusion and anxiety, leaving your dog stressed and disoriented.
Instead of picking one of these up, try one of my favorite toys, a flirt pole. That’s a long stick with a line on it with a toy at the end (like a XL cat chaser toy.) It’s always important to play safe with our dogs instead of doing things that can cause serious damage to our dogs behavior. I don’t support this toy being sold and marketed towards dog owners.
Unceremonious Puppy Tip #1 - Want some peace while you eat a meal? Tether your puppy! Crate or playpen can work, too, but nothing is better than teaching your puppy to be with you without bothering you, especially around food.
Sorry for the long-winded video, BTW. I'll try to be more brief as I get the hang of these.
Please note, every puppy is different and needs a different nuance to learn things. You might have a puppy who loses it on the tether. They may need more work to learn how to accept tethering (I promise you, it is worth teaching tethering regardless!), and a playpen may be needed to bridge the gap. Don't give up!
Have some puppy questions? Drop them in the comments!
Theo taking puppy naps after half a day at the dog show. ❤️🐾
Puppy tip: they NEED NAPS!!! 🥱😴 If your puppy doesn't regularly nap on their own, use the crate and encourage regular napping. It's so important for their physical development, let alone their ability to have an off switch. Without naps, their bodies can genuinely not develop properly. Without an off switch, they won't be able to stop playing and demanding attention as adults. Make naps happen. One of the many reasons crate training can benefit your puppy for life.
Everyone meet the newest Houser! Theoden, Theo for short, my bestest boy Swedish Vallhund!
It's been quiet around here, but not for long!
So simple.
If you believe only one approach is needed, you're not only wrong, I guarantee you use at least 2 if not all of these approaches and just aren't being honest with yourself or comprehensive enough of your own actions to realize it.
If you talk to a 'trainer' who claims to use only one approach, they are wrong and, whether intentionally or not, lying to you.
"I had a colleague ask me to create a post about positive reinforcement. She was curious about my response to prospective clients who specified or questioned whether I used positive reinforcement in my training. My colleague added that occasionally, she would get an inquiry that demanded only positive reinforcement training be used on their dog.
When she asks these folks what they mean, most people respond with the usual tropes about not wanting their dogs abused or injured. This is fair. I am concerned about the recent proliferation of ‘trainers’ being caught on camera physically abusing dogs. As trainers, we have a fundamental duty to prioritize the welfare of the dogs we work with. It’s crucial not to confuse some individuals’ misuse of training methods or tools with the appropriate applications of those things.
These are the landmines we face as a trade because our language has been hijacked. We argue over the semantics, even when the definitions are quite clear. Not that we wouldn’t use positive reinforcement, but as I stated in a previous post, it’s the intimation that we are using methods and/or tools that harm more than help.
The world wide web is a magical place. It enables folks to discover things they don’t know, but it requires some divination to transcend the first page of a Google search. There is always more information that reveals flaws in logic. It is human nature to be curious, but the internet has made us less so. And we cling to our confirmation bias.
In the information age, it can be challenging to sift through all the misinformation, as sensationalism often overshadows the details of any topic. Just look at how divisive politics and religion have become, and how difficult it is to hear news that isn’t tainted with opinions instead of facts."
The FB algorithms don't like links that take you off their property, so you can read the rest of the article at the link in the comments. If you are seeing this from a shared post, click on the image to take you to the original.
This!
Will your dog be 'fully trained' by the end of one of my programs? Who knows.
Will YOU be coached, educated, and have the experience to take your dog to where you want them to be by the end of one of my programs? If you are active, willing to ask questions and take fair critique, and putting in the work.
At the very least, the breeder should be having an open conversation with you about each puppy's temperament and have a list of recommended puppies based on your intentions for the puppy you take home.
Want a couch potato? You don't want the most active, bitey, drivey puppy of the litter. Want a dog to go hiking with? You probably don't want the puppy who naturally shies away from new objects and obstacles. The breeder will know these things about their litter and guide you.
They will also insist that, if the puppy ends up outgrowing their personality and doesn't fit your needs later in life, BRING THEM BACK! The breeder will want that puppy back to ensure they find a different home.
If your breeder doesn't do these things at least, you're buying from a backyard breeder or a puppy mill. Nevermind the pet stores who will have no clue regardless.
Buy responsibly, whether from a rescue or a responsible breeder. Simple as that.
Rant time!
If you brought home a rescue dog whose behavior scares you almost from the start - behavior the rescue did not prepare you for, behavior you feel unsafe to address yourself, or behavior that makes you feel that you or your family or children or other dogs are in danger - it is just as responsible to return that dog to the rescue as it is to get a trainer involved.
A dog who makes you feel unsafe will most likely need to be board trained to ensure a safe training process at the beginning. That's thousands of dollars invested into a dog who may never be fully trustworthy in the lifestyle you are providing, depending on where these behaviors are coming from.
Any responsible trainer will support your decision to not keep that rescue dog whose personality puts you and your family in danger, whose behavior was not made clear to you by the rescue organization, whether they did so out of ignorance of that dog's behavior or out of insistence to not 'kill' dogs who have no business in most households.
Never allow guilt to make you prioritize a dog over yourself or your family. Dogs are wonderful companions, but some will not fit the mold of your life. There is no shame in admitting the dog isn't right for you. Better to admit it now and act than to hold off out of guilt and set yourself and the dog up for failure that could cause you and your family injury and the dog a dangerous reputation, or worse.
Bishop is still looking for his forever home.
He's quite excited to have a foster brother in the coming weeks! (More to come on the new addition once he's home. Can you guess the breed?)
Bishop would do so well in a home with cats or a dog companion his size or smaller. Please consider sharing or putting in an application with NEBTR if you think you may be a good fit for Bishop.
Priorities!
We've been getting a ton of puppies in recently, and I get it - puppies are HARD!
It's easy to get overwhelmed with puppy antics and get confused on what to focus on.
It comes down to this - for the first year of your puppy's life, your priorities should be:
- Make sure your puppy has neutral or positive experiences with everything you're going to ask them to tolerate as an adult
- Don't let them do things you wouldn't want them to do as an adult
A puppy that jumps up on you for attention is adorable. A 75lb adult dog doing the same thing is not. If you wouldn't want an adult dog to do it, don't let your puppy do it! Remember, you're raising an adult dog!
Pictured is Carmen, my 1.5yo APBT that required a huge amount of management as a puppy to make sure she didn't turn into a monster as an adult.
Bishop is still looking for his forever home! I'm happy to answer any questions about him. Please consider sharing, and if you are interested, be sure to fill out an application with NEBTR for him. ^_^
This is what expert dog work looks like.
PA
| Tuesday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Sunday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gray House Dog Training posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Gray House Dog Training:
Disregard the terrible attire rofl Practicing a marker (think a clicker; 'Huzzah' is Theo's marker to let him know he's done well and is getting rewarded for it), Sit, and Drop It / Leave It (I am using 'Enough' as my command here) with Theo. You don't have to use treats to reward! #puppytraining #swedishvallhund
Unceremonious Puppy Tip #2 - Want a puppy who will be nice and quiet in the crate as an adult (and trust me, YOU DO!)? This is how. Out-persist the tantrums and they will fade away. It's far more simple than you think.
Every moment is a training moment! Theo (not demonstrated here, apparently) has been - more often than not - pawing and yapping to get out of the crate when I approach. Every time I come to let him out, I out-wait his frustration until he calms down. When I open the crate, he must wait inside until I leash him and tell him he can leave. Simple. Sometimes it takes nothing at all, like in the video. Sometimes it takes a couple minutes. But every time gets faster and easier. This video was more of a fluke than evidence of progress, but it still ends with a successful moment of rewarding what I want. Persistently repeat and progress is guaranteed.
Unceremonious Puppy Tip #1 - Want some peace from the puppy while you sit down to dinner? Make it training and tether your pup! He learns where to be (away from you) and how to behave (chill out and wait for attention) while you eat. Very simple. Though Theo certainly makes it look easy LOL #puppytraining #newpuppy
Unceremonious Puppy Tip #1 - Want some peace while you eat a meal? Tether your puppy! Crate or playpen can work, too, but nothing is better than teaching your puppy to be with you without bothering you, especially around food. Sorry for the long-winded video, BTW. I'll try to be more brief as I get the hang of these. Please note, every puppy is different and needs a different nuance to learn things. You might have a puppy who loses it on the tether. They may need more work to learn how to accept tethering (I promise you, it is worth teaching tethering regardless!), and a playpen may be needed to bridge the gap. Don't give up! Have some puppy questions? Drop them in the comments!
Case and point regarding my post this morning about stress. Bishop is a stressed out guy. He is hyper sensitive to sounds, especially loud pops and bangs. So, we worked on basic heel repetitions at a local memorial, next to a busy intersection, with intervals in between of sitting on the nearby bench and just listening and watching traffic go by. Some would consider this a flooding exercise, and some still would say flooding a dog like this is wrong, because it requires the dog to be exposed for a prolonged period to what stresses them most. A couple weeks ago I wouldn't have dreamed of putting Bishop through this exercise. Today, though he struggled, he was ready for this next step. Same with taking him on a hike walk a few days ago (photos in the comments for reference). What you don't see in these videos is, after 30 minutes of practice and watching, Bishop became his usual self, tail wagging, shaking off the stress, and just being there with me without the nervous jitters. And later tonight and tomorrow, he'll relax faster and faster into the exercise. Some dogs aren't ready for this step, and are forced into it without recognition, which leaves them trapped in their state of insecurity. Some dogs have always been ready for this, but are kept sheltered to the point of losing the skills they had to handle such situations. Do you know if your dog is ready? Are you pacing their exposure and helping them in a way they understand when they begin to struggle? If you're not sure, shoot me a message.
#dogtraining #ghdogtraining #dontsquanderit #opportunity #dogtrainingopportunity #padogtrainer #padogtraining #inhomedogtraining #acceptthechallenge #challengeaccepted #dogsta #dogstagram
#dogtraining #ghdogtraining #humansociety #thehumanworld #trainyourdog #dogsta #dogstagram
Does your dog assume it's playtime whenever you sit on the floor? Maybe your dog is too playful with your kids whenever they are in the same room. Or maybe your dog just tends to bother you with toys and barking when you're trying to just relax on your couch. Your dog needs to learn boundaries. YOUR boundaries. When you are busy, your dog needs to learn how to respect your space, your time, and leave you alone. They need to trust you'll let them know when it's time to play, when it's time for you to enjoy each other. Your best tool to teach these boundaries is the leash. Mold when, where, and how you want your dog to leave you be. Bishop is learning these boundaries, so well that he will soon be getting time off leash, because he's proving that he is trustworthy. He's not unhappy to respect my space. Instead, he's learned calm and patience and self control, which in turn reinforces his ability to relax. Not sure how to teach your dog such boundaries with you? Shoot me a message!
Just because you claim your dog KNOWS a command doesn't mean they are trained to PERFORM that command. Sure, maybe your dog will go into a Sit on command... in the comfort of your home... with nothing else going on... while you have a treat in your hand. That doesn't make your dog trained. It means your dog has been TAUGHT the command Sit. But has your dog been CONDITIONED to follow through on that command in difficult scenarios, scenarios where getting an immediate Sit from your dog could help you avoid an expensive visit to the emergency vet? Conditioning obedience is the meat of dog training, and it's why chain store classes like at Petco and Petsmart ultimately fail over time for most dog owners. Those group classes only TEACH obedience, they don't help you learn to CONDITION that obedience to be FUNCTIONAL. Aspire for more out of your dog. They can do it! Their ancestors have been doing it for millenia. If you're not sure how to move into the conditioning phase of your dog's obedience, shoot me a message! I have a whole program dedicated to conditioning for functional obedience. #dogtraining #padogtrainer #yorkpa #yorkpadogtrainer #conditioning #operantconditioning #classicalconditioning #functionalobedience #obediencetraining #obedience #inhomedogtraining #dogsta #dogstagram #gooddog #welltraineddog #traineddog
Bishop does pretty well on a leash, but his Heel command could use some refining. We've worked on his Heel position inside, and today, we upped the difficulty by working on it outside, where he tends to get distracted by cars, other dogs, and unexpected noises. He did phenomenally, and this was my favorite highlight of our practice. This is how using food can work without it becoming a crutch or a necessary constant for performance and reliable behavior. Phase food out while maintaining the enthusiasm. It's not always this quick or easy, but it's well worth it! #positivereinforcement #heelcommand #dogwalking #dogtraining #padogtrainer #dogtreats #distracteddogs #fosterdog #dogforadoption #foundations #fundamentals #dogtrainingfundamentals #Bishop #dogsta #dogstagram
We have a guest showing up sometime this afternoon. What a perfect chance to practice his Place command in relation to a knock at the front door! Now, obviously, he can tell it's me knocking. But the repeated exposure to the stimulus still helps build foundation. And, our practice here will make it easier for him to consider the same response when the knock is unexpected to him. I'll try to get a video of the unexpected knock if I can. #dogtraining #reactivedogs #fosterdog #gooddogs #classicalconditioning #positivereinforcement #doorknock #dogsta #dogstagram #padogtrainer #ghdogtraining #obedience #positiveinfluence #emotionalresponse
Not all training looks pretty. This might be a tough video to watch for some, but something important for those with dogs of more a nervous disposition. We're getting our first heavy rain since Bishop arrived, and the new sound of rain (possibly also the connection of rain with thunder, as he's known to be afraid of gunshot and thunder) has sent Bishop into a shaking fit. This was accompanied with pacing earlier before the video, and sitting in a bit of a shaking trance at times as well. To help him, I simply had him Place. Now, in the moment, this only prevents him from dwelling in his fear through behaviors like pacing. In the long run, repeated exposure through stillness like this can help him learn nothing bad comes from these sounds, so no need to get worked up in the first place. It's hard to see a dog near panicking like this and not give them what we would consider helpful comfort. But in the dog world, that's not what it would be. To Bishop, if I talked to him, petted him, tried to comfort him with words and affection, he would interpret that attention as me rewarding him for behaving fearful in the first place, or he may see it as if I am acting afriad just like he is. To help him on his terms, I have to be calm and relaxed despite his shaking. I have to be unmoved by what he fears, so that he sees my response and considers that if I am not afraid, maybe he doesn't need to be, either. Over time, this will turn into both trust in my judgment and self confidence in himself. It's a difficult exercise, but an absolutely necessary and vital one for a dog like Bishop. Could you do this for your nervous dog? Be their rock instead of their comfort blanket? If you struggle to be your dog's leader in situations of fear, shoot me a message and I can coach you on how to help your dog in a way that makes sense to them, not just you.
Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service?
Gray House began with a woman’s love, loss, and rediscovery of her true passion in life.
In October 2016, I lost one of my best friends, a 14-year-old Norwegian Elkhound named Einar. My family and I had adopted him when he was six years old, the ninth of 15 foster dogs for the Elkhound rescue we fostered for.
It was my idea to foster, after losing my childhood Elkhound, Rana, one of the most influential animals of my life. Although my mother was on the paperwork, I was the trainer and handler for our dogs. I studied different training techniques - from reading books on marker training to watching Cesar Milan on the Discovery Channel - and quickly developed the mindset of working with each dog as an individual, not as a breed. I worked with show-class hounds, lazy couch potatoes, and even aggressive cases during our time fostering.
Then we took in Einar. He was perfect - quiet, loving, calm, and happy no matter what the circumstances. He was meant for us, and after six months and no calls, on Christmas Day (his birthday), we signed the papers and made it official.
He was with me through high school, college, marriage, and moving to a new state with my new husband. He smiled through it all.
But the best things don’t last forever; at the ripe age of 14, the years caught up to my old pup, and in 2016 I had to say goodbye. The loss of Einar took more of an emotional toll on me than I expected, and I found quickly that I needed another dog in my life to help me through.
The one thing I knew was I couldn’t get another Elkhound. Not yet. I could picture myself accidentally calling my new Elkie Einar and breaking down. I couldn’t do that to myself or to the dog I would adopt, so I started researching. I’d always had a passion for working dogs, and Dobermans were always by far my favorite. So we decided a Doberman it would be, and decided to look into rescues.
While searching for a new dog to add to my family, I helped some friends with their own new pups. I took a liking to helping them understand the how and why of their dogs’ behaviors and how to communicate what they wanted from their dogs in a way everyone could understand.
Finally, a couple months after losing Einar, we found a local rescue with a Doberman named Bruce. It was a terrible name for such a hyper 1.5 year old puppy. My husband and I fell in love on the first meeting and we took him home, renaming him after the big baby of Mad Max: Fury Road - Rictus.
Rictus was... a culture shock to say the least. The complete opposite of Einar in all the best ways. He was hyper, too intelligent for his own good, a player (and a jumper), overexcited and overstimulated about everything and everyone. He made enemies with the neighbor dog quickly with his immediate, alert stare that made her uneasy. He was clingy to a fault and couldn’t stand to be alone, making messes and digging on doors.
But we loved him, and we made a commitment to make him a part of the family. So I started working with him like I had all my previous dogs... and quickly came to a brick wall. Rictus simply didn’t understand what I was trying to tell him. All of my usual methods didn’t phase this dog at all.
The one thing I never did was blame him. It is always the responsibility of the owner to communicate with their dog in a way they understand. And it was clear that Rictus simply did not understand me with the way I was trying to communicate with him. Up until this point, I had learned about many other methods of training, but I never saw a need to put them into practice with my own dogs. Now was the time to implement.
I began using a clicker and marking good behaviors. I started re-evaluating how to correct Rictus for bad behavior, or if I needed to correct him at all. I start building a foundation of understanding with him, and soon realized that his trust in his owners and respect for people and animals in general were both lacking.
I didn’t need to know the details of his past to tell that he was never given boundaries, never told what not to do. I needed to draw some boundaries that he could see and enforce them consistently. I also needed to encourage and reward his focus on me and show him how much more rewarding it was to allow me to deal with things like greeting visitors. He needed to learn that I knew who was safe and who wasn’t, what sounds were best left ignored and what sounds may note trouble, and that if they did mean trouble, I would handle it for him, he just needed to come get me.
Working with Rictus at his level was everything I could have hoped for. It gave me a new perspective on life, on dogs, and on my own happiness. I began guiding my friends in their relationships with their dogs, seeing great results. While still working my office day job, I started to anticipate going home to work with Rictus, to talk with my friends about their progress with their own dogs. It became a passion.
So, in January 2017, I made a profile on Thumbtack.com, just something to offer my experience and knowledge to other families looking to make their dogs better members of the family. What I didn’t expect was the number of people looking for that help. But I was ready. Now I regularly work with 10-14 families a week, providing the foundations of a healthy relationship and a happy life for dogs across south central PA, from Harrisburg to Hanover, Gettysburg to Lancaster.
Every day, I add another brick to my Gray House; I learn from every dog, I teach every family, and I grow my own family day by day. I hope you will come and join me here and make your home a Gray House, too.
Virginia Houser Owner and Lead Trainer Gray House Dog Training
