In honor of our first (of many), FULLY BOOKED on-leash reactivity courses starting tomorrow, May 4th.... here is a sneak peak at one of the first and most important skills we teach - leash handling! Good gear (a non-retractable 6-8 ft leash attached to a y-shaped body harness, for example), and solid handler skills (prioritizing safety and security) make a world of difference in working with your dog! #reactivedogsaregooddogstoo #reactivedogclass #delawaredogtraining #forcefree #fearfree #delawaredogtrainers #certifieddogtrainer #dumpyourprong💩
BlackDog playgroup program is back in action just in time for spring 🐶🐕🌹🌸🌺! We are looking for some helper dog volunteers to assist with our playgroup interviews! If you think your dog could be a candidate to help out, please email [email protected] for details. ✨All BlackDog playgroup processes adhere to best practices set forth by @shelterplaygroupalliance ✨Puppy playgroups (5 months and under) take place every other Saturday morning, with no interview required. 6 puppies maximum per group✨Young adult/adult playgroups are hosted every other Friday evening - free 20 minute interview OR video submission of your dog's play style required before enrolling. 4 dogs maximum per group✨Each group lasts 45 mins, and is structured not only to help your dog build appropriate play and deescalation skills, but to help YOU understand dog-dog communication to set your pup up for success✨All playgroups are ticketed drop-ins, meaning you can stay for as little or as long as you and your dog like! Skip the dog park and doggy daycare, enjoy some refreshments, and help your pups make some friends with the guidance of certified professionals! #delawaredogs #phillydogs #puppyplaygroup #skipthedogpark #delawaredogtrainer #springhassprung #phillydogtrainer #dominanceisdead #dogsarentpackanimals #playtime #bestfriends
🎄A Letter to Santa 🎄Humane Animal Partners adoptable dog Jean-Ralphio is one of the shelters longest residents, and also happens to be a BlackDog favorite. We took him to our training facility as part of Humane Animal Partners' "Doggy Day Out" Program (an awesome program, more info on their website on how to participate), and it let us get a glimpse of JR "in real life."He has come so far, but nevertheless - shelter life is extremely stressful for him and some days he still struggles. He is overlooked and rarely gets adoption interest, racking up a 317 day stay so far. All he wants is to spend quality time with people - it is truly his favorite thing in the world, and he will be such a special dog for somebody. Help us make sure Jean's letter gets to Santa, so he can find a home for the holidays (and forever).We love you JR ❤️ #delawaredogtrainers #adoptashelterdog #delawaredogs #humaneanimalpartners #blackdogsrock #trainhumane #dontbullymybreed
Always taking time for the important things over at BlackDog ❤️ Life with your dog (and yourself) is all about balance, and we try to practice what we preach. #lifelately #delawaredogtrainers #pennsylvaniadogtrainers #trainhumane #dogtrainersoftiktok #fearfree #dominanceisdeas #beatreatfeedernotapackleader
Its not suuuuper often that we meet a dog this "ready to work" in the shelter.... it definitely happens, but most of the time our primary focus is on meeting needs, providing decompression/outlets, and modifying behavior concerns. Zelda however is HERE for it. Today we built on our recall, leash skills/engagement, and ended with a quick session to address her reactivity towards other dogs. For this set-up we did a little combo of engage-disengage, a very modified BAT setup, find-it, and using some known cues/skills to create a variety of alternative choices to lunging/barking.... with @rootforyourdog handling a perfect helper dog at a comfy working distance. We love Zelda and can't wait to continue supporting her when she gets adopted! Currently available at Cape May County Animal Shelter & Adoption Center .#trainhumane #nobreedneedsaheavyhand #fearfree #beatreatfeedernotapackleader #dominanceisdead #shelterbehavior #delawaredogtraining #jerseydogs
Shelter day!
Join us for a shelter day at @hapdelaware , as we continue to grow their behavior program! Ft. adoptables Rocky, CeCe, Moo, and a sleepy Shasta, Kane, and Boone.
After a morning of kennel rounds, completing scheduled behavior evaluations, training/bmod sessions, and catching up on admin (post-adopt behavior support calls, scheduling behavior medication requests, etc), its on to the extra fun stuff for the behavior team!
- Enrichment prep (the grosser it looks and smells the better 😉). Not shown: @lila.wolf 's in-kennel scent enrichment using cardboard squares and pet-safe essential oils like rosemary, lavender, and mint.
- Stock up on high value treats for training/bmod
- Playdates/playgroups: gotta make sure we have our safety tools for this! We keep our "bite kit" supplies in weather safe bags, each stocked with an airhorn, citronella spray, a spray bottle with water, and a bite stick - all for use only in case of an altercation, not for "correcting" behavior within a playgroup.
And after a successful day of needs being met, we have some happy sleepy pups and a very quiet kennel 🥰
#shelterbehavior #trainhumane #fearfree #forcefree #positivereinforcement #delawaredogs #delawaredogtraining #beatreatfeedernotapackleader #blackdogbehaviorandtraining
Many of you know our fellow BlackDog friend Espo @espolono (son of our trainer Lila). With the addition of baby brother Riggs, @lila.wolf and @saigemastrota have been relying on careful in-home management to ensure these brothers continue to thrive living together, as well as with the cats in the home.
Espo has had some challenges with resource guarding, (specifically during meal time as well as high value items), in addition to separation anxiety. Riggs, as a new member of the household, is being introduced to all crucial puppy foundations - staying calm during alone time, 1:1 training and enrichment, and of course management to prevent unwanted (but normal) puppy behaviors such as chewing, accidents, etc. With two dogs at different stages of life, as well as different behavior needs, the goal right now is ensuring only positive interactions, providing breaks from each other to ensure individual needs are being met, and trusting the slow, gradual process of in-home introductions.
These boys will continue to grow together and we hope that everyone enjoys watching the progression of their journey together.
*Multi animal management can sometimes be more than you bargained for, but our team at BlackDog is here to guide you and help you feel confident in the process (and hopefully bring some relatability in knowing we've all been through it in our own homes, too)!*
#labradorpuppy #canecorso #blackdog #trainhumane #nobreedneedsaheavyhand #fearfree #dogsdoingthings #rewardyourdog #delawaredogs #delawaredogtraining
Another heat wave approaches tomorrow.... skip your walks and opt for alternate forms of enrichment! @bigtuckenergy Tucker is the 👑king 👑of baby pool time, but some dogs may not be comfortable with it so get creative with inside activities like shredding, sniff games, and spreading meal calories out over a variety of frozen enrichment items! #heatwave #hotboysofinstagram #beak #beakman #babypool #dogtraining #enrichment #lifehack #germanshepherd #germanshepherdsofinstagram #trainhumane #nobreedneedsaheavyhand #bigtuckenergy #blackdog #delawaredogs #pennsylvaniadogs #delawaredogtraining #pennsylvaniadogtraining
When another boring bmod video actually shows HUGE progress 👍🏻
BlackDog trainer Becca has been working with Lynda and her three dogs Rafe, Brody, and Dylan for almost two years (yes - you read that right - YEARS). The dogs pictured in this video here have been kept entirely separate due to multiple altercations and significant aggression towards Brody (no muzzle), by Rafe (muzzle).
Not only did we need to address some pretty significant underlying anxiety/arousal concerns for two of the dogs, but we also had to carefully navigate the jigsaw puzzle dynamic between all 3. Even having them within sight of each other, let alone on a parallel walk with less than a few feet of distance, is a huge win. Big thanks to an extremely dedicated mom, the help of our favorite vet behaviorist @hags324 at @metro_vet , and of course lots of time and patience!
Multi-animal management can be challenging and frustrating, even without the added stress of reactivity or aggression - and BlackDog is here to guide you through the process.
#forcefree #behaviormodification #fearfree #muzzleddogsaregooddogs #dacvb #ccpdt #iaabc #certifieddogtrainer #trainhumane #dominanceisdead #blackdog #delawaredogtrainer #delawaredogs #beatreatfeedernotapackleader
From a VERY 🌶spicy🌶 consult ➖to session 4!
💫How did we get to where we are now?
▪️Management: walking Peppy at times of day or areas where we are likely to see fewer dogs, at a greater distance. For Peppy specifically, this also means being mindful of when the neighbor dogs are out in their yard, as this is a BIG trigger for her.
▪️More preferable/safer gear: a long line for training sessions, plus a standard 6-8 ft leash vs retractable, and a y-shaped body harness
▪️Multiple sessions inside the house to work on marker introduction, eye contact and leash exercises, settle on a mat, touch, pattern games, name recognition, recall, and muzzle desensitization
▪️Training/learning when she CAN be successful: previously, just leaving her house into the front yard = hypervigilance, high alert, reactivity to all sights, sounds, movement (but especially dogs). Now, going outside means ONLY: playtime with favorite toys, or getting lots of tasty snacks for behaviors we like to see... and we practice this right now when she can handle it (I.e when the neighbor dogs are inside - but you can see she still checks frequently for them).
💫Where do we go from here?
▪️Continue building upon her foundations - "fancy" training is just the basics done well, y'all.
▪️Change the environment, and plan some training sessions out in a more open, spacious area.
▪️With a muzzle properly conditioned, safely explore her actual feelings about other dogs - do we actually see any social behavior? Do we see fear? Do we see only tolerance/avoidance? Do we think actual "play dates" would benefit her, or not?
▪️Over time (possibly months), be able to work at shorter distances, for greater periods of time, with more intense triggers, while seeing an INCREASE in offered behaviors, responsiveness to known cues, and ability to relax and cope more appropriately
#reactivitytraining #forcefree #smalldogsneedtrainingtoo #spicypep🌶 #putsomepepinyour
GO LUNA! (and Luna's dads, obviously 🥰)
We've got a ways to go, but she has come SO FAR already!
#progressoverperfection #reactivedog #delawaredogs #adoptashelterdog #trainhumane #forcefree #dominanceisdead #teenagers #certifieddogtrainer
Teaching @seven_thetravelingfrenchie some life skills, and he LOVED learning "touch." We like using this skill as a confidence booster, an option to politely greet new people (instead of jumping, etc), to redirect, or to introduce targeting that can be built into other more advanced skills. Great job, Seven!
#basicskills #lifeskills #puppytraining #frenchbulldog #bigboy #delawaredogs #wilmingtondelaware #smallbusiness #trainhumane #delawaredogtraining
🔥COMIN IN HOT🔥
Nicole has completed her internship with us, and has decided to OFFICIALLY join BlackDog as a staff trainer!!!!!!!! Nicole will officially be taking over our group classes at our favorite local pet store @riverfrontpets in addition to opening weekend availability for puppy and basics clients in New Castle County. Head to our website to book your consult today!
She has worked so hard to get to this point, completing not only her @fearfreepets and @catchcaninetrainersacademy certifications, but is well on her way to getting her CPDT-KA through @ccpdt_official . She loves working with shelter and rescue dogs (especially her foster dogs at @pittiesandpalsrescuenj ), is a whiz at teaching fun tricks to your pup, and is quickly learning more about working tougher cases involving fear, anxiety, reactivity, and aggression. We are so proud of her and are lucky to have her on our team.
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#comininhot #delawaredogs #delawaredogtraining #fearfree #forcefree #trainhumane #dominanceisdead #jerseygirl #jerseydogs #dogtrainingtips #certifieddogtrainer
Penelope @weeniepenelope can be fearful of new people and gets overwhelmed going outside for walks. For our first session in any reactivity case, we focus primarily on the foundations for dog and parent that will make their learning feel sustainable in the long run -
▪️reading and understanding body language ▪️introducing a marker (like the word "yes")
▪️attention-building games
▪️safe, comfortable leash handling
▪️the important of reward placement / delivery - in P's case, we introduced some targeting exercises that transitioned into her confidently following a food lure on a spatula. This is a great tip for small dog owners to get started, without the need to bend down TO your dog to deliver reinforcement.
#reactivity #livingwithreactivedogs #dachshund #bestgirl #trainhumane #peanutbutter #rewardyourdog #fearfree #forcefree #delawaredogs #dogsoftrolleysquare #wilmingtondogtrainer #delawaredogtrainer
@opie_big_head has graduated from being the problem child to being a helper (with carefully matched dogs of course). Tonight he showed how a good parallel walk is done, with @hapdelaware alum Gunner @gunner_thestaffy and mom (and HAP staffer) @erinstevens___ . Gunner has worked with us for a while on basics and some mild confidence struggles, and as he's hitting social maturity his fear/anxiety is bubbling over in more real life situations, resulting in some stranger danger, leash reactivity to dogs, and resource guarding (it is not uncommon to see more challenging behaviors arise between the ages of 1.5 and 3). It's of course important to focus on preventative measures at younger development stages, but we encourage dog guardians to seek the help of a certified professional at the first sign of any new or worsened behaviors..... don't wait until things get severe to seek help!
PS - 😉 good, solid behavior mod is usually pretty boring (like the first part of this video). Social media does not accurately reflect reality in a quick clip. Remember that behavior change takes time, and the promise of a definite timeline for change to occur, or guaranteeing "fast results" should be a 🚩🚩🚩 when seeking a trainer or watching content online.
#certifieddogtrainer #delawaredogtrainers #delawaredogs #humaneanimalpartners #dontbullymybreed #trainhumane #forcefree #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #dominancetheoryisdead☠️ #iaabc #ccpdt #ditchtheprong #dontbeashockjock #beatreatfeedernotapackleader
End of day enrichment time for "mini-Malinois" Penelope at @delawarespca !!! Food puzzles are great for decompression, working those brain muscles, and can be used as a management tool to prevent unwanted behaviors (pre-loading an enrichment item to give when guests arrive, create positive associations with crate or being left alone, etc), or to help dogs deescalate prior to or after a training session. You can try these options for food based enrichment at home:
▪️Feed meals or snack time through "scatter feeding" (tossing handfuls of treats/kibble) in the yard or on walks
▪️Feed meals out of @outwardhound spiral feeders
▪️Stuffing / smearing and freezing food using @lickimat , @kongcompany , or @westpawus products
▪️Feed meals or snacks out of a snuffle mat
▪️Make a "busy box" by layering kibble, treats, and toys into a bin
▪️Roll food up into a towel, layer in a muffin tin covered with tennis balls, seal into an old bottle and poke kibble sized holes, or loosely close a used cardboard box filled with pet safe items (paper towel or toilet paper rolls, old T-shirt's, etc)
Make sure to always supervise your dog particularly when giving something new or easily destructible, and more importantly - have fun!
#maligator #shepherddog #adoptashelterdog #delawaredogs #mixedbreed #positive reinforcement #delawaredogtrainer #nobreedneedsaheavyhand #trainhumane #ditchtheprong #certifieddogtrainer #beatreatfeedernotapackleader
Start Em Young 😉No but seriously. While it can be introduced, its not a huge priority for puppies to learn specific skills right away (sit, down, etc). Instead, we focus on cultivating simple, naturally offered behaviors like checking in (head lifts, eye contact), staying near you, moving with you in a new direction. Starting this expectation early allows you to build a lengthy ✨reinforcement history✨ (behaviors that become strong due to being consistently rewarded over time), which will set the tone for more difficult skills such as recall, maintained attention around distractions, polite greetings, loose leash walking, etc. Our trainer Mike is excellent at helping both dogs and dog guardians find creative, fun, and low-stress ways to reach behavior goals. Here, he guides adorable Cillian and his mom through an easy attention game - dropping treats creates opportunities to engage in sniffing/foraging, and it also helps to build in "check-points" where your dog/puppy can learn to predict what comes next (usually a head lift towards their handler, or moving with them in a new direction). It's important to practice these behaviors in chill, familiar environments before adding too much distraction or change of scenery.✨To schedule a consult with Mike, please go to the www.blackdogbt.com/services and book online✨#yellowlabpuppy #retrieversofinstagram #nobreedneedsaheavyhand #clicktreat #positivereinforcement #delawaredogs #pennsylvaniadogs #pennsylvaniadogtraining #delawaredogtraining #ditchtheprong #dontbeashockjock #beatreatfeedernotapackleader #puppytrainingtips #puppytraining
These perfect ladies Mocha (larger brown and white) and Midnight (black pocket pittie) are both available for #adoption at ACCT Philly] , and we couldn't have picked a better duo to spend the beautiful fall weather with this week.
While both are fearful in the shelter environment, and a little hesitant meeting new people, they've found confidence in having a buddy to ride out their shelter visit ❤️ Though they came in separately, they became fast friends. And please forgive us for the baby-talk in the background.... we know 🤣
We'd recommend an adults only home for both of these girls, and a dog intro to make sure they're a good fit for your resident pups. Discounted post-adoption training services courtesy of @blackdogbehaviorandtraining to anyone who adopts our favorite girls, or any other dog from our partner shelters:
ACCT Philly]
@delawarespca
@delawarehumane
@pspca
#adoptdontshop #phillydogs #positivedogtraining #iaabc #ccpdt #certifieddogtrainer #delawaredogtrainer #clicktreat #puppyplaydate #enrichment #decompressforsuccess #welovephillydogs #adoptacctphilly #acctphilly
Adoptable Rosemary (Delaware SPCA]) is one resilient pup for sure.
She spent 300 days at a former shelter with minimal enrichment and physical activity - think 300 days of COVID quarantine in a Manhattan apartment with no green space 🥴. Her stress buildup is through no fault of the former shelter or its staff - our goal in sheltering is to minimize suffering, and anyone who believes otherwise is sadly misinformed. We're all doing our best out here.... #PSA to support your local shelter, and thank a shelter worker next time you meet one!!!!!
We know Rosemary to be dog-reactive (more sensitive to a trigger and may lunge, bark, growl) and selective (not tolerant of all dog interactions). Without natural outlets for her frustration over time, we're now seeing this displacement behavior of leash biting.
Behavior (especially tied to an emotional state) has to go SOMEWHERE- it doesn't just vanish, it's going to bubble over somewhere else. It's easy to misread (in some contexts) leash-biting/tugging as play, but it's more often tied to frustration or a redirected response to some trigger.
The interesting (and awesome) thing about Rosemary is her quick bounce-back. Take her to a quiet room and she immediately finds a place to settle and chew. She seeks comfort from her people rather than continuing to direct her frustration towards them. That's a testament to her - stress doesn't just POOF and disappear, and it doesn't come naturally to all dogs to resolve quickly.
Next steps for Rosemary include basket muzzle desensitization, parallel walks, and if/when appropriate, an off leash meet with another dog. Our goal here isn't to force dog-friendliness - but improve her emotional welfare and ability to be handled both in the shelter, and in a foster or adoptive home (as the only pet 😜).
For adoption inquiries, please contact Delaware SPCA], and remember that @blackdogbehaviorandtraining offers post-adoption support to those who need it!
#animalshelterappreciation
Golden boy Finn here with an instructional video on the wonders of enrichment.
Step 1 - wait patiently for mom to prepare your treat (in Finn's case, a @lickimat).
Step 2 - FOCUS. LICK. EAT.
Step 3 - take a very satisfying nap.
The key to success with puppies is getting ahead of problems before they occur (aka before your puppy realizes that naughty things are fun 😉). Mental enrichment is crucial to a relaxed, happy, and well-behaved pup - especially when paired with careful management (baby gates, safe playpen areas) and structured routine.... including physical activity (5 minutes per month of age, up to two times a day) and PLENTY OF REST (up to 18hrs of sleep)!
#enrichment #lickimat #puppytraining #puppysocialization #positivedogtraining #beatreatfeedernotapackleader #trainhumane
