Sit Pretty Dog Training

29/10/2024

Hello there!! Today we’re covering treat pouches.

What is it: A treat pouch is perhaps the easiest to explain tool, a fanny pack like pouch to carry your treats.

Pros: you can always have treats for your dog!!!!! Some of them are snazzy and come with a poop bag spot, a spot for your phone, D clips, room for toys, etc. A lot of them tend to include a clicker for free.

Cons: some of them are built smaller and can fit ONLY treats and some can be hard to clean!

Not sure if every dog trainer would consider this a tool but I sure do! I often tell clients ‘consistently reward the behaviors you like, and you will see a big change in your dog.’ What better way to do so then by having treats with you at all times! You can also use a fanny pack and put a ziplock bag of treats in there and BAM instant treat pouch. And here’s a word to the wise, it doesn’t always have to be filled with treats. MOST of my clients are required to hand feed their dogs for the first week of training. Put their meal in your pouch and train for dinner! You can work on a new trick or behaviors the dog already knows but I’m CERTAIN most dogs would rather do an activity with you then have you scoop their kibble in their bowl. Give it a shot! (A picture of Gim and I with my treat pouch for context)

22/10/2024

We trunk or treated! Thank you Canine Body and Mind for hosting and having us! We had a wonderful time!!! Tool Tuesday will resume next week ☺️

15/10/2024

I’ll have a trunk this Sunday at Canine Body and Mind! Come and see me for some treats!

08/10/2024

Howdy folks! Today we’re going to cover clickers!!

What is it: A clicker marks the behavior of a dog it’s the same as saying “yes” or “good dog.” Each time you push the button it makes a click noise. Some clickers can make different sounds and can eventually mean different signals to the dog.

Pros: Very distinct sound, extremely useful for shaping behaviors, can help the handler on their marking and timing.

Cons: can be confusing if you don’t understand the purpose of a clicker, does take up one hand and can be difficult for handlers that are still learning mechanics, can be overused quickly, may frighten the dog if they are not accustomed to it.

If you are a reactive client of mine, it’s likely that we’ve pulled out the clicker at some point. Our dogs can get very used to ignoring us, especially if we are a chronic repeater of commands. I like to use the clicker for trigger work in reactivity, because if you condition it right the dog almost has a little light bulb moment when they hear it, “oh that sound means my owner has a treat I should check in with them.” Explore all of the different clickers and sounds they make so you can find the right one for your dog! The best piece of advice I can give you when it comes to clicker training is to follow one rule: if you click, you MUST deliver a reward to the dog. If you’re dog is too overthreshold to accept a reward, take your criteria down a step. This tool is worth a shot for everyone to try!

Clicker training is a terrific, science-based way to communicate with your pet. It's easier to learn than standard command-based training. You can clicker train any kind of animal, of any age. Puppies love it. Old dogs learn new tricks. You can clicker-train cats, birds, and other animals as well. H...

25/09/2024

Feeding your adult dog two measured meals a day is usually best; free feeding food is probably the worst choice.

24/09/2024

Hello friends! We’re back with another Tool Tuesday! Today we’re covering a tool I have SOOOOO many feelings about, the harness.

What is it: A harness clips around your dogs body like a vest and can come in all kinds of materials and styles.

Pros: Can give the handler more control, can and SHOULD be used in the car to buckle your dog in, can be used for a different leash criteria, and can take pressure off the dog’s neck when walking on leash.

Cons: Can cause skin irritation if it doesn’t sit right on the skin, can cause the dog to pull, some dogs can wiggle out of them, some dogs have a dislike for them because it’s more material touching their body.

If you’re my client, it’s pretty likely you’ve heard this diatribe. I prefer harnesses to be for sniffing walks/hiking and I use a collar when I’m teaching a structured walk. You have to have DIFFERENT set ups on your dog for different criteria. It’s very confusing for dogs when we ask them to pay attention to us and engage with us consistently on leash but then we let them pull to the tree or the fire hydrant to sniff it. Now every dog is different, for my reactive clients we likely have a double ended leash with a connection on the harness and the collar. Harnesses inhibit leash pressure because when the dog pulls they are creating a forward motion, but when hooked up on a collar you are controlling the head and that head is more likely to look back to where the leash pressure is coming from. Again ‘no pull harnesses’ are not actually going to stop your dog from pulling, training is!

17/09/2024

I’ll be back with another tool Tuesday next week! In the mean time please enjoy these pictures of my dogs!

10/09/2024

Alrighty back again with another tool Tuesday! Today we’re going to cover gentle leaders/head halters!

What is it: a head halter is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a head halter similar to what a horse wears on their head. It fits over the dog’s nose, and there is an adjustable head piece that wraps around the dog’s neck.

Pros: it may get the dog to stop pulling on leash, it gives you a lot of handling control over the dog and can be a good tool to help the dog focus on the handler.

Cons: this can cause pain and injure your dog if jerked or pulled back, your dog can find this aversive and uncomfortable, it can slip off if not fitted property, it may rub against your dogs nose and leave an indent.

With all tools, this is not a solution to training your dog to walk on a leash. This should be a temporary tool that you graduate from. If your dog is pulling on leash, ask yourself does your dog have engagement, do they have impulse control? A trainer I follow said this really cool sentiment the other day, “the dog decides what is aversive for them.” If you put this tool on your dog and they are showing genuine discontent and unhappiness towards it then it’s not for them!

08/09/2024

Come with me on a day out with my reactive dog Gimli!

27/08/2024

Hellooooooo again!!! Today a friend of mine requested that we cover e-collars! This is a sticky subject and I just want to say I am in no way promoting this tool. I am reviewing both sides of this argument.

What is it: An e-collar or a shock or stim collar is a collar that is connected to a remote that has buttons that can provide a sound, a vibration or a shock.

Pros: This can be a tool for an off leash TRAINED dog, can be used for live stock training, can be used to deter the dog from acting on impulses and this can be used to teach the dog a boundary of a property.

Cons: This is an AVERSIVE method, this can cause pain to your dog, this can cause psychological damage to your dog, and can enhance fear, aggression and reactivity. This tool can give owners a false sense of security that their dog recalls or is ‘well-behaved’ when the dog may actually be just shut down.

When I got Sage and before I started studying dog training, I trained her on an e-collar so she could be off leash in designated areas. In my own personal experience, I learned that I should have worked harder on her recall, rather than train her to use her e-collar. Firstly, she stopped caring about the shock, then stopped caring about the beep and vibration and I had to completely overhaul her training with her recall and how we use this tool. I now utilitze this tool for the vibration and sound only. I think there’s nothing wrong with that, BUT it depends on the dog! I would not recommend this tool to almost ANY of my clients. The rare unicorn dog might use this tool and be totally fine. Since we are encountering more genetically unstable dogs and in turn, more fearful dogs, in today’s world I would say this is not a tool for 95% of dogs. After becoming a dog trainer I have abided by the LIMA method, (least intrusive minimally aversive) and am committed to using safe and humane methods in my training. If you are an owner considering purchasing this tool, I often say most of my clients that tools are for management. It will not solve the problem you’re trying to solve, only training will!!

13/08/2024

Hello again and welcome back to Tool Tuesdays! Today we’re talking about choke chains!

What is it: A choke chain goes around your dog’s neck like a collar instead it’s a chain. It’s designed to apply pressure to the dog’s neck to “stop pulling behavior.” It’s supposed to sit under the jawline and right behind the ears.

Pros: The choke chain may get your dog to stop pulling and can be used as a corrective measure to get the dog’s attention.

Cons: This can cause a collapsed trachea or another neck injury if your dog pulls too hard. Your dog can start to choke when pulling on leash, or if another dog grabs the chain with their mouth. They slide off pretty easily. I find they rarely sit where they’re supposed and owners rarely know where they sit.

I rarely see these on dogs anymore, and while the dogs in these photos do look extra icey with these chains, in my opinion this tool should be extinct. If your dog is pulling on the walk, seek a trainer! As I’m sure you’ve heard me mention before if you’ve ever trained with me, dogs need to be trained to walk on leash! Putting any tool on them won’t teach them how to walk!

23/07/2024

Hello gang I’m sorry I’ve fallen off my typical tool Tuesday posts, I’ve been a little busy. A little over a month ago, on Saturday June 15th this lovely little guy walked on to my front porch and had a little seat. Through some sleuthing I found out where he lived and went to take him home, knocked on the door and no one answered. Even though the owners were clearly home. Posted him on Facebook, and found out that his owners were trying to “sell him” and he’s of course unfixed. I took him to SBARC on Monday to file a found report, I also told the employee at the time that I’d be happy to foster this good boy. She said okay why don’t you hold him for the 15 day stray hold. I agreed but discovered a week later that he was sniffling, wheezing horribly and had goopy eyes. I called the same employee I spoke to and said that I was going to take him to the vet. I might add that I’ve never fostered before OR held onto a stray before. The employee said okay let us know what they say. Long story short the sweet boy had giardia and needed some more vaccines and meds and I wound up with a $260 vet bill really fast. I tried to get ahold of the volunteer so I could be reimbursed and she didn’t respond. I spoke to another employee who said that they have a vet in house who takes care of all their animals and that there was no way I’d be reimbursed. Also that I could either surrender him to the shelter or I could find him a home on my own. I asked her to have her manager call me, and of course she never did. This situation has been incredibly frustrating, I recognize they are an incredibly busy and unfunded shelter but there’s no excuse for an employee to be so ill informed.

Fortunately it seems that this little guy walked up to the right house, after much consideration we have decided that this little guy is going to be a permenant member of our family. This is Gimli.

13/07/2024

4 things to do with your dog when it’s hotter than hades outside!!!

Check out Lil ham’s video.

18/06/2024

Helloooo folks I’m back with another tool Tuesday!

Today we’re talking about one of my favorite tools the long line!!

What is it: A long line is essentially a long leash that can range from 15-100 feet! It can be a cotton material or made of leather or biothane.

Pros: The long line can essentially give your dog the experience of being ‘off-leash’ in a public space, you can also use it as a tie out in your backyard or at a camp site. When dogs are on leash they are unable to express proper body language because their movement is restricted, with a long line that is less of the case since they dog can distance themselves from you. This can also be used for boundary training if your yard!

Cons: You have to be mindful of your dogs weight and the length of long line you get! If you have a 60 pound dog and a 50 foot long line that’s a lot of strength required to hold that long line if the dog sees a squirrel. If you get the long line wrapped around your ankle it can burn badly! So use caution.

I like to recommend a 30 foot if your dog is over 50 pounds! Slowly feed the long line through as the dog explores and gets used to it. This is an incredible way to get your dog out and exploring!!!

21/05/2024

You know what it is!!! Tool Tuesday!! Let’s talk about a tool I’m seeing less and less of, flat collars!

What is it: a flat collar can be made of nylon, leather or rubber, with a D ring or metal loop to hook a collar to!

Pros: the biggest pro is that it can be used to identify your dog if they’re lost, it can be great for leash walking, and clipping on and off can desensitize your dog to handling.

Cons: it can cause neck injury if your dog pulls, other dogs can pull on them and choke the other dog out and sometimes the clip can come undone and your dog can get loose.

I’m seeing a huge shift from flat collars to harnesses. While I’ll dive into harnesses on another day, people are using these as the new flat collar. Dogs will wear their harnesses all day, I don’t recommend this. If you don’t want your dog to wear a collar in the house, please at least have them put one on when they’re outside!! You might think “my dog is chipped it’s fine” chips move around and can be hard to find!! I also love different tools for different experiences. When I’m walking with my dog in a structured way she’s clipped on her collar and when she’s doing scent work or going for a sniffing walk, she’s hooked up on the back clip of her harness. If you hate the sound of your dogs tags clanking on the D ring, get a collar with your info embroidered on it!

14/05/2024

It’s tool Tuesday! Time to talk about one of my LEAST favorite tools, retractable leashes!

What is it: A retractable leash is a thin cord like leash that retracts when your dog is close to you, and expands when your dog moves further away.

Pros: There’s no leash to maintain or keep out of the way of your dog, they can expand a decent distance longer than most leashes.

Cons: They can break incredibly easily and cause injury to your dog in a number of ways, your dog can hit the end and cause neck damage, the leash can cause a horrible burn if it gets caught around a humans legs, your dog doesn’t have to have any spatial awareness and can dart into traffic or another dogs space.

If I have a client that uses a retractable leash, the first thing we do is make that our back up emergency leash. Your dogs safety is incredibly important, don’t gamble with it! There are so many other amazing options I will cover here on tool Tuesday. If you are using a retractable leash right now please heed my warning and find a different leash for your pup!

01/10/2023

It’s National black Dog Day. Black dogs are the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized, please consider a black dog in the future!