Pawsitive Motion Dog Training

27/08/2024

My PSA for the day!

This dog toy is readily available at various places. My dog was able to rip into it within about 15 mins. Rather than swearing about the cost for a 15min toy, I took some time & finished ripping it apart. Look at what was inside...all that cheap feeling fluff, the squeaker we all know & love (or not) &..... pieces of *plastic sheeting* to make that crinkly noise! Nothing short of a massive choke hazard with this! I threw the insides away & gave her the ball. She's happy. I'm disgusted at what I found!

23/08/2024

I absolutely LOVE the high work drive & abilities that Mals have! But I know they're too much dog for me 😪

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/SKNEDY5hoPrPPgGf/?mibextid=Mk4v2M

21/08/2024

Cool concept ♥️

Grammy Rose Dog Rescue and Sanctuary
(844) 364-5433

4.9 ★ · Animal shelter

21/08/2024

What a cool concept!

Grammy Rose Dog Rescue and Sanctuary
(844) 364-5433

4.9 ★ · Animal shelter

10/08/2024

Just a friendly reminder that you have the right to protect yourself & your dog from another dog charging you. I just had it happen again. There are several defense options, so think through carefully for the right option that will not also harm you or your dog. I just made my choice, since this was the 4th time my dog as been charged.

It's really too bad that I need to take measures going forward, because of off leash dogs.

Another good choice is any dog outside of the house or a fenced yard, should be leashed & under the owner's control!

14/06/2024

When your dog is trained, it opens up their world to more fun & freedoms. Some Northwest fun this week for Shelby!

29/04/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/6U3wLQg7tjZQdhTe/?mibextid=xCPwDs

28/03/2024

Business related Q&A (questions from clients):
Q-Why aren't there many working videos on your page?
A-My primary focus is on the dog & the owner. Also, I'm self-concious & hate being in front of a camera.
Q-Why don't you have many client reviews on your page. Wouldn't it help your business?
A-Yes, I'm sure it would help. However, I usually forget to ask & back to that self-concious thing, I feel too awkward asking. I do love word-of-mouth referrals, though!
Q-Don't you think you should step up your Facebook presence?
A-Yes, I could, but I don't want to be locked into being "social-media" worthy. My primary focus is helping people with their dogs, not spending all my time on Facebook.
Q-Why aren't you on other media platforms?
A-Not interested.
Q-Don't you want to be successful?
A-Everytime I see a dog make a break-through, a client have that ah-ha moment about their dogs' behavior, a dog *not* get surrendered because of behavior & everytime time I get a hug, a thank you so much, a referral, a comment of "that's the dog I wanted", etc....that IS being successful.

I'm pretty basic, realistic, low maintenance & matter-of-fact about my training. No fluff, false expectations & definitely no bs. My paid promotion materials consist of business cards & pens. That's it.

So there you have it.

By the way, this post took much longer than it should have because I'm very particular with some things (wording, grammer, clarity, etc), not to mention an over-thinker! 🙄

Thank you to all my past & present clients who may or may not be on Facebook & who may or may not see this. I've learned from all of you, which has helped me, both personally & professionally. Looking forward to all my clients in the future ❤️

19/03/2024

This is a great example of numerous things:

1. The pup was taken from its mother way too soon, missing out on at least 2wks of mother nurturing & growth. That's most likely why the dog seems "odd".
2. This person is ready for the "long process." When you're looking for a force free/pure positive trainer, that's what you get is a long (& expensive) process. I equate that type of training to sitting your dog down & having a discussion of why a certain behavior is *not ok* a.k.a. wrong & won't be tolerated.
3. For this type of reactivity, where it came from really doesn't matter. The right training does not suppress behaviors. It stops them.
4. A dog intended to be a working dog (in this case, a service dog) has to have certain qualities/characteristics for success. This dog does not.
5. This person IS a Behaviorist. The 2nd pic is the description of what a Behaviorist does. Sounds an awful lot like what I do, successfully, usually within 1-3 sessions & much cheaper than the alternatives.

18/03/2024

Just found out this stuff has a name!!

GRAUPEL-a snowflake with superceded water condensing & freezing on it.

This must be a midwest thing. It's not snow, sleet or hail so I'm guessing it's how those yummy candies are made 😋

05/03/2024

Truth!

29/02/2024

Shelby got some new shoes today & as a trainer, these are great quality for the $5 price tag ($15 on ebay) at Nky-Bargain Outlet ! There are several more if anyone wants some. I saw sizes starting at xxs.

30/01/2024

19/01/2024

26d snow play! She loves it & I love watching her enjoy it❣️ Had to give her some play time before it gets cold again 😳

18/01/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/B9XeKSSfApQ9dUiT/?mibextid=oEMz7o

😂😂😂😂

30/08/2023

So true! 🤣

16/05/2023

The leash is your most important tool because it's used throughout the dogs life. Like any tool, there is a correct way to use it.

This 👇 !

Directional Pressure

The leash and collar is the device we use to communicate with dogs. Whether that collar is a buckle, martingale, chain, prong, or electronic, it is still accompanied by a leash that acts as a conduit for information that flows both ways.

People tend to respond by jerking on the leash when the dog pulls. The dog usually pulls harder. The harder the dog pulls, the volume of the pressure generally increases.

What people don't realize is that they are creating that pressure, and the dog is simply trying to escape it.

We have all seen the dog scrabbling at the end of a leash in a frenzy to get anywhere but near its owner. The owner is hanging on for dear life as their dog vaults down the street, executing the best impression of the Naruto run, choking and gagging like they are going to pass out. The owner blithely follows along behind because they don't comprehend that they are actually reinforcing pulling behavior.

The dog is secured by an ever shortening leash, held in a death grip by the bewildered human, who has absolutely no idea that they are contributing to the erratic, hysterical pulling simply because they are pulling back, or at least, continuing to create resistance through the leash.

They never allow the dog the opportunity to escape the pressure.

I have yet to meet a dog that didn't have a powerful oppositional reflex. The very first thing a young dog does when the leash is attached to the collar around its neck is to fight it.

It's our job to teach them how to accept it.

Throughout training, we apply pressure in a variety of different directions. It's important to identify how pressure helps dogs comprehend what it is we ask of them in contextual ways.

When we teach -sit- for example, the leash and collar are held in such a way that we leverage pressure in an upward pattern with the collar, and downward with a hand on the dogs' rump simultaneously. Our message is "sit!" The dog learns how to do this because physics dictates the dog do so, in order to alleviate the pressure. Training creates a series of signals that alert the dog to a required response.

Every behavior we teach is through the application of some form of directional pressure.

To the dog, the signals he registers are the hand placements that preempt that application; the hand placement for the sit cues the dog that sit is expected, before the command is even uttered. Same for down, stand, and stay. Our practiced movements become cues that the next event requires a specific form of participation.

What people don't realize is that dogs read the context of that pressure literally.

If the dog has been conditioned that upward pressure is "sit," applying upward pressure in any other context becomes confusing. If a dog is learning "down," it would make no sense to the dog if the pressure was being delivered in a way that draws its motion in any other direction but downward.

Training should occur in a way that creates a common language between humans and dogs. The training isn't so much to "fix" dogs, but to give humans a means of overcoming the communication barrier between the two species. We may be endowed with speech and opposable thumbs, but dogs are gifted with a sensitivity that defies our cumbersome, inelegant attempts at communication.

We hobble dogs with our devices and yank them around without observing what they are trying to tell us.

The devices we use to communicate are there to help broadcast our meaning in a salient way. By careful manipulation of directional pressure, we can help dogs understand how to move and when. It's when that directional pressure is contradictory, do we see confusion or conflict.

The leash is there to prevent escape or avoidance. It doesn't really need to do much more than be attached to a dog and a thoughtful human. The type of collar determines the amount of pressure applied to the dog at any given point.

Directional pressure isn't initiated as punishment. It's simply a tactic to help a dog determine how to move in order to relieve that pressure. It's not the volume that matters as much as the direction and the constance. Rarely should it have to increase, and it should never be violent. It just needs to last longer than the resistance put up to oppose it.

A lot of attention is given to the concept of "pressure/release," but precious little is spent understanding the importance of directional pressure and how it affects performance.

The context of directional pressure is singularly the most difficult concept to teach handlers, whether they have handled many dogs or are just starting out. The instinctual draw towards oppositional reflex is strong in both species. In order for our dogs to learn not to fight pressure, we need to stop creating it.

04/05/2023

💯 Like any tool, using the right tool appropriately gets the job done. Using a sponge to hammer a nail just doesn't work.

All this noise about electronic collars.

Ban them, don't ban them, they are necessary, they are cruel, yada yada yada.

I have never been one to abolish anything. It didn't work out for Prohibition or the War on Drugs, now, did it?

Ecollars are not the devil, and quite frankly, they can be a useful tool in dog training, regardless of the goal. I have used them for many years, and although I have my training tool preferences, they should be a part of any proficient trainer's toolbox.

A lot of folks derive their distaste for electronic collars thinking that they are the go-to tool of the lazy or the inept, and just like clickers and too much food can reinforce the wrong behaviors, ecollars used poorly or by ham-fisted hacks are their own bad press.

As I have said many times, in the wrong hands, even a butter knife can be a weapon.

Electronic collars are an excellent tool. They not only help mitigate owner/dog disadvantages in size or strength due to a lack of the human's physical acumen, they can also be a great tool to deter inappropriate behaviors like game and livestock predation.

Just ask Wales about the numbers of sheep attacks since the ban.

The UK is poised to ban their use by July of 2024.

Several communities in the US have attempted it recently, and to be honest, I'm not surprised. The movement by the extreme animal "rights" groups coupled with a lot of hyperbole have created a dangerous climate.

The skepticism about their use is long and deep. The arguments about their viability as a training tool must consider all facets, not just the torch-and-pitchfork mentality because of some splashy headlines about ‘abuse’ that are sketchy on facts and feel compelled to blame… something…

Yes. It happens. It should be fully prosecuted, and regardless of where you fall on gun laws- it stinks of the same duplicity.

The actions of a handful of sh*tty users should not be the brush that the future of training is painted with.

It's time for this discussion.

30/04/2023

Waited a long time for this seminar, but it was definitely worth it! People traveled from Northern Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts & Colorado for this. And the owner/ instructor from Belgium! It's going to take time & a TON of practice for me to get the precision since grace is *not* my strong suit 🤣.

Feel free to check out some videos of the pro STS K9 - Nino Drowaert!

21/04/2023

Good info in this article!

Signs of blue-green algae poisoning can begin within 30 minutes of ingestion.

18/04/2023

A close up of Shelby's eye. Yes, I'm bored right now. But look at the reflection though! My phone & wall in the background! I didn't know dogs' eyes were actually reflective...cool! 😳

12/04/2023

Furfield Dog Park in Fairfield, Oh:

I do feel bad for the owners, but this kind of thing should NOT happen!

Summary is a *6 wk* old puppy was taken to the park to "socialize". The puppy was ripped out of the owners arms by another dog & mauled, ending in euthanasia. The offending dogs' owners skipped out without regard for the pup, owners or morals. The offending dog will probably end up at a shelter & reported as having "no bite history," but that's a rant for another day.

1. The cpl had the pup for a few days, meaning at 5 wks old, it was away from the mother, for whatever reason. Way too young!
2. This pup should not have been near other dogs due to lack of vaccines for that age.
3. Socializing in this way is way over-rated & not necessary!
4. This happened (imo) due to the lack of knowledge of the owners. Human emotion trumps rational thought again.
5. IF this pup came from a shelter, shame on the shelter for not educating the couple on a pup that young.
6. IF the pup was a private sale or give, shame on whoever had it first!

*DO NOT GO TO DOG PARKS!!! I preach this to *every* client. The health & safety risk to your dog is not worth it!

09/04/2023

This table is reserved. Move along, please.

08/04/2023

🤣 Mals are so weird 🤣

05/04/2023

Recently, I've realized that Shelby has been hovering pretty close to me with storms. The storms here are more frequent & intense than in New England & she's not used to it, soooooo......we go on the deck periodically. I sit in the chair with my feet up, so she has to lay at least a small distance away. As she watches, hears & feels the wind, she gets rewarded for *not* reacting. Next, we'll be practicing on the deck with the Midwest thunder. No guarantees that I'll be home for every storm, so she needs to learn how to deal & tolerate it. In this video, she is def alert & aware, which is fine. She's tolerating...if that's as good as it gets, that's fine. No whining, barking, pacing, destruction, etc. going on. That's the goal!

05/04/2023

I helped an old neighbor whose pit did the same, when she wasn't home. Keep the dog food secured or secure your dog. Either way is win for the dog & your wallet.