South Shore Dog Squad

24/12/2024

merry christmas & happy new year from us at the dog squad 🐾❤️

05/12/2024

🎄

17/11/2024

at least we aren’t lacking in the cuteness department

24/10/2024

🤣

Too scary.

29/09/2024

real proud of this dude for passing his sr1 at the trial hosted by today 🥹 apparently he left his crack at home and showed us what he’s actually capable of without getting lit in the parking lot first 🤣 thanks for the action shots, !

18/09/2024

🤩🤩

Looking to get your pup some extra exercise and enrichment? Limited spots have opened up for weekly group hikes! Your pup will practice their loose leash walking skills in a pack setting on an hour long structured hike - a great opportunity to break up their day while reinforcing their training.

Hikes are on a recurring weekly schedule, and eligibility is based on temperament and location. Check my website for more information about group hikes, and reach out to [email protected] if interested in adding your pup to the schedule!

12/09/2024

✨

01/09/2024

📢

27/08/2024

happy national dog day!

22/08/2024

ain’t that the truth !! 👏🏻👏🏻

Supporting another’s success in the dog world won’t ever dampen your own.

📸 >> instagram.com/doghandlerssay

21/08/2024

you’re welcome.

19/08/2024

✨

10/08/2024

foster girly still doesn’t have an official name, it’s so hard to decide! she’s really coming out of her shell showing me her personality and is just so sassy and fun! she’s around 6 months old, doing really well in the crate, rides great in the car crate, has been playing in new environments, wanting to explore and is just so dang cute! 🥹 I will share when she is ready for adoption, just wanted to whip up a little something to get her cute face on the feed 😍

07/08/2024

🔥

Best tip I can give you if you want a reliable recall with your dog?

Stop giving him reasons to NOT want to come back to you.

So often we call our dogs and do the following -

- bring them inside
- crate them
- put them back on leash
- physically pet them and hug them (a lot of dogs reaallllly don't like this even though WE do!)
- take something from them
- check them for ticks
- wipe their eye boogers
- remove them from the fun

If you've done one or any of these, you've taken a huge deduction out of your dogs "recall account" balance. YES, EVEN IF YOU USED FOOD WHEN THEY CAME BACK! Food - even though very rewarding - is rarely as reinforcing as freedom to dog!

There are many other factors to help you have a reliable recall with your dog, but this is the most important one of them all. STOP calling your dog and then doing something they don't find reinforcing, even if you treat them anyway. Often times, the food very quickly becomes not worth it to your dog, and you find yourself at 5am on your porch in your bathrobe screaming "COME!" rattling a bag of treats just to up the ante more and more, only to have your dog look at you like "Yeah, no, I've been there before human - see ya!"

Build your recall account by calling your dog, rewarding them, and then letting them GO BACK to whatever they were doing before, and do that many more times than times that you actually do have to stop their fun. Walk over while they are chewing on a stick, toss them a treat and tell them what a great find it is, and then walk away. Teach your dog that coming to you, having cool stuff around you (water logged stick, a soggy ball they just found etc) doesn’t always mean their fun is over and you’re going to remove them or the item.

While doing all this, if you’re not sure that your dog is safe to be off leash or reliable DONT let them off leash. Use a long dragline, even in the yard, so you can just bring them to you rather than chase them around or run the risk of them taking off.

Reliable recall doesn’t just happen. It takes time and patience and lots of repetitions. Keep treating, keep letting them have fun, keep your sense of humor!

-Helen St. Pierre

02/08/2024

tell to stop bein so cute!