Home Dog Training, A Victoria Stilwell "Positively" Dog Trainer

11/07/2024

A training trick I won’t be trying, thank you though.

23/06/2024

25/05/2024

From the “photo shoot” we did yesterday of my grand dog Zoey.

24/05/2024

16/05/2024

Here is Rupert, happily in his crate. He did not like,the crate and cried when put in it. The rescue group told his adoptive mom to just put him in the crate and let him cry it out. Fortunately, she knew that didn’t sound like a good idea. So today we worked on beginning to get Rupert to like his crate.
By taking baby steps, we got Rupert to think it was his idea to go in the crate and he never felt forced or coerced.
One of the biggest mistakes people make in dog training is trying to do too much at one time. We can’t jump from A to Z. We go from A to B. And then from B to C. We get to Z, but we do it by laying good foundations for each step.
As for letting little Rupert just cry it out? Bad advice. Research has actually correlated that with separation anxiety. Nothing good can come out of that old, outdated advice.

01/05/2024

It's a common belief that purebred dogs are more prone to disease than mixed-breed dogs, but a new study led by researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) has busted this myth.

28/04/2024

This is me and Jim, and we only have two dogs, but who apparently weigh a combined total of 389 pounds when on top of us on the couch.

14/04/2024

Having your dog on a 6’ leash is the law. please keep your dog on a leash for the safety of my dog, me, your dog and you, as well.

Until you've had a reactive or fearful dog, you can't understand what these dogs (and their owners) go through after an encounter with an unleashed dog.

It not only increases anxiety in your dog, but it makes YOU anxious, as well. The result? The next time you're out for a walk, instead of enjoying the time with your dog, you are constantly on guard, your eyes scanning the area relentlessly for a dog to come running at you out of nowhere.

Like clockwork, you will yell to me that your unleashed and uncontrolled dog racing toward us is friendly, but that's not the point. My dog is fearful, and that fear is going to trigger a reaction. My dog is on a leash so that I can (1) ensure his safety and (2) control his environment - both of which are compromised when your unleashed dog approaches us.

After the encounter, my dog and I are left trying to decompress from the very stressful situation that just happened.

Our relaxing walk ruined.

Our bonding time rudely interrupted.

In most public spaces, the law requires dogs to be leashed. It's for their safety and the safety of others.

Our dogs depend on us to keep them safe.

Our community depends on us to be responsible owners and leash our dogs.

When in public and sharing common space with others, we should have (at the very least) a BASIC RESPECT for ALL those around us.

PLEASE LEASH YOUR DOG!!

10/04/2024

This! Yes!

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

30/03/2024

“A good teacher leads by example.”

10/03/2024

If you have a lab, you might want to read this article about a predisposition toward obesity. Very interesting.

https://www.facebook.com/100057439960368/posts/887459073178750/?

New research finds around a quarter of Labrador retriever dogs face a double-whammy of feeling hungry all the time and burning fewer calories due to a genetic

10/03/2024

Some cool ideas here.

10/03/2024

This is interesting. I do see a lot of fat labs!

New research finds around a quarter of Labrador retriever dogs face a double-whammy of feeling hungry all the time and burning fewer calories due to a genetic

26/02/2024

The latest AKC Canine Good Citizen class graduated recently. Thank you Adobe Veterinary Clinic for letting us have the class there. Great group of dogs and people!

08/02/2024

This is amazing!

I made a wooden sculpture of our dog that I miss every day ❤️ Thanks tо everyone whо aррreciates this ❤️👍

07/02/2024

Facts ♥️🙌🏻🐕‍🦺

07/02/2024

Dogs lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you're going to lose a dog, and there's going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can't support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There's such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware that it comes with an unbearable price.
Maybe loving dogs is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and the mistakes we make because of those illusions. ~Dean Koontz

(Book: The Darkest Evening of the Year [ad] https://amzn.to/3So53KR)

(Art: Photograph of Alain Delon by Benjamin Auger)

07/02/2024

Here is a tiger having its blood drawn for a test. Notice this is being done through clicker training, a very positive, force free training method. If wild animals can be trained using positive reinforcement, WHY do trainers think they need to use a shock collar on the dog, the most domesticated animal there is?

https://fb.watch/q3r3bPIbqk/?

30/01/2024

The AKC Community Canine class went on an outing Saturday and did very well and had a very good time too! It is a pleasure to work with these dogs and their moms and dads

20/01/2024

The Community Canine Class went to San Tan Shopping center today They did very well and had a good time

16/01/2024

14/01/2024

All the dogs in the Community Canine Class had fun at the Riparian yesterday. Climbing on stairs, walking on borders and jumping on blocks were fun, but also very confidence building. It was so fun to see the dogs having fun and learning, too.

14/01/2024

Was planning on teaching Duke to like his cot, a place where he could chill and relax. He saw it, got on it, loved it and that was it!

11/01/2024

Partners!

10/01/2024

Dogs experience so much joy it rubs off On us in watching them. Hope this gives you a big smile.