Basic and Behavioral Training for Dogs

10/08/2024

Do you have a dog that barks too much? Watch my video to help you learn what you can do about thisIf you need more help with this or anything else, please contact me651-786-9106

03/08/2024

Please spay/neuter your pets

29/07/2024

Dog training for whatever you need help with!
I have group classes starting in August and I also offer private one on one training sessions.
Group sessions are $65 and private sessions are $70
Classes are 4 one hour sessions Saturday morning and the one and one training goes around your schedule and last as long as needed
Call or text me at 651-786-9106

26/07/2024

All dogs have different personalities, that be breed specific or individual to that dog
Working dogs tend to have independent personalities. They are bred to work independently. So they are different than dogs that were bred to work together with humans.
There are some who talk about a dog needing a firm hand or needs a strong owner.
I want to share what my opinion is of needing a firm hand.
Dogs that are strong willed need to have consistency. Be predictable. Have the patience to follow through.
I had a bloodhound that was VERY strong willed. I train my dogs to have door etiquette and not barge through it. Josey was not wanting to do that…so we warred! It took me close to 20 minutes to let her out. I won’t open the door until she calm. So it took a while but she got it!
With dogs that have this personality, you might have to train in smaller steps. With Josey we started with just be calm if I touch the handle.
It is important to not allow these types of dogs to get pushy or ignore you.
This of course is true with any dog but having a dog that needs a strong owner it is imperative to follow through so you don’t end up with behavioral problems.
A firm hand should never mean harshly punish them. On the contrary, these dogs need a lot of rewards while learning. It should never be just saying no all the time to them.
All dogs deserve to be trained with compassion. Positive training works! So for me, I see no reason to be any other way

26/07/2024

I have another group obedience training starting August 10th-32st
It is from 9-10 AM and it is $65 and it is for dogs over 6 months of age
You can call/text me at 651-786-9106 or message me as well

21/07/2024

We’ve all seen the motto, adopt don’t shop, but what does it really mean?
There are different ways to get a dog or puppy. Rescue organizations, breeders, pet stores, and your local humane society.
My goal with this post is to educate and inform you to help you decide what is best for you.
Pet stores, ads that advertise free puppies or someone that is willing to sell and send the puppy out of state. These are puppies from puppy mills. There is a direct link between pet stores and puppy mills. There are lot of “backwoods breeders” which are basically the same as puppy mills.
We’ve all seen the commercials that show what a puppy mill looks like. Puppy mills are completely legal and they hold a beeeders license. This gives breeders a bad reputation. A good breeder would never put a puppy at a store and miss the most crucial time for socialization.
A good breeder will make sure the puppies are socialized. They want to know who their puppies are going to.
If a breeder is the route that is best for you, check out tips to find a good one at the Hunane Society of the United States website
Rescue groups are wonderful and when you adopt a dog , it frees up space for another dog to be rescued
The humane society is a wonderful place to give a dog a second chance. Most of them are there at no fault of their own
It’s always an important decision to make when you are looking for a new dog.
If I can help in any way, please give me a call or text 651-786-9106

17/07/2024

How do you pick a dog that is right for you?
The absolute first and foremost tip is:
Know the level of energy the dog needs and be honest with yourself on what you are willing to do
Second is to know what the dog was bred for. Herding dogs tend to herd people by nipping at their heels. Examples are th cattle dogs and Australian shepherds
Husky’s were bred to run! So they need a lot of exercise.
So for myself, I would never own one . I am not willing to go running for miles, come back and play ball for a few more hours and then go running again
They are the most beautiful dog but I am not a good fit for that breed.
I like low energy dogs, I refer to them as breathing stuffed animals.
When I was looking at rescue sites and reading their bio’s, I looked for the dogs that just wanted to hang out. The high energy dogs should go to active people.
The reverse is true as well, if you want a running partner don’t get a dog that just likes to hang out.
Make sure you have time for the dog.
Remember they are pack animals and it isn’t fair to leave them alone all day.
Hope this helps

16/07/2024

Is your dog not following your commands? Do they offer other behaviors other than what you instructed?
There are a lot of reasons they do this and if you watch your dog, their behavior will tell you why
Let’s say you ask your dog to lay down and they start pawing at you or wiggling around at you. This means that they don’t understand what you are asking but they want to please you. A dog will offer all different kinds of things hoping that one of them is right.
Is the dog ignoring you!? That could be a learned behavior. We tend to think that if we keep saying it, they’ll listen.
Unfortunately, that’s not what happens, you are actually teaching them to ignore you.
So what can you do??
Call a trainer 😃😃
Start the training over. Break it down to very small steps that the dog can succeed before going to the next level.
Approach it like you’re teaching the dog a foreign language, because after all, you are doing just that.
If you need help with this, I would love to help
Call or text me at 651-786-9106
You can private message me too

14/07/2024

It seems like the messenger tab is not always on my page. Please call or text me at 651-786-9106. You can also go to my page, Leah Wasvick. I love technology when it works but right now, me and facebook are not getting along! But it will get fixed at some point.

Send a message to learn more

14/07/2024

What is the best way to socialize your dog? The short answer is...in a controlled manner. One in which the dog has more positive experiences than negative.
The idea behind socializing is to build confidence. An easy way to think of it is that dogs operate in safe and unsafe.
Dogs associate an experience with a feeling about it. If they are feeling scared or nervous, it will remember that. As an example, if a dog is afraid to go in the car and we bring them on a long car ride and they are so upset that they puke or whine, the next time we go to take them for a ride, they associate the car with that high level of anxiety. There is a theory that if you make the dog confront it's fears, they will learn that it isn't anything to be afraid of, this is referred to as a "flooding" technique. It can back fire in a bad way. The dog could easily get much worse because they associated that car with fear and that gets reinforced every time they go for a ride.
People tend to think that if we took them for a ride, then they will begin to realize that it's okay. Unfortunately, most dogs can not analyze a situation to that degree.
Now contrast that with a positive experience. The dog goes for a car ride and they get to see the world but more importantly, they get to smell the world! Dogs interpret the world through their noses. Let's say you stop off at the Dairy Queen and they get to have an ice cream cone. The next time you ask if they want to go for a ride in the car, they run to the car and are all excited about it! They had a positive experience.
When you think about socializing, watch your dog-they'll let you know if it was good or bad.
If you're having problems with this, please give me a call/text at 651-786-9106.

Send a message to learn more

12/07/2024

Hello everyone! Leah with Basic and Behavioral Training for dogs
I decided to change up a few things
First and Foremost, I am starting to do group classes. I have my next class starting in August. You could join the July one on this Saturday the 13th of July or if you don’t mind catching up you could start the 20th.
I am still offering private sessions, but I am feeling like some people only need help with one issue. For those of you who fall into this category, I am offering a session for one issue for $40 and $50 if I come out to your home (additional charges could apply if you are way outside of Fergus Falls. If you have more than one issue then it is $70. Either type of session is not limited for time
But whether it is a group class obedience training or private one-on-one training
The main thing is that you will always have me as a resource. That means that you could call at any time for any reason long after the training with me is over.
So if I could help, please give me a call at 651-786-9106 or send me a private
I had an appointment this week to help learn how to utilize it. so stick with me on that one and I should get better with time lol

02/07/2024

This is such valuable information!
I got it from Ruffstart rescue
An organization I used to volunteer with a few years ago,
If you’re looking for a new pet, take a look at their website

24/06/2024

The Fourth of July is coming up quickly, so I thought that now is a good time for some tips to help you with your dog.
First and foremost, keep your dog secured. Many dogs go missing during the Fourth of July. Dogs runs off from being scared and often gets lost. Microchipping is a good idea as well as the GPS tags.
A dog that has taken off is frightened and they do not come to you and sadly won’t even recognize you. This is the reason that they put “don’t chase or call” on missing dog flyers.
When the fireworks are going off let the dog find its own place of safety. Keep in mind that it should be away from an exit door to prevent them from bolting out.
When the dog has found a place that they feel safe you can put on music to help calm them. Studies have shown that classical music relaxes animals.
I personally put on old country and that seemed to help my dog get over his fear of thunderstorms.
You can sit with them if you’d like and just be calm for them. Give them small pieces of cheese intermittently.
If they like their kennel, they can just go in that and put a blanket over the entire kennel.
The idea is to provide a safe environment for them. Closing the curtains is helpful too
If your dog is not too anxious, you could give them a bone that is safe, or a king with frozen peanut butter and treats inside. Chewing and licking is shown to be soothing to dogs. Keep in mind some dogs can get destructive when stressed, that energy has to go somewhere!
Thunder shirts could help too.
Sometimes it is necessary to give some sedation to help the dog through it. Discuss this with your veterinarian and if anything, just to have it on hand.
When the dog needs to go outside to go potty, double leash the dog. Make sure the collar or harness fits snug to prevent them from backing out of it.
Use a strong leash as well. It never fails, when you think the fireworks are over….boom! If that happens, just be calm. If the dog recovers quickly you can talk softly them. If the dog is freaked out then bring them to their safe spot.
Give me a call or shoot me a message if I can help in any way. There is a way to desensitize your dog to the fireworks. If you start early enough next year could be easier. something to keep in mind
Leah 651-786-9106

13/06/2024

I am glad to see some followers!!
Thank you! Thank you!
I am technology challenged and will be meeting someone to help me maximize the use of this page soon
My plan for this page is to have training tips and educational information about dogs
So stick with me as I grow and learn
💜💜

16/04/2024

Here is the other video I mentioned in my bio
Are you having trouble getting your dog to stay? I can help!

16/04/2024

Here is one of the videos that I mentioned in my bio. He is coming from a long distance so it takes a bit for him to come into the video
If you want your dog to come when called like Bear, give me a call-i’d love to help

16/04/2024

I moved to Fergus Falls a couple of years ago. I want to return to what I love…training dogs and be able to bring it to this area
I offer private, individualized sessions.
There are so many benefits with this style of training
First, it allows for us to personalize your training needs
Secondly, it allows for us to take the time that is needed to focus on just you and your dog
Each session lasts as long as needed
(Usually tops out after a few hours, it’s a lot of talking for both of us 😁😁)
I teach you how to teach your dog
The rest is up to you!
I’m available to help even after the sessions are over, you’ll always have me a resource
It is $70 per session or $200 for 3 sessions. I do come to your home but I do charge $1 per mile that is over 20 miles of Fergus Falls
Leah 651-786-9106