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
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