Training Tips

Co-operative Care for Grooming and Vetting
Has your dog been blacklisted by your local groomer? Deemed a dangerous dog by local groomers and vets? Chances are you have not put the work in early on that is required to have a stress-free visit to the groomers and/or vet office. Is it too late? For most dogs, no. I must say, though, it will not be a fast and easy process. You will need to find a vet/groomer who is willing to allow you to book short (paid for) and longer (paid for) time slots to allow... Read more...
Littermate Syndrome
Littermate Syndrome. What Is It? Is It Real? How Do You Avoid It? To start with, yes, it is very real. What most people do not know, however, is that it can occur with any 2 or more puppies within 6 months of age of each other. It does NOT occur just with puppies from the same litter. So what is it? Well, it is generally described as a hyper attachment/emotional dependency on each other. This is where the puppies bond more to each other than the humans in their... Read more...
How Early Experiences Can Shape Your Dog
Did you know that, like people, dogs have what we will call 'core memories'? These are things, experiences, and connections that happen early in life that can shape how they act and feel about a particular thing or situation. Have you ever had a rescue dog that came from a bad situation with little to no details? And as time goes on, you discover that they have a low tolerance and high stress response to what we see as irrational. For example, I once had a rescue dog who was... Read more...
Fear, Anxiety, and How They Affect Your Dog
In the wake of the pandemic, I have seen more reactive dogs than ever before. Dogs that were either never socialized or properly exposed to the world and the people and animals in it. Reactive dogs currently make up a large portion of my client base. And I am here to tell you, there is a way through it. Did you know that the most common reason a dog is reactive is fear? Fear can rear its ugly head in many different ways. It can look like the nervous dog... Read more...
Clicker Training: What It Is and Do You Need It?
Some of you have probably heard of clicker training. It has become a common practice for many trainers to use this simple yet effective tool. They are cheap and readily available in any pet store, but many of its users are using it incorrectly. You see, a clicker is a tool used to mark a behaviour that you like and want to see more of. However, you first must teach the dog what the clicker means. This is a very simple process and can be achieved in a matter of... Read more...
Is Your Dog Lacking in Impulse Control?
Impulse control, or lack thereof, contributes to many common behavior issues from jumping, door dashing, counter surfing, social humping and even lead pulling. So how do you teach your dog to have good impulse control? Through training and play. Yes, I said play. If your dog likes to fetch or tug, then a simple method is to teach your dog to sit or down, then wait before you re-engage in play. For example: dog brings back ball, drops ball. You then require your dog to sit. You pick up the... Read more...
Socialization and Exposure
Have you noticed that your dog listens well in the house, and maybe even in the backyard but not so much on walks, family gatherings or other areas of high distraction? This is because you need to proof your training. A large part of this is exposure and socialization. The more you expose a dog to new environments, people and things, the better their ability to listen. IF you do it right that is. Yes, there most definitely is a right and a wrong way to socialize your dog. Socialization... Read more...
The Stigma Against Training Tools
For ages there has been a great divide between the purely positive trainers and the balanced trainers. Personally, I think it is childish and unnecessary. Any good balanced trainer, has their program firmly rooted in positive reinforcement. It's why treats are used. It's why marker words are used and for some even clickers. The belief is that balanced trainers use force and abuse to train dogs. Simply put, this is untrue for any good trainer. Now, I am not saying that there are not people out there who call themselves... Read more...
Breaking Things Down for Fearful and Anxious Dogs
A common occurrence with fearful and anxious dogs, is their in ability to process or complete a request. What I mean by that is this. The task requested as a whole, is too overwhelming for the dog to even attempt never mind complete. The reason for this is simply lack of confidence. So how do we increase confidence if the dog can't do any of the exercises used to build confidence? We break it down to the simplest version possible. If you are trying to teach obedience and the task... Read more...
Reactivity and How it Begins
One of the most common issues myself, and trainers in general see is reactivity. So what exactly is it, how does it start and how do we fix it? Let's begin at the start. eactivity has a sliding scale. On one end, you have the dog who is so excited to see people or dogs that they just can not contain themselves. They are wiggling, likely jumping, whining and sometimes even barking. On the other end of that scale is the dog that wants to eat the humans and or... Read more...
Adolescence
Ah, the teenage stage. What can I say, if you know, you know. When adolescence strikes, you will know. Your sweet pup who listened so well, had such great manners and loved all things will become that wild dog who disobeys, possibly reactive and some even get distructive. So how do we survive it?? Let's talk about that. If you have already done some training and set the foundation for the behaviour you want then you will get through adolescence much easier than those who waited to start training. The... Read more...
3 Essential Commands for Safe & Fun Summer Adventures with Your Dog
3 Essential Commands for Safe & Fun Summer Adventures with Your Dog Summer is the perfect time to introduce these commands to ensure you have a safety net for your dog when doing outside adventures. Whether you're hiking on a trail, camping by the lake, or just enjoying long walks at the park, having a few essential commands in your dog's vocabulary can make all the difference in keeping them safe — and giving you peace of mind. Here are three must-know commands for all your summer adventures: 1. Halt... Read more...