It’s so easy to end up working on multiple things at once. It’s hard to set criteria and stick to it. Here are a few examples from this week: 1. Sit AND Take Treats Gently: I saw this more than once. Dog owners want the behavior and the Read more…
Sometimes students have ‘Potentially Unrealistic Expectations.’ Behaviors that they say they want, and that we can theoretically train… but there isn’t actually enough time, commitment, or experience to make it happen. That’s one of the reasons we emphasize management. Crates, Gates, Leashes, Kongs, Food Toys…. things to keep Read more…
We talked about this at training yesterday and it’s been a constant source of….conflict… for me. How should young and enthusiastic dogs be greeting people? If the dog is super enthusiastic and frenzied….is it ultimately best for them to be meeting and socializing? Will enough of that calm them down…eventually? Read more…
We go over this almost every other week. Usually with young dogs who just discovered the joys of the countertops. We recently had a dog in class who had been exploring and successfully finding snacks on counters for over four years. The family had the dog wear a bell so that they Read more…
This week I had multiple students tell me that their dogs are great in training but not in “real life.” It’s actually not something that comes up too often, usually the dogs are better in “Real Life” than I would have expected. At the same time it is a complaint Read more…
Last night was yet another 4-H judging opportunity. The club I work with hosted a fun match, we had about 10-15 kids attend, I did all the showmanship, obedience, and rally judging and it went a bit smoother than expected thanks to some great helpers and ring stewards. Yet again, Read more…
About two years ago, I woke up to Blaze vomiting. He did not eat food offered to him. It could have just been a bad day. He has always been a dog to eat right away when food is presented. If he had vomited from eating something bad…he most likely Read more…
Blaze: A track. It was short, we went across some brushy areas that normally I walk around. He only hesitated a bit, checking other options before going through. We also had two places where we crossed a road, and he seemed to do fine there. It almost seemed too easy. Read more…
This is the list of the activities we use in class and the typical order. Sometimes the order changes based off of previous training history or how the dog is responding. Collar Holds: We want this to be very good before we put it with any of the other recall Read more…
I don’t know if it was because I had an almost normal amount of sleep for the first time in 10 days or if the information from vet conference was finally seeping into my head, or if it was just luck, but class last night was great. All the dogs Read more…