Off Collar Pet Care

29/10/2023

Man this feels good!

For the dog-walking services of your dreams in Virginia, this is your must-have list to check out! Plenty of reliable and compassionate pet care provi

01/08/2022

Getting ready mentally for the week. Goodbye July and Hello August!

30/07/2022

Let your pups sniff.

When you are training take breaks and let your dogs decompress. Sniffing is a great way to let them not have to focus on what you are working on.

Sniffing makes them happy while also helping them create pathways in their brain. 🧠

If you have a reactive dog, letting them sniff will social behaviors when you pair it back to training.

29/07/2022

Oh yeah baby it’s Friday!! Show Monroe some love.

What are your plans for the weekend?!? Comment below 👇🏼

26/07/2022

Crate training is a very dividing subject and honestly I can see why.

When I hear people say “oh I won’t do that it’s bad” or “it’s inhumane”, makes me want to hit my head on a wall.

Would you let’s a 18 month old baby just roam your house while you are gone for hours on end? No, the answer is no because you aren’t a horrible person.

So why would you think it’s a good idea to leave a puppy with the same mental age do that?

First and foremost dogs are canines, being canines they like to den. Dens are not massive homes. When puppies are with their litter they actually like to find small spaces with their litter mates and pile up.

When they need to use the bathroom they will leave the space they are sleeping or playing to use the bathroom. Dogs actually like a clean place.

This is why crates are great for potty training.

Crates are also great for allowing rescuers to quickly and easier find your dog in an emergency.

Traveling a distance and want to make sure your dog is in a secure location… guess what, crates your best friend here!

Your new dog is stressed and needs a safe place? Boom crate to the rescue. You know that they won’t get hurt or run away. They will also have a place to relax and settle in to their new home!

Crates prevent destructive behavior by controlling their environment. Plus by providing a chew toy or kong you will still satisfy your dog’s desire to chew.

How do you use your crate?

23/07/2022

As dog owners it is our job to control our pups environment.

When our dogs get rowdy or have accidents it’s not the dogs fault it is ours. The got rowdy because they are either overly tired or overly stimulated and need rest, so put them in their crate.

When they have an accident, did we time it right for them to eat, and have water before taking them outside, did we take them outside right after they woke up? When they are inside did we have their house line on or have them in a contained space?

Most of the time the answer is no we think they are fine. What we fail to remember is a puppy is like an actual baby. If you wouldn’t leave your 18 month or or 2 year old unsupervised then don’t let a puppy be unsupervised. If you are leaving put them in a crate, same thought process as a crib. There is no harm.

And for the people that say it’s cruel to do that please realize that dogs are denning animals just like wolves, foxes, and coyotes.

They all create a small space called a den you can compare a crate to a den. In fact you will notice as your dog is older and you leave the crate door open that you’ll find them in their crate.

20/07/2022

Here is one of my favorite hacks!

It’s the Kong. But instead of putting peanut butter in it that we can never clean out, I’d recommend yogurt! It’s great because it has probiotics in it and easy to mix other flavors such as freeze dried beef liver treats or chicken.

This is a great hack for working with puppies when they are teething or even crate training. The frozen Kong is soothing on gums when teething and fulfills the puppies need to chew without being to hard.

As for our dogs that aren’t teething. It’s great to cool them down during the summer! It is also a great reward at any stage.

18/07/2022

Did you know Off Collar offers several different services?!?

1️⃣ Dog Training:

We help you solve your puppy and dog problems while also making sure to create a lasting bond between you and your dog!

✅One on one training
✅Puppy basic training
✅Behavioral dog training

There are two ways to get started with training.

✨A transformation session which is 90 minutes.

It is split into 2 parts. The first is an evaluation. The second is the training. We want to make sure we set you up for the most successful. The transformation session is not recommended for puppies.

✨ Hour session

We jump right into training always focusing on your biggest pain points. This is recommended to start puppy training as they don’t have a long attention span.

2️⃣Dog Walking:

We can provide mid-day dog walks for your pup. This services is offered Monday through Friday from 10AM- 3PM. We offer 2 hour timeframes for a walker to arrive and let out your pup! All walks are tracked via gps, and you always receive a report at the end of each walk with photos!

3️⃣ 30 minute Drop- in Pet sitting:

We offer pet sitting services for both cats and dogs this one is geared more for dogs. You can schedule up to 4 times a day. We offer the same 2 hour time frame arrival window.

4️⃣ Kitty care drop-in visits:

Kitt care is a great way to make sure our feline friends are taken care of too while we are away.

18/07/2022

Getting Monday ready!

Some people may have more than one dog. And might have a question about walking multiple dogs at once.

Here is my recommendation, if you have two dogs and they pull then instead of struggling with both walk one at a time till they are good individually before having them both out together.

They reason for this is not to create more work on you but to actually set your dogs up for long term success.

Remember you want your dogs to be with you on a walk. They genuinely are happier when you take the lead.

Structured walks are the best. And when you do have both dogs out with you make sure that everyone is in a calm state of mind. Remember everything always starts at home. From the moment you ask or tell them you are going on a walk to walking out the door. We want to make sure our dogs are calm.

17/07/2022

Cats! The most independent pets we have. However when they get sick or when they need medication it can be a nightmare. They can get aggressive and we can get bitten or scratched.

We all need a hack to this! Thankfully here is one!
Step 1. Turn the cat away from you.
Step 2. Massage the cats jaw to relax it.
Step 3 take the pill and put it in the back of the tongue. And then she the cat shuts their mouth slowly rub their throat up and down prompting them to swallow.

I always recommend petting the cat in long strokes down their back afterwards to relax them.

What do you all do to give your pets pills?

16/07/2022

We made it to Friday! Let’s talk about impulse control. It is definitely a learned behavior and like recall it can save your dogs life.

Dogs are opportunistic creatures which means if they can do something it is highly likely they will.

Does your dog do any of this?

❌ runs out the open door.
❌ jumps on people
❌barks and lunges
❌ picks things off ground constantly
❌leash pulling
❌demand barking/ constant need for attention

If you answered yes then let’s work on impulse control or self control.

Here are 3 exercises that you can work on for 10-15 mins at a time.

🦴 Work on their Place cue. As a bonus vary the time they stay in place. Also only release them by going up to them.
(There will be a more in depth post)

🦴 work on the Leave it cue

🦴 wait at all doorways. I want your done to think twice before bolting through an open gate, door, garage, crate, car etc.

Working on impulse control can also help with reactivity to other dogs.
This is a broad topic and I will be breaking this down so keep an eye out for some videos and write ups!

15/07/2022

The single most important cue your dog can learn is “Come” for a few simple reasons:

✨It can save your dogs life

✨It can allow you to fix any other unwanted behavior

✨ It allows you to confidently set your dog free

Recall for those reasons alone should always have a special place in your training time.

So what goes wrong when we are training recall? At first our dogs are awesome they come every time when they are puppies, then they “just ignore us”.

Well not so much think about it this way. When you are actively training with your pup at the beginning we associate it with everything positive (treats, rewards, praise…) then we think of they get it and start to recall just to scold them or to leave a place they are having fun. We start to associate recall with a negative experience. Of course they are going to stop coming there is no positive outcome.

Okay so we know the problem now to fix it.

🦴 First we never stop reinforcing recall with a positive association. Example when you are at the dog park or outside, you will start having check-in recalls where you just have your dog come to you then release them. I will do this after 10- 15 minutes of my dog running around. I call they come, I reward and release.

The quick release is important because each time I provide a positive outcome and it’s a win for my dog.

🦴 Second, when my dog fails to come, I respond correctly. I don’t let my dog ignore me.

How do I do this? I CALMLY walk over (remember dogs communicate body language), I put the leash on them or I grab the collar, I walk them back to where I asked for the recall and I put them in a “timeout” what I am doing is having them sit in front of me for a minute maybe less but enough for them to understand consequences for the behavior and have structure in a way there isn’t a lot of negative feelings towards the cue itself. I then release them.

🦴 Third, this is key. I wait for their attention to shift from being focused to not. The reason because I want to set them up for success! So go from chasing a friend to looking around I say “Hera, Come”. My dogs name to grab attention then her recall. I also always give my dog a destination, a flat hand

14/07/2022

All dogs need a consistent leader.

13/07/2022

Crate training can be so frustrating especially at the beginning. Often new dog owners will give up because they are just overwhelmed.

Here are 5 tips to avoid while crate training.

🛑 FORCING YOUR PUPPY IN THE CRATE

I know sometimes we just want them to get into the crate but forcing them can do more harm than good. Puppies need to feel safe and in control in order to feel comfortable with their crate.

Once you force your puppy into the crate they will view it as a bad place to be and will not want to go near it, or be alone in it. You want to take the process of introducing the crate slowly, this is where a lot of patience is needed.

🛑 LACK OF PATIENCE

Speaking of patience, puppies are a lot. And having or not having patience can make or break crate training and set you up either for success or failure in other aspects of training.

What do I mean to have patience? Holding your frustration when your dog barks or whines on the crate, not banging the crate or yelling at them to stop, taking the time to make the crate comfortable, etc.

🛑 NOT BEING CONSISTENT

All training hinges on consistency. Your puppy learns through repetition. This is where having a routine is key. If you walk your dog every morning and then put them in their crate for a nap, your pup will soon learn that they are expected to nap in their crate after their morning walk.

However, if some days after your walk you play in the yard and other days you expect them to nap in their crate they will surely protest that they want to play with you instead of napping.

🛑 USING THE CRATE AS PUNISHMENT

Of course I know when your puppy is up to no good we just want to lock them up and have them just think about what they did. The reality is they won’t.

Instead take a deep breath and put on that happy face and have them go to the crate. Turn walk away and you can be as upset as you like.

🛑 NOT ENOUGH EXERCISE

Our puppies need to burn energy too, however have short burst then let them calm down and then do it again. A great way to do this is have them run and play for 15 minutes then have them rest for 10 minutes then play again for 15 minutes. I like to do this over an hour.

11/07/2022

👋🏼 It’s Sunday evening and I was thinking of what to post tonight. So why not about me.

I swear I hear peoples stories and every time I think wow, they really had a light bulb moment. For me not so much.

I have always loved animals. I grew up with horses, cats, dogs, fish, and chinchillas. Honestly I even had chickens after college. So safe to say we can check off the I love animals box.

I never wanted to be a vet because I couldn’t ever put an animal down, heck I can’t even watch a show if a pet dies! So never saw Game of Thrones. My parents always wanted me to be a doctor which is why I love medicine but I kept coming back to I just want to hang out with my dog.

So after college and working in retail I finally said I want to learn more about dogs. I had gone to several dog trainers with my first Great Dane and I was honestly hooked then. I used to read about dog training and I had no problem teaching the basics. But was sure if I could train other people’s dogs.

When I started Off Collar, I saw so many different types dogs personalities. I started to research the science behind animal behavior. Then I was truly hooked. I enrolled at Animal Behavior College and the rest is history.

I am obsessed with learning and helping out all my clients. So my story is all over. What I can say is I always knew deep down I was going to work with animals. I just didn’t realize how fulfilled I truly was going to be.

09/07/2022

📢 Your dog’s name is your first line of Recall📢

That being said, we need to stop saying “Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke”. If you say your dogs’s name once and he just continues doing what he’s doing we need to understand what is happening. So let’s break this down.

1. You are training your dog to ignore you when you say their name then repeat and repeat.

I like to think of it as you ask your husband to do the dishes and he grunts or say yeah okay then, you say hey can you do the dishes with the same response. Then finally after 5 or 6 time you get frustrated and snap. What has happened is you are telling him you can ignore me 5-6 times before you need to listen to my request. This is exactly the same.

Your request after the first time has become meaningless. Just like the adults in Charlie Brown.

2. You are not training your dog to listen in the presence of distractions.

Everything else that is going on is more important.

This is why in training we want to keep the exercises fun and engaging. If you are enjoying playing the name game then guess what your dog is too. Which means that your recall game is going to be that much more effective!

So what should you do instead of yelling your dogs name over and over?

You can repeat “puppy, puppy, puppy” or call their nickname. You can clap your hands and become more exciting. You can mix up the rewards, sometimes use treats, maybe some kibble or have a ball or play some tug.

Just promise me this, stop killing their names and on a second thought let’s add in the cues as well.

Let’s have our pups hang on to everything we say rather than tuning us out.

What are some ways you all get your dogs attention? Leave a comment below!

05/07/2022

When you start training, it's essential to understand how your dog learns. This way, you can have the most success working with your dog!

The 4 Stages of Learning:
1. Learning
2. Fluency
3. Generalization
4. Maintenance

✅ Learning: The first step to all training. We start by luring or capturing the behavior we want. To do this, you want to use their kibble or treats to lure the behaviors you want. It takes about 20-80 reps. (even more!) for dogs to learn simple cues such as sit, down, and stand. Break this down into short, simple exercises for 5- 10 minutes several times a day. Once our dogs show an understanding, we can move to the next step.

✅ Fluency: is just a continuation of the learning phase; only now, you shouldn't be luring your dog with treats, only using them as a reward for doing the cue you ask for. You will want to start upping the criteria for the reward, whether by holding the duration before the reward or chaining several cues together before rewarding.

✅ Generalization: this stage is the most difficult and where dog trainers are experts. When your dog excels in different low-level distraction environments (your backyard, quiet street, empty park, etc.), you can move to more challenging spaces (outdoor dog park, downtown spaces, etc.) Once your dog is doing between 80%- 90% in an environment with no distractions, it's time to add distractions.
Timing for corrections and rewards are most crucial here. It is vital to ensure they have had time to understand what you are asking in each new environment before adding them.
I will do a post on corrections because this is very important.

✅ Maintenance: Most people believe that once their dog learns a cue or behavior, then they are done. I'm afraid that's not right because dogs aren't computers, and training is a skill that should always be worked on.

These behaviors and cues need to be consistently reinforced and practiced. The only way your dog can keep the habit you worked so hard on is to be consistent with them and continue to manage the behavior. If your dog has any regression, it is perfectly okay to go back a step or two to hone the skill or behavior.

Remember always to have fun.

02/07/2022

Did you know that there are different types of dog walks? When it comes to training it’s good to have a mix.

04/05/2022

23/03/2021

🐶𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐏 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏🐶:

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 🏡:

We personally love this game as the dog training game focuses on teaching your dog basic life skills and manners around your house.

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄’𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘:

1️⃣ Put 50 treats (or pieces of your dog’s dinner kibble) in a jar or treat pouch.
2️⃣ Pay attention to your dog while you’re getting ready for the day, prepping dinner, or relaxing in the evening. Don’t prompt or cue him to do anything specific.
3️⃣ When your dog does something you like (sitting, lying down, looking up at you before going through a door, choosing to ignore the cat), say “good boy” and toss him a treat.
4️⃣Repeat until all of the treats are gone.

This game helps you capitalize on the good behaviors your dog already offers. Second, it helps you recognize your dog’s good behavior. Third, it’s manageable even in a busy household. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐎.🤗

12/03/2021

🧡𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐🧡

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆?😬

If your dog eats everything in sight, including your doorway trim and furniture, your dog may be teething, bored, or stressed. With young dogs, excessive chewing is often related to teething. Like teething human babies, their gums are sore and gnawing on stuff helps. Unfortunately, that “stuff” might be your furniture legs, your shoes, or other things you don’t want eaten.

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏:

1️⃣Start by dog proofing your house. Make sure shoes, electronics, books, anything you don’t want chewed and can be moved are kept out of reach of your puppy.

2️⃣Give your pup plenty of physical and mental exercise. With older dogs, you may want to make it a point to get more exercise everyday. Longer walks, fetch time, play dates with other dogs...it may be that your dog just needs more stimulation. As they say, tired puppies are good puppies.

3️⃣Give your dog plenty of people-time. Your dog won't know how to behave if you don't teach them alternatives to inappropriate behavior, and they can't learn these when they are in the yard by themselves.

4️⃣Lastly, If your puppy is teething, try freezing a wet washcloth for them to chew on. The cold cloth will soothe their gums. Supervise your puppy so they don't chew and swallow any pieces of the washcloth.

𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐰 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫🐶🐾

03/03/2021

💙𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏💙

‼️𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆‼️

If your neighbors complain that your pup barks all the time when you’re not home, it’s a problem. Not just because you’d prefer to have civil relations with your neighbors but also because your dog is trying to tell you something. Granted, some dogs are barkers and it’s how they express themselves. Dogs bark to claim territorial rights, to express their frustration, gain attention, in response to other dogs barking, etc.

However, when you assess the barking triggers, you may find that reducing the barks is a matter of simple training. According to the ASPCA, “The first step toward reducing your dog’s barking is to determine the type of bark your dog is expressing.

The following questions can help you to accurately decide on which type of barking your dog is doing so that you can best address your dog’s problem.
* When and where does the barking occur?
* Who or what is the target of the barking?
* What things (objects, sounds, animals or people) trigger the barking?
* Why is your dog barking?

Once you’ve addressed the main reasons for the barking, territorial, greeting, etc. then you can address it through a training program. (We offer these)

𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐏 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐏 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑🐶

01/03/2021

𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐀 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐩🐕

💖Crate training is something that is not only recommended by vets, but by trainers too. In emergencies, crate training can be the difference between safety and uncertainty. You must be able to evacuate your dog efficiently, so having a cooperative dog get into a crate quickly saves crucial time! Having dogs secured during evacuations reduces the chance of them getting lost or injured. It also allows your dog to stay with you during an emergency, since dogs typically have to be crate trained to remain in shelters with their owners.

💖Crate training also comes in handy during everyday life for dogs who might need a break from a bustling household or a familiar place to rest. Crates help dogs learn to self soothe, or deal with their anxiety, during situations where they become distressed, like during fireworks, a thunderstorm, or construction. Dogs can retreat to their crates when situations are too chaotic or scary. It also helps dogs confront new situations successfully, like the addition of a new baby having company over.

💖The first and most important step in crate training is making it a positive experience. Try feeding them meals or treats in their crate so crate time feels like a reward. Never leave dogs in their crate all day. Limit crate time based on how long they spend in their crate daily, their age, and level of house training.

💖Understanding the need for crate training is just the first step, but the training itself is another matter entirely. 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐏 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐏!💖

23/02/2021

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐔𝐏?👱🏻‍♀️❤️🐶

A well trained and obedient dog is is a joy and pleasure to have around your home, friends and family. It isn’t until you come across an untrained dog that you realize what an inconvenience and damper it can put on your fun and joy. When your pet isn’t properly trained it can cause headaches and issues both in your home (chewed up furniture, broken belongings, torn papers and a house full of toilet paper bits!) and when you’re out in public.

Let’s explore this a little more🤔…

If you’re looking to train your pup to meet these characteristics, you can consider hiring a professional dog training expert or even find some local dog training classes. (Ahem, we offer BOTH!) Depending on how your dog is currently behaving you might want to look into specifics such as reaction training or aggression training.

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐠:

𝟏 – 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐎𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞
Both outdoors and when someone comes in the house. A well trained dog will usually walk up and sniff you out or be excited to see you, but won’t jump on you.
𝟐 – 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐠 𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞
We know, it breaks our heart! We want to feed them, but we just can’t.
𝟑 – 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬
A well trained dog shouldn’t trouble your guests. If they do, consider keeping them in a separate room or behind a baby fence until they’re properly trained.
𝟒 – 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐭 & 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲
This is the foundation of a well trained dog and where I personally start with all my clients.
𝟓 – 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐡
It’s true. A well trained dog won’t pull on the leash. If you find them pulling, then you’ll have to invest some additional time into teaching them to walk beside you.

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐩, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐘𝐎𝐔.👇

17/02/2021

𝟕 𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐖💛

1. 𝐒𝐈𝐓: We like to always teach sit first because it’s the most natural concept for most pups and therefore also one of the easiest for them to learn, so even pets who are new to training can get the hang of it within a few sessions. And because it's also a transition command, once a dog can sit, you can move on to other directives.
2. 𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍: A standing pup could bolt like a running vehicle, because there's nothing keeping her in place. A sitting dog is like a car in Park, but it's still easy for her to boogey out of there. But when she’s lying down, you’ve cut the engine. Because the command helps you control your pup, it’s also a great transition to more complicated tricks.
3. 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘: A dog who knows how to stay won’t run into the street if she gets loose, so this is one of the most important skills for any dog to learn.
4. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄: If you plan to take your dog anywhere off-leash, she must know how to come when called. It can keep her safe at the dog park if a scuffle breaks out, get her away from the street if she breaks off the leash, or ensure she stays close when hiking.
5. 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋: Dogs of all sizes should learn to heel, or walk calmly by your side, especially if you exercise your pup in busy urban areas where there's not much room on the sidewalk. The skill is even more important for large or strong pups who naturally pull on the leash.
6. 𝐎𝐅𝐅: Jumping on visitors or furniture is one of the most common dog issues, so if your pooch can't keep four paws on the floor, don't despair.
7. 𝐍𝐎: Some trainers teach both No and Leave It for slightly different situations, such as using No when a dog shouldn't do something and Leave it for when you want your pup not to investigate an item or situation. Keep things simple and use No. No makes a good, all-purpose command for everything you want your pup not to do.

𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐏?🐶𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐖👇

13/02/2021

Happy Saturday Paw Pals🐾

𝐈𝐒 𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐏 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏💛

Now more than ever, companies are taking their services online. Perhaps one of the most positive things to come from the COVID pandemic has been the rise of virtual dog training and the accessibility it provides you while you are busy working from home.

One of the more common questions we get is clients asking if virtual dog training is as effective as in-person training?

The simple answer is 𝐘𝐄𝐒!😍 We have found virtual training to be as effective as in-person training.

You will receive the exact same guidance and instruction as our in-person training with the main difference being that you will be the one handling your dog for the duration of the training which is actually more constructive in that you will build your confidence and notice faster results at home in a comfortable and safe environment that your pup feels good in.

Another question we get is if your pup is a candidate for virtual dog training? Whether you have a new puppy or an older dog, virtual training can work wonders to provide an obedience and manners foundation, solve behavioral problems, and answer all of your questions in a user-friendly, effective format.

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐔𝐒 𝐀 𝐃𝐌 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐎𝐂𝐇 𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘.🐶💻

11/02/2021

𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐏𝐎𝐎𝐏💩𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏: 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐏𝐎𝐎𝐏 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇?😊

1️⃣Black Dog P**p – Black dog p**p can be a troubling warning sign about your dog’s health. It could mean your pup is having a problem with their gastrointestinal tract, or GI tract. For example, black dog p**p could be a sign of an ulcer.
2️⃣Green Dog P**p – Green stool is typically not a big deal. It usually means your pet is simply eating a lot of grass. There are, however, some instances where it’s a sign of parasites. ALWAYS a good idea to take your dog to the vet to rule out a parasite problem.
3️⃣Grey Dog P**p – In some cases, grey or greasy-looking dog p**p is a sign that your dog’s pancreas isn’t doing it’s job – to produce the enzymes necessary for the digestion of fat.
4️⃣Orange Dog P**p – This could be nothing more than p**p moving too quickly through your dog’s digestive system. Your pup’s intestines don’t have enough time to absorb bile, the substance that makes p**p brown. In some instances, however, it could mean there’s a problem affecting your dog’s liver.
5️⃣Purple Dog P**p – If you see that your dog’s stool is purple, you have every reason to be worried. This jelly-like purple p**p may mean that your pet is experiencing internal bleeding. Seek medical attention as quickly as possible. As long as the issue is addressed immediately, there’s a good chance your dog will recover fully.

𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐏 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐏’𝐒 💩