Dog Training Archives - Page 2 of 4

Help a dog overcome fear of an object

Dogs may be fearful of environmental objects like garbage cans, cars, and statues. Your goal is to help the dog get used to the object without scaring him. This process is called developing a conditioned emotional response through classical conditioning. Help your dog change how he feels about something scary 1. Determine the distance at…

Start your puppy swimming

Many dogs are afraid of pools, perhaps because they are unable to gauge the depth of the water. People enter pools by navigating steps or diving, and neither approach is canine friendly. Following are suggestions for introducing your puppy to pools: 1. Choose a pool that features a wading area or beach front ramp entrance.…

Introduce your puppy to horses

When introducing your puppy to horses, be mindful of the following: 1. Puppies have fear periods. During these developmental stages (8-9 weeks, 6-9 months), it is wise to avoid traumatic experiences and capitalize on neutral or confidence-building ones. 2. Individual puppies react differently to new challenges. Some puppies will shrink back from novelty; others will…

Establish structure in the home

If your dog is behaving in ways you don’t like at home, establish structure there. A few trained behaviors will help make home life feel less chaotic. 1. Wait at the Door (people cross thresholds first for safety) 2. Leave It 3. Off (get off beds and furniture when requested) 4. Say Please – Sit…

Golf Cart Ride with Sophie

Aussie mix and Certified Equine Safe Sophie takes a golf cart ride with Ben that includes a duration Stay while Charlie walks around her and a neighbor’s dog barks in the distance. She comes out of the cart on command, offers a nice front, and then loads on command. In some areas of the Village…

First lesson with Dotie

First session with deaf puppy Dotie with a vibrating collar, which we use initially to get the puppy to make eye contact with us, and later as a cue for her to come find us. The sequence Walt refers to is, “Toggle (press the button on the collar), Thumbs Up (our signal for “Yes”), Treat.”…

Sadie meets a horse

Sadie, a 12-week-old female Blue Heeler puppy, meets Uno, an 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding. We kept this young puppy on a leash for safety and fed her when near the horse. We allowed her to choose where to be and fed in position when she backed up. Reliable Uno rarely burns an extra calorie in…

Marlee does Laundry

https://studio.youtube.com/video/876xTqM_jIc/edit Ben starts female Goldendoodle Marlee on the cue Laundry, a task in which she picks up items of clothing and puts them in the laundry basket. Marlee’s mom is a busy person, so we thought we’d ask her pup to chip in on the house work.

Freddie does food bowl exercises

Walt does food bowl exercises with young JRT Freddie. These exercises may mitigate resource guarding and are especially important for dogs living with young children.

Ziggy learns to Move

https://studio.youtube.com/video/zZ2JJX-JQ1w/edit Ben works with six-month-old male Labradoodle Ziggy on Move, which means get out from underfoot and/or out of the trainer’s line of travel. Some dogs stay more close to people than others, and while we may value this quality, at its worst it causes trips and falls and may contribute to door dashing and…