Chute For The Stars Dog Training

01/08/2024

Since the training and behavior industry is entirely unregulated, it’s up to us as individuals to become certified and continue our education; making sure to stay up to date with the most humane, science based training practices. This is my second time going through the re-certification process as a CPDT-KSA and I’m looking forward to continuing learning and growing as a professional in our field 🤗 Helping people help their dogs is my life’s purpose, and I deeply value the relationships that form along the way 🥰

If you’re struggling with your dog or are just unsure about where to begin, you’re not alone. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for help 🫶🏼

23/07/2024

On rainy days, we love playing learning games! 🙃 Today, Harper started learning to identify numbers 🤓

17/07/2024

Loose leash walking is a learned skill, for both ends of the leash. Look at Romi and her human go! 👏 This was our first day working in this skill and they did great together 🥰

06/06/2024

This might not look like anything extraordinary, but for Buddy, it’s a pretty big deal 👏. Buddy is a bit of an older guy (approximately 8)with a lengthy history of struggling with vet visits and husbandry care.

His vet wants his humans to be able to soak his paw pads in epsom salt and apply a medication to the affected ones daily. So, we’ve been working on teaching Buddy to voluntarily place himself into a large, but shallow, plastic storage container for this task. We have non-slip pads on the bottom and a non-slip plastic mat under the (now) damp dowel that’s in there. Slowly but surely, we are progressing towards having about 1/2 inch of salted water for his paw soaks. We have also started a paw target to a small colored towel that we will later be using to have him apply the actual medication.

By providing Buddy with choice and allowing him to have an active role in his care, we can begin to lower the stress associated with it and hopefully make the experience a bit more enjoyable for him 🥰.

06/02/2024

Having a reliable recall is such an important skill for any dog to have, in some situations it can even save your dogs life. Does your dog come when called?

24/01/2024

Loki and his momma are making some great progress together! They’ve been working hard on relaxation and self regulation and their work is paying off 🥰

06/10/2023

Slow and steady wins the race with any type of behavior modification. It’s been quite the process getting Baxter to this point; but the right medications combined with his mom’s dedication and consistency working with him, here we are 🥲

Not only is Baxter feeling more confident exploring and walking in new spaces, but he’s also well on his way to making his first doggy friend 🥹💜🙌

23/09/2023

18/07/2023

I LOVE getting updates like this from clients 🥲 It’s incredibly reinforcing for me as a trainer to see people putting in the necessary work and creating positive changes in their dogs 💜

Rooster and his fur sister, Luna, have been learning to make better, more socially appropriate choices around one another and co-exist peacefully inside the home 🙏 I’m so proud of his family for everything they’ve accomplished so far! This is some pretty significant progress from where we started 👏

14/07/2023

Today was the first time that my client and her pup, Baxter, were able to go on a walk and explore a new space 🥹💜🥲 I’d say they both enjoyed themselves.

Baxter was able to sniff all the things and freely move about on his long line. We even passed by a few new humans whom Baxter displayed cautious curiosity towards.

While Baxter appeared a bit too stimulated with the novelty of the environment to respond to simple cues such as his name or his targeting behavior; he was, however, able to forage and take food that we tossed to the ground 👏 On top of that, he made fantastic, socially appropriate choices throughout the entire outing 🥳

I am so, so proud of all the progress he and his momma have accomplished so far and I’m grateful to be a part of their journey together.

👏 Keep up the good work guys!

16/05/2023

Harper and her sister Riley practicing their stellar recall 👏👏👏 They had been stalking/chasing lizards, but came running immediately when they heard their whistle!

02/05/2023

Baxter and his momma have been working REAL hard on his muzzle training and it shows 🥲💜 Today he wore it on a walk for the first time and he did great! 👏 Next up, learning how to dog with other (well socialized) dogs 🤗

18/03/2023

Baxter and his human momma have been working on muzzle training (as well as his cooperative care) and they are making so much progress! We ended up using a chin rest to assist with creating calmness during the initial stages of the conditioning process and it worked out fabulously 🥰

The relationship that they have cultivated through the process of learning and training together is really quite beautiful. I am so proud of these two and the consistent progress they continue to make 🥲

02/03/2023

Baxter and his momma are well on their way to cooperative, fear free nail trims! 🤗

The lateral rest position, with his head on the ground, is Baxter’s signal for opting in; while lifting his head is his way of clearly opting out. Here, you can clearly see what happens when he opts out; immediately we stop what we are doing and let Baxter decide when he’s ready to continue practicing.

Eventually, we will start combining the clippers with the handling part of the training, but it’s all at Baxter’s pace 💜 The trusting relationship that his human is creating through these exercises with him will last a lifetime.

I’m so proud of these two and what they’ve accomplished so far together 🥹

22/02/2023

When we seek help for our dog's behaviour we tend to focus on stopping something unwanted.

Our aim is to make that behaviour go away.

But there's much more to it than that.

Dogs act how they do based on their feelings and their motivations.

They can’t tell us what either of those things are unless we know their language.

Unless we identify what they need.

Then work out another way to meet that need for them.

Ethically, we can't dive in to make the dog stop doing something.

We must start by watching and listening.

Learning from the dog.

Asking the following questions.

21/02/2023

Baxter and his momma are working towards cooperative, fear free nail trims ☺️

We started training a lateral rest position to use for the exercise a few sessions ago. Baxter quickly learned how to opt in and opt out by simply choosing to lift or rest his head.

Today, we introduced seeing the nail clippers. The whole process of eventually clipping his nails is broken down into teeny, weeny baby steps; allowing Baxter to set the pace and be successful each step of the way.

Training takes time, consistency and lots of patience; but the skills Baxter learns through this process will stay with him for the rest of his life 💜 I am so proud of the progress he and his momma continue to make together 🥰

06/02/2023

👏👏

The longer I live (and work) with kids and dogs, the more I ask this question.

“Training” often centers around asking our dogs to obey OUR needs and wants - without considering theirs.

What if we change the narrative?

Instead, we could accept them, support them, and teach them skills to live safely and happily in our world, while paying attention to THEIR needs and priorities.

05/02/2023

Nala and her sister Marley are coming along so nicely in their training ☺️ We’ve even started incorporating a fake baby (and desensitization to baby sounds) in with the behaviors they are learning.

Last week, Nala wasnt yet comfortable enough to get to where she was able to lay down. This week, not only was she able to perform the behavior, but she even started offering more relaxed versions all on her own 🥲

I don’t know what I enjoy more, watching the dogs learn and seeing the wheels start to turn, or seeing how excited and proud their humans become as they progress 🥹

Sarah and her husband, Ben, are dedicated to their pups’ success, and their hard work shows in the progress they continue to make. Keep up the good work guys! 👏

02/02/2023

The growl is a gift.

Never punish it or try to 'stop' it. Simply listen. Heed the warning and accept this as communication.

When we punish the growl, the dog stops growling and instead will jump from subtle signs of discomfort straight to a bite.
We do not want a silent biter!

Growls are another component of canine communication and are perfectly normal! How else were you expecting them to communicate? Words? 😉

Dogs will growl for a few reasons; play, fear/threat-response, uncertainty, discomfort/pain.

Over time you will learn what each one sounds like, I'm sure, but for now, we must combine the growl with the rest of the body language and that is the easiest way to decipher its meaning.

If a dog is growling with a lowered body and tense ears pulled back, they are feeling fearful and warning that if the threat doesn't go away, they may have no choice but to escalate to a bite. In this moment, it's best to remove the threat and give the dog space.

If a dog is growling with a stiff body and side eye while hovering over an item, they are feeling threatened or worried that their valuable resource (food, toy, "found" object, etc) may be stolen. Do not try to teach your dog a lesson here by removing the resource - instead, speak calmly to reassure your dog and move away, showing them that you are not a thief.

If a dog is growling with a lowered body but is still moving toward the "threat" with curiosity, they are feeling uncertain or apprehensive. Their curiosity is still strong but they're simply a little spooked. Getting closer is not always best as dogs in this state may be easily spooked into fight/flight mode.

If a dog is growling in play, I don't see a problem as long as their body is loose, wiggly, silly, and they have soft eyes. If the game is not as loose and silly and the dog is jazzed up (like when playing tug or fetch, you may not see as much wiggliness or soft eyes - more so excited eyes, and that's okay too. I tend to watch that it doesn't escalate too much, so play for a minute, take a break, play again, take a break. Even a 15 second break is a good reset!

If a dog is growling while being handled, they may not be enjoying the experience at all and are warning you that this is not their jam. "If you keep doing that, I will have no choice but to bite you. Please stop." Stop the handling and work with them to make it a better experience. Find another way to move them rather than forcing them - a food lure or tossing a treat or toy is fine in the interim! If the dog is in pain, this is a conversation for the Veterinarian for sure!

Always assess the rest of the components while the growl is occurring, or if you feel unsafe, give the dog space.

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18/01/2023

Important things to note before letting your kid walk the family dog 💯

Sounds like the perfect solution... kids itching to walk their new dog + over-stretched parents thrilled that their children are taking responsibility and lightening the workload! What's not to love?

Actually quite a LOT.

I can't tell you how many disappointed faces I see when I try to explain why a child walking a dog ALONE *might NOT be* the best idea for anyone!!?

And I get totally it.

If this is your first family dog, a quick spin around the block may look harmless enough - until you consider ALL of the things that can (and DO) go wrong.

Even (mentally and physically) FULLY-GROWN ADULTS get pulled down to the ground, or dragged over to squirrels, skateboards and the neighborhood cat. They accidentally drop leashes, or watch helplessly as their pup slips their collar. They struggle to control their dog around other dogs, or conversely, they panic or freeze when an off-leash dog comes sprinting full-speed towards them (friendly or not friendly.. who knows? They’ll likely find out when it’s too late!)

And this is ONLY a handful of the things that can happen to GROWN UPS… so for kids the stakes are simply exponentially higher.

As a trainer, I’m pretty calculated about where I go, and when I walk my dogs my radar is always activated. Even still, I’ve personally had to dash after my loose dog, I’ve been bitten by a dog who was attacking mine, I’ve seen a dog run over in a school parking lot, and watched a child be literally dragged for 50ft against her will!

So, I hope by sharing the potential risks with you, you can make informed choices about your family dog walking situation:

Here’s my hotlist of things to consider:

Size - of child and dog
Strength - of child and dog
Maturity - of child and dog
Training - of child and dog
Temperament - of child and dog

Then download, print and share our poster.
THESE are my questions to help families size up the COMBINATION of their dog and child to see whether WALKING ALONE together is a SMART call.

For more info for kids, dogs and making EVERYONE'S life SAFE and HAPPY - go to thefamilydog.com/families

18/01/2023

👏💜🐾

https://www.facebook.com/100044222179937/posts/709545320529534/?flite=scwspnss

  A cosmetic surgeon once told me that he dreads Sunday night phone calls. They are, almost always, about kids who need their faces put back together after being bitten by a dog. He said it breaks his heart. It breaks my heart too, thinking of the hundreds of cases I saw where the owner […]

17/01/2023

Sometimes the little wins really are big wins 🥲

Nala didn’t have much of a learning history before I started working with her and her humans, so she also had to learn HOW to learn. On top of that, for the first few sessions she was a bit too worried about me in general to do much interacting, so we initially started behaviors with her fur-sister, Marley.

Yesterday, we were able to use Nala’s targeting behavior to start working on going to a place and even started the beginning of a “stay”! We still have quite a ways to go, but I was pretty proud of her and her humans for the progress they made! 👏

04/01/2023

Dog training involves helping those on both ends of the leash 💜 Today’s training session with our Service Dog Client,John, was very much human centered.

We focused a good majority of our session on raising John’s spirits, motivating him to move and do his PT exercises. All while his trusted SDIT, Jax, remained relaxed by his side 🥲

We were so proud of John and what he was able to accomplish for himself today! 👏

03/01/2023

Preparing your dogs for a baby BEFORE the baby is born is so very important! Many dogs get surrendered to high kill shelters each year because the family is expecting a baby and the dog isn’t equipped to handle the new addition. Training can help prevent this and make the transition into family life much less stressful for everyone.

Sarah and her husband, Ben, have been working hard to prepare their dogs for their new human sibling 💜 They’ve purchased a “fake baby” to work with / incorporate into proofing learned behaviors and have been actively desensitizing the dogs to baby sounds and any new objects that will be associated with the new addition.

One of the behaviors we’d like them to have in their tool box is a strong send away behavior to specific spots where the dogs can lay down, relax and be out of the way when needed. Today, we were able to start creating the behavior of laying down, next we will be starting to generalize the down to their mat/beds and then back chain the rest from there 🤗

Normally, teaching a “down” is a fairly simple behavior to accomplish 😅 but there’s always those handful of dogs who make you think outside the box; Marley and her sister, Nala, are definitely two of those dogs.

I wish I had recorded the entire round about process to get to this point as it took quite a bit of creativity and manipulation of the environment, but by the end of the session we managed to make some pretty good progress! 👏

✨Baby steps✨

31/12/2022

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29/12/2022

This dog and her tricks 🥲💜 Harper THRIVES on trick training; and through the process of working together, she and her human sister have created quite a beautiful relationship 🫶🏼

28/12/2022

Help your pet have a New Years!

03/12/2022

We’ve sure come a LONG way from where we started! 🥲👏 Louie, the lighter colored of the dogs, has a history of acting out aggressively towards Zia (kitty). They had been able to cohabitate with the other two resident cats just fine, but not Zia.

Before training started, Louie couldn’t even handle Zia being in the same living environment behind a closed door. His behavior would trigger Riley (the other dog) making things very un-safe and stressful for the kitty.

Zia and the dogs have since been living in separate apartments to prevent the rehearsal of the unwanted behaviors and to keep all potential interactions controlled. Their hard work and dedication is really starting to pay off 🥹

Today, we were able to have both Riley and Louie training together with Zia being free and playing with her favorite flirt pole. Slowly but surely the dogs are learning to exist peacefully with the newest kitty addition to the family 💜

02/12/2022

We LOVE utilizing pattern games in training! For some dogs we use food and for others the opportunity to chase a toy, it all depends on your individual learner, what they’re working on and what they’re motivated by 🐾

Most animals thrive when their lives are predictable. When they know what to expect and how to achieve their goals, and when their expectations match their reality, there’s no need for them to worry. Their anxiety diminishes. That’s why predictability is one of the seven domains of the Behavior Vets’ Resilience Rainbow. 🌈

Since our pets thrive on predictability, we like to use Pattern Games when helping dogs acclimate to environments and situations.

Pattern Games are designed to do two things:

👉 They create a strong reinforcement history for a particular behavior or series of behaviors.

👉 Patterns create predictability in environments that can be unpredictable, thereby helping to reduce anxiety.

Trainer Leslie McDevitt 🦄, has gifted the world with many Pattern Games, including the "1-2-3 Game." It can look like a ‘walking game.’

What you'll need:

✅️ Treats
✅️ Calm low-distraction space
✅️ A leash for going outside

Step One:
✅️ Say "three", and then immediately deliver a treat.
✅️ Repeat several times.

Step Two:
✅️ Next, build a chain by saying, ''two, three,” then immediately deliver a treat.
✅️Repeat several times.

Step Three:
✅️ Say, "one, two, three", then immediately deliver a treat.

Step Four:
✅️ Try practicing in a slightly more distracting environment. We recommend starting in the backyard.

There are many applications to this game. This is just an introduction as to how to teach the game. The 1-2-3 Game can be played with a variety of animal species, including cats and horses!

02/12/2022

Harper has never been much of a toy loving dog, but she LOVES practicing her tricks 🤗 so I tend to utilize trick training as a fun little break between her cooperative care and behavior modification exercises. She’s such a smart little pup and thoroughly enjoys the process of learning 💜