Mr. Dog Training; Voted #1 in Maine

18/12/2024

40 years ago
This Day In Hollywood - Ubu Roi - Died a very Good Boy, 1984

Sit, Ubu, sit…Good Dog! ….woof!

The real Ubu dog was a black Labrador retriever named Ubu Roi, who belonged to television producer Gary David Goldberg:

Goldberg had Ubu Roi as his college dog and traveled with him around the world.

Ubu Roi was the mascot for Goldberg’s independent production company, Ubu Productions, which he founded in 1982.

The closing tag for Ubu Productions featured a photo of Ubu Roi with a frisbee in his mouth, taken in Paris’s Tuileries Garden. Goldberg also appeared in the tag, saying “Sit, Ubu, sit! Good dog!”.

The closing tag is considered one of the most famous TV show closing tags ever. Goldberg paid tribute to his beloved dog in the tag.

Ubu Roi died in 1984.

16/12/2024

This sleepy guy had a dental procedure today with Dr. Wheeler at Bridgton Veterinary Hospital and is doing amazing, even if he is still slightly loopy.

I had a FABULOUS experience with the staff at Bridgton and Dr. Wheeler was not only kind but extremely generous with his time and knowledge.

If your dog ever needs a dental procedure that is something your regular vet can’t do, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Wheeler and his team…I highly recommend them!

16/12/2024

Not only will the dogs be playing more games in my new Brilliant Basics class, but the humans will too; Students will be playing bingo to win prizes during the course!

There are only a few spots left in the remaining January session and then it’s a wait until February so hurry up and register.

Link in my bio on Insta and in the comments on FB.

XXOO

14/12/2024

“My dog loves my baby! He always licks him!” This tends to be a pretty common comment! It does trigger some questions that may seem a bit silly to ask in response. Something like, “Describe the licks for me. Fast, slow and then does the dog moves away?”
👉 “Is it a full tongue or a little bit?”
👉 “Full tongue lick or quick flick?”
👉 “Is the child sitting and the dog approaches or vice versa, what level of mobility does the child have, is food present or remnant?
So many questions! But, these questions help us gather valuable information to help us understand what the dog may be communicating. At Family Paws Parent Education, we want to help parents consider and recognize that dog licks may not always be what we think they are, “affectionate kisses”, or indications of “love,” but could have other meanings. We refer to this as “Kiss to Dismiss”. If you are curious of these doggy “kisses” and if they are a “Kiss to Dismiss”, ask yourself,
🚨 Is your dog in need of space?
🚨 Is your dog in need of space and there is a reason they may choose not to move? (example: comfy spot, resource, pain)
🚨 Does this licking deter closeness or lead to an increase in space?

If you have any questions about this and aren’t sure, please call us! We’re here to support you! You can call us at 877-247-3407, or you can directly message us on Instagram or Facebook.

08/12/2024

The next one is two weeks from today, 12/21, @ 12pm!

Link to register in bio on insta and in the comments on FB.

Did I mention it’s free?

07/12/2024

05/12/2024

I had a spot open up in the Intro to Agility class that starts this Sunday at 11:15am.
Class meets an hour a week for four weeks and costs $125 for the session.

Link to register in my bio on insta and in the comments on FB.

Who is ready for some fun with their dog?

05/12/2024

Saturday’s Pet Peeve: Head-petting as positive reinforcement? I don't think so.

Recently I was working with a wonderful client – the kind whose address I memorized so that I can sneak up at night and deposit homeless animals in his front yard – on a ‘touch’ cue. When the dog successfully touched her nose to his hand, he clicked, scratched the top of her head, and gave her a treat. But she neatly dodged her head to the side as he reached to scratch it, before coming back to nom the food.

So, for some dogs, petting on the head is not a positive experience. I’ll venture to say that it’s not particularly desirable for most dogs. For those who seem to enjoy it, this is largely a learned behavior and unique to human-dog interactions. Dogs don’t pet each other, after all (nor do they rub each other’s bellies). A hand reaching over the dog’s head might elicit lowering of the head, blinking and lip-licking behavior. Some dogs – especially if they’re taken by surprise -- will overtly dodge the hand until they seem to realize it’s a benign gesture.

If you encounter a training class where the instructor uses only petting and praise as positive reinforcement, observe the dog-human interactions for a bit before beating a hasty retreat. Chances are excellent that you’ll see some of the dogs averting their heads as the hand reaches out. They might be anticipating something truly good (and preferred) like food, or they might even be fearful.

If your goal is to reinforce a behavior, think about the reinforcer from your dog’s perspective. High-value food is a safe bet, as would be an opportunity to do something she wants to do: go through a doorway, jump up beside you on the sofa, or run after a ball. Happy-voiced praise and whooping are also fun for some dogs (though not all), but should be interspersed with a sure bet (food) at least on occasion. (Think about slot machines in Vegas.)

Unfortunately, some humans are stuck on the idea that head-petting is the ultimate reward. In many, many cases, it is not – in fact, it almost qualifies as an aversive stimulus. Cuddling with your dog in front of the fire is one thing; but ff you’re working to teach your dog a new or challenging task (like coming when called!), especially, offer a bit of hot dog, and keep your hands to yourself.

04/12/2024

03/12/2024

My Basic classes have been rewritten and rebranded…

Say hello to Brilliant Basics 🤩

Now a six week course, this live, virtual class is still covering all of the behaviors you are looking to teach like great recalls, leash walking, stays, not jumping up, sit, down, building fantastic engagement, preventing counter surfing, and so much more and will take a more games based approach.

Both you and your dog will be having so much fun playing games, including bingo for the humans in class) that you won’t even realize how much you are learning until you realize that you and your dog are now speaking the same language, you are understanding your dog more, your dog is much more calm, and there are rainbows and unicorns everywhere! 🤩🌈🦄

🤓Standard learning:
May require a large number of repetitions to solidify a concept, often cited as hundreds of repetitions in some research.
🛝Play-based learning:
When learning is integrated with play, the required number of repetitions can be significantly lower, usually falling within the 10-20 range.
Explanation:
🤩Increased engagement:
Playful activities naturally capture attention and increase engagement, making learning more enjoyable and therefore more effective.
🥰Positive emotions:
Play often triggers positive emotions in the brain, which can enhance memory retention.
🧠Brain development:
Research suggests that play can stimulate the development of new neural pathways in the brain, potentially requiring fewer repetitions to learn new skills.

The Sunday session starting in January only has one spot left so hurry up and register!

02/12/2024

Bada bing, bada boom, here’s December’s Team of the Christie and Kevin!
This wonderful team is currently in my Puppy Academy class where they are a ray of positive sunshine asking fantastic questions, celebrating their successes with excitement and laughter, and diving into their weekly missions with reckless abandon.
Christie has also attended my free puppy preschool class with Kevin and was the first in my Puppy Academy session to get their pup registered for a Brilliant Basics.
To say that she is motivated and dedicated is an understatement!
Little Kevin is smart as a whip, LOVES his food, and looks to Christie’s guidance and consistent communication with a sparkle in his eye.
They are a true team in every sense of the word.
As a prize, this team has won $25 off their next session of classes with me.

I asked Christy a few questions about her relationship with Kevin and this is what she had to say:

DOG’S NAME/AGE/BREED:
Kevin/16 weeks/french bulldog

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR DOG? I honestly love everything about him, haha! He’s the perfect balance of cuddly and playful and so motivated for treats!

WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR DOG?
My goals are to have a well behaved dog that is confident and happy.

WHAT IS THE SKILL THAT YOU LEARNED IN CLASS HAS BEEN MOST HELPFUL IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP/DAILY LIFE WITH YOUR DOG?
I’ve learned many valuable skills that help our daily relationship. I can happily call his name and no matter what he is doing, he will come and sit right in front of me and ignore all distractions.

WHAT IS YOUR DOG'S FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOU?
I make treats fall from the sky haha! I think I make him feel safe and he loves to run and play with me!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ACTIVITY TO DO WITH YOUR DOG?
Besides the fact that he’s the perfect cuddle buddy, my favorite activity is teaching him new things. He is so eager to learn and is so smart! It amazes me how fast he picks things up!


WHY DID YOU GET THIS PARTICULAR DOG?
I’ve had an American bulldog for almost 13 years and fallen in love with bully breeds. French bulldogs are similar in personality but just smaller.

30/11/2024

The sale is ON and my email has been pinging all morning with class registrations!

Be sure to register while the class you want is still open 😎