Although big and extra scary when he's barking, Travis is actually a big scaredy cat--err, dog. He reacts as intensely as he does towards other dogs and certain people because they make him nervous and putting on the tough guy act has worked to either make the trigger go away or to be removed from the trigger.
When triggers aren't present, he is still on edge, expecting something scary to happen at any moment. So helping him feel comfortable outside was an important factor in his training. Being in a better state of mind means that he's more capable of navigating stressful situations.
Luckily for us, Travis' apartment complex has a small agility course in their dog park and the park is often vacant! We took him in to introduce him to the equipment, eventually convincing him that he is most definitely able to jump that high and climb up frames. In fact, he can jump up to the height of my face easily. He just doesn't know this skill also applies to hurdles. 😉
You can see he's still finding his confidence, but he was really starting to enjoy it near the end of our session and his mom said she couldn't wait to take him back to play on the equipment during off hours. Go, Travis! 👏👏👏
Pepper doesn't like enclosed spaces, so teaching her to go into a carrier so she can fly with her mom has been challenging and a little traumatizing for her. So we created a scenario where we could better control the level of the enclosed space she had to navigate going into. Once she is comfortably understanding how to enter in the entirely covered space without feeling like she needs to have at least some open space in the back, we'll move back to the carrier.
Fabulous, floofy, and fierce. 💅
If Berni has to work on her reactivity to dogs, she's gonna look GOOD doing it!
It's a rainy day, but here's a little clip of Tully enjoying the sunshine, practicing recalls, and following his mom away from distractions to brighten your day! 🌤️
🐶Benson: "Excuse me, but do you know where I can find the nearest fire hydrant? Hello???"
My FIRST Mingle W/ Manners in NYC was hosted this weekend at @ddtbrooklyn , partnered with the great teaching skills of @finestmindcanine ! We had a BLAST and hope the students were able to gain skills to prepare them for future outdoor dining experiences. They all did AMAZING!
Here's Ashby again, passing the "recall away from the lady with a pouch full of chicken" test. I say he passed! 🌈
Ashby found out he loves parkour!
Reuben's now in BK and living his best life! *Cue Reuben's theme song*
Bunny is learning recalls and loving it! Also taking some time to get his giggles out while on the long line. City dogs don't get a lot of opportunities to have freedom to romp, so I always make sure they get a chance to have a good time when we practice. ☺️
I custom-ordered this leash from @csjcreations to replace a lot of the types of leashes I carried around with me to lessons. I've had a chance to use it with my own dogs and with some clients' dogs and I'm loving it! It's made of biothane, which is like a vegan leather, that's easy to clean and is my go-to material for most of my leashes and collars.
If you're interested in this leash, reach out to them and ask for the "Devi Special". Any purchases you make from their store, make sure you use the code DEVIDOG15 for 15% of your order!
Funny video aside... 🤣
The domestication of dogs wasn't a recorded process, but as evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare states, "The domestication of dogs was one of the most extraordinary events in human history."
Dogs and modern day wolves descended from an extinct line of wolves some 15,000-40,000 years ago. As that line of wolves branched out, the more docile ones that trailed closely to humans were more likely to score scraps. Those genes were passed down generations as humans and wolves learned to live side by side, benefitting from a mutualistic relationship.
Today's dog has many innate behaviors that have passed down from their wild background, but also many that have been bred into them to aide humans, such as a drive to herd, to hunt vermin, to guard, etc. One thing is for sure, studies in canine cognition have found dogs to be far more in tune with us humans than we originally thought. They read our faces, they're affected by our emotions, they look to us for guidance when solving problems.
Long story short, dogs and humans have evolved to vibe with each other. Training doesn't need to be a fight. Dogs aren't disobedient for the sake of being defiant. They do what works best for them and if we want to build that relationship, we need to remember what drives them and help them understand what we are asking of them. They are very capable and far more complex than you may know. ♥️🐾
When I say I use science-based techniques when training, the majority of that is basic psychology, such as operant & classical conditioning and Premack's Principle. Psychology doesn't just apply to humans and dogs, but other species as well!
This is Koi, my new Betta fish! I've started to condition him to the flashlight equaling food time. This way, I can use the flashlight as a "clicker" to mark and reward behaviors I like. Can't wait to see what this inquisitive little guy can learn! He's only been home since Friday, but he's starting to pick it up. ❤️🐠❤️
Who loves walks? Could it be General Iron? Nahh...he clearly hates them. 😝
I always recommend practicing "purposeful handling" with my puppy clients to make trips to the groomers or vet much less stressful and easier on whoever needs to handle them. Being able to hold them and cuddle them is not the same as the way they will need to be handled by animal care professionals, so it's important to help get them used to what they might have to experience. If your dog is already very fearful of this type of handling, I recommend talking to a trainer that can help you desensitize and/or counter condition them to the process and possibly teach some cooperative care techniques.
Adjust your criteria according to the challenges you are presenting your dog. This is Lou's first time practicing place/stay outside, so we did not add any distance to our stay due to the high amount of distractions. We also did not push for him to be in a "sit" or a "down" and started with just being on the cot. Lou is a fearful dog, so I am very impressed with how he handled the distractions in his neighborhood. First people on the green space, then someone moving stuff out of their car, a passing car, a child on a scooter followed by an adult on a scooter, then police cars/sirens. You got this, Lou!!
To create an emergency recall, I go with the ice cream truck effect. When you hear the ice cream truck tune, you want to chase the truck. Why is that? The ice cream truck's music has been paired with a very special treat. Many of us as kids only got ice cream when the ice cream truck came around. So when we hear the music, we don't want to miss the opportunity. I always say, choose a word you won't overuse and pair it with the treat that blows their mind.
An update on how these two girls are doing, one being overly confident and the other being under confident. They have become so much more engaged and trust their mom to guide them through the busy streets. I ❤️ watching dogs improve with each session!
Koko is very enthusiastic about her "touch" cue. 😂
