So how can I refer to what I do?Yes, technically, I am a Certified Professional Dog Trainer but it just doesn't sit right. It's not about getting dogs to "obey"
I had to take some time to think about how I approach the process of helping dogs and their people learn. I am always paying attention to body language, considering emotions, trying to keep things playful, breaking learning down into smaller digestible chunks, building trust, setting boundaries and remaining consistent with them. A-HA. I figured it out!
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Do you know why your dog ignores you?You know those times when you have somewhere to be and you need to call your dog to come inside but he just takes his time responding? Or maybe he even plays a little game of keep-away at the most inconvenient time? It happens to everyone! There are many reasons why your dog might ignore you or get distracted by something else but all those reasons can be pretty easily summed up into 5 main categories. This will help you better understand how to start to work on the problem so that you can start getting better attention from your family dog!
Do you have a dog who loves to put everything in his mouth?Do you know the 3 main reasons why dogs will often steal items they shouldn't have?
11/29/2020 0 Comments Favorite Walking Gear11/25/2020 0 Comments Hosting a Thanksgiving meal?Here are some quick tips to keep your pup busy and safe during your feast!
Days like this are about the management, not the training. Hosting a meal or guests can be stressful enough. Use the day of to apply good management techniques and worry about changing any problem behaviors on another day
11/24/2020 0 Comments What's the behavior you want?When you are dealing with problem behaviors, there are two main directions you can go in, two paths to changing the behavior. Just like with kids, we can tell our dogs NO all the time, but it's exhausting. And it can be an uphill battle. So let's explore the two paths... Path A: Stop the problem behavior. Remove attention, remove access, give consequences (never physical). Tell your dog NO, don't do that. Stop running away. Stop begging. Stop jumping. Essentially, you have to wait for the behavior to happen so you can tell your dog not to do it. Or... Path B: Teach your dog a skill that is incompatible with the problem behavior. Your dog takes off with socks? Teach him to bring it. He can't run away with an item and bring you an item at the same time Your dog begs at the table? Teach him to stay on his bed. He can't beg and be in his bed at the same time Your dog runs away when you are trying to get him to come? Teach him to target your hand (touch your hand with his nose). He can't run away from you and offer that behavior at the same time What problem behavior are you dealing with? What could you intentionally teach your dog to replace that behavior? So Path A or Path B. It's your choice but I know what I would prefer! If you need help learning HOW to teach those replacement behaviors, that's exactly what my Elementary Pup Course in the Canine Homeschooler Academy teaches you
Whether you have a puppy, a teenager, or an adult dog playing the game of keep-away with what he found, you have two choices in the momentYou could jump on Path A: Catch your dog, take the item, and put it away or throw it away
or... You could jump on Path B: Grab a treat, offer it to your dog in exchange for what he stole, and then take the item Where does Path A take you? Where does Path B take you? They go in two very different directions! 10/31/2020 0 Comments Reasons why your dog keeps jumpingBoing, Boing, Boing! 🤦♀️ Does that describe your dog?
I hear it all the time. My dog won't stop jumping on me when I walk in the door. My dog gets so excited to see people and jumps all over them. My dog started stealing things off the counter now that he's big enough. I feel like I'm constantly pushing my dog off of me. While it's not a new problem for me to hear about, when you're in it, it can feel very overwhelming, embarrassing, and like you somehow created this problem...
For all the parents out there, do you remember potty training, or toilet training, your child? It wasn't easy. There were a lot of parts that needed to be accomplished. Your child had to recognize the urge, control her bladder, know where it was appropriate to go, alert you, have the drive to go in the new spot instead of the easier, familiar spot, and so much more!
Puppies need to learn the same basic pieces. They need to learn the appropriate place, be convinced to go there instead of the easier, more familiar floor, hold their bladder/bowels, alert you, etc. See the parallels? I have come up with 5 pillars to potty training and a 3 stage plan that you can master. Let me share the questions you need to start thinking about if you are going to have any success with potty training and then we can get into learning the 3 stage process
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