FSJ Canine Behaviour

Happy Easter! Watching all these dogs enjoy a day to just be dogs and search for treats was amazing.

Our Ditch the Dish winner is Kim Minard!!! Thank you everyone who participated watch the page for more giveaway opportunities in April.

The last of our Halloween tricks for treats demos check under the bed (bow) Vixens cue for this is "booty" We also dropped the ball on "did you see a ghost" so it will be omitted from the bingo. If you do complete it I'll give you a bonus entry. Teaching Bow Step 1: Start with your dog standing and a treat lure in your hand. Step 2: Move the lure from your dog’s nose to the space between your dog’s legs and back toward their belly. As soon as your dog gets into the bow position mark and reward. Step 3: Continue several times with the lure. Ensuring you and Mark and reward the bow vs them going into a laydown. Add in cue of "Bow" or whatever you'd like. Step 4: Once your dog understands what you want and is doing it regularly for the treat lure, start using an empty hand and verbal cue.  Reward the dog with a treat after they complete the behavior. Step 5: Fade hand lure, and only use verbal Cue. Be sure to have your completed tricks in by Friday. See pinned post for contest rules #tricksfortreats #bow #fsjdogtraining #tricktraining #fsjcaninebehaviour

Up next on our Halloween Bingo is witchy wave and Grave Roller. Be sure to check out pinned post for contest details. Wave It is important that your dog is comfortable with the  sit cue prior to learning. It is also beneficial if they know a "shake" and or "Highfive" Step one A: If your dog doesn't know these cues, begin with raising the treat slightly over the head while in a sit and mark the second a paw lifts off the ground. Repeat several times. Step one B: Place your hand in front of your dog and ask for his paw. Mark the behavior with a 'yes!' And reward. Take a step back and put your hand towards him again. Reward him for any motion of his paw towards you, as long as his bottom stays on the ground. Repeat several times marking and rewarding when the paw lifts vs touching your hand. Step Two: Remove your hand. Begin to remove your hand quickly so your dog is swiping the air. Your dog should start to make the connection and swipe the air at the appearance of your hand. At this point, you can add in the 'wave ' verbal cue vs "paw" Step Three: Gradually change your hand signal from an outstretched hand to an actual wave. Now when you wave at your dog and ask him to 'wave ' he should pick up his paw and wave back at you. Roll over Step one: Cue your dog for a “down” position in front of you.Kneel down beside your dog and hold a small, yummy treat to the side of their head near their nose.Move your hand from their nose toward their shoulder, luring them to roll flat on their side. Mark and reward. Try this a few times, mark and reward each time they follow the treat and lie flat on their side with their head on the floor. Step two: Continue the movement of your hand, holding a treat from the side position continue moving it over the dogs head. This should cause them to roll onto their back. Continue the moving the treat hand so they roll onto the other side. Mark and reward. When they are consistently following the treat all the w

Our next trick is "fill the cauldron" we reached out to our good friends Alysha and Charlie for this demonstration as Charlie is a pro at this trick (and I haven't taught it to Vixen yet) How to train your dog to put toys away: Step one: “Take It” Command For “take it,” hold your dog’s favorite toy in your hand and move it around to excite them, Just before your dog grabs the toy out of your hand say “take it.” When he does, mark that behavior with a “good,” “yes” or click. Alternatively you can ask a "take it" while the toy in on the ground, mark and reward when they pick it up. “Drop It” Command To teach your dog “drop it,” they must be holding onto a toy. Have a treat your dog really likes in your hand and present it to the dog. Say “drop it” and, when they do, mark it and reward. If your dog is hesitant to drop his favorite toy, try using a higher value treat such as a piece of chicken,hot dog or cheese. (This cue can also be taught using two toys) Once your dog successfully takes the toy and drops it nine out of 10 times during practice, you can begin the next exercise. Put it in the Basket Lesson: Get a basket or box or anything that you’ll want your dog to put their toys in. Place the toy right next to the basket and sit beside the basket. Touch the toy and say “take it.” Then, hold a treat in your hand and lure the dog over to the basket. When the toy is over the basket, give the “drop it” cue. Remember to generously reward your dog when he drops the toy in the basket. Practice this consistently and then proceed to the next step by moving the toy away from the basket by a foot or two. Consistency is Key This is an exercise that requires a lot of practice and patience, but can also be alot of fun!! 🎥- Alysha and Charlie (dog) @outsidewithcharlie

Trick #3 for our Halloween challenge. Going Batty 🦇(3 spins in a row) To teach your dog to spin, you'll want to start with your dog in a standing position. If your dog doesn't know how to stand on command, it will be easier to learn that first or lure into a stand position. • 1. Hold a treat in front of your dog's nose. Slowly pull the treat toward the side of your dog's head and around their body towards their rump. • Keep pulling the treat in a circle all the way around your dog's body, so it will need to "spin" in order to follow the treat. • Once your dog has followed the treat in a complete circle, tell them "yes" or "good," or click your clicker. Then quickly give your dog the treat. • Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times. • Once your dog seems to understand the action, add the cue word "spin" before once again repeating steps 2 and 3. • Spend about five minutes, several times a day, practicing the spin. Your dog will be spinning in a complete circle before you know it. 📽️- Vixen #fsjtricksfortreats #fsjcaninebehaviour #spin #tricktraining #fsjdogtraining

#2 on our Halloween challenge "Who shot the Sherrif" (play dead) I have attached a video and a how to train. Play Dead : How to train Step One: Start in a Down Position: Cue your dog to lie down. (If your dog doesn't lie down on command yet, go back and master that before you begin training it to play dead.) • Offer a Treat: Hold a treat close to your dog's nose, and slowly pull it over to their side towards the hip. So they will have to roll onto their side to get it. • Reward: As soon as your dog is lying on its side, say "yes" or "good." Or, click your clicker. Then, give the dog a treat. Repeat these steps several times. • Add a Signal: After your dog completes the side down a few times, add a cue word and a hand signal. Most people choose to use the verbal command "bang" along with a hand signal command, holding their fingers to look like a gun pointing at the dog.Then offer the treat on the floor beside the dog. Step Two: Start in the down position and cue "bang" without the treat lure, mark and reward as soon as the dog offers the side position. Step Three: Cue "Bang" from a standing position. Mark and reward once in the side position. #tricksfortreats #fsjtricksfortreats #playdead #tricksfordogs #learningisfun #fsjcaninebehaviour #fsjdogtraining

#1 on our Halloween challenge "Zombie crawl" I have attached a video and a how to train. I will accept a lured crawl for the challenge. Teaching "Crawl" 1 Setting up To begin, place your dog in a ‘down’. 2 Lure forward Take a treat in your hand and place it in front of your dog’s nose. Entice your dog to move forward by slowly moving your treat hand forward in a low position.The moment they scoot forward slightly, treat and praise. Repeat several times. 3 Add lure distance Once your dog is moving forward, slowly start asking them to move forward with you, following the treat. This behavior takes a lot of core strength so your dog may only follow for short periods of time. Try going slowly, adding in distance in short bursts and rewarding. Repeat several times. 4 Add the command Once your dog is reliably crawling forward a short distance, start adding in the cue “Crawl” or feel free to come up with something memorable or funny for you and your dog. Say the cue while slowly moving away with the treat, luring your dog forward. Treat and praise after a short amount of time. 5 Start at a distance After you’ve practiced your dog following your hand and treat numerous times and have added the cue word, you’re ready to have your dog start crawling to you. Put your dog in a ‘down’ and then take several steps back. Give the verbal cue. If your dog doesn’t crawl several steps to you, go back a step and repeat a few more times. 6 Remove the lure Next, remove the food lure from your hand and give the ‘crawl’ cue on its own. If you’ve repeated the previous step several times, your dog should start crawling towards you. If not, slow down and back up a training a step or two to reinforce the behavior. 7 Practice, practice, practice Practice the 'crawl' cue at numerous distances and in different settings. Remember that this trick is physically taxing on your dog. Keep training sessions brief and fun for maximum response.

Puppy Basics Registration I have two spots available for the next Puppy Basics course Details: Age Range: 10-16 weeks at time of sign up. * Must have first vaccines and stay up to date During class Dates: Aug.16,23,30 Sept.6 (Wednesday evening) Time: 5:45-6:30pm Location: FSJ Canine Behaviour training facility. (address available upon sign up) Cost: $100+GST ($105) Class Details: Learn how to train your dog using positive reinforcement based training methods and how to incorporate play into learning. Introduction to basic cues such as ; Sit,laydown, stand,Touch, look and recall. We also cover confidence building exercises as well as exposure to novel stimuli. Each puppy will also receive a Socialization check list to complete during class and at home. Email [email protected] to sign up today!

📣New class sign up 📣 Does your dog already know the basics? Are you looking for a way to connect with your dog? Or add some fun back into your week to get through this long winter? Well this class might be for you! Perfection in play is a new class I am offering. This class primarily focuses on play based learning. Class overview: How to incorporate play into our dogs everyday life. Understanding how to keep our dogs engaged in play without creating over stimulation. How to politely initiate play and when to take a break. - Identifying individual play styles, wants and needs. - building engagement with the handler. - walking/ exploration games. - Learning tricks such as; Jump, under, weave and target. - Learning when/ how to settle. - Polite initiation of play with handler. Class details: Dates: Feb.21,28,Mar. 14,21,28 Apr.4 (Tuesday Evenings) ** No class Mar.7th I am away Time: 6:45-7:30 PM Cost: $250 Location: provided at time of sign up. Email [email protected] to reserve your spot today! 🎥- Current dogs enrolled in the class. Ivan, Eddie, Millie and Mable.

Ditch the Dish Week 4 : Shredding I have been so excited for this week! Shredding is probably one of our most favorite ways to #ditchthedish especially during the really cold days. Shredding is very common natural behaviour for dogs. There are often misconceptions with shredding or destuffing enrichment. It is often thought these activities will provoke or encourage destruction around the house. However, contrary to popular belief, multiple studies have shown that this is not the case! By providing positive outlets, you alleviate the need for your dog to seek out their own shredding enrichment by providing them with something safe and fun. It's important to keep in mind that not all shredding activities are created equal; some dogs may be more inclined to ingest foreign items than others. Safety is always the number one priority. Ways to incorporate Shredding: - Double stuffed toys (have toys inside) - Boxes stuffed with paper and sprinkled with kibble - ho-lee rollers stuffed with brown paper and kibble. - Old appliance boxes - Burrow toys. - Toilet paper rolls/ egg cartons. ** Shredding activities should always be monitored to ensure the pet never ingests foreign objects.

Happy New Year!!! Let's start the new year off on the right paw, with our annual ditch the dish contest. January is the month often devoted to starting or increasing healthy habits, So why not add in some better habits when it comes to feeding our dogs? Food enrichment is so easy and fun for both the dog and owner! but often overlooked. Balancing both physical and mental exercise provides many benifits to your dogs life. Increasing joy and decreasing unwanted behaviors. Join me for the month of January (and hopefully forever) switching atleast one meal per day for a fun interactive feeding and watch your dog flourish! Each week I will make a post devoted to a type of food enrichment. Throughout the week I will post store bought/ do it your self options that corresponds to the post in my stories. 1. Foraging. Foraging for food is a very natural behaviour for dogs. Our house dogs very rarely have to worry about where the next meal will come from or when it will come unlike their wild counterparts (no I am not saying your dog and wild dogs are the same.) However all brains deserved to be used and challenged. Why is this an important enrichment for your dogs? Providing a positive and encouraged outlet to use their nose to search out food can help decrease unwanted foraging behaviours such as getting into the garbage,or counter surfing. You can create a foraging scenario easily for your dogs by using snuffle mats, treat dispensing balls, old juice jugs, toilet paper rolls, Amazon boxes with paper still in them and so much more! Let's get foraging this week. Contest Rules: 🐾 Open to local Fort st John residents (prize pack must be claimed In FSJ) *I will never ask for your credit information. 🐾 Must follow FSJ Canine Behaviour on Facebook and/or Instagram. 🐾 Use the #ditchthedish in all posts and tag @fsjcaninebehaviour. 🐾 Each post/story will get you 1 entry. 🐾 Entries available from Jan.1-31st. 🐾 Winner will be announced Feb. 1st *Give

Old dog, new tricks, happy healthy life. Keeping the brain busy through all life stages is beneficial for our dogs well being. We all know a puppy with too much time on their hands can get into trouble. Training, sports and enrichment are great ways to keep their brains active and put of mischief. However, as our dogs age and settle into life within our home it's easy to forget about brain games. Life becomes easy and routine, this lack of stimulation can be detrimental to our aging dogs. As dogs age changes occur within the brain and Canine Cognitive Dysfunction can easily creep up. CCD is analogous to Alzheimer's in humans. Now while this condition is not easily diagnosed as there is considerable variation from one dog to the next. The most common clinic signs are: -Disorientation. - Altered Interactions with both humans and other animals. - Sleep/ wake cycle changes. -Housesoiling when previously house trained. - Activity changes. Now there is no " cure" for CCD, how ever there are plenty of supportive options you should discuss with your veterinarian if you are concerned your dog may be experiencing CCD. While there is no definite diagnosis or cure there are ways to help prevent significant cognitive decline. 1. Practicing previously learned cues 5-10 minutes each day. Practicing basic cues/tricks each day is important to keep the brain engaged and build a strong bond with your dog. Ensure you are changing up the routine in which you as for each cue to avoid patterns. Ensure your dog can physically do all things asked of them, taking age related arthritis or pain into consideration. 2. Learning new tricks/ cues. Learning something new is a great way to keep that brain healthy! It's also a fun way to connect with your dog. Remember to still take your dogs physical ability into account. Learning things like "hand touch" or touch a target with your feet, or step up onto a slightly elevated surface, spin, learning to 'hold' an object or how t

Senior Pet Month Senior dogs still require both physical and mental exercise. This week I am covering ways to incorporate physical exercise for our older dogs without causing extra strain on their joints. Physical exercise plans should be created with your dogs age, body condition, and health conditions in mind. Discussing your dogs specific needs with your veterinarian is highly advised. Exercise does not need to be lengthy or tedious. Adding in long line sniff walks can allow your dog to sniff and move at their own pace. I recommend using a minimum 10 foot lead and harness to start. Go to an area safe for you and your pet to explore and allow them to lead the way with their nose. Sniffing is a great way for your dog to stay up to date on doggy news and allows them to move at their pace vs a constant pace of a traditional walk. Utilizing exercise that is easy on joints and doesn't require repetitive motions of joints can keep a dog busy without causing strains or pain. Learning "target" placing two paws on an item while remaining standing is an easy fun exercise, putting front paws up onto an exercise ball and gently bowing is also a great exercise. Food scatters outside get the brain working while searching out kibbles all while moving the body at a comfortable pace. Remember a body in motion stays in motion, exercise is an important component to your dogs overall health.

The last of our Halloween Challenge tricks. Ill admit "did you see a Ghost" was a challenge for us. There are so many methods to learn this, we opted to use my arm as a support and to fade it out... But we ran out of time to get a good fade out. I will accept any attempt at this trick 😁 #7 Witchy Wave (wave) 1. Give your dog the cue, "shake." When it lifts its paw to shake your hand, move your hand up slightly, so it has to raise the paw up a bit to get to your hand.Click your clicker or tell them "good," or "yes" and give the dog a treat. 2. Repeat this action a few times. Each time move your hand up a little higher until your dog is raising the paw above its head. Once your dog has been putting its paw up several times in a row, give the command "shake." As soon as your dog starts reaching the paw out to you, give the cue "wave" (or you can use the cue "say hello" or "wave bye") and again follow steps two through four. Repeat this several times until your dog is consistently raising its paw. After a number of repetitions, stop using the shake cue and only use the cue "wave." Most dogs quickly learn to raise their paw over their head on command. Once your dog is doing it consistently on cue, you can be more selective and look for the best waves. Begin to only give treats when the paw is over the head and moving up and down a bit in a waving motion. #8 Give the dog a bone (wait for a treat) 1. Place dog in a sit or down. 2. Ask the dog to "wait" 3. Take several steps back and place a treat on the floor. 4. Release the dog(s). #9 Did you see a Ghost? (Cover eyes) * Method I used, several available online 1. I had Vixen target my arm as this was an already known cue. 2. Once she readily held her paw on my arm I used a treat to lure her head under her leg/paw. Marked and rewarded. 3. Repeat several times. 4. Added in the cue "ghost" right as her head went under her leg. 5. Repeat several times 6. Faded the lure and just used the cue "Ghost" whic

Puppy Basics Registration *I have two spots available for October/November Puppy Basics class. Details: Puppy basics is designed to teach you about training, learning and growing with your puppy through positive reinforcement. We cover the basics of manors, introduction to novel stimuli as well as enrichment. Each class is divided into three parts to keep learning fun and progressive. Age range : 10-16weeks with age appropriate vaccines. Dates: Oct.26,*Nov.10,16,23rd. Time: 5:45-6:30pm Location: provided at sign up Cost: $100. E-mail [email protected] for further registration details.