Snow day here. What are you all up to?
I met a woman yesterday who told me she has a phobia of dogs, but she is a crafter and makes fleece tug toys and gives them to her friends with dogs, and she was very curious about dog behavior. It is easy for us humans to misunderstand dog behavior, and misunderstandings can lead to difficulties in training, a broken relationship, or even fear, as in this woman's case. The good news is that with observation and guidance, we can learn to hear what our animals are saying. Here is a short video from 10 years ago of young Pippa and little puppy Diesel playing, with teeth, growling, biting and all.
Jax and I earned our first qualifying leg in AKC Obedience yesterday. Here is an excerpt from our run.
Training your dog to come when you call ("recall") is an important skill. It seems simple, but a recall has several parts - stop what you're doing, turn towards me, move quickly and directly towards me, close enough so I can reach your collar. Here, I am working with the middle part - move quickly towards me - with standard poodle Percy. It's an easy little game that gets him moving, too. 🐾🐾🐾🐩
Teaching Release Cue
Loose leash walking is a skill that many handlers struggle with. Here I show how to teach a puppy to respond to leash pressure. When she goes to the end of the leash, I stay still. I wait until she turns back to me, and when she does I reward her for coming towards me.
Start in a room with no distractions. In this video, the location is a little too distracting for this Border Collie puppy because there is another, high-energy dog in the room. If she is very focused on the other dog, I make a little sound to get her attention and then reward when she turns away from him.
Working on Ella's "stand" for the show ring again. This was not my smoothest training session, but in it I see the constant doing/observing/adjusting that training takes. What I am after is a default stand, with still feet. Eventually I will work on how she stands a little, and then prioritize a high tail and bright expression. for now, we need the basics -- don't sit unless asked for, don't move forward, feet still. At the end I am tossing treats behind her to counteract her tendency to move towards me.
Ella the Scotty playing with a tiny agility course. Even though this isn't real agility equipment, being able to interact with novel objects like poles, tunnels and tippy things can build confidence and resilience in dogs, and is an important foundation to "real" agility training. Here, we did it just for fun!
I thought I would show how to build attention/eye contact with my friend's Border Collie, Honey. When Honey found my face irresistible, I had to change gears and work on not jumping up! Just a couple tries, and she was back to just looking again. Such a good little girl! 😍
I can't help it. Next thing I know, we're working on agility. This is Percy learning to offer a jump.
Ella chasing swallows in the field. Bet she’s sleeping soundly now!
Teaching a young handler to teach a dog to sit in heel position. Dog training often involves 2 learners at once!
Ella exploring an obstacle course at Summer School
Do you have a young dog who is a little "extra"? Maybe you've taken her to manners classes, play with her, exercise her — you've even tried food puzzles! But you still feel that she deserves something more, so she can become all she can be. In July and August, we are offering a "Summer School" program for a small group of dogs to spend one day a week with a trainer and dog-savvy assistants. We will broaden your dog's horizons and polish their skills, helping them grow into their role as beloved family member. This is not doggy daycare. Think of this more like a kid spending vacation with kind but no-nonsense relatives on a farm. There are chores to do and rules to follow, but also adventures and new friends and skills to explore. Your dog will spend from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. with us, practicing life skills and getting extra socialization by being exposed to new sights, sounds and experiences. From leash walks and play dates, to training sessions and field trips, follow their adventures on our Instagram page, and get personal updates in your private Google Drive folder. The six-week program starts July 21, and the price is $500. For an extra $15 per week, we will pick up and drop off your dog (in Hamilton, Wenham or Danvers).
Is Summer School at Everydog right for you?
You have taken your dog to puppy kindergarten or basic manners training or beyond
Your dog is 18 weeks - 18 months old
Your dog is up to date on vaccinations
Your dog is not aggressive towards dogs or people
You are able to drop off and pick up your dog between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., or your dog can ride in a medium crate and you live in our service area.
All dogs must attend one trial week for $85, plus $15 for pick-up and drop-off. If your dog is suitable for Summer School, payment for the remainder of the program is due in advance.