Melissa Cushman Dog Training

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Melissa Cushman Dog Training This page is all about positive reinforcement, science based dog training and having fun with your d I love working with dogs and their owners.
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I am a proud military spouse, Mom to two great kids, and 3 awesome dogs. I am a certified Sports Foundations Trainer with Fenzi Dog Sports, a certified Family Dog Mediator with Kim Brophey, a certified Control Unleashed Instructor with Leslie McDevitt, a licensed dog Trainer in Germany, an ODOR Service Dog Inc. Evaluator for Obedience and Scent work and an AKC CGC and Trick Dog Evaluator.

My daughter's drawing of Gunther! I think it turned out so cute. Little head tilt and all.
09/08/2024

My daughter's drawing of Gunther! I think it turned out so cute. Little head tilt and all.

We had a great time at All dog sports in Lodi yesterday. Toby and Gunther both tried out Dock Diving and they both did r...
07/08/2024

We had a great time at All dog sports in Lodi yesterday. Toby and Gunther both tried out Dock Diving and they both did really well but it was super interesting to see their differences. I am hoping to get more pictures at their next lesson! Toby and Freya joined a Fit and Fun class working on canine fitness and some fun tricks to help them stretch. This is Toby learning to balance on the two peanuts and move between a stand and a down.

My daughter painted this picture of Freya. I love it! It really captures her best give me love look. 🤣
06/08/2024

My daughter painted this picture of Freya. I love it! It really captures her best give me love look. 🤣

Show me the last photo you took of your dog!
31/07/2024

Show me the last photo you took of your dog!

These three loved hiking in the Robert's Regional Recreation Area in Oakland, CA this past weekend. Such a beautiful for...
29/07/2024

These three loved hiking in the Robert's Regional Recreation Area in Oakland, CA this past weekend. Such a beautiful forest and the weather was nice! Where is your dogs favorite walk/ hike? Drop a picture and let us know the location!

Sooo important! Be the person who goes up to the new person at the class/show/ event. If someone looks lost or nervous,...
26/07/2024

Sooo important! Be the person who goes up to the new person at the class/show/ event. If someone looks lost or nervous, all of they need help! Invite people to join your group of friends. There are a lot of people in dog sports that grew up in sports or have been doing it for years, but it's essential for new people to join dog sports and how they are treated is a huge part of if people are going to keep coming back.

My daughter made this birthday card for me, I love it. Freya is doing a chin rest on the cake begging for a treat. Gunt...
25/07/2024

My daughter made this birthday card for me, I love it. Freya is doing a chin rest on the cake begging for a treat. Gunther is trying to eat the cake. Toby is focused forward looking for people. She captured their personalities really well. 🤣

Great news about an update for the new regulations on importing dogs into America. If your dog is coming from a low rabi...
22/07/2024

Great news about an update for the new regulations on importing dogs into America. If your dog is coming from a low rabies risk country, you will only have to submit the import form vs. needing a USDA vet to fill out the form. This makes it much easier, especially for people traveling from America to Canada for dog shows, etc.

https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/rabies-free-low-risk-countries.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2ej4Bdrl_GMB6nzNC6ol_ElRPS2Aogxj1jw8CtUWoHZbFrQ5rRFlICLRA_aem_C54dnSbqgtZtc6ITKGhxaw

There are four requirements for dogs that have ONLY been in countries that are dog-rabies free or lo

Ying and Yang? Or is it Yang and Yang since they are both black 🤣? These two were at the vet getting a bordetella vaccin...
17/07/2024

Ying and Yang? Or is it Yang and Yang since they are both black 🤣? These two were at the vet getting a bordetella vaccine so they can go play at the local training club. We are hoping to start back up agilty, and Toby is going to try dock diving!

Has anyone else tried dock driving?

Gunther's portraits done by the talented Talena . I really like the black and white one. Black/ dark gray dogs are har...
16/07/2024

Gunther's portraits done by the talented Talena . I really like the black and white one. Black/ dark gray dogs are hard, but she did a great job!

I love this portrait of Freya done by the very talented Talena ! What do you think?
12/07/2024

I love this portrait of Freya done by the very talented Talena ! What do you think?

Freya got to take her first trip to downtown San Francisco yesterday. She did great. We ended up eating on Pier 39 at Sw...
08/07/2024

Freya got to take her first trip to downtown San Francisco yesterday. She did great. We ended up eating on Pier 39 at Swiss Louis Italian Seafood Restaurant they aren't totally gluten-free, but they were great about her and preparing our food, especially carefully. So we all got to enjoy great safe gluten free food.

For all my American followers, have a wonderful 4th of July! Gunther was taking a little nap, and I couldn't help but ta...
04/07/2024

For all my American followers, have a wonderful 4th of July! Gunther was taking a little nap, and I couldn't help but take a picture of his adorable, not so little snoot. Give him a boop!

All the boxes are emptied in the new house, so I finally had the time to groom the dogs. Grooming is such a great time t...
02/07/2024

All the boxes are emptied in the new house, so I finally had the time to groom the dogs. Grooming is such a great time to bond with your dog, especially if you keep them brushed regularly. Getting out knots in hair isn't fun for anyone. A good metal comb brushed through the hair to the skin will ensure you aren't missing any knots or matting starting to form.

Gunther apparently approves of the new rug, even if he isn't using it properly...🤣🤦‍♀️bonus his favorite ball matches.
30/06/2024

Gunther apparently approves of the new rug, even if he isn't using it properly...🤣🤦‍♀️bonus his favorite ball matches.

Toby and I at the Bonneville Speed Raceway in the Salt Flats in Utah. He isn't on the ground because salt is very bad f...
14/06/2024

Toby and I at the Bonneville Speed Raceway in the Salt Flats in Utah. He isn't on the ground because salt is very bad for skin/ feet, and it was also very hot on the ground. Safety should never be sacrificed for a picture! That goes for humans and dogs. 🤣🦬🐕‍🦺

Gunther in front of the three sisters in Grand Teton, Wyoming. It was absolutely beautiful! Where do you think he will b...
12/06/2024

Gunther in front of the three sisters in Grand Teton, Wyoming. It was absolutely beautiful! Where do you think he will be next?

Gunther got to see the Old Faithful Geyser go off in Yellowstone. He was unimpressed by the geyser but very interested i...
09/06/2024

Gunther got to see the Old Faithful Geyser go off in Yellowstone. He was unimpressed by the geyser but very interested in the chipmunks that live all around it. 🤣

09/06/2024

Gunther got to see the Old Faithful Geyser go off in Yellowstone. He was unimpressed by the geyser but very interested in the chipmunks that live all around it. 🤣

How many Bears are there in this photo? 🤣
06/06/2024

How many Bears are there in this photo? 🤣

The dogs always work extra hard when we are traveling. Checking unusual foods in often challenging locations. Yesterda...
04/06/2024

The dogs always work extra hard when we are traveling. Checking unusual foods in often challenging locations. Yesterday, we stopped at a Bass Pro Shops, and Gunther was able to check some candy that Lorelei really wanted. Some of it was gluten-free, but some turned out not to be (it contained no gluten ingredients but wasn't labeled gluten-free), so he made a great save and Lorelei still got to enjoy some candy.

Bass Pro Shop is a challenging environment to work in because it is filled with taxidermy. Huge animals; fish, deer, rabbits, moose, bears all posed in natural surfaces throughout the store. For some dogs, these can be scary or just distracting. Gunther was unfazed. They also have a huge indoor watertfall with an aquarium, and we got to meet this giant catfish!

Do you think Gunther and him kinda look alike? 🤣

28/05/2024

Generalizing searching for gluten in multiple locations helps dogs better understand their job. Since we are traveling at the moment, it was a great chance to set up a gluten search for Toby in our RV. His alert behavior for gluten is a down.

Today is a day to honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country. So today, when you spend time w...
27/05/2024

Today is a day to honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country. So today, when you spend time with your family, take a moment to think about those families that are without their loved ones.

As a military family, Memorial Day is an especially important time to honor the families we know that have paid this especially high price.

Farm dog life looks good on Freya 😍.
23/05/2024

Farm dog life looks good on Freya 😍.

Do I have something on my face?
20/05/2024

Do I have something on my face?

17/05/2024

Poor Gunther... send help! He might starve!

😂😂😂

Toby says Happy Monday! What did you do with your dog this weekend? We took the dogs for a walk along the Ohio River a...
13/05/2024

Toby says Happy Monday! What did you do with your dog this weekend? We took the dogs for a walk along the Ohio River and enjoyed the beautiful weather we are currently having.

Big changes to the ability to import dogs into the US. While this is likely the result of the increase in infectious dis...
09/05/2024

Big changes to the ability to import dogs into the US. While this is likely the result of the increase in infectious diseases coming from importing rescue dogs into the US. This will have a big effect on responsible breeders/ owners trying to bring dogs into the US. What are your thoughts?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/4zffjav72MKYiZ4k/?mibextid=qi2Omg

Starting on August 1, all dogs entering the U.S. (including those that left the U.S. and are returning, and regardless of the country they are coming from) must be:
• healthy upon arrival
• at least 6 months of age
• microchipped
• accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form receipt and required vaccination and veterinary documents.

Additional requirements may apply depending on where the dog has been in the last 6 months and whether or not the dog was vaccinated in the United States.

Use CDC’s Q&A tool (the CDC “DogBot”) to determine what rules apply to your dog: https://bit.ly/2rww2bq

We are moving to California! In preparation for being on the road and living in the RV for the next month or so. All the...
07/05/2024

We are moving to California! In preparation for being on the road and living in the RV for the next month or so. All the dogs got a short haircut for easy brushing, maintenance, and quicker baths. When moving with dogs, you want to make things as easy as possible on them and you!

May the fourth be with you!
05/05/2024

May the fourth be with you!

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Turns out I need to practice throwing more than Gunther needs to practice jumping. Second time on the dock, and he is launching himself. He was so excited when he saw the dock he ran over and ran up the ramp, ready to dive in! I know a few other bouviers that dock dive. How about you guys? Does anyone else on here dock dive? #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier

So, one of my training certifications is with Control Unleashed by @lesliemcdevitt2019. I love the pattern games and the many ways they can be used. Toby was a little nervous at a brand new vet last week so we played a bit of a variation on the Up/Down game and it gave him a chance to explore the room while using his nose (which calms dogs down) after a minute or two playing like this he was totally relaxed and ready for his annual exam. The rules of the game here are easy he focuses on me (no specific rules about behavior here his default behavior is a sit with eye contact but I don't require that each time just that he has shifted his attention to me instead of the room/ sounds outside of the room), I toss a treat and repeat! What do you think about this simple game? Is it something you think your dog would enjoy? #controlunleashed #controlunleashedcertifiedinstructor #controlunleashedprogram #patterngamesfordogs #standardpoodle #servicedogintraining

Generalizing searching for gluten in multiple locations helps dogs better understand their job. Since we are traveling at the moment, it was a great chance to set up a gluten search for Toby in our RV. His alert behavior for gluten is a down. #glutendetection #glutenfreelife #glutendetectionservicedog #celiacservicedog #glutendetectiondog #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog

Recalls... who did it better edition? Freya went first, then Gunther and finally Toby. Who had the best recall today? It's important to practice and reward your recalls it takes a lot for a dog to leave what they are doing and come back to you. So reward them often and don't only recall them when it's time to leave. There is no faster way to poison a recall cue. #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog #recall #dogtraining #offleashdog #gooddogs

Poor Gunther... send help! He might starve! 😂😂😂 #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier #hungrydog #hungrypuppy

Freya is getting good at the weaves! She had nice form and speed so we are working on getting rid of the guides. Have you tried agilty with your dogs? It's great mental and physical exercise. #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier #bouvieragility

Show me those pups! I need some cute dogs in my inbox today.

Ball is life! He is so good about not going through the fence to get his ball when it rolls out. But also so sad until he convinces one of us to go get it for him. 🤣 #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouvier #bouvierappreciation #ballislife #dogs

Freya can get a little disgruntled when the "help" doesn't bring dinner on time. #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier #grumpydogs

Toby is learning to do searches in new and more difficult spots. This is the building we train in. Freya is adding the barking in the background 🤣 for an extra distraction. It's important to generalize skills to all types of different locations. Side note. What a nice stay Toby 😍 #glutendetection #glutenfreelife #glutendetectionservicedog #celiacservicedog #glutendetectiondog #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog #servicedogintraining #dogtraining101 #rallyfoundation #dogtrainingisfun #obedience #akcrallyobedience #dogtraining

I really love watching Toby move. He has great confirmation! Great confirmation isn't just for the show ring. It's important that a service dog is well balanced structurally and can handle years of working. Service dogs are a big financial and emotional investment, so you need to really make sure you are investing in a dog that has the best chance of being successful long term. #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog #servicedogintraining #dogtraining101 #rallyfoundation #dogtrainingisfun #obedience #akcrallyobedience #dogtraining

I love loose leash walking, like it is a game changer to make your leashed walks more enjoyable. It just isn't fun to be pulled around while you are trying to walk. There are honestly so many different ways to teach it, but my biggest piece of advice is to be CONSISTENT. Is the dog supposed to stay at your side? Yield to leash pressure? Most dogs are happy to work with you, but they need to know what you want, which means you need to know what you want. You also need to make it worth their while. #servicedogintraining #dogtraining101 #rallyfoundation #dogtrainingisfun #obedience #akcrallyobedience #dogtraining #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog

This might be more how I feel today than how Gunther feels. 🤣 He would happily go chase his ball given the chance. But he looks so comfy taking his nap 😴 😍 #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier

Who wouldn't want to be greeted by this? How do your dogs greet you when you get home? #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog

Toby's turn, this video was taken at the end of his very first intro to agilty class! He is such a happy prancing poodle 🐩 🤣. He was nervous about the cage around the weave poles at the start of class, but look how well he was doing by the end of class tail up and wagging! We had so much fun at Agility Cues For You #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog

My daughter and I are taking an agility for fun class at Agility Cues For You to try out agility with Freya and Toby and see if they like it. Freya has done jumps and platforms before but had never seen weave poles or gone over an A frame before last night. She loved it! She was a little hesitant about the A frame the first few approaches, but as you can see, she had no issues by the end of the class. I will post a video of Toby's experience tomorrow! #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier #bouvieragility

I am proud of Toby's progression in his gluten detection training. He is on the road to becoming a great service dog. #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog #glutendetection #glutenfreelife #glutendetectionservicedog #celiacservicedog #glutendetectiondog

My camera reel is about 80 percent dogs. What about you? #bluestandardpoodle #standardpoodle #spoo #standardpoodleservicedog #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier

She is so pretty and boy does she know how to strike a pose. #cutedog #bluesteel #zoolandermeme #bouvierdesflandresofinstagram #bouvierdesflandres #bouviersofinstagram #bouvierdesflandresappreciation #bouvier

Toby is practicing finding different levels of gluten hidden in identical tins. The other tins out have different samples of gluten-free foods. When he finds the gluten sample, he lays down. #glutendetection #glutenfreelife #glutendetectionservicedog #celiacservicedog #glutendetectiondog

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Gluten Detection

Sometimes despite our best efforts it is impossible to avoid gluten in our world. When my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac and needed to avoid even the smallest amount of gluten, I began to realize what a daunting and near impossible task that would be. Labeling laws allow for small amounts of gluten to be present in items and have them still be labeled Gluten FREE, yes read that again. It is possible to label something as Gluten Free and it can still contain gluten. In addition to this items that do not contain gluten naturally can be produced on the same lines as gluten containing items and be labeled gluten free. These issues and others can make it impossible for some of those individuals with Celiac to recover their health because they are constantly being exposed to low doses of gluten. In some of these cases a Gluten detection dog is the answer. After my daughter was diagnosed I worked with a wonderful trainer named Dawn Scheu at Willow Service Dogs Inc. to train our adult family dog Lilly to detect Gluten. My back ground in dog training made it possible for Lilly to start working quickly as she was already trained for safe public access. Unfortunately we lost Lilly suddenly to cancer shortly after she was fully trained. Thankfully we were already on a wait list for a puppy from a wonderful breeder who we had met with prior to losing Lilly! Gunther came along shortly after to mend our broken hearts and start training to protect our family (3 out of 4 of our family needs to be Gluten Free). Gunther began his training right away and was working at home before he was 6 months old. Gunther can reliably smell small amounts of cross contamination from gluten which not only keeps our family healthy but allows us to live a more normal life. Gluten detection dogs are definitely not for everyone but at the moment they are the most reliable method of testing items for contaminated gluten with a much higher reliability rate then commercially available testing devices. Last year I was asked to be part of an non profit organization O.D.O.R. Service Dogs Inc. that has worked hard to create minimum standards for working Scent Detection Dogs. I am honored to be part of an organization that hopes to make sure everyone has a service dog that is working safely and reliably. You can look at the standards which Gunther has been tested to at www.odorservicedogs.org.