ReadyDog

29/08/2024

Save the date!

When: Saturday September 14th at noon
Where: Brydon Park in Royal Oak

A good friend of ours who is a recently retired veterinarian (Dr Helen Rae) has generously offered her time to answer any questions that you may have about dogs and health.

Aviva Shtull, co owner of and will be joining her.

They will be chatting and answering questions about dogs, veterinary medicine, behavior, training and everything in between.

Bring your questions, something to sit on, and your (well behaved) dogs.

Everyone is welcome, but if you have dogs or children that might be distracting to the conversation, please leave them at home. (Or bring someone that can walk them away if needed).

We will answer questions, chat about all things veterinary and dog training related, and then we'll go for a big community pack walk.

Join us!!

Tag or share to your dog friends below and let us know if you'll be coming🎉🌟🐶

25/08/2024

New online workshop released!

Learn all about canine body language!

Made in partnership with .pets for their incredible volunteers.

It's amazing how much our dogs speak to us with their nuanced body language, and how we miss most of it.

Sign up at www.readydog.co (link in bio) to get access to this workshop and so much more.

02/08/2024

Planning to camp with your dog? Here's what you need to know!

One of the most adored summertime activities is camping, and most of us want to bring our canine family members along for the adventure! However, there can be challenges and risks associated with bringing our pups camping. In this blog, we’re going to outline some tips, tricks and things to…

20/05/2024

This is Spencer!

He is working on building his confidence while out in the world, and also learning that he doesn’t have to guard his whole property from danger.

A long-line and some fun engagement games together have made Spencer feel a lot more at ease in a variety of spaces.

Our trainer Meg is his trainer, and we so proud of this little guy!!

Do you have a dog like Spencer? Perhaps in looks, or more likely in attitude?

Contact us if you need help

In person or virtual training
Online DIY training

14/05/2024

This is Ollie, isn't he beautiful? He's the sweetest soul.

When you rub his belly, he squints his eyes, blinks and smiles.

He loves to give kisses, and is very affectionate.

But let's dig a little deeper, as although he truly is a very sweet soul, he struggles with insecurity, and anxiety. He's very reactive when he sees other dogs, and sometimes at humans as well. This means that he will rush towards them barking and lunging on the leash.

We have been working on building up his confidence, teaching him that being out And about in the world is not as scary as he thinks. Helping him learn how to play, catch and search for food, follow our lead, and not fall back on impulsive reactions.

We're layering in obedience, to create a common language and help give him guidance when he is unlikely to make a good choice himself.

We are teaching his humans about learning theory, classical conditioning and operant conditioning, marker training And variable and intermittent reward schedules.

Teaching him to walk away from things that he's not comfortable with, with the verbal cue 'Let's go', as well as teaching him an emergency stop so that he doesn't run and hit the end of the leash so hard, And so eventually if he's ever off leash he will also have an emergency break if we need him to stop in his tracks.

Counter conditioning & play therapy, mixed with obedience is a wonderful combination to help a dog learn to feel safe in their world.

We have videos on a lot of these subjects on our Readydog platform, available to our monthly subscribers.

What stood out to you in this post? Some of the body language I described might have piqued your interest in its meaning? Did I use any terms that you understood or did not understand?

Working with a reactive dog can feel very stressful, or, it can be fun and interesting and inspiring. 💪🌼

I'm so proud of Ollie, today he was rolling on his back asking for belly rubs. Whereas a week ago he would never have felt safe enough to do that. We still have a ways to go, but he's making great progress.

06/05/2024

Having two young dogs at the same time takes grit.

It's not a given that they'll get along.
It's double the cost.
You'll need to train them and even potentially walk them separately, so double the time too.

When they get along and neither one is difficult, then it's amazing. There's nothing better than seeing your best friend develop a new best friend. Someone to snuggle with, and play with all the time.

It's just that that's not always the case.

Do you have two dogs? What have the challenges been? Was it what you expected?
Do you know someone with two dogs? What are your observations? Experiences?

15/04/2024

Stubborn? Or maybe something doesn't feel good.

Often our dogs are labeled as stubborn, or disobedient. But the reason they don't want to sit, lie down, run or walk slowly is because they're in pain.

If your dog is really hesitant to do something, pause first and consider if they may have some underlying pain.

Early onset arthritis, for example, or luxating patellas are way more common than you think.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Laila, my Pom in the photo, is often hesitant to walk. She also often sits with her legs straight out. It turns out that she not only has luxating patellas, but also early onset hip displasia. It's always worth a visit to the vet, so that you don't force your dog into moving in a way that you think they should, but turns out is painful.

06/02/2024

What does your dog wear?

Don't get me wrong , having the right equipment on your dog can make your training process much easier and you can potentially avoid a lot of stress, and pain, for you, and your dog, by finding the right collar or harness. The most important thing to keep in mind is control and safety, for both you and your dog.

Whatever you choose should give you more control so you can keep your dog safe, be comfortable for your dog, and help you and your dog have a more enjoyable time together.

Make sure that whatever you use fits properly as a loose fitting collar or harness can cause great risk.

Check out www.readydog.co and subscribe, we have a whole series of videos that go into great detail about the pros and cons of each piece of equipment.

What's your go-to dog equipment?

01/02/2024

What's the most valuable thing you ever taught your dog?

31/01/2024

Post a photo of your dog below! Let's see who your dog is 🐾🎉

06/11/2023

What is your go-to training treat?

Read our recent blog post by our trainer Meg Sorley, to learn about some creative dog training treats to try out!

Today, let's talk about some of our favorite high-value treats we love using for both training and enrichment toys. Remember, always introduce new treats in moderation and be aware of any food sensitivities or allergies your pup might have. Let's dive into the delicious world of dog treats! 🐾 Siz...

04/11/2023

People often hear that their dogs behavior is indicative of their dog trying to 'dominate' them.

They're told if their dog leans on them, goes out the door first, sleeps on their bed etc, it could give their dog the wrong impression about who's in charge.

We disagree. These little actions often are innocent, reflexive, or just your dog enjoying proximity and physical touch.

It's the bigger picture of making sure you're meeting your dogs needs and that you have a healthy relationship.

Does your dog do anything that you've been told is concerning but you're not sure if it actually is?

20/10/2023

Emotions and feelings don't always define a personality.

When people ask if your dog is friendly, it's very easy to feel conflicted in how you want to answer.

Dogs often have mixed emotions. They can be nervous but also want to play. They can be excited and also feel anxious and overwhelmed.  They can feel overstimulated by an environment, feel defensive, concerned for their safety and also terrified all at the same time.  

When you realize that they can be feeling very conflicting emotions all at once, you are going to be a lot more empathetic and compassionate about their behaviour.  

Your dog is doing their best and often is acting out due to these very conflicted feelings.  

Just because they're acting one way, it doesn't mean that is who they are.

So yes, my dog is friendly, but that doesn't mean he's not having a big emotion, which could determine that it's not the right time to say hello.

Does this make sense?

01/06/2023

Since warmer weather is already making an appearance, it's incredibly important to know the signs of heat stroke/heat exhaustion in dogs, how to help them stay cool, and when to seek medical attention.

Share this with your friends to help ensure everyone knows how to keep their pups safe and cool this summer ⛱️☀️🍦

16/05/2023

Grab your favorite treat - and let’s dive into these adorable stages together!

Go on an adventure to explore the fascinating stages of a puppy's life.

04/05/2023

Have you used a long line before? If so, what did you use it for? 💡

ReadyDogs tips to help you use your long line safely and make it an enjoyable experience for you and your dog.

26/04/2023

Does your dog drive you absolutely 🍌 bananas 🍌 with their non-stop barking in the yard? Here's how to manage it!

Do you find your dog often barking uncontrollably in the backyard? Don't worry, you're not alone. Dogs love to bark and react to different stimuli, especially when they're outside on their own. Rest assured, you can teach them to be calmer and have more self-control in that space. Here's how!…

08/04/2023

We get it, the piranha stage is particularly challenging and painful 🦈🦷🔪

Have you tried any of these tips? What has worked best for you?