Pawtriot Dog Training

16/02/2024

Confidence boosting is a journey that never ends. A lot of work goes into creating a confident dog and more importantly becoming a confident handler. You can overcome one obstacle today and struggle with another the tomorrow. This is normal and completely okay! Remember to slow things down, keep reps short and sweet and, reward the little gains along the way.

08/02/2024

Movement is a powerful communication tool that is often underutilized. Movement can boost confidence, clear communication and even help prevent a dog from fixating on surrounding distractions. When working with reactive or aggressive dogs we keep like them moving during tense or potential tense moments rather than asking for them to “sit”. This allows us to take control of the energy and guide them. Stability skills like “sit” or “down” are great but sometimes movement is better!

How do you use movement with your dog?

05/02/2024

We all love to pet dogs. Trust me, I get it. But, something not everyone realizes is how powerful our affection can be. Affection is a very powerful training tool that is often misunderstood. It’s timing, frequency of use, duration, placement and much more can all impact how a dog interprets a situation. Considering these three things before giving affection can help ensure that your affection is being interpreted correctly.

Do you make any considerations before giving affection to a dog?

22/01/2024

Dog training includes a surprising amount of human training. When you are training a dog, you are having to learn their language, translate it, and still communicate effectively. Dogs do not understand our language, so breaking down that barrier is the first obstacle you will face. The more work you put in, the more progress you will see. Take your time, and start by layering spatial pressure with leash pressure or food luring. Once a dog understands the cue, you can layer a verbal command.

Puppies learn by example and repetition. The more consistent you are, the more solid the skills become.

22/01/2024

Topic: Marker Words

Dogs communicate/speak by understanding pressure changes in the environment, both micro and macro. Knowing this, we try to maintain a neutral tone when giving most commands to our dogs. Maintaining a neutral tone when giving commands allows us to use other pressures, such as spatial body open/closure and tools to communicate in a language a dog can comprehend.

After a dog understands the task in their language (pressure), we pair marker words to clean up the command.

Name + Command + Marker word

Good: We use “good” when a dog begins to make progress in a command. Typically this is used when a dog is struggling with a mental/physical block and needs encouragement.

Yes: We use “yes” when a dog completes a command or overcomes an obstacle. Yes, is our reward word. It signifies satisfaction and is often associated with a reward like physical affection or a treat.

Break: We use “break” when we want a dog to be released from the job/command that was given. Break is the only word that should have an increase of energy or tone. Break is fun!

No: We use “no” when a dog misses a cue or fails to perform the command/action requested. No, is not used in a corrective manner. It is used for redirection. We often pair “no” with leash pressure or food luring to encourage the proper response.

Off: We use “off” when a dog is doing something that immediately needs to stop. Off is our corrective word. We use off for any rude or dangerous behavior. Off is the only word that we use with a deeper tone change to signify importance and cease of action.

What marker words do you use?

18/01/2024

Owning a reactive or aggressive dog is not something for the faint of heart. So much work goes into reactivity, aggression, anxiety, and overall pushiness. Our hope with this content is to remind you that you’re not alone and it’s okay to struggle some days. Difficult dogs make us stronger.

Did any of these make you feel seen or heard? If so, comment below!

16/01/2024

Sometimes the simplest act of advocation can make a huge difference in the relationship with your dog. There are many benefits to saying “no” to attention and affection from others. We like to to think of the ROI(return on investment) from that attention/affection being given in the situation at hand. Is it worth it?

What is your favorite way to handle people approaching you on walks?

22/11/2023

Happy Turkey week everyone! Just a reminder to keep our pets happy, healthy AND safe this year during the holidays. Impaction and toxicity from food can be dangerous to our furry family members.
We also wanted to let y’all know our company has Thursday and Friday off this week to spend time with family! We will resume normal business hours next Monday. Don’t forget to check out our Black Friday sale that starts this Friday, November 24th to Monday, November 27th.
Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

21/11/2023

Our local SPCA is fundraising to help clear the shelter before the holidays! Donate and you will get a “Not So Professional” drawing of your personal pet.

Not-So-Professional Pet Portraits is BACK! This time for a fun twist on Giving Tuesday! Make your donation and follow the instructions, and one of our staff, volunteers, or maybe even one of our animals, will draw your pet’s portrait! Here’s the catch - we are not artists, we are just a group of animal lovers, standing in front of our community, asking for a few bucks to take some artistic liberties with the 2180 photos you have on your phone of your pet!

The instructions are simple and must be followed to ensure you get your portrait!

1.) Donate any amount to our Giving Tuesday campaign through this Facebook post to get a digital copy of your Not-So-Professional pet portrait (or) Make a *$100+ donation for a digital copy and the original print (8x10 - mixed mediums) mailed to you!

2.) Comment below with your pet's name and a clear, bright photo! Please try to keep it to one photo per donation. If your photo has a couple of pets snuggling, who are we to deny you? But remember this is for charity!

3.) We will verify your donation and send your photo to our newly appointed Not-So-Professional artists! Once they have finished their masterpiece, we will comment back with your digital copy and prepare the originals to be mailed out Please note that we cannot accommodate requests for specific artists - part of the fun is seeing what you get!

4.) Feel free to share your results far and wide! You can tag us on all platforms !

The holidays are fast approaching, and this makes a GREAT gift to bring a smile to someone’s face, as well as giving a little back to our community's homeless animals and beloved pets! Submissions close November 30th at 5 pm so don’t wait to get your masterpiece!

Love always, your pals at the Fred SPCA

* If you make a donation of $100+ and would like the original print mailed to you, please make sure to message your mailing address to us complete with the zip code. Must be located in the USA. Not-So-Pro Pet Portraits will be mailed out the first week of December.

12/11/2023

Happy Veterans Day! We thank all the brave men and women who have served.

-snapshot of our favorite guy flying his cobra

08/11/2023

Pawfect day with adoptable dogs! If you’re looking to add to your family has wonderful dogs up for adoption!

Interested in dog training? If so, we will be at Vet Fest this weekend! Stop by the tent and learn about our programs.

📸

07/11/2023

Great friends & adoptable dogs = best weekend ever! Shout out to SPCA of Fredericksburg for hosting an amazing event!