Good Shake Dog Training Squamish

This was the first dog we encountered with our client and Sterling, where he was completely off leash and we were doing the steps to keep him with her, rather than go play. Because of that, we didn’t direct our client to keep walking, knowing Sterling could stay sitting and seeing that the strange dog didn’t care about meeting up, we were pretty positive it’d be a smooth interaction, and didn’t want to overwhelm our client with directions. The more we walked, we asked our client to keep Sterling moving, as it is easier for dogs to stay focused on you when you’re on the go rather than staying still, watching the trigger approach you. And of course, that is the long term goal! We’re very happy with our client and Sterling’s progress!! They’re killing it 👏👏 #poodle #training #dogtrainer #trainer #positivereinforcement #forcefree #forcefreerecall

Teaching Leash Manners to puppies or adult dogs looks very similar. The only difference is with very young puppies, our expectations can be a lot lower. We don’t need a perfect heel, we just don’t want to walk with them pulling on the leash. If you teach them young, pulling = stopping, and stay consistent with it, you’ll soon notice how much less they’ll pull. Why? Because stopping is boring! Who wants to do that?! Rewarding your dog whenever they’re next to you, will in itself help your dog stay in heel because they’ll realize that if they stay there, they’ll get paid, and it’s more fun to get treats than no treats. Have a dog that doesn’t take treats on walks? Let us know if you’d like a video about that 👇👇 #puppy #leashmanners #training #positivereinforcement #dogwalk #walkswithdogs #puppyseason #puppyclasses #dogtrainer

A couple of things to note: 1. Notice how little Raph is speaking? This allows Milo to think through his emotions, and make choices on his own. As humans we tend to word vomit, and not be patient- this creates more confusion for your dog!! As much as possible, we always encourage to allow your dogs to make choices on their own, and you be right there to tell them they made a good one. 2. Milo DOES check in- he just needs time! Raph asked for a “look”, got nothing, so he tried a prompt to help Milo. Still nothing. That means Milo is above threshold and while there may be a couple of things that could snap him out of it, he was at a large enough distance that we know he could work through it. When you know your dog can work through it- allow them to. You will notice results begin showing more when you do!! For this method, one of many with reactivity, it’s all about pairing the dog with the check in. If you stay silent, your dog looks at a strange dog, then looks at you and you give them a treat. Your dog has learned “when I see a dog, and look at my handler, I get rewarded”. When your dog sees a dog, and you ask for look, and they listen your dog thinks “I saw a dog…. I heard look, checked in and then I got rewarded”. The cue to check in is “look”, not the dog. Don’t get us wrong- at first you’ll need to ask for a look (and teach that if you haven’t already) but when they get the hang of it, stop asking when you’re able to! #training #trainingtips #dogtrainer #reactivity #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementdogtraining

Moka here was brought home at 5 months from the breeder, and took a group puppy classes where she learned two basics; sit and down. As many owners do over time, we stop paying (giving treats) to our dog for doing behaviours they’ve already learned, especially a sit. With that, we also start repeating ourselves. Now, many months later, Moka isn’t quick to respond to “sit”. She takes 5 seconds to plop down. Why is that? She’s learned sit as “SIT” because when you ask your dog repeatedly, typically you get a little frustrated and impatient, so you raise your voice or say it more sternly. On top of this confusion for our dogs, we have also said it 3-5 times, not 1 time. Our learned “sit” becomes “sit, sit, SIt, SIT, SIT”, or even more confusingly at the end we’ll add in “sit DOWN”. In short, if you’re dog doesn’t listen to sit the first time ask yourself 1. When was the last time you paid for sitting when asked? 2. Have I been repeating myself and not giving them time to process my ask (up to 15 seconds) We hope that helps! #training #sit #puppy #learning #positivereinforcement

This is a handy trick for quick wipe ups - especially during walking + training since it involves eating which creates more drool 😅 But, note that this is part of the overall desensitizing of wiping up Boulder’s face. For real wipe downs, he’s also okay with you rubbing the towel all over his face. Why? Because he gets paid for it! Consistently!! #drool #wipeup #face #boulder #greatdane #dog #cooperativecare

3 things I keep consistent with my walks… as a professional dog trainer who also offers enriching walks- or as I like to say; working walks! 1️⃣ Leash Manners AKA No Pulling Loose leash walks are a must! While not the only manners we work on, leash manners are definitely a priority! A combination of time to smell and heeling for food, no matter what, includes a loose leash. 2️⃣ No Reactions… well at least as much as we can (excuse my intense eye roll 🤣) While no one can ever guarantee a reaction-free walk, we make it our goal to achieve this, to the best of our capability. Using methods we teach to our dog training clients, we help manage and improve reactions, aiding in your journey with this. 3️⃣ Mental Excerise Whether it’s brain games, nature’s snuffle mat (shown in video) or training a fun/useful trick, in addition to the training done while walking, we dedicate time specifically to work your pup’s brain to tire them out all that much more! Interested in a working walk for your working breed dog? Contact us today: 778-788-DOGS or [email protected] #squamish #workingdog #walk #dogwalk @downtownsquamish

The MAJOR benefit of hiring a dog trainer as your dog walker? You get some “free” training!! You also get tips for your walks and helpful information. Of course our main job when we come in as a walker, is to walk your pup, but it’s hard for us to not work on things we know will firstly, benefit both us and you, and secondly, help add enrichment to your pups walk! Dogs want to think and learn, so we add as much of it as possible in our walks. Interested in trying out one-on-one walks where your dog gets undivided attention and learning? Call us! Message us on IG or FB! Email us! We’ve got options 😉 We hope to hear from you soon! @downtownsquamish #squamish #dog #walk #dogwalker #privatewalks #dogtrainer #trainingwalks

Mona: are we actually going to walk anywhere? #sciencebaseddogtrainer #positivereinforcement #ofcourse #trend Don’t get us wrong- we are Positive reinforcement trainers, however no trainer or dog owner can ONLY be R+. Life is unpredictable and we cannot control our dogs environment- working on a sit and they sit on a something pointy that causes discomfort or pain? That’s not just R+. Ending a training session when your dog is having a blast? Not just R+ training. If you’re looking for a trainer that doesn’t use punishment, looking for a science based one is a good start- typically that means they’ve studied material that shows using P+ does more harm than good, and is simply not needed. P.S. who also has a reactive dog? 🙋‍♀️🙋 (really most dogs are reactive to a certain degree, even if they’re not barking or lunging at the end of a leash! Let us know if you want a video explaining this!) #squamish #canada

Mona has a lot of energy and coming outside is VERY exciting for her - she’s already eager to see things and bark at them, smell everything and just take in everything that’s around her. What she isn’t eager to do? Lay down and relax. We needed to take a break and just talk, and quickly saw how hard this was for Mona so we took some extra time to sit down and work on it. In the first 10 minutes, we waited for Mona to make the decision to lay down on her own…she didn’t. That’s not normal! If your dog doesn’t lay down in 10 minutes of you sitting down with them, then it’s something you may want to work on. Why do you want/need your dog to be calm outside? So that you can go places and just stay there without your dog pacing!! It’s also not fun for your dog to be SO alert outside- they should be calm and confident, and be given the tools to behave this way. (We also had to teach our dog this, and she’s not perfect!!) Tips to help with making outside more calming: - bring a bone/chew/kong with you to a park bench and sit there with your dog on the floor below you, while they complete the activity you brought. - make more trips outside to do nothing. Walk to your front door, down the steps and just stand there for a few minutes, then return home. - mark and reward all calm behaviours you see; laying down, laying down but with a leg kicked out showing they’re more relaxed, laying down with their head down, sitting, staying still - think of places you want to take your dog and then set those up for practice! #training #tips #neutraldog #socialization #newdog #calmdog #trainer

In Home Dog Sitting! We come to your dog, so they don’t have to change their routine + environment!! This is perfect for ANY dog, but especially those who wouldn’t enjoy a boarding type of sitting. Additionally, if you have more than a dog in your home, they get taken care of too…for the SAME price!! We love ALL pets 😺 Reach out today to book an in person meeting, or share this with a friend you think would be interested! #petsitting #dogsitter #home #housesitter #fun #anxious #anxiety #fear #reactivedog #reactivedogsitting

Working towards off leash with Sterling! #poodle #whitepoodle #whitedog #offleash #adventures #adventurewithyourdog

Beautiful moment between Boulder and Raph here! Boulder is a Great Dane, so drool comes with spending time with him- especially when you’re feeding him food haha- he needs lots of wipe downs so it’s important he’s comfortable with this happening. You can see here no resistance from Boulder and what does he get for allowing this to happen? Some food at the end!! Great work Raph and Boulder 👏👏 #greatdane #greydog #cooperativecare #cooperation #dogs #bigdog #largedog #dane #gd #gddog

Feeling #thankful for all these memories with these amazing, wonderful pups!! We appreciate every visit and moment we get to spend with your little ones 💕 #dog #dogs #doglife #memories #2023 #superbowl

We love check ins 🤩 #dog #dogwalk #walks #walker #checkin #checkins #training

Sterling hard at work, learning to walk in heel, and stay there!! After some hard work and dedicated sessions, he’s now more and more acting like the boomerang we want. Get ahead/at end of leash = quickly come back to heel 👏 Follow along to see his progress as he gets even better!! #poodle #training #walking #dogwalks #doglearning #dogtrainer #westvancouver #raincouver #west #westend #canada

Reminder, for me as well, that things take time!! I got too excited about Sue doing exactly what I wanted so quickly that I set him up for failure, allowing both him and I to get frustrated when he rightfully failed 🤦‍♀️ After this he was able to stop between my legs but never sat again in the 5 minutes we worked on it. Why? Because I missed my opportunity and he was not confident from there on out of exactly what I wanted! Dogs are super smart and capable of amazing things but they only have a toddler brain so they’re limited. Sometimes it’s hard to remember those limitations! When you hear “set your dog up for success”, what does that really mean? It can mean 1. Setting up an environment they’ll succeed in. 2. Paying them for the small steps in the right direction. 3. Being clear on what you want. 4. Limiting options for failure. In this video how did we hit each one (or rather not hit it?) 1. Gave enough space for Sue to walk around my legs, behind and through them for his body size and comfortably being in small spaces ✅ 2. Accepting small wins and paying him for walking towards and through my legs, gradually increasing the difficulty 🚫 3. Paying him extra well for doing the end goal ✅ Being clear myself in the steps I would like to see and building a plan to get there 🚫 4. Paying him for the small things, keeping expectations low 🚫 What are some other ways you can set your dog up for success? #positive #positivereinforcement #cool #training #dogtrainer #dogtraining #trainingisfun #between #middle

Walks don’t get much better than this ☀️ #sue #frenchie #greydog #dogwalker #walks #bc #walksinsquamish #squamishdogs

Make my 12 year old dog’s food with me! • @orijenpetfood Senior Recipe • Water • @integricare_animalhealth Joint Mobility • @thrive_supplements Green Lipped Muscle • 1 Raw Egg • @woofpacks.ca Salmon Treats • @costco_canada Delight Lamb Dog Treats • Chicken Liver Dust Mally has some signs of arthritis but not to the point where it’s affecting her life in any way. We do see signs of pain when she’s walking though so but with these supplements, it’s gone down! She may have slight pain while walking but it’s definitely not stopping her from going out 🤪 #senior #seniordog #12years #12yearsyoung #dog #dogmom #dogparent #dognutritionist #dognutrition #supplements #addstuff #freshfoodmatters

Make a @kongcompany for my picky-eater dog with me! - @orijenpetfood senior recipe kibble - @woofpacks.ca salmon treats - @primalpetfoods dehydrated raw nugget - @kraft_brand peanut butter - @performatrinpetfood (ultra) chicken liver dust Above are the ingredients I used to make the Kong in this reel. I’ve found Mally (my dog) loves Greek yogurt and used to not like peanut butter but recently I’ve added a sprinkle of liver dust on top of it which has been enough to get her interested! What are some things that have worked on your picky dog? #senior #seniordog #seniorfood #recipe #kong #kongrecipe #picky #pickyeater #trickortreat #tricks #treats #finallyeating

Mally loves the water…. Not! She only loves getting her feet in it and drinking from the lake. We wish she loved swimming!! Does your dog like swimming?! #swimming #lake #love #dog #dogmom #dogdad #lake #squamish #fun