Sniff walk 🐾 🐕🦺🦮
What exactly is a sniff walk?
🐾 Stopping and sniffing as much or as little as the dog chooses to do so.
🐾 Changing directions and walking sideways (seeking behavior).
🐾 Walking in a quiet environment with limited interruptions.
Notice I only talk to Abbie once and it’s to fix her leash. Notice she stops, goes back to investigate the same spot, crosses over the path, and takes her time. I don’t cue her to stop, I don’t cue her to keep going, I don’t expect her to heel, and I don’t pull on her leash. I don’t correct her. I don’t do much of anything except hold the leash to keep her safe.
Dogs need to be allowed to be dogs.
Dogs need to decompress and get out in nature. Dogs need to feel safe in our company.
This was a 35 minute sniff walk ahead of the heat and my busy day. The more we let our dogs stop and sniff, the less they pull on leash. The more relaxed our walks are, the more relaxed our dogs are after. The more we provide opportunities for our dogs to be dogs, the less we have to work on unwanted behavior in the home. Reach out if you want to work on more peaceful walks and return home with a tired, content, and happy dog. Enjoy the adventures with your dog. ✨ 🌳 🍃
“Go home” is a consistent phrase I use with Abbie while out on hikes in the woods near our home. Thankfully, Abbie knows her way home, so when I asked her to take me home while a little bit confused on our hike a few weeks ago, she led the way. Why is this so important? Abbie has been raised in such a way that she almost always walks ahead of me. She prefers to be the line leader, and as long as it’s safe for her to go first, that’s how we hike. We communicate with cues not commands. She’s confident to try new things, walk ahead of me, and when asked to take us back home, she didn’t hesitate. She wasn’t conflicted about following a cue.
Our relationship is built on me showing up every day and being a reliable person that she can trust. Our relationship isn’t something that can be trained in two weeks by someone else. Her ability to understand my request, stop sniffing, and understand that we needed to head back home is something that has been built into every interaction, every “training session”, and every day of sharing our lives together. We work together as a team. Did she absolutely know the way back home or was it luck? I’ll never know for certain, but what I do know is when I tell her we need to go back home, she always takes me there. I’m grateful she wasn’t hesitant to lead the way. I am honored to follow behind, stop when she catches a scent that needs some investigation, and take in the beauty of nature with this special dog. Thank you, Abbie, for always helping me find my way back home.
And thank you to a special mentor, who taught me all about cues, was the first person to introduce me to sniff walks, and who I think about every time I’m working with a dog 🧡 ✨
Early mornings have always been our time. Before we had a fenced in yard, we would go for a 6 am walk ahead of my work day. Abbie’s morning walk has changed into a sniff walk of her yard. I was finishing my coffee when I saw her watching deer in the woods behind our fence. She let out a few barks that caused me to call her in. In the video, I praise her for coming back, narrate what we will do once inside, and encourage her to come in after she pauses for one more sniff. Asking a dog to come back inside from their yard is difficult for many dogs. Create a fun space inside for your dog to play, scavenge for their food and treats, and make outside time a priority every single day. Let your dog be a dog and train them with kindness and understanding ✨ 🌅 🌲 🦌 🐾
Spring has sprung! Busy morning writing up training plans. If interested in setting up a session, please reach out soon! I’m currently booking into the middle of April. Next Foxboro Dog Class starts April 27th! Link in comments below 🐾 🌷
I had a great time working with an awesome group of dogs and their people in my dog training class. We talked a lot about each individual dog and how to best set them up for success. We laughed, shared dog stories, learned, and had fun. Congratulations to all of my dog graduates and their humans. Wishing you all the best ✨🐾
I’m using Premack Principle to practice a set of cues I used moments earlier when a car drove by and I wanted Abbie in a wait cue. She wants to herd her soccer ball and I’ll occasionally ask for a behavior before we play. We don’t do this often. Most days, I don’t ask her to do anything before we start playing. I do it here and there, so I can use it when I need it. What you see here started out in baby steps many years ago. This is the end result of the relationship based approach to teaching a dog cues and using them when needed. Watching Abbie run off leash is absolutely magical to me ✨ You can see the pure joy in her every movement.
#dogtraining #doglover #doglife
Frolicking in the snow by day and sitting by the fire by night ❄️ 🥶
Due to the incredibly cold temperatures, I’m significantly limiting Abbie’s outdoor play time.
Share your 🐶 in the snow or staying warm and cozy inside!
Abbie enjoying some outdoor time this morning before the next bitter cold winter day. Lots of indoor play and scavenging sessions on Saturday’s agenda. Stay warm everyone!
For six weeks, I had the honor of working with a group of dogs and their people for a dog training class through Foxboro Recreation. We laughed, we learned, we celebrated, and we talked a lot about relationship building. I am committed to helping people understand their dogs and help dogs understand their humans. With understanding comes the beginning of many wonderful friendships between dogs and their guardians.
On the second page you'll see a video of Abbie out for a sniff walk. To some it may not seem like much, as you'll notice I rarely talk to Abbie. What you will see is a dog and her person out for a walk enjoying their friendship and the quiet of nature. I let Abbie lead the way with her nose and talk to her only when needed. I never use my leash to speak to Abbie and have it attached to her only for safety. At one point, I let the leash drop as I know I can trust Abbie to wait for me to pick it up. This sort of decision is one that is made based off of knowing my dog, our ability to work as a team, and many sniff walks enjoyed together. Build a relationship with your dog and the training will follow.
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#positivereinforcementtraining #dogtraining #doglovers #dogwalks
