Tree Frog Farm Dog Training

10/02/2025

My two favorite videos from today. The dogs lead while I snow shoe’ed behind. It’s okay for a dog to lead at times. Heck, they got more tired than me. I got to attend to a trail trekked. Such gorgeous snow. Such a great winter this far. Now, I was in a fenced area with well trained dogs and we have a strong relationship and connection. . If I didn’t have any of those four criteria then they would be on a long line and getting just as tired and oh so satisfied.

07/02/2025

Is it really so hard to carry a leash on your person when walking in a leash optional space? I literally saved a dog’s life because I had a leash available when he was stuck in water. Just hold them in your hand or loop them over your shoulders. No biggie! Legally dogs are supposed to be on leash in a parking lot as it is.

06/02/2025

It was about ten years ago that this goofball came into my life. Thank you Gina and Falmouth Veterinary . She and I are very connected, which I love

06/02/2025

Good reason to have a shake off on cue. There are practical uses for tricks.

04/02/2025

02/02/2025

Private lessons available all week, February vacation, Feb 17-21

29/01/2025

I’m having construction done in the basement and it’s really stressing Margo out. I’ve been schlepping her around with me because she doesn’t mind her car crate. She got to stretch her paws after I went skating on Sebago Lake. Magical in so many ways. Safety equipment is on body, FYI

27/01/2025

GORGEOUS day on Macworth Island, yet a wee bit disappointed by the graffiti on the peer. This is a very special place so close to so much. A little island of treasure for many.

23/01/2025

At Tree Frog Farm Dog Training, we follow the mission statement of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Puppy_Socialization_Position_Statement_Download_-_10-3-14.pdf

PUPPY SOCIALIZATION - IMPORTANT MESSAGE!!!

I don't know how to say this more clearly and emphatically: Please DO NOT wait until your puppy has had all his or her vaccinations before beginning socialization. The socialization period is finite, limited, of short duration, ending at 14 weeks for the average puppy. This is a non-negotiable fact of nature and cannot be changed! 80% of the problems we deal with in adult dogs could have been avoided with timely socialization. You have a few weeks to get this right - your puppy will not wait until the holidays are over, you finish your overseas trip or your kids finish their exams. They will not wait until the weather is cooler (or hotter ) or you are less busy and they will NOT wait until all the vaccinations are done. They will continue to grow and develop emotionally, regardless of whether you are prepared or not. Those first 6 weeks when you have your puppy within that impressionable period will be gone in a flash, DO NOT waste them!

An absolutely miniscule TINY proportion of healthy, well cared for pups contract diseases and die - on the other hand, a huge proportion of dogs are euthanized or end up living severely limited lives due to serious social problems.

Yes, there are horror stories of puppies dying of parvo, but in some of those cases the pups had all their vaccinations and still contracted the disease, because there was a failure to immunize due to an inherent problem in the dog - so waiting for all the vaccinations before socialization made zero difference!

PLEASE also DO NOT wait for us to socialise your puppy for you. We also need a holiday! We worked right up until Christmas this year to accommodate new pups as far as possible, but for our own mental health we also need just a couple of weeks off. There are PLENTY of excellent articles on socialization DO's and DON'T 's. Start googling! Get proactive! I have shared numerous of these articles on this page previously and here is one I have written myself: https://www.tarynblyth.co.za/what-is-the-socialisation-period

Please note that what has been done cannot be undone! We are not running Hogwart's School of Magic - we cannot undo the damage caused by lack of early socialization, we can only help you manage it and try to do some form of damage control - there will always be scars. So, choose wisely how to spend those first few weeks with your puppy!

23/01/2025

Seven dogs. One dog walker. Two cavalier King Charles spaniels were off leash and came up to my guys. How can one person handle seven dogs? I’m sure when it’s good, it’s really good but when it’s not…..I can’t imagine. This was at Chandler Brook at 11 AM on Wednesday.

17/01/2025

Epic. Buzz word!!! Well it was epic. My friend Linda and I walked to a location we check out every spring when the herons are nesting. Obviously, they aren’t nesting now. What absolute magic to be able to walk on the marsh. Surprisingly, we did not see any wildlife tracks, just fat tire bike tracks. I was in my personal Heaven. The dogs ran freely on the packed snow. They were not slipping like they would have on ice. They had an absolute blast. Margo got to role in something luscious.

16/01/2025

Tonight, a friend of mine asked, “why do you take (dog) classes?” I replied, “there’s a lot of learning to be had.” New dog. Modern training. So much innovation. I also take tennis clinics. I am a moderate player and definitely have a lot to learn from instructors. I did a new clinic this past Sunday and the instructor mentioned his trainer. I thought, “oh. He has a trainer he’s learning from.” My other trainer has never mentioned this. I haven’t been learning much new. I’m going to stop one and go with another. That’s the game. We have to keep learning to improve our skills. If we’re not continuing to learn then why spend the money?
Margo and I are currently taking agility from and Control Unleashed at

14/01/2025

Saw this guy fly in while I was working one-on-one with a dog client. Such a treat.

14/01/2025

Training while I wait at the drive thru at the bank