There will be no training on July 4. Enjoy time with family and friends and keep your dog safe!
The messy middle
Training isn't perfect. There's always a messy middle that often looks like this. This is Sadie learning "front" walk.
You should only need to give your dog a command once or twice before they process what you tell them. Check this out.
Harley is a new Golden Retriever client who really is the happiest dog I know. 😁 He's so full of joy and playfulness that it's been hard for his parent to set boundaries and even take him for walks. So we worked on exiting the house with calmness today and the result was him being much better on leash.
He's practicing and will get the hang of it quickly, but he also was able to sit calmly when the FedEx AND Amazon guys made deliveries.
That impressed his dog momma!
Cooper learning "touch"
Teaching "touch" isn't hard but it IS about rewarding the right moment.
Doesn't matter what day of the week it is, or if it's a holiday… Dogs need exercise!
Using stairs
Foster Belle is not afraid to try new things!
Teaching Bailey how to exit her kennel on command. This was her 2nd try. I was the only one taking video so I apologize for my close proximity.
Dogs should not rush the door to get out, even though that's their impulse.
When we can't take a walk outside, we try to get exercise in creative ways. We have stairs that Rosco will run up and down for treats. #doggames #wosconsinwinter #dogs
Lickimats can be used when you want your dog to work for food. Now they're made with suction cups in the bottom and different patterns on top. #lickimat #workforfood #doggosbeingdoggos
Puzzles are great options to work a dog's brain when you can't go out for a walk. But this one here: Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Brick Interactive Treat Puzzle Dog Toy, Intermediate https://a.co/d/gDVIRQY. #dogpuzzles #gamesfordogs
#snowdayfun #treatball #dogslife #foodball
When we can't take a long walk...
Here's something fun to do on winter days when you don't go for a walk.
We've had this mat for a while, but you can find ones that are similar on Amazon or Chewy, or in pet stores near you.
Wynne (pronounced Winnie) has become reactive to the new puppy in her house. It's hard to tell from this video, but the puppy is mirroring Wynne's reactivity on the other side of the glass. They are mouth to mouth. Teeth bared. Ready to attack the other. The puppy has learned this way of negative communication.
Thank goodness for the glass.
Wynne is a territorial hound with strong prey drive, which might be part of the reason this is happening. The puppy appears to be German shorthair/Border Collie. A high energy dog!
The owners have their hands full. But we are going to work with both at a safe distance. They are currently living in separate areas of the house, but need to coexist better. Management is going to be a key component to their success.
It's a work in progress.
Gabe, the 1.5-year-old goldendoodle, has been reactive on walks. We worked on praising him with distance until he was able to do this.
He is worse when he sees dogs, but he could let them pass at about 15-20 feet away with no reaction.
One thing at a time.
Also, have I mentioned that I love when dogs have human names? It's awesome.
Rocky on a walk
Rocky was reactive on walks. Today we learned proper leash technique and learned how to keep his focus on a walk so he no longer reacts to people and other dogs. He has to practice, but he'll get better.
Here you can see the U-Turn. Stepping in FRONT of your dog to change direction is a technique used to keep their attention.
Walking with another dog is an important bonding experience for a puppy. Foster Skipper walks with each of our dogs separately to gain new experiences.
In this clip you can see that Rosco is highly alert to the dog barking from the yard next to us. He's working on that, too. He did very well today and didn't lunge like he used to. And that's good because he wouldn't have respected Skipper's space.
Puppies don't HAVE to walk with other dogs, but their humans need to know how to properly manage the walk and leash for puppies to learn what's needed.
Teaching Murphy the "quiet" command.
Only when he stops barking does he get rewarded.
Rosco and I spent the morning on some trails. It's never a bad idea. 🌱🌳🩷
