We hope you’ll never need this, but it’s always better to be prepared. Do you have plans in place for your pet in case you become ill? Check out this article from DCHS for what you’ll need (and what we as boarders need) to keep your dog safe, healthy, and happy.

“The most important thing you can do today is come up with two potential pet plans and talk directly with those people so they’re prepared in case they’re called to action.”

Do you have a dog-shaped shadow? You know, a dog that follows you all over the house, into the bathroom, so close that you trip over him when you turn around?

Some people think it’s cute. I hope that I can change their minds.

Sometimes your dog follows you because you’re being silly and he wants to play. Sometimes he follows you because you have his favorite toy or snack. Sometimes he follows you because he is trying to communicate something to you: I’m hungry, I have to go potty, I’m bored, I don’t feel comfortable being alone.

And it’s that last one that is the problem we need to address.

If your dog has an intense need to be with you, or if he gets upset when you leave him, you have a grade A clinger. And that is not something we want. Sometimes he can become visibly upset by barking, whining, pawing at the door, panting, pacing. Whatever it looks for your unique dog, we call it anxiety, and anxiety is a mental state that is not healthy for anyone to be in. And it’s not something that will go away on its own.

We need our dogs to be OK with being alone. We need them to relax while we go to work. We need to eat dinner without sad puppy eyes asking for food. We need to go to the bathroom alone. And if you can’t do that without your dog getting into a state of frustration or panic, then your life becomes incredibly small and limited.

So let’s talk about how to build your dog’s confidence and ability to be more independent.

1. Crate training.
2. The place command.
3. Feed your dog in the crate.
4. Don’t let your dog sleep in bed with you.
5. Leave the house without your dog.
6. Close the bathroom door.
7. Learn how to tell your dog “no”.

They seem like little things, but these are incredibly powerful boundaries that you can set with your dog. Setting clear boundaries tells your dog exactly how to behave in a way that he can understand. Will he like it at first? No! Nobody likes change. And nobody likes when you tell them that they can’t cling to you when it’s worked in the past. Change takes time, but if you’re consistent with it, your dog will learn to trust you even when it’s a little uncomfortable.

If you want to get rid of that dog-shaped shadow, you need to give him healthier coping techniques.

“I’m not opposed to using training tools. I just never felt confident enough to try them on my own.”

We love when our clients see the value in training tools, even if they don’t know how to use them yet. Tools are a great way to communicate with your dog, to guide your dog, to create a bond and trust that will eventually lead to off-leash freedom. But you do need to spend the time teaching your dog what your tools mean in order to see those great benefits.

Whether you use a prong collar, slip lead, e-collar, treats, affection… we need to teach your dog how to respond to its presence. Many owners don’t feel confident teaching this skill on their own, and that’s where we come in. We take the time to make sure that both you and your dog learn how to communicate effectively together. No more confusion. No more frustration. Just clear and consistent communication.

Copper turns 7(ish) today!

He came into our lives five years ago today, and little did I know how unprepared I was to help him. He had separation anxiety, couldn’t walk on a leash, didn’t know how to socialize with other dogs, hated cats, couldn’t be left alone, wasn’t house trained… Our first year together was very difficult as I realized that loving a dog wasn’t enough to give him the life that he deserved. I cried a lot, panicked a lot, worried a lot, and then I finally got down to business.

When people see the videos that I post of Copper now, they can’t believe it’s the same dog. He was a mess- and so was I. But we found training and we worked so hard to overcome his fear and anxiety. We spent countless hours learning how to walk on a leash, how to be calm around other dogs, how to listen around distractions. A lot of it was sloppy and slow and looking back, I can count dozens of things that I should have done differently. But the important thing is that I kept working with him, I kept learning, and we built such a strong bond and trust that we now carry everywhere we go.

I get teary thinking of how far he’s come, and how much he trusts me in new stressful situations. That didn’t happen overnight, and we still work at it. Learning to teach him is the reason that I discovered my love for training dogs, the reason I started this business, and he is a critical part of our team.

I truly couldn’t do the work that I do without him. Every dog that comes through our doors learns from him in some way. Whether it’s learning to read another dog’s body language, learning to relax in the same room, learning to walk calmly past another dog, or learning to play politely, Copper has played such a big role here. And as long as there are treats and belly rubs involved, he’s always a willing helper!

I am so lucky to have found him. And I am so lucky to have learned so much from such an incredible dog.

Treadmill training. Why do we do it? How do we do it? What are the benefits? Take a look at Ginger’s experience with the treadmill and how it’s helping in her training.

I didn’t even mention that it’s great for building confidence! Ginger now LOVES the treadmill and asks to go on it regularly.

I’m going to give you all a little tough love here: strangers don’t need to say hi to your dog. In fact, I don’t want strangers to say hi to my dog or any dog I’m working with. It teaches the dog to look to other people for love and affection and takes the focus away from me.

This is especially true when we’re talking about fearful dogs. We need to create space and advocate for our dogs. If they don’t feel like we have control of a situation, they will take it upon themselves to do so by lunging, barking, growling, and potentially biting. Teach your dog that you will keep it safe by keeping people out of its space. You’re the only one that should be interacting with your dog, anyway.

It’s your dog, it’s your rules. Get comfortable telling people no.

Training doesn’t need to be overly complicated. It should fit into your daily routine.

A few months ago, I had bought a new crate for the car. Rather than let the dogs run around like hooligans, I used this time to practice their self-control. They don’t need to be part of everything I’m doing, but they also don’t need to be stuck inside all day. Teach your dogs to be patient when you need it. It’s an invaluable skill that we use every day here.

You’ll notice that I go inside at one point (Molly is back-tied for safety), but both dogs stay in command. Once your dog knows the rules, it shouldn’t matter where you are or where you go. You’ll also see that Copper needed to stretch his legs out after a while, so I move him to the car to finish his place time. Remember, anything can be used for place once you teach your dog boundaries.)