DogWorkz - Training and Behavior Solutions

07/07/2025

Working or playing in the heat is no joke. So glad this dog is on the way to recovery.

04/07/2025

It can be a Not-So-Happy 4th for dogs with fear/anxiety, so here are some things to try to help your pup stay safe today:

• Go for a nice, long walk this morning before it gets too hot or too noisy outside.
• Set up a “safe” area for your dog. An interior room with a TV or radio can help.
• Practice settling down in that safe area periodically throughout the day.
• Prep some busy toys for the evening – stuffed frozen Kongs, puzzle toys, lick mats, snuffle mats, etc. Remember that sniffing, licking, and chewing are all naturally calming activities for dogs.
• Throughout the day, provide your dog with some mental exercise – tricks, training, scent games, etc. This will help calm them AND tire them out at the same time.
• If you have things to help your dog like a Thundershirt, medication, Mutt Muffs, etc., find them NOW, not right before the fireworks start.
• Administer medication and calming agents early enough that they can take effect before the fireworks start.
• Be sure your dog’s ID tag and microchip are up to date.
• If your dog needs to go outside during the fireworks, walk them out on a secure leash, even if you have a fenced yard. A panicked dog can easily get through or over a fence.
• If you know your dog will struggle today, stay home to ensure their safety. It’s okay to comfort them! Fear is an emotional response, not a choice, and cannot be “rewarded” by comforting them.
• If your dog is truly in a state of panic, a secure crate will be the safest place for them rather than trying to hold onto them.
• As dogs get older they can develop new fears of loud noises so don’t be surprised if your “bombproof” older dog suddenly seems to be bothered by fireworks or storms.

01/07/2025

Our blog on Heat Injury/Heatstroke in dogs has been updated with the latest research! Check it out for tips on helping your dog stay cool, happy, and healthy this summer!

Latest update: June 30, 2025 Spring and Summer mean lots of outdoor fun for both humans and dogs, but it’s important to remember that even if YOU may not be feeling the heat when the temperat…

30/06/2025

I’ll take weeds over cancer for my dog any day.

"I no longer walk my dogs on lawns that have no weeds." - Dr. Lauren Trepanier, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Over Dr. Trepanier's research career she has uncovered links between yard chemicals and bladder cancer. It brings us the question of not only what do you put on your lawn, but what is put on the lawns where you walk your dog?

https://wearethecure.org/bladder-cancer-in-dogs-causes-found-in-research/

29/06/2025

The time to prepare your dogs for 4th of July fireworks is NOW! Set up their “safe space,” get any supplements or medications if needed, and prep some toys to keep them busy. (Stuffed, frozen Kongs? Snuffle mat full of yummies??? Yes, please!)

Even if you think your dog is okay with fireworks, it never hurts to be prepared!

26/06/2025

Regular thunderstorms are already here and July 4th is not far away! How does your dog fare with all the noises of summer?

Download our Scary Sounds Survival Guide for easy-to-follow tips and tricks to help your dog become more comfortable with any noisy events that frighten them!

If you find your dog is inconsolable, causes damage to your home (or themselves), or you become frustrated with their behavior when they're scared, please reach out so we can help. There is hope!

Help ease your dog's fear of scary sounds with simple strategies you can start TODAY!

23/06/2025

It's toasty out there! This is a good time to brush up on manners indoors or learn some new tricks in air-conditioned comfort!

It’s going to be HOT for the next couple of days ! Here are some ways to keep your pet safe during this dangerous heat !

05/06/2025

I’m so grateful he saved me the time of typing all this out…facts about teaching your dog a recall!!

Morning Tips !!!

Recall Advice.

A major mistake we make with dogs when it comes to recall, is letting them off the lead when they’re not ready.
If your dogs recall is good 9/10 and it’s off lead you are setting the dog up for failure.

You see 9/10 might be good for you, but that 1/10 the dog doesn’t listen is the problem.

Dogs are opportunistic animals and they also work very much by association. This means if they can ignore you 1/10, they will eventually start 2/10, 3/10 and so forth. You open the door for them to ignore you.
They will also learn that in certain circumstances under certain distractions they can ignore you, which they will start to take advantage of.

Your dog needs to be on a long line, until it’s responding first time, every time and has been tested around a whole multitude of distractions, from kids running and screaming, kites being flown, footballs being kicked, cats, birds, squirrels, live stock, calm dogs, excited dogs, cars, water, woods etc etc and not just once, but multiple times to proof it.

ENCLOSED FIELDS is another big problem that ruined your recall with your dog.

A lot of people who have a dog who has a poor recall, will hire out fields, that are secure, so their dog can have a good run around.

The MISTAKE however is letting that dog off the lead to have a good run around. The field might be safe and secure but you are allowing the dog off lead and giving it access to blow you off.

What the dog learns here is, when there is nothing going on, I ignore you, so why would they listen when there are real world distractions.

Enclosed fields can be great for recall training if you use them correctly. The dog should still be on a long line, you should still be using that to proof recall and to have fun with your dog. This way it won’t hinder your recall and you won’t forever have to use enclosed fields when there is nothing going on.

TAKING YOUR DOG TO THE SAME PARK EVERYDAY

That’s right, something so simple, as the above, hinders recall. Your dog might even listen to you in the same park, but if you’ve not taken the time to proof recall in nee and exciting environments, your dog will always struggle when they go to these new or exciting environments.

You don’t get a good recall by going to the same place over and over again.

Also it’s important to go to new places to practice recall not just for recall sake but for confidence sake, some dogs don’t get nearly enough environmental socialising, so any new place or nee distractions can be overwhelming to them and lead to more serious issues.

So here are some things you can do to improve your recall.

1. Make sure AOA is a lifestyle and you don’t just set aside time to work on it for a few minutes here and there.

2. Hand feeding can help massively. It will improve attention, food drive and all round obedience.

3. Taking a toy with you. If your dog doesn’t have 100 toys indoors that he can go through like a steam train and get bored very quickly (which will result in loss of shoes or kids toys) Toys can be a great thing.
Find that toy your dogs loves, bring it out, play and then put it away. Keep that toy relevant.

Too many toys means the toys lose value. Too many sessions where the dog plays with toys without you, YOU lose value.

4. Teach your dog to walk nicely on a lead. A lot of people don’t realise, if your dog doesn’t listen on a lead, very often it will struggle off a lead. Lead walking done properly allows you to teach the dog to follow you, you start making all the choices, you’re practicing Recall, technically without doing recall.

Regular Structured street walking done properly has so many powerful benefits to yours and your dogs relationship.

5. Keep your dog on a long lead over fields, until your dog is listening in any and all environments. The long lead allows you to remain in control. If the dog IGNORES you, it has a 30ft lead attached to it, which means you can step on it, pick it up and make sure your dog listens.

Puppy owners, don’t be fooled !! Puppies will often have a half decent recall when they are a pup, they’re dependent on you for the best part, cautious and more receptive to listen, but the big mistake is thinking you have a decent recall and letting that pup completely off lead with no long line.
You see ADOLESCENCE is a Bitch !!! That’s when your puppy who has a decent recall, suddenly gives you the middle finger and decides it wants to do things his own way, so puppies should always be on a long line.

6. Talk less !! That’s right, saying the dogs name over and over in a negative, repeating commands over and over, talking to your dog like it’s a human, teaches the dog to drown you out. It makes your voice non existent and damages your relationship and authority.

7. Remember, it’s what you do when nothing is going on, that dictates how the dog will behave when there is something going on.

If your dog IGNORES you indoors, gets away with things indoors, if you fuss fuss fuss but ask for nothing before this, your dog will definitely ignore you when there is something more exciting going on.

So I hope this helps you guys.

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This was a long one, but we’ve not had any morning tips for a while.

31/05/2025

“It’s raining so we can’t do anything outside today” leads to “My dog poops inside when it’s raining” and “He’s afraid of water” or “My dog doesn’t listen outside when it’s raining.”

Go play in the rain. The muddy paws and dirty towels are worth the fun and it’s a great learning experience.

10/05/2025

Words of wisdom.

29/04/2025

When you focus on what other people or other dogs are doing, you’re putting up your own roadblocks. Everyone moves at their own pace so focus on moving forward at YOUR pace, no one else’s!

25/04/2025

Are you frustrated by some of your dog’s behaviors but not sure how to begin your training journey? Download our free guide with strategies you can start using today to see changes tomorrow!

These simple strategies will help take your dog from problem pooch to delightful dog. Get started today, FREE!