weekend vibes ✨
#dog #dogs #dogsitter #dogsitting #naples #naplesfl #naplesflorida #weekend #saturday #sunshine
Day 187: so excited to welcome family arriving in town from Wisconsin 😁 …put my brother in charge of walking Journee for our after dinner walk (he wanted her to go).
In 187 days this is the first time she’s taken a walk for the sake of walking down our road 🤷♀️. As I’ve mentioned before I do not use walking “to tire my puppy out” as many people seem to obsess over. It was good exposure dealing with reactive dogs behind fences, rabbits, and other people. And yes, I took food with me just in case was needed to make a positive pairing.
#dalmatian
…because sometimes taking it slow and having patience is what is needed. I’ve been so lucky to get to know Hanna who was very, very, very scared and nervous at first. And while she still is nervous, shows avoidance, food refusal, and lots of stress behaviors and some discomfort..she’s much better overall when staying with me.
We take it very slow, relax together, just sit…and see if she wants to take on tackling some new things as luring for food is not an option right now. Therefore, patience to build trust. Luckily she did come to me the very first time with a relatively nice set of foundations — she knows her name, she will respond to a sit, a down, is very well crate trained (it’s her safe place), and she did have the ability to be (carefully) handled.
While I teach her, she also teaches me…🤍
Thanks for letting me spend some time with this sweet girl 🥰
Juliette was carefully studying some rally signs as she and her owner had the opportunity to put their skills to the test as we made up some novice courses right in the house. It was super fun for all of us to see how all the foundational skills (and some new movements) would string together in fluidity.
Since I am newer to Rally and am just starting to learn more about it myself, this was a great time to familiarize with signs and teach some new movements. If you’re looking to challenge yourself and your dog and offer them more enriching things, this is a great start. Easy movements to teach, and a lot of fun to be had switching things up once you get the basics down!
This is such a lovely team 🌟
#oldenglishsheepdog #rally #dogtraining
Sully the Coton De Tulear going on a few adventures for some socialization and training. So far he is showing low drive, and very little food drive. He loves being out and about doing things, but pressure may shut him down.
Working basic foundations like sit and down, walking nicely on a leash, recall and engagement when he hears his name, and working on handling body pressure during different movement exercises.
#cotondetulear
Day 145: the adolescent era is not the time to throw the towel in when it comes to socialization (and no, that word DOES NOT mean taking your dog to daycare or the dog park and meeting everyone you see). Today was a perfect opportunity to expose the puppy, who is now eight months old, to new distractions, people she hasn’t seeing for a while, and what could be scary noises. She was managed on the long line to 1) keep her managed with people working 2) ensure she was safe and did not go into the enclosure where the donkeys are.
I have had SO many dogs I’ve put in this same scenario who are completely shut down over sounds and objects, so I absolutely wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to take the puppy out. Too many times people are trying to get their dog out of these situations when 1) it may be the perfect training opportunity 2) it also may be a great crating or separation opportunity. I understand many people also do not have access to property — so in that case in may mean seeking out these opportunities.
Your training should not only include skills and drills, but it also needs to include socialization — and as your puppy is developing it takes constant assessment and evaluation on your end to know what they need, and perhaps what should be avoided. Very happy with how she did today.
#dalmatian #dalmatians #puppy #puppies #puppysocialization #weekend #sunday #sunshine #florida #naplesflorida
Day 142: she’s continuing to learn odor can be in so many different places: objects, spaces, up high, down low. Sometimes it may be in something, or on something, or just be existing in space itself. Working on some relatively simple searches while she offers a freeze (still some immediate marks on sniffs for her), but still will look to train a sit and stare as the final indication.
#scent #smell #sniff #nose #nosework #scentwork #odor #dalmatian #dalmatians #spot #spotted #puppy #puppytraining #dogtraining #dog #florida #thursday
Day 137: changing up searching for the puppy. Trust the process…
#puppy #scent #scentwork #nose #nosework #sniff #smell #search #find #look #dalmatian #dalmatians #birch #odor #spots #spotted #weekend
Had a blast just beginning to put a basic foundation on this five year old! There is obviously a big difference between a dog that may be trained with a set of skills vs. a well behaved dog. BUT…just because your dog may be well behaved and easy to coexist with, doesn’t mean you cannot give them a new set of skills or teach them things to better their lives! Training should be fun and challenging for both — and the relationship built is an amazing feeling.
Beano will be working on quieting his excessive barking when guests enter the home by being provided with a strong alternative of laying in a designated place. It’s not that the dog shouldn’t bark or isn’t allowed to — it’s that we want a reasonable recovery time for the dog to understand, we’ve got things under control. We will also work on the things that trigger him to bark so he can successfully work through them and perform under distractions.
I notice way too many people ALWAYS resort to “how to correct” or tell the dog “no.” We instead look to be PROACTIVE and guide the dog into the alternatives we are looking for by using reinforcement based methods AND GIVING the dog a foundation; fading lures over time as the dog is ready. Dog training should not be a dictatorship.
#dog #dogs #dogtraining
Day 131: just enjoying the process for laying down the foundation for scent work.
#dalmatian #scent #sniff #search #find #nose #nosework #scentwork #puppy #puppies #birch #odor #dogtraining
Day 129: this is what happens when you trust the process. When you put the work in. When you are prepared, consistent, accept challenges, and allow everything else to be background noise.
In the last few weeks we’ve been working to fade off the lure on our focused heel while maintaining elevation in the front end as well as a straight head. She’s starting to seek out this position and offer it vs. being asked and bribed for it.
She’s been trained using reinforcement based training. We’ve used food and toy. We’re moving into shaping more behaviors as that is what I’m most comfortable doing.
She’s only a seven month old puppy…but I’m certainly proud of her willingness to adapt and learn.
#dalmatian #dalmatians #dog #dogs
Day 124: it’s a slipper kind of training day.
#dalmatian #dalmatians #dog #dogs #sunday #weekend #chill #florida #spot #spotted #puppy #puppies #luadalmatian #heel #heeling #slippers #puppytraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtreats #prance #enjoythejourney
Day 123: working more on source focus, stimulus control, and the sit behavior — which unlike most people, I haven’t focused on a ton as I intended to pair it with an alert for scent.
Looking forward to what this next month brings for training! If you don’t know, I’ve been sharing every single day of training for the last 123 days and intend to go all the way for one year to show clips of 365 days of training and the things we address, the places we go, and how behaviors grow.
#dal #dalmatian #dalmatian #luadalmatian #blackandwhite #spot #spotted #firedog #workingdog #saturday #florida #naplesflorida
Day 120: trying to hit a variety of sessions throughout the day and changing the odor picture as we go 👃🏻
#scent #smell #sniff #odor #nose #nosework #scentwork #find #search #alert #dalmatian #dalmatians
A lot of times when working with a sensitive, fearful, insecure, or nervous dog…it can be incredibly hard to see progress (even though it’s there, it’s just not always super gratifying because it’s hard to see day to day). It’s easy to take a high drive and motivated dog and make them look good - but a dog who is shut down, not so much.
Just like other humans, I too, want results. I want to see end behaviors, fade lures, and see that the dog left a board and train “a new dog.” However, it’s asking a lot and it’s not always reality. The reality is, you have the dog in front of you and that is what you must address. And you must do it on the pressure of a timeline. I do not control his emotions, and I want to use training as means to build him up. That is a huge reason why I choose reward based training and do not think to add any overlays until the dog actually has a strong and reliable foundation.
I am happy to see he’s come out of his shell and often times review previous videos so I can further identify changes in behavior. He’s now:
✅ coming to me to accept food, although still uncertain
✅ will hold positions such as a down without trying to get away from the body pressure and lure
✅ is accepting leash guidance and slight pressure without fighting
✅ is going into the crate on a verbal without being bribed first
✅ is accepting new surfaces where before he showed heavy avoidance and went into immediate food refusal and completely shut down
✅ is eating his meals immediately whereas before he would not touch his food at all
Day 118: although most of our training posted here typically is based upon movement, freestyle, body awareness and positioning, some agility, scent work, and obedience — there are also some things in my dog’s life I want to ensure they are okay with and setup with as a life skill despite how great their temperament seems. Today is our first session conditioning a muzzle (note this muzzle is way too big and was only being used to teach her to put her beak in).
It seems when people inquire for training about a truly aggressive or seriously reactive dog — a dog who has a bite history or has absolutely shown warning signs leading to believe they could bite and you mention muzzle training…they are absolutely mortified at the thought. (And typically don’t or won’t do it).
And here I am, with a less than seven month old puppy who has not shown one mean bone in her body, conditioning her to wear a muzzle. I also think normalizing muzzle training is important since I cannot predict the future or what circumstances, injuries, or events or situations she may be placed in where a muzzle may be needed.
For me, teaching a dog to wear a muzzle is no different than conditioning her to stick her head through an opening of the harness to ‘get dressed’ in her gear. Even though I don’t use a harness much for general training (my personal preference), she absolutely will need to, at some point in her life, wear one for Search & Rescue or scent work. So therefore, we work to condition both — essentially the same way.
I like to start by luring the dog into the muzzle and feeding directly while the face is in the muzzle. I quickly move on to waiting for her to offer the behavior, marking, and feeding once I have the duration I’m looking for.
#muzzle #muzzletraining #puppy #puppytraining #dalmatian #dalmatians
Day 116: if you find yourself constantly blaming all your troubles on your dog….you need to look in the mirror and remember what an important part of the team you are. You set the rules and boundaries. You can implement the management. You can provide the rewards and redirect the dog as necessary. But yes, it takes time, effort, and consistency.
I’ve struggled to convince this puppy I could be part of the game with toys to make it more fun. I didn’t quit just because things were not going my way and I wasn’t having immediate success. We still continue to build our engagement game with toys, and are starting to work some simple behaviors for a toy — as well as building our “out” command. While I wouldn’t consider her to be possessive over objects, she certainly doesn’t mind plopping down to chew things on her own.
This is when things like space may need to be managed, a leash may need to be added, a different toy may need to be considered. When you’re open minded and willing to problem solve, success can be had.
One of the most challenging things about dog training is working with those who may be close minded, think they know better, or aren’t simply willing at all to implement management or change. Yet, those same people want you to miraculously fix all their problems. Remember, when you begin on your training journey…don’t be afraid to change, try new things, or accept a suggestion that may better your dog in the long run.
#dog #dogs #weekend #weekenddog #dalmatian #dalmatians #puppy #luadalmatian #tug #luadalmatian #saturday #florida #naplesflorida #dogsitter #lifeofadogsitter
Day 113: careful or you might not realize there are two different dogs. 😛
We’ve been working over three months now developing skill, growing together, and strengthening our relationship. There is no fast track to extracting talent and advancing movements and techniques — you must practice. This applies to both handler and dog. We simply just keep assessing and building on what we have. The down-stays for duration, the agility courses, the ability to work in a variety of environments will keep on coming. This is one reason when you commit to training your dog you should be in it for the long haul and not just a quick fix or think that one session will get you to where you need to go unless you have an understanding on how to build off of it. Develop skills, build foundations, be consistent. Challenge yourself and your dog and boost your criteria as you see fit. Be fair. Be realistic.
#dalmatian #dalmatians #naplesflorida #dogtrain #dogtraining #dogtrainer #reinforcement #rewards #lure #dogs #dog #puppies #puppy
One reason I advocate for getting your puppy started early is many of the challenges and behaviors exhibited in this video could have been avoided had the puppy been exposed to a variety of different exercises and movements. Instead, he practiced and rehearsed many behaviors which have now become “problematic” for the owner. On the flip side, he’s even more nervous outdoors with distractions such as the wind, the sound of cars, and the fact it’s getting darker out. He lacks a lot of confidence and we hope to improve that.
While I understand not everyone gets a puppy so cannot begin training right away, challenges cannot be improved at all unless someone is willing to work with the dog. So, if you have a dog with challenges — I assure you just avoiding them will not fix them. And, it’s important to notate not everything will be fixed — some behaviors will require lifelong management. However, you are the one to decide what type of relationship and goals you have for you and your dog.
#cockapoo
Day 103: our last day of 2023! Cannot believe we’re already heading into another year! Enjoy the Journee 🌟
#newyear #happynewyear
