Buck's Best Dogs

Who doesn’t love an outdoor shower.

The RECALL or COME command is always at the top of client’s lists. The key is to build the behavior with a lot of repetitions and right from the beginning with your dog. Build the behavior, rehearse the behavior, proof the behavior, rinse and repeat the process. Every dog is unique to what will motivate them. You can use a whistle or verbal or both depending on your needs as far as a cue.

Dog to dog interaction is important to a dog’s well being if they find the interaction valuable. Some dogs may not, are selective or may like all dogs. It’s important that you as a dog owner understand how your dog perceives play. Often locating specific playmates is nothing more than a matching process. Dogs will let us know who they want as a play buddy and who they do not. It’s our job to help them stay safe and walk away with having enjoyed their interaction. Not every dog is a match for your dog and some dogs require a keen observer to be sure we are reading our dog’s body language correctly. Play can quickly escalate into a dog fight. #dog to dog interaction.

Down is one of the most important cues your dog should develop. It shows great skill and compliance and often can keep your dog safe. Practice will help you achieve reliable responses in a variety of situations. It doesn’t have to be boring or drudgery to your dog, instead practice in all different locations and on a variety of surfaces. #downcue #labs #bluepathservicedogs #pointer

What could be more fun to watch during a Passover celebration. BluePath golden retriever being so gentle and obedient while playing ball with our niece. From a personal point of view this is so calming and from a trainer point of view it brings me so much reinforcement. Happy Spring.

Working on some control at the door with a group of dogs. Also a little bit of whistle training as well. #dogimpulsecontrol #bluepathservicedogs #chaos

Golden Retriever and Airedale having a productive round of retrieving. Play retrieve should always be done with more balls than dogs. Be sure each dog is responding to you and not chasing or stealing the ball from the second dog. Be sure you are not encouraging resource guarding or taking the other dogs confidence away. Some dogs need to play this game alone only. Other dogs with good relationships with each other and you can often do a round robin type play with their handler similar to what is going on in the video.

Dog cameras can be extremely helpful when leaving our dogs alone. We can observe what they are doing without our influence and then adjust a training plan accordingly. Always start out by leaving your dog alone for short increments of time and work your way up. Keep in mind with any training numerous repetitions are the key to success. #separation #leavingdogalone #dogcamera #success #dontrush #reward

Shaping the place behavior can be a lot of fun. You will utilize the verbal yes or clicker as a marker. Platform works helps your dog with building drive and balance too. Dog beds or door mats can be used too. Be creative and at the same time pattern an essential skill of PLACE.

Pack walk demonstrating good team work. Straight line and pin point focus are needed as well as proper leash position by the handler are important to have an enjoyable and productive pack walk. Filming it is not so easy. #packwalk #dogdiversity #handlerskills

Golden Retriever will do any to have her tennis ball. #bluepathservicedogs

Snow time.

Two super compatible play buddies.

So many dog owners want their dogs to swim whether they have one of the water breeds or not. It’s really important to look at the dog as an individual. Take your time and be patient and never force your dog into the water. It’s also best to introduce your dog in very shallow, calm water. The help of an experienced dog also will build confidence in dogs that are new to the water experience. It’s always best to walk in the shallow water along the shoreline so your dog has a chance to run, wade and play and eventually swim. Often people try to walk straight out from the shore with their dogs looking confused, frustrated and being very worried about their owners. Take things slow introduce your dog gradually. They will acclimate to the water when they are ready.

Today in the Northeast and specifically eastern Long Island we are feeling temperatures around 27° during mid day. A lot of people ask when they should put a winter coat on their dog. There are several variables to look at. 1. Temperatures falling below freezing is the time to break out your dog’s coat. 2 keep in mind the age of your dog. Dogs over 7 will need a coat before younger dogs will. 3 breed and coat type. Toy breeds and dogs with tight coats such as Dobermans, Vizslas will need coats before coated breeds.4. Take into account whether you are walking briskly or@doing a lot of stopping and chatting. Dogs can get very cold very quickly when they were waiting and not moving. It’s important during cold weather not only to have the right equipment on your dog but be sure that you are walking briskly to your destination. You may need to go inside to a dog friendly location to take a break as well.

Clover working on good dog as a keep going signal with variation of the YES marker

Many dog owners don’t realize that teaching your dog to come on come in or what is better known as the recall can be a lot of fun for them. I like to incorporate whistle training into my recall work because so many dogs love it. If your dog is highly food motivated they will pick up on the whistle quite quickly. One of the great things about the whistle is the sound can carry over a long distance and you can save your voice so you don’t have to yell.

Dog to dog off leash play interaction is extremely important for your developing puppy and adult dogs. There are many variables to look out for when dogs are playing. In general it’s important to match dogs with similar energy level, size and play styles. Specific individual dogs of various sizes can play together if closely monitored by their handler‘s. In this case the border terrier is tenacious and not a frail dog and my lab has experience playing with many types of dogs. Some of the key elements to look at while your dog is playing with another dogs are: 1. Is the play mutual. Are both dogs enjoying the interaction or is one dog becoming subdued (ears pinned, tail tucked, high frequency vocalizing and retreating to you or an exit for safety). 2. Be looking for both dogs to play with an open relaxed mouth and no extended gripping. ( Gripping is when one dog grabs a hold of the other dog but it’s not releasing quickly). 3. Be sure that one dog is not pursuing the other dog to mount it. ( mounting is common with adolescent males or dogs that are new to each other). 4. Be sure to have both handlers practice come and sit frequently during the play session to help the dogs self regulate their play and take a break. 5. It can be helpful for the dog’s to have different places of elevation or bushes to run around to break up big open spaces. 6. Stay aware the dogs form relationships like we do and will have their own dynamics within known packs. New dogs when introduced, there will be a transition period which can be a little rocky at first. 7. Avoid a lot of physical contact when your dog or other dogs are clustering around you as this could lead to resource guarding of you. 8. Remain calm and neutral throughout the play sessions but be available to help your dog when necessary. If you’re entering into a group of dogs that has already been playing use the same rule of being calm and neutral as this entry of a new visitor could eli