Refine Your K9

05/27/2024

I still hear of vets telling owners that puppies should not go outside, and should not be exposed to anything until they are “fully vaccinated.” This is well intentioned, but leads to a whole host of other problems, that are more likely than the things that the vet is trying to protect you from. This article gives a pretty good overview and plan for getting your puppy socialized.  https://thepuppynannyponders.blogspot.com/2024/05/until-fully-vaccinated-puppy.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2KVOmMQ2t92ms3DU5MqxdyTx4wnqlVl_u_0BsSmlN3RlRijjEUYiPjwJ4_aem_AVS4mrvBdompcekZNawV7M_v-adT0P1mx6Iy-ufydnX38flshAoHFcgC8t_0XO2RzzE3WVKMrlOuFnLpndi3ok9q&m=1

Until Fully Vaccinated – Puppy Socialization I often talk to puppy owners who have been told by their vet that they should not take ...

05/01/2024

My black animals match my flooring and their fur doesn’t show on most clothes. This is intentional.

This is the only way to pick out your furniture….

04/20/2024

This is absolutely true!

😄

09/01/2023

Kona (in black) had a big day of training other dogs today. Here she is with Whispa for some play after Whispa’s lesson working on leash manners. She had never used a regular collar before, so we gently taught her how to respond to it, and stay with us while still getting to explore and check out her world.

05/24/2022

If your dog likes playing in the water on hot days, keep this in mind!

https://www.centennialanimalhospital.com/water-intoxication/?fbclid=IwAR27o_QFqqlLVSdYVV_-WdGVkeiQSxh2psrISuTudPXBu828bYaPTV0Lru4

Does your dog like to play in the water? Too much of a good thing can be dangerous, so look out for water intoxication! Water intoxication, also known as hyponatremia is a relatively rare but potentially fatal condition that is most commonly seen in dogs that love to play in the water. Water games t...

09/09/2020

Helpful info for meeting dogs you don’t know well.

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

05/13/2020

We want you and your dog to feel this good! It’s totally possible by getting Overwhelming Success, honoring the current Grade School Level, and taking baby steps along the way.

04/27/2020

OVERWHELMING SUCCESS!
I needed Kona to feel good about the vacuum, so I taught my roommate how to do perception modification with us. Kona went from concern about the vacuum to feeling amazing and having fun. It worked because we took the time to positively effect her emotional state.
A lot of trainers would use counter conditioning and the dog would end up tolerating the vacuum, but never feeling good about it.
Each time we do this will get better, and when she’s exposed to other new things, she’s more likely to be optimistic about them too!
Kona is now thoroughly exhausted!

04/03/2020

I want to know how you’d train a donkey to allow this. What are the successive approximations to getting a donkey peacefully on your back? How do you reward without dropping the donkey? If the donkey can’t take food, is it above its Grade School Level or just in an awkward eating position? How many soldiers does it take to piggyback a donkey?

This is entirely (sorta) related to dog training in that we are always asking dogs to behave in certain ways - we need a safe, rewarding plan/method to help them understand, desire to do it, and eventually get it right.

Thanks to the TBTE methods that we’ve added to our training, we can now help dogs be the calm and confident companions that make life enjoyable.