Reeds K9 Training - Anchorage, AK

05/07/2025

01/20/2025

When you have clear boundaries with your dog, everyone wins. It keeps your sanity in tact and your dog safe while offering them predictability– something that is key to their mental wellbeing in our confusing, complicated, and often scary human world. It’s also important to look at boundaries for dogs as a two-way street: you want your dog to follow your boundaries, and in turn you should follow theirs.

Some boundaries we might set for our dogs could be:
-Not coming into the kitchen while you are cooking.
-Walking nicely on a leash.
-Not jumping on you when you walk through the door.

Some boundaries our dogs might have that are important for us to respect:
-Not bothering them when they are sleeping or eating.
-Letting them leave a space they are not comfortable in.
-Not petting them when they don’t want to be pet.
Learning and respecting our dog’s boundaries can get tricky, as dog communication can start really subtle. For example, a growl is a lot more noticeable than a lip lick, even though they both serve the same function.

01/13/2025

Teaching your dog to stay may be one of the most basic commands, but it is equally one of the most important! If your dog cannot hold his stay, with distractions, for a period of time more than 10 minutes, we really need to practice. You’d be surprised by how easy this is to teach.

Here are some basic tips that I want you to start with.

1. Always use a leash.

2. You want to start with a physical location when teaching stay, and we typically use the dogs bed.

3. If your dog can only stay for 10 seconds, start there. Every 10 seconds I want you to say yes, walk up to your dog and give them a treat, and then take a few steps back . Your dog is only allowed to release if given a release word like break, release or free.

4. Practice daily, slowly having your dog stay for a longer amount of time.

-never call your dog to you when teaching a stay/place command, this often confusion them and encourages the dog to break the command to follow you.

01/06/2025

Just like humans, dogs simply want a comfortable place to lie down. If comfort can be combined with being next to their beloved human, whether it’s right next to you on the couch, or even on top of your lap, then they’re all for it. In some cases, dogs will guard their sleeping and resting areas, and will show aggression when humans approach these sacred areas. This type of behavior will require remedial training. But for the average pup, sleeping in bed or resting on the couch has no adverse behavioral effects.

12/30/2024

Resource Guarding AKA Possessive Aggression

This is when a person or an animal approaches a dog while it is in possession of something it wants to retain. A dog enjoying a bone might be more likely to display resource guarding if the owner tries to take the bone, but the behavior can also be seen in dogs near an object or near people. Resource guarding is most commonly displayed when a dog is in possession of highly motivating food, treats, chew toys, stolen items, sleeping places or even their favorite person . While genetics and early experience play a role in development, the relative value of the object to the pet and the threat of losing the object to another dog or person determines whether the pet is likely to be possessive. Items that are novel or scarce may be more desirable. Fear and defensive behavior also play a role if the owners threaten, punish, or confront the pet when it takes an object. The dog may also learn that it can successfully retain the object with aggression.

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you and your family. We hope its filled with joy, laughter and lots of snoot kisses.

12/23/2024

In recent times, science has progressed a long way and we now understand that dogs have all of the same brain structures that produce emotions in humans. Dogs also have the same hormones and undergo the same chemical changes that humans do during emotional states. Dogs even have the hormone oxytocin, which, in humans, is involved with feeling love and affection for others. With the same neurology and chemistry that people have, it seems reasonable to suggest that dogs also have emotions that are similar to ours. However, it is important to not go overboard and immediately assume that the emotional ranges of dogs and humans are the same. This means that a dog will have all of the basic emotions: joy, fear, anger, disgust, and even love. However, based on current research it seems likely that your dog will not have those more complex emotions like guilt, pride, and shame.

12/16/2024

Like chewing and digging, begging may be rooted in our dog’s instincts. Because their wild ancestors didn’t get regular meals, they needed to eat whenever they could. This means your dog has a natural knack for sniffing out tastiness! Plus, if you’ve ever snuck your dog a table scrap (we’ve all been there), you’ve unfortunately taught them that their begging worked, and it’s now a learned behavior.

To stop this behavior maker you feed separately from your dog from the start: If you have a new furry friend in your home, start this routine from day 1! When it's time for you to eat, put your dog in their crate or another room with an occupying chew toy. Only let them out when you're finished.

Confine your dog once they beg: It’ll be tough, but try to endure the barking and whining for as long as it takes. Once your dog quiets down, let them out. If you repeat this enough, they should learn that begging will not get them what they want.

Feed leftovers in their food bowl: Experts recommend only feeding 10% of their total meal as leftovers, and in most cases it’s best not to at all. However, If you want to feed leftovers (just make sure they’re healthy human foods for dogs!), put them in your pup’s designated food bowl so it’s a regular part of their meal time.

Teach a “place” command. Teach your dog to go to their bed or a designated spot in the house whenever its time to eat. Creating a routine .

12/15/2024

12/09/2024

When using positive punishment training, the dog’s undesirable behaviors are punished by adding an aversive. Punishment of any behavior makes that behavior less likely to be repeated. “Positive” refers to adding something. For example, a dog pulls on his leash while walking. The owner adds an abrupt pop or tightening of his collar. This is unpleasant and intended to stop the dog’s pulling: the behavior stops because the dog wants to avoid the collar correction. The same technique can be used with training tools including a spray bottle, noise horn, prong collars, slip leads, and electronic containment system training (ecollar). The dog learns a boundary to avoid the unpleasant correction.

12/05/2024

This!!!!

12/02/2024

It is estimated that roughly 14% of dogs have separation anxiety, or an inability to find comfort when separated from family members. Top help your dog start by practicing leaving your dog alone: The best way to acclimate your dog to your departures? Practice! Here’s a dog behavior training routine to try:
Decide to leave the house, but don’t make a big fuss. Put your furry friend in their crate or dog room, turn on some music, quietly grab your belongings, and leave. Stay nearby, trying to keep an eye and ear on your dog without them knowing. If they get upset, allow them time to settle down. Otherwise, enjoy a silent cheer.When they’re quiet and you've been out for at least five minutes, return as if nothing happened. Put your things down and quietly & calmly greet your dog—no smothering them with affection.
Put on their leash and take them outside, just as you would if you were returning from a longer trip. They’ll eventually learn that you care for their needs once you come home.Repeat this a few times a day in the first days and weeks, increasing the amount of time you are gone. If you're confining them to a single room, be careful about leaving anything they can accidentally chew or consume.

If you feel you've tried your best and the situation hasn’t improved, consider working with a dog trainer and your veterinarian. Your dog may need a remedy that helps with their nerves and dog behavior training to help them cope easier.