Car manners! I see way too many dogs sitting in their owners’ laps with their heads sticking out the window, or jumping from front seat to back barking at everything they see. It’s just not safe. For you, for your dog, for anyone else on the road.
When you get your dog in the car, ask for a down. And then hold your dog accountable for that command for the entire ride. The easiest way to do this is to use a crate, doggy seatbelt, or have someone else in the car that can help you if your dog breaks command. When you open the door -nothing changes. Your dog should hold that command until you have gathered your bags, unbuckled the kids, and are ready to move.
Not there yet? Take it slow and practice in the driveway. When it comes to safety, let’s practice and get it right.
Field trips are a huge part of our board and train program. We want to make sure that your dog understands how to focus and perform all of their commands, whether at home, or in a busy environment.
Check out this clip of Opal and Loki working at a local park last week. We had different goals for each dog, but the process is really similar.
For Loki, we are building up her confidence around things she usually finds scary and overwhelming. The balls hitting the rackets, the people running around and yelling out calls… they’re all overstimulating for her. And typically when she feels that way, she lunges, barks, or runs away. So we’re teaching her how to deal with that stress in a healthy way, and hopefully convince her that the world isn’t such a scary place!
For Opal, we’re working on impulse control. This girl loves to be right in the middle of everything, so we’re working on heel around lots of people and noises, and lots of down-stays and recall. All of this practice will solidify our expectations for her: stay focused and calm, and wait for my OK to go be silly and play!
Dog training isn’t about restricting our dogs or shutting down their personalities. It’s about bringing out that personality… at the right times.
There are times I’m going to need a dog to sit silently by my side while I pay at the cash register. There are times I’m going to need her to stay focused on me and in a tight heel as we walk through a busy market or cross a busy road. And there are times that I’m going to want to play frisbee and tug-o-war and simply watch her enjoy what she loves most.
We’re not here to restrict our dogs. We’re here to teach them how to handle structure, and how to handle freedom. That’s when life with a dog becomes really fun!
We’re increasing the challenge for Opal by taking her out to a wide open field with another (well-behaved) dog. We have a long line on for safety, and just have her dragging it in case we need to grab it.
In this session, we’re having some off-leash fun, working on our sit-stays and down-stays, and recall. She actually likes hanging out close to us, so recall isn’t the biggest challenge for this girl. It’s learning to stay in a command away from us that is hard. So we’re working through that, and you’ll see a couple of corrections as we help her understand the expectations. She’s doing a great job and we’re so proud of the effort that she’s giving us. Way to go, Opal!
Dogs don’t need exercise to be calm! We have two dogs with very different behaviors and needs, but both are starting their days the same way: with the place command! Calm is becoming the standard for them every day. We’ll allow fun and play later, but we don’t want that to be their default mindset. *Please excuse my shaky camera skills.
We had the privilege of meeting with Josh Spreiter from News 3 Now / Channel 3000 to talk about dog training, the benefits of having some fun with your training, and going over some fun tips and tricks. Check out the story and let us know your thoughts!
We’ve all seen those dogs that stare so lovingly at their owner as if nothing else seems to matter to them. Coincidence? No. Magic? No. Hard work? Yes. Something every owner can achieve? Also, yes.
Here’s the secret: if you want to be the most important thing to your dog, your dog needs to believe that everything of value comes from you. That means food, toys, love and affection -your dog needs to see you as the source of all of these goodies.
Once you create a system for this, it becomes pretty easy to incorporate into your everyday life. Here’s how:
Don’t leave toys lying around the house. If your dog thinks that toys will always be available, she’ll start to lose interest. Only bring them out when you’re ready to play a good game of fetch or tug, and then put them away again. She’ll be so much more engaged with you and the toys when she’s having fun with you!
Hand-feed your dog’s meals. This sounds a little time-consuming, but think about the difference to your dog: food either comes from the bowl on the floor, or food comes from my owner’s hand. If you want to become more relevant, start providing your dog’s favorite resource (food) and they’ll start looking to you more and more.
Be picky about when you provide affection. Dogs love belly rubs and snuggles and hearing “good dog!”. If we use them too often, they can start to lose significance. Pick times when your dog is making good choices, is calm and relaxed, or is staying focused on you. You’ll start to see those behaviors more often as your dog works just a little bit harder to receive those rewards.
Have you ever heard the saying “only give your dog as much freedom as she can responsibly handle”?
There’s a lot of power in that statement. If you have a super relaxed and easy-going dog that just wants to sleep all day, doesn’t bark or get into the trash, then you can offer her more freedom because she can handle it.
But if you have a dog that paces all day, jumps on the counter, and eats the kids’ stuffies, then you need to give her more structure!
She’s telling you that she doesn’t know what to do with that much freedom. So by limiting her freedom in your home, you can start teaching her what choices she should be making.
Listen to your dog, she’ll tell you what she needs.
What does it look like to add structure to your dog’s day? The most common and easiest solution is time in the crate. This takes away the option to roam around your home and get into trouble. Most importantly, it provides structure and a very clear boundary.
I know, I know. Your dog looks sad in the crate, right?
Fear not, this isn’t a permanent solution. You still need to teach your dog how to live within your home and your rules. But the crate is a great way to bridge the gap until your dog learns those rules.
It keeps her safe, It keeps her calm. It gives her a comfy place to relax while you’re busy. Then when you’re ready, you can let her out and spend some quality time together. Whether that’s playing tug, learning a new trick, or going for a nice walk, her time out of the crate will be so much more meaningful. And the best part? You’ll be able to monitor everything she’s doing. You can let her know when she makes a great choice, and you can let her know when she makes a mistake.
