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24/12/2022

Happy Holidays, all!

20/12/2022

Separation Anxiety Training Tip:

Strategically create a "comfy spot" for your dog.

During SA training we are shooting for relaxation during the entire duration of your absence. This can be hard, though, for dogs who follow you to the door. To help with this, especially in the beginning stages, create a "comfy spot" for your dog to settle down (a fluffy dog bed with some blankets to snuggle in, for example). Now I know what you may be thinking: "My dog already has a dog bed ( or two or three)," but WHERE you put it matters. Position the bed in a location where your dog has a direct line of sight to the door so that they can remain lying down while still keeping an eye on what you're doing. This has been a total game changer for some of my clients!

Where is your dog's "comfy spot" currently located? Can they see the door? If not, where can you better position it? Comment below!

18/08/2022

Hard truth time...

If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, they cannot be left home alone for any length of time during the training process. All absences, even short ones, must be suspended.

This is by far the hardest part of the process for many people. However, with some creativity, it CAN be done! Doggie daycares, dog sitters, friends/family, dog walkers, college students looking for extra cash, and retired people looking for company can all be great resources to turn to to find ways to suspend absences. You may even be able to work from home or bring your dog to work with you and with curbside pickup and delivery for almost everything nowadays, that takes care of most of the errands you need to run!

I get it- it's a burden to have to suspend all absences. I wish there was an easier way. But think about it, every time you leave your dog home alone, they panic. They spend that entire time you're gone feeling petrified, stressed, anxious and unsafe. The goal of SA training is to teach them that being alone IS safe and nothing to worry about. We can't do that if we sometimes make the absences safe (i.e. during training sessions) but then other times they aren't.

It would be like if I were to help you get over your worst fear (let's use spiders for example). I would use a technique called desensitization to slowly and gradually get you comfortable around spiders. So first, I would find your starting point. Can you handle me holding a spider 50 feet away from you? If so, that's the starting point. Then, I'd try 45 feet away and gradually get closer and closer as long as you felt comfortable with it. If not, I'd back away again until you were ready for me to proceed. You would have control over the whole process- I would never move closer/faster than you could cope with. Now compare that experience to what it would be like if I said to you, "well, for some sessions I will go at your pace and stay as far away as needed for you to feel comfortable, but every so often I'm going to throw spiders at your face." Imagine how nerve-wracking that would be for you? You'd be on edge the whole time, even during the "safe" sessions because you would be bracing yourself for those spiders being thrown at you at any time!

This might seem like a silly example, but it's exactly what SA training is all about. Being left alone is your dog's worst fear. During training we need to go at your dog's pace and if you sometimes leave them home alone before they are ready, it's like having those spiders thrown at you. Your dog will always be on edge, wondering if they can trust that this is a safe session or if they need to worry that you are going to leave them for too long.

If you have a dog who is struggling with separation anxiety and aren't sure what to do to suspend absences, give me a call and we'll chat about solutions! 860-460-6123

17/08/2022

The first step to being able to help your dog overcome separation anxiety is learning to read their body language. This is how you will be able to determine their stress level. Are they totally relaxed and can you push your training a bit more? Are they totally stressed out and you need to backtrack and make things easier? Somewhere in between? Without knowing what their body language signals mean, it will be very hard to create your training plan at the appropriate difficulty level.
Things like yawning, panting, lip licking, ear placement, tail placement, body tension, body movement, etc can tell you A LOT about how your dog is feeling.
One great resource is http://www.ispeakdog.org/ . I also really like the book "On Talking Terms With Dogs" By Turrid Rugaas.
How comfortable do you feel reading your dog's body language?

If you'd like to learn more, join us in our Facebook group: Dog Separation Anxiety Support

16/08/2022

I was talking to my client and turned around to see this! 😆

09/08/2022

Don't mind me guys....just taking my big brother on a walk!

02/08/2022

Separation anxiety behaviors include excessive vocalizations, destructiveness, inability to settle down and rest, panic, pacing, urinating/defecating...just to name a few.

However, these behaviors could also be caused by other things such as boredom, alone time fun (your dog throws themselves a party when you're away!), Not being fully potty trained, confinement distress, etc.

If you think your dog might be suffering from separation anxiety, call me so we can discuss your dog's behavior and determine exactly what's going onband how best to help them! 860-460-6123

12/07/2022

What's one of the first behaviors I teach puppies? Drop it!

Puppies are notorious for grabbing things they shouldn't (not because they are naughty, but because they are babies, have a need to chew and don't know any better). Rather than chasing them around the house or prying the item from their mouth, both of which can make the problem worse, teach them to drop things on cue!

*Notice I toss the treat away from the shoe before I pick it up. This prevents the puppy from starting a game of tug-of-war.

11/02/2022

Can't get enough of those puppy eyes! 😍 Happy Friday everyone!

10/02/2022

During the potty training process, keep an eye out for signs from your pup that signal they need to go outside. These include:

Sitting by the door
Circling
Sniffing
breaking away from play (especially to go sniff)

Not every puppy will signal they need to go though, so don't rely on them to tell you. It's up to us as the caregivers to be proactive and take them out regularly. Depending on their age, that may be anywhere from every 1-4 hours. If your pup is having a lot of accidents indoors, you probably need to take them out more often.

28/01/2022

If you need me, I'll be glued to my computer geeking out about all things dog training and behavior this weekend at the virtual . What better way to kick things off than with Dr. Susan Friedman's presentation. She is brilliant and always SO thought-provoking.

21/01/2022

Want to give your dog more freedom but don't have a fenced in area to do so?

Get a long line!

Long lines are 15+ ft leashes (they range in size from 15-100 feet...maybe even longer) and are GREAT for people who either don't have a fenced in yard or who just want to allow their dog more room to explore (which we could all allow more of!).

They're also great for safety and for teaching recall. Even though Roxi's recall is pretty stinkin good, I still prefer to keep her on the long line for the most part, because after all, there is no such thing as a 100% reliable recall (dogs aren't robots).

15/01/2022

Sleep.

Is your puppy getting enough of it? If not, your puppy may be more bitey, restless and harder to manage.

Depending on age, puppies need up to 18-20 hours of QUALITY sleep a day!

12/01/2022

Adolescence is hard. Harder than the puppy stage sometimes. I remember wanting to rip my hair out when Roxi was an adolescent because it was like she suddenly forgot everything I ever taught her. I thought, "what am I doing wrong?" Ever feel like that with your adolescent dog?

You aren't doing anything wrong...your dog is going through immense changes- their brain is changing, hormones are running rampant, they are growing and trying to make sense of their world.

The best things you can do is:

1. Stay consistent with your training. Even if it seems like your dog is not absorbing a single thing- it WILL pay off in the long run.
2. Have patience and compassion, with your dog and with yourself. This is a hard life stage for both of you.
3. Don't sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day, ask yourself, "is my dog happy, healthy and safe?" If the answer is yes, you've done your job well!

20/12/2021

Does your dog have a bin (or maybe even bins) of toys but seems to lose interest quickly? Does it seem like you constantly have to go out and buy new toys because your dog just doesn't want to play with the ones he already has?

The solution is much easier and cheaper than you think!

Create a toy rotation!

Novelty is what it's all about for most dogs. If your dog has free access to all of his toys, they get boring quickly. That's why he seems to love the newest toy you bring home...for a little while at least. Rather than going out and spending a bunch of money on new stuff all the time, you can rotate his toys instead. Keep the toy bin out of your dog's reach and give him 3-4 to play with for a week or so. After a week, take those toys away and give him 3-4 "new" ones from the bin. You'll find that if you do this, the novelty will wear off much slower and your dog will be much more interested in the toys he already has for longer!

18/12/2021

What's on your dog's Christmas list?

16/12/2021

to baby Roxi. Why can't they stay little forever!?

10/12/2021

Puppy hack:

Use your puppy's food for training! Training treats are great, but it's even healthier to use some of your puppy's daily ration of food for training, especially when they're young and their tummies are sensitive. Using food for training will also help you build a strong bond with your pup and provide mental stimulation!

09/12/2021

After our first training session, I often get asked, "how much do I need to practice the training exercises with my dog?"

You'll probably assume (correctly) that the more you practice, the faster your dog will learn the skills you are trying to teach him. However, training sessions don't need to be long. In fact, they shouldn't be more than 2-5 mins max. Several short sessions with plenty of breaks in between (especially for puppies) is the best and fastest way to reach your goals.

08/12/2021

Someone is not a fan of winter! 🥶

07/12/2021

Many times, what we label as "stubbornness" is simply our dog being concerned with something in their environment and needing to pause, take in and process the information to feel safe. They're not stubborn, they just need a moment sometimes just like the rest of us.

05/12/2021

Peaches is working on her chameleon impression 😆

04/12/2021

If you allow your dog on the furniture it will teach her to dominate you, not respect you as the leader and cause aggressive behavior.

Right?

WRONG!

Let your dog on the furniture if you'd like. Or don't if you'd rather not. It really is that simple, though. There is no reason not to allow dogs on furniture other than personal preference.

03/12/2021

Can't get enough of that face!

02/12/2021

Somewhere along the lines we were told that dogs shouldn't sniff on walks. That they should walk close to us, on our left hand side and keep their head up the entire time.

But, why? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why that "needs" to be the case?

Sniffing on walks provides mental stimulation, allows your dog to gather information about his environment, and is just plain NORMAL dog behavior!

It is 100% ok (in fact, it's more than ok, it's encouraged) to allow your dog to put his nose to ground and sniff.

Sincerely,
A certified dog trainer

01/12/2021

We're enjoying the last few days of fall before the snow comes! Can't wait to see Shiloh and Roxi's reaction to seeing snow for the first time!

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Puppy Training

What's one of the first behaviors I teach puppies? Drop it! Puppies are notorious for grabbing things they shouldn't (not because they are naughty, but because they are babies, have a need to chew and don't know any better). Rather than chasing them around the house or prying the item from their mouth, both of which can make the problem worse, teach them to drop things on cue! *Notice I toss the treat away from the shoe before I pick it up. This prevents the puppy from starting a game of tug-of-war.

3 Reasons to #ditchthebowl and feed from puzzle toys instead: 1.) It teaches your dog to problem solve! 2.) It allows them to practice natural behaviors such as foraging, chewing, licking and digging (depending on the puzzle toy) REDUCING the instances of "problem behavior" such as chewing on furniture or shoes. 3.) It's fun and will keep your dog busy for much longer than just eating from a bowl!

Had some fun today working on coming when called with @littlecedarbear

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The Pals Story

www.palsunlimiteddogtraining.com @palsunlimited

Pals Unlimited Dog Training was born out of a dream to keep dogs in their homes and out of the shelters.

Cori Tufano, owner and head dog trainer has been in the animal training field for a decade. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Fear Free Certified Trainer, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is committed to science-based, force-free training methods and staying up to date on the latest positive reinforcement based training techniques.

Cori loves working with puppy parents to help get them started off on the right path for lifelong success with their dog. She believes that by starting puppies off with the right training, she can do her part to help clear the shelters!