Leadership based training, environmental socialization, behaviour, outdoor adventure and dog sports
Over the holidays a friend 'gifted' me over 20 years worth of my columns that I wrote for the North Shore News. She clipped and saved every one of the weekly columns until the last one was published in 2020 due to covid changes. Some can still be found on-line but restrictions on FB prevent me from sharing. But I can share a photo of them...I found this beauty in the big pile..
I really do miss writing this column ..
May you never get so rigid in your ways that you forget to look up at the sky on Christmas Eve. Happy Holidays .
I don't know who to credit for this image but I 'borrowed' it from the Pointing Dog Rescue Canada page.
Today's participants for the drop-in environmental socialization training and pack walk. We start off the walk with some remedial obedience. Since the goal is to walk through town on a busy Saturday morning, we start with some stationary commands for focus and calm attentive behaviour at the local park. Then we work on heeling so that the dogs get into a working mindset which we will carry on while in town. In this video, the goal of the heeling exercise is loose leash heeling with the dogs being attentive to the owners position and direction. We use the fence of the tennis court on one side to help with the dogs position. The dog can only move forward and can't pull to either side as the fence is on one side and the owners body on the other. This helps to reinforce proper heeling position without constant corrections. The fence does half the work! Therefore the handler/owner only has to manage the dog forging forward. It is an excellent training aid to get a nice tight focused heeling position.
This group did so great in our drop-in social pack walk. Griffin leading the group in a calm relaxed manner while maintaining a perfect heel position! Tilli the Redbone Coonhound was able to keep her attention throughout the entire walk with only a few noticeable blips at odd noises. And Billy the adorable farm dog who normally spends his days chasing squirrels and barking at black bears was a super star as he calmly walked in heel position beside his mom through town! 🤩
The pack begins its walk through town, always in a loose leash heel to encourage the dog to remain relaxed and focused on their owners position and direction.
A little off leash adventuring on the trails as we enjoy this snowy day!!
Just an early heads up as these workshops fill up F-A-S-T! I will be having an e-collar workshop in January.
Foundations to e-collar training.
* I day 2 hours+
*Maximum 5 dogs
*Personal e-collar preferred but not necessary
( I do not sell e-collars but can recommend a reputable brand
for your dog)
*Understanding the unit.
* Applying leadership based learning theories for its use.
* Dispelling misinformation
* Follow-up training.
*Pm for dates and pricing
Continuing education! Every Saturday for the month of December. Send a text or e-mail to confirm participation as there are only 4 spots available each outing!
Well thats a wrap for our lifestyle obedience classes for this year, unfortunately our class photographer was not feeling well so no photos from our last class of the year.
We will take a break for a bit as we welcome the Christmas Season and all its business! ..and we will start back up with group classes in the new year ( as long as it's not -35c!!).
HOWEVER....The pack socialization walks will continue through the holiday season and into the new year on Saturday mornings at 10am ...drop in fee of $30 applies, as these are super valuable managed walks for all dogs to continue maintaining their social skills.
Carter and Raider wish you all a happy Christmas
The adventures never cease around here, and the snow just adds to the fun!
Saturday morning lifestyle obedience and pack walks are a great way to socialize your dog while working on obedience and calm attentive behaviour in a variety of settings.
Another excellent graphic with detailed info attached. Socialization is NOT play. It IS a dog or puppy learning how to manage their emotional state in a variety of social environments.
Socialisation.
Play is NOT socialisation. Play is a separate and important skill.....but it isn't socialisation.
What is socialisation ?..... Calmness and acceptance.
What it isn't......over excited, scared, hyper, wary behaviour or PLAY.
I know that seems like a big statement to make for some people but society has some strange ideas of what socialisation is.
That doesn't mean dogs and puppies shouldn't play, it simply means one of the FIRST things they need to learn in life is be calm and accepting of dogs in general....then play can be added as a separate skill.
Calmness and acceptance IS socialisation.
Play is play.
Two completely separate things.
Dogs and puppies are a very small part of having a socialised dog. An important small part... but a very small part in a much bigger picture.
The word socialisation seems to be associated with play and that is a big issue with new puppy guardians/owners.
How you let other dogs meet yours and how your dog meets other dogs forms patterns of behaviour.
The more these dogs have over excited, over aroused and hyper behaviour around other dogs...........the more they understand this IS exactly how to meet dogs....and that is really problematic for many dogs.
True socialisation is acceptance and calmness in ALL the world has to offer.
Everything you encounter in everyday life...is exactly what you need to expose your dogs to.
Little and often
Positively and calmly......and you are well on your way to a well socialised puppy or dog.
One of the best lessons you can teach your puppy or dog is they do NOT need to interact with others.
They don't need to go to that hyper excited behaviour when other dogs are near.
They can be calm, assess the situation and choose to play and interact if they wish.....
That is true socialisation.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.
For those working with reactive dogs...this is a great graphic explaining trigger stacking and why some days are worse than others!!
Sometimes this is obvious...other times it is very subtle that you may not even know what caused it.
Somedays your walk will turn to custard and you may have no idea why, it could very well be trigger stacking.
If your dog is normally ok with motorbikes going past them.....and today they maybe barked and lunged at a motorbike going past.....did you notice the neighbours dog barking a few minutes ago? Did you know they can actually be connected ?
Did you also see the child on the scooter a minute before that?...your dog did and individually these wouldn't be an issue but in a short space of time your dog has had their stress levels rise and and then "bam" your dog has a reaction to something they have always been ok with.
Its not the end trigger that started this chain of events....this started with the scooter going past. Did you notice your dog was just a little spooked by it but happy to continue walking...they certainly didn't bark or react but they definitely were not comfortable with the scooter.
Then a minute or two after the scooter your neighbours dog barked...normally your dog doesn't care about this dog...perhaps it always barks...and your dog then started to show some signs of stress, tension in their body and face.....then the motorbike passed and the barking started.
All we may see is the reaction to the motorbike but the whole chain of events started a few minutes ago....this is trigger stacking.
At reactive class in the arena (a strange environment for some dogs so they are a little stressed to start with)....I hear a loud car going past and I warn people your dog may be about to react....I am usually told "oh my dog is ok with cars", car goes past and their dog reacts.
That is trigger stacking.
Uncomfortable things for your dog that individually wouldn't cause an issue ...today they are barking at.
The next time you walk your dog..listen to the environment around them, watch the stress in their body and face, hear the dog in the distance barking, watch the bird land right in front, or look at the child on the bike and WATCH your dogs reactions and if they are close together....the next trigger could be the one to cause the reaction (even if they have ALWAYS been fine with it before).
If you can see it coming, you can get focus back on you, change direction, perhaps a pattern game, encourage them to sniff the ground....there are lots of ways we can interrupt the chain of events unfolding before us.
Trigger stacking is especially important in reactive dogs, often their triggers are very little (to us) but to them they may only need one trigger to react to if already stressed....and it can be the simplest thing, a sound that they have never reacted to before or a cat they normally have no issues with.
Dogs are not immune to stress. They cant tell us they are stressed but they can certainly show it in their body, face, gait and behaviour..... and there is a lot to read before a reaction.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.
Continuing education! Drop in pack walks Saturday mornings.
These collars are a great alternative to the exposed prong collars!
Here is Addy putting his lifestyle lessons into practice at an obedience trial! His confidence has grown so much since the lifestyle classes! Great job Hildi and Addy!😃
Griffin out on an off-leash hike with his Mom Christy and showing how the "WAIT" command is used along the walk! Great job putting the classroom lifestyle lessons into practice in her daily routine !
A few images from this past weekends obedience class. In these photos we are reinforcing the dogs stationary positions...sit, down, wait and place. I like to have the dogs raised or placed in some sort of a visually distinctive boundary. They are able to associate the 'stay where you are ' aspect of the exercise when their ability to move is hindered a bit. This technique has been adapted from teaching a pointing dog a staunch WHOA command using a latched pallet board. Once a dog is on point it is told to WHOA which means to remain steady where you are and do not move or creep towards the scented bird until given its release command to do so. It is easy to adapt this steady command into every day training with family dogs and it is super successful. Cato boards or a firm based elevated bed are popular training aids that assist in teaching a dog to remain stationary.
It isn't daily anymore...but certainly 2 - 3 times a week this is mentioned by clients.
It is pervasive in our society....and still very much believed.
Everyone loves a wagging tail from a happy dog, but a wagging tail shouldn't automatically mean a happy dog...it can mean so much more.
Dogs wag their tails in EVERY emotional state and may do this in many different circumstances....happiness is just one reason.
Some people are shocked that their dogs acted aggressively....because their tail was wagging at the time. Dogs under stress can wag their tails and it is often misread as this dog being happy.....so they are not removed from the stressor.
Scared dogs can wag their tails and people view them as being approachable....and the consequences can be life altering for the person and the dog.
Children especially are told this myth....and continue this myth into adulthood.
The whole picture needs to be taken into account....never just a tail.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.
When the weekend cometh and you have an extra day to play you adventure into new areas to explore. Big Bar lake offered huge areas to let the dogs run knowing that their recall is perfect
In remembrance of all who served on foot, paw, or wing. Lest We Forget. 💜♥️. Like, share and save to spread awareness of two footers and four footers.
🌺
My latest blog is up!
I was driving home around 7pm yesterday evening and witnessed a concerning event. As I came around the corner that lead to my home I noticed a woman struggling with her dog at the side of the road.…
A successful hunt today... Hunterspride German Shorthaired Pointers
Dogs have social preferences just like people and those social preferences change as a dog ages. We all need to understand this , especially those people who think ..."Oh My Dog Is Friendly" as their dog rushes into another dogs personal space without invitation.
I know some people that have truly social dogs can struggle with this concept as they have no issues with this, and some people judge others by the sociability of their dog.
"They just weren't socialised enough as puppies"
"They need to be more obedient"
"They just need to play more"
"They need to be more dominant when playing"
"They need to just submit"
No, no...and no again.
Just like us, dogs have social preferences and some are very strong.
You may have noticed this with a dog that only likes to play with their own breed, or much smaller dogs. Some dogs are drawn to very specific types of dogs or seek out dogs with a particular physical trait.
Some will just refuse to be social with a particular breed as they may struggle to read that particular breeds body language, and they may even act "aggressively" to that breed when that dog attempts an interaction.
Another thing I would like to point out is.... there is a bit of a myth out there that reactive dogs only belong in the "not social" category. Some reactive dogs can be really social with others, but they could be leash reactive even to dog breeds or types they may enjoy interacting with off lead.
Just because a dog is reactive does NOT automatically mean they dislike all other dogs.
Even reactive dogs have (and are allowed) to have their own unique preferences.
Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited. Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for Graphics Unmarked All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.
Need a tune-up? Try dropping in to a current in class session. Contact Joan ahead to make sure there is an opening.
My word... ( literally) gets around...Another one of my columns being shared. Humbled ☺️
Normally I am spewing forth the benefits of positive teaching, which involves showing a dog how to do things correctly and making sure they follow through with your requests. And I have discussed discipline in the past. Maybe not in the context that some people associate discipline, meaning that dis...
Yet more fun is being had and another tracking video! This one is of me and my GSP -Carter. His work ethic is amazing as well as his focus. Love this dog ! Hunterspride German Shorthaired Pointers😍
We have a lot of fun adventures with our dogs and tracking is one of them. Here is 5.5 month old Vinci the GSP learning to track. This is from her first ever tracking session and her 3rd ever track. Incredible focus from this youngster. And an equally impressive work ethic Hunterspride German Shorthaired Pointers.This breed is so incredibly versatile ! 😍... From upland hunting, to tracking , agility, nose work, Bike and Ski-joring, obedience and of course adventure buddy and companion.
Web site is now up and active. People should be able to find me by googling my name OR business name ...Take a peek and share if you wish!
Lifestyle and outdoor adventure training
Hello there. Here is the itinerary for the Lifestyle 1 class. The class as of today has 2 spaces available.
Day 1 at the farm/arena
Relearn, Review and Reinforce basic commands
*Learning how to focus and engage your dog
*Sit-Release
*Down-Release
*Wait-Release
*Heeling patterns
*Come to heel position
*Recall to front position
*Go to place and stay there
Day 2-this will be another day in the arena expanding on the previous weeks lesson
*Sit with distractions until released
*Down with distractions until released
*Wait with distractions until released
*Come to heel position
*Heeling patterns
*Recall to front position with distractions
*Go to place and stay there
Day 3- if the previous weeks lessons progressed we will move to a public area such as memorial park in town with a pack walk around the area. If dogs are still having challenges we will return to the farm or additional work in a more predictable environment
*Focus and engagement in public area
*Sit with distractions until released
*Down with distractions until released
*Wait with distractions until released
*Come to heel position and progress directly into heeling
patterns
*Recall with distractions to Front position
*Go to a place and stay there
*Time permitting we will go for a short pack walk to practice public heeling
Day 4- This week we will move to a public area such as memorial park in town with a pack walk around the area
*Focus and engagement in public area
*Sit with distractions until released
*Down with distractions until released
*Wait with distractions until released
*Come to heel position and progress directly into heeling
patterns
*Recall with distractions to Front position
*Go to a place and stay there
*Time permitting we will go for a short pack walk to practice
public heeling
Day 5-graduation day! This week we will have the entire class in a public area such as around the IPE area in town or Highland Elementary school
*Focus and engagement in public area
*Sit with distractions until released
*Down with distractions until released
*Wait with distractions until released
*Come to heel position and progress directly into heeling
patterns
*Recall with distractions to Front position
*Go to a place and stay there
*Pack walk around the downtown area
NOTE: These classes will be 45 minutes in length …but be prepared for 1 hour due to extra time needed to work through unexpected behaviours that might crop up
Cost is $225
Here it is! The blog is official. Take a peek, read past blogs( there are a few as I put my quill down a while ago) and If so inclined subscribe for fresh content in your e-mail inbox.
The more things change in the world of dog training, the more they stay the same. Over the 25 +years of my dog training career I have certainly seen an array of training methodologies. But regardle…
I decided to revive my blog...this was from a few years ago...but new content will be coming !!
My dogs have -without a doubt, been the grounding force in my life that has helped me through many of life’s challenges. Their peaceful nature, their simple joyful ways and their ability…
For myself and my dogs...getting out for a hike means driving along the Forest Service Roads that lead to crown land and traversing deer trails that lead to some spectacular vistas.
And at this time of the year, hunters also travel these same routes. So it's important to make sure my dogs ( and myself) wear high visibility colours to ensure any hunters eyeing movement through the trees can see that none of us are a target.
Carter moves swiftly like a deer and Raiders colouring can be mistaken for a coyote or small wolf.
Both wear e-collars when we are in deer country so that I can ensure their safety and call them off any pursuit of deer scent they may come across.
When adventuring off the beaten path make sure everyone is wearing high vis colours and has a 100% reliable recall during hunting season!
I am, Joan Klucha ~I am a leadership based dog trainer. I have been training dogs for over 25 years with a resume that includes workshops with Brenda Aloff, Suzanne Clothier, Micheal Ellis and Tyler Muto from Leerburg training as well as numerous seminars while working with the VPD canine unit for 10 years, in puppy development, obedience, tracking and criminal apprehension, as an associate trainer and quarry.
I've also worked an explosives detection dog for a security company. I am a freelance journalist focusing on Canine related topics and research, and wrote a weekly column for the North Shore News called Canine Connection which appeared in their Sunday paper from 1998-2020 and was syndicated throughout Canada.
As a leadership based trainer, my goal when working with any dog of any age is to develop a social, calm, well mannered family companion that is a joy to share a life with. I do not train for competitive obedience but rather good-manners lifestyle obedience which gives dog owners the tools to manage their dog in all social and family settings.
Having a great dog is about learning how to be proactive with your dog, by speaking and understanding their language. By building trust through communication, a dog understands its role within its social family pack and it happily follows direction, no bribery or intimidation required. With the right training tools, proper leadership skills and a committed owner all dogs can become well mannered and welcomed members of a community.
I do specialize in behavioural modification such as reactivity and confidence building as well as starting young pups off with a solid foundation of basic good manners while working with their owners to shape the pups behaviours to create their ultimate family, sport and/or adventure dog.
My training passion is working with sport and lifestyle or adventure dogs. I teach and coach the CKC sanctioned dog sport of tracking- all levels and Man trailing. For those not interested in competition I teach recreational wilderness, grass and urban tracking . I also teach 'search' exercises and the foundation training exercises for field trials and tests for pointing breeds. I also am experienced with e-collars and offer workshops and classes and private lessons. Reach out for more information
Just a little something else we do around here...having some tracking fun with the dogs! This is a wilderness track ( sometimes called Man tracking or Mock SAR tracking). Leslie and Skylar are not training for any event or purpose...,they are just enjoying spending the time together and it really helps develop their relationship !
I also teach CKC and AKC tracking for those interested in competition titles.
Sadie literally got a new lease on life. This wonderful duo was such a joy to work. Enjoy your new life together Sadie and Donna!
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Addy and Hildi, practice/mock CKC TD track. She has her test with Addy this Sunday. 1 flag at the start and one at 25 yards indicating direction of travel ( as per CKC rules for a TD track). Unmarked, unknown, no food drops, 430 yards in length, 4- 90 degree turns and 1-45 degree turn. Glove at the end. 35 minute time delay. 😉👍. My whispered voice is meant for Hildi to review on her own, but without her hearing my coaching along the way behind her. It offers insight and instruction for those curious about tracking.
Just a little something else we do around here...having some tracking fun with the dogs! This is a wilderness track ( sometimes called Man tracking or Mock SAR tracking). Leslie and Skylar are not training for any event or purpose...,they are just enjoying spending the time together and it really helps develop their relationship ! I also teach CKC and AKC tracking for those interested in competition titles.
Recalls in the park with Willow...she has to show everyone how fast she is...all the time!
Shoulder to shoulder greeting of a friendly stranger. And Hildi is correct BTW! Sooo much learning goes on in these classes for both the dog and owner
Another video of clients showing me how their dogs are doing without telling me how they are doing... Huskys at the park for a win!!!
Billy and Brian rocking the obedience obstacle challenge course. He is one smart pup!
The small challenges obstacle course that is part of my intermediate lifestyle obedience course. We apply obedience commands instead of "agility". commands to build the handlers control and the dogs focus.
Who says blind and deaf dogs can't have fun !Look at this senior go!
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