Sit Up & Beg Dog Training Co.

04/12/2022

Dogs don’t speak our language but that doesn't mean they can't communicate with us. They communicate by their body language, with their barks, and of course, through growling.

When a dog growls (and I don't mean while playing) they are telling you they are upset about the situation they're in and want it to end. The only appropriate human response to this is to give the dog space from whatever is causing the discomfort that elicited this response from them.

When we punish the growl, we're essentially taking the warning away. And that won't take the discomfort away next time, it will simply stop a dog from warning that they may snap or bite. Dogs very rarely, if ever, "bite out of the blue" or "bite without warning". Humans just fail to realize the warning signs or suppress the warning signs through punishment.

04/11/2022

Yesterday kicked off National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Education is key to preventing dog bites.

03/15/2022

03/15/2022

02/10/2022

Here is Jovie learning (and nailing it!) on/off. I find these to be valuable cues for a number of reasons:

*Weight checks at a vet exam.
*Giving permission to come on furniture.
*Cuing to get off furniture or people if your dog is a jumper.
*Help with learning “place”

This gives her pet parents clear communication to Jovie on what they want-paws on or off an object/person. This isn’t the end of this cue as you must proof all behaviors with different objects/environments as well. But we’re laying down the foundation now and at 15 weeks, she’s doing awesome!

Remember to make training sessions fun, short, and rewarding for your dog. End on a good note, laugh at mistakes, and celebrate those small wins!

02/01/2022

Puppy Jovie is enjoying some mental enrichment made up completely of a paper towel tube and her food with just some higher value treats sprinkled in to make that much more fun.

Mental enrichment is so beneficial for our dogs. It provides an outlet for species appropriate behavior-here Jovie is foraging and shredding. She’s also problem solving, *how can I get this food out of this tube?* which will build worlds of confidence in a dog! And when she’s busy doing mental enrichment activities, guess what she isn’t doing? Anything she shouldn’t be! 😆

I never want dog parents to feel stressed about mental enrichment, it can be even simpler than this activity and you don’t need to buy expensive mental enrichment toys to get started. Use things you already have!

01/06/2022

01/04/2022

Who doesn't want instant results?..
But at what costs?

In dog training, instant results could look like a big fall out between you and your dog. It could mean that you'll get something worse than the original unwanted behavior. It is suppressing behaviors to make them "go away". It is using tools/methods that use pain, intimidation, and manipulation. "Because it works" isn't a justifiable reason to use these types of methods.

As the adage states, good things take time. Training humane TAKES TIME! There's just no way around it. Training humane looks like filling a dog’s cup up, teaching new behaviors to replace the undesirable ones, making sure the environment is arranged for the dog's success, and making sure to take note of the dog’s physical and mental well-being.

Humane training isn't a trend, it's here to stay. It works and the proof is in the scientific pudding, my friends. If consistency, patience, & compassion are not in the training plan, your dog shouldn't be on it!

12/30/2021

Joee, the brown dog, is (and always has been) a ball of anxiety. She used to see a groomer but she would become so stressed that the groomer told me she didn’t feel comfortable working on her anymore. High levels of stress, like Joee was experiencing, can trigger seizures so I appreciate the groomers ability to recognize those signs.

Fast forward to still needing Joee groomed, I had to learn how to manage the scary (for her) situation. I let Joee decide when and how long I use the clippers for. When she starts getting scared and trying to move away-I let her! We play with toys, or she goes and lays down, or she just stares at me from another room. When she decides to come back to me, we start again. I use a licki mat to help associate being next to me, even with scary clippers, brings her good things!

Each time we do a grooming session it looks different. Today we didn’t do nails or a bath, and we didn’t even finish trimming her up correctly but it was a positive experience for her and ended on a good note. Joee walked away from the session happy with her feelings taken into consideration.

Using force or making a dog stay in a terrifying situation only makes our dogs lose trust with us. Giving agency to our dogs will greatly improve the bond we share with them.

11/22/2021

With Thanksgiving just a few days away we must remember to help set our dogs up for success. Our homes could be bustling with people, smells and holiday commotion your dogs aren't used to having on a daily basis. We cannot realistically expect them to not also get excited with all of this happening around them. Leashes, barriers, toys stuffed with food (and then frozen to make them last longer!) are all going to be so helpful in helping manage unwanted behavior.

Asking clients to be in 'teaching mode' or their dogs to be in 'learning mode' during the holiday isn't realistic for most and I would never expect it. That would create frustration for both human & dog which I'm not about!

Remember that we aren't perfect and we should not expect perfection from our dogs either.

11/19/2021

Did you know that 𝘋𝘐𝘎𝘎𝘐𝘕𝘎, 𝘉𝘈𝘙𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘎, 𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘞𝘐𝘕𝘎, 𝘍𝘖𝘙𝘈𝘎𝘐𝘕𝘎 & 𝘚𝘕𝘐𝘍𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘎 are all normal behaviors for your dogs?!

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗴 for 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗶𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.

That does not mean that your gardens must be ruined, that your furniture should be chewed up, or that your trash cans should be rummaged through daily if you share life with a dog. What it does mean is that we must be providing mental enrichment to our dogs every day.

☑️ Give your dogs a proper place to dig by grabbing a plastic baby pool and filing it with dirt. Hiding their toys/bones in there will encourage the digging process.
☑️Encourage your dog to use their nose by scattering treats in the grass, on a snuffle mat, or in old mail (see video on my page for more on this)
☑️Make sure your pup has lots of chew bone options. Put peanut butter on the end of one to get them started if they aren't sure what to do.
☑️I cannot stress this one enough, let your dogs sniff on their walk! Your dog walking at your side is completely useless. It proves nothing and it truly serves nothing to your dog who quite literally learns so much about their environment by sniffing. Sniffing also keeps them mentally engaged, It helps diffuse mental energy and calms them down.

Help fill your dogs cup by trying some of these activities out. Let me know some other ways you fill up your dogs cup.

10/18/2021

"My dog is stubborn! They never listen!"

Our dogs are not intentionally trying to make us angry. When they aren't listening, we have to let go of the labels, and think about how we can work *with* our dogs to get the desired behaviors we want to see.

Chances are the cue that you are giving and expecting your dog to know has not been practiced and rewarded enough.

Maybe there are just simply too many distractions in the environment.

Whatever the case may be, it's important to remember to always set your dog up for success. Reinforcement drives behavior. Training and behavior modifications do not happen overnight.

And always remember to keep it simple, fun, and tasty!

10/08/2021

Clover did 6 sessions for some basic obedience training and honestly she was such a star.🌟

09/21/2021

Imagine being corrected for making mistakes and never being taught what to do instead. What a confusing way to “teach”. Let’s do better for our furry pals!

07/06/2021

Do you have a ton of junk mail you’re just going to be throwing away? Wait! I have the perfect solution to make use of it while giving your dog the mental stimulation they need!

Do you know why enrichment is important for our dogs?

💥 Reduces Stress
💥 Challenges them mentally
💥Encourages problem solving & obtaining new skills which builds confidence
💥Helps reduce boredom and stops destructive behaviors

**Thanks to Joee for demonstrating how awesome recycled enrichment can be for dogs! Try it today-let me know how your dogs like it!

07/02/2021

Happy Friday! We hope you have a fantastic Fourth of July weekend! Be safe & have fun 🎆🇺🇸

🗣PSA: You CANNOT reinforce fear in your dog so please comfort them if they’re scared!

07/01/2021

This is the resident Sit Up & Beg dog, Cow! He’s a fun-loving, goofball who is always ready for training because I give great treats!

Drop a 📸of your dog below! We never get tired of seeing cute 🐶‘s!