Life update! We're sheep farmers now, and the Calten dogs are tapping into their roots and learning to manage sheep. Easy for them, but a big adjustment for me! I am definitely still training dogs as my "real job", but this page may start to evolve into more of a lifestyle type content space.
Calten Dog Training WEBSITE coming soon.
As always, thanks for all your support. 🖤
It's Gunner's last day of his one week puppy basics board and train! He improved on two particularly challenging things; getting away from pottying indoors on puppy pads (or rugs, or bath mats, or dropped towels, or couches), and calming himself during rowdy behavior (biting).
We also laid the foundation for obedience skills, so all that's left is for his mom and dad to continue practicing, and increasing the "Three D's", distance, duration, and distraction with these commands!
And if you're watching this and you have a puppy (or adult dog 😬) pottying on pads in the house, this is your sign to get them off of that unsanitary and wildly backfiring habit!
Six days already?! Time is flying when you're having fun!
The third essential skill is "Leave it!" I can't tell you how many times this has stopped my dogs from eating something toxic/disgusting/something that I definitely was still going to eat after I dropped it on the floor. It is potentially life saving, too, in environments with venomous snakes.
"Leave it" just means "turn away from that thing" and of course, never touch to it after the command is given. This is a shaping exercise. You're watching the very very first time Gunner has heard the cue "leave it", and you'll notice I said it loudly and sharply, thus grabbing his attention. The command is shaped by marking and rewarding his head turn! Therefore, "leave it" prompts the dog to turn around, giving you the opportunity to then give further instruction, such as "come".
Further guidance comes in the form of leash pressure and corrections for the dog's continued advances after hearing the "leave it" cue, telling him that the cue is the final say, no attempts at grabbing the object will be tolerated.
After enough repetitions, you will see the dog begin to actively avoid the object without being told to do so. So, this can be an exercise used to create a "forbidden item" such as socks, napkins, or kid's toys.
Puppy basics day four!
We focused on strengthening the commands we already have under heavier distraction. Gunner is crazy impulsive! Chases everything that moves, including the cats. Given that, I'm happy with how well he did! He was so eager to work, I also went ahead and started on "heel" position.
Puppy basics day three: Stay.
"Stay" is the second essential skill! YES, the most boring command is essential, for many reasons! First off, stay is for safety. To keep the dog back from the door to prevent bolting, to leave him safely far back from the street when you get your mail, or when you want them in a certain spot while you're handling something they shouldn't approach. Stay is also a great tool for socialization. If the command is solid, you can tell your dog to "stay" at a safe distance and observe novel experiences while keeping calm and focused on the task.
I find the most value, however, in the unending mental challenge "Stay" presents. Using the "Three D's" (distance, duration, distraction) there is no limit to how challenging you can make it, and your dog's brainpower grows before your eyes!
I knew this was going to be a real challenge for Gunner, because he rarely stops moving, and bounds playfully toward every little thing! This is gonna take some practice!
Puppy basics day two!
Recall is the first essential skill I teach, because it's the one command you absolutely cannot go without if you ever want to take the leash off your dog. Practicing recall also builds engagement, cooperation, and active listening. Make it a fun game, celebrate the dog every time he he chooses you over a distraction, and gradually work your distance up. The leash is a MUST while teaching and proofing the command, because if you don't have power to correct the dog for blowing you off or getting distracted along the way, then ignoring you becomes an option to him.
Wanna know what the very first training sessions look like with a fresh new puppy? Gunner will be starring in my new one week puppy basics instructional series! This week only! Because I can almost promise I'll never post videos every day for a week straight ever again.😅
Stay tuned for this little guy's progress and a whole week of showing how to teach every basic obedience command in my puppy course.
One minute and twenty-five seconds is all it takes to prevent anxious, rude, and overly excitable behavior!
Gunner the Ambiguous Marshmallow (AKA, we don't know his exact age or breed) got here today and he knows no commands at all, but has plenty of budding bad habits! A nice blank slate perfect candidate for puppy basics board and train!
In this video, he's learning that being noisy, pushy, and anxious means he will not come out. But, calm attentiveness and patience will get him freedom! The mindset in which your dog exits the crate is the mindset you can expect him to keep from that moment on!
We are in 2023 and what has changed?! Well, not these low quality video productions, that's for sure. But, look at Dio! He was half this size last time I saw him! He's here for a one week training refresher and an intro to the e-collar. This video demonstrates one of the things we troubleshoot during refreshers, like slow sits.🥴
Dio is such a fun boy to work with!
Make sure you're incorporating distractions that come from YOU while you practice stays! Such as carrying and dropping heavy objects.
Jarvis aces "stay" every time 🥰
Coming at ya with the mismatched socks again to introduce Blue! This cute little bug is a six month old Brittany/Poodle mix and he loves to work and play! Being a puppy, he is very moldable, so to teach "Drop it" I used the tug game.
If you've taken lessons with me, you've probably heard me talk about this game, but dogs never want to play it during training because they're too interested in treats. 😆 So, Blue has been so kind to demonstrate it for you all.
The game is simple. We have a ton of fun playing tug, and then I say "Drop it!" When I do, I stop tugging, and then game stops. The dog eventually drops the tug, and when he does, the game starts again! This is a shaping exercise. Through repetition, the dog recognizes that "Drop it" means he's supposed to let go if he wants the game to start again. Typically, most dogs catch on to this very quickly, and we can make the game a little harder as they get faster at releasing the toy. Ways to make it harder would be intensifying the energy of the game, or telling him to "Drop it" while I am still actively tugging.
Three rules:
🔹Play with the tug, not my hand, not my clothes. That's just an every day rule!
🔹Trying harder to get the tug after the command is not what I want.
🔹Regripping the toy after releasing and before I give it back is a no-no. (This wasn't shown, I'm not making him wait to play again just yet! That's an impulse control exercise that comes later.)
The tug game is one of three methods I use to teach "Drop it." The other game is "Trades", in which a dog is rewarded with another toy for dropping the first. The third method is implementing pressure (leash or e-collar) to get a faster release. With most dogs, I end up using a little bit of all three!
And Dio taking a crack at it! I think we'll make a Rally dog out of him!
Kona giving the Rally course a try! 🥰
Stark giving the Black Russian Terrier puppies a demonstration in their introduction to Rally!
A slightly condensed but still a good representative of progression of a command. One thing you must know going into this, is that Midnight already knows "Stay" it has just gotten a bit sloppy since her puppy course ended a few months ago! She's here for a week long refresher, so these are things we do to help sharpen commands up!
My assistants are so helpful, as always!
Stark and Rhodes take "Hot Boy Summer" seriously. You can catch these guys in the water any time, any place.
Calten is taking a semi-vacation during the month of June. No Board and Trains, and all new private sessions are being moved to evenings only, and this schedule change is expected to last as long as the heat wave does!
Make sure your pups stay cool and hydrated! Scale down their outdoor exercise, be mindful of ground temperatures, and practice safe water activities. Large breeds, please research risk factors for gastric torsion due to excessive water intake!
Have a great summer!
Aaaand there we have it! Snappy, happy, off-leash recall! 😊
Three things:
1. Remi blends into the background very well. Turned around and thought I lost her!
2. The delay between "come" and Remi's response is purely due to the speed of my voice over that distance.
3. She's got good brakes.
Martingale collars!
You guys have undoubtedly heard me explain the primary reason why it's important for a martingale to be fitted correctly. Because when it is, less force is needed to apply even pressure to the dog's neck. This means less pulling!
But here is another good point. An incorrect fit will break your collar! The chains on martingale collars are not meant to withstand that much force in one spot. Without the force being evenly distributed across the entire chain, links, and strap, you will see breakage.
Is this deja vu? Nope! Just another GSP! These guys are so much fun! I'm looking to put on a repeat performance with her, just like Brody and Sawyer, Remi here is well on her way to becoming more reliable off leash.
In addition to that, we're shaping up her obedience, household manners, and public skills.
She's going to start living the leash-free life pretty soon, with the help of E-Collar Technologies!
