Snowy River Labradoodles

01/16/2026

🐕‍🦺 SMART TRAINING GOALS FOR 2026 — DON’T JUST WISH, PLAN 🎯

🧠 January is a perfect reset — not for vague intentions, but for purposeful goals designed to improve your dog’s behavior and health. Resolutions like “train more” rarely work — specific, measurable plans do.

📋 Start with a realistic assessment: are leash walks pleasant? Is recall reliable? Are there behavior or emotional gaps holding you back?

📆 Set SMART goals like:
➤ By June 1, recall will be 8/10 indoors & in the yard even with mild distraction.
➤ Within 3 months, walk calmly on a loose leash for 20 minutes, 4×/week.

🏃‍♂️ Don’t forget fitness — combine walks with mental workouts like puzzles and scent play to reduce anxiety and improve sleep.

👉 Start your best year yet here:

Start 2026 strong with achievable dog training goals and health resolutions. Expert strategies for fitness, behavior, and wellness success.

01/09/2026

Feeding a Puzzle Toy Do’s & Don’ts 🧩🥕
Feeding your dog's meal from a puzzle toy is one of the best ways to provide daily enrichment.

🧠 Puzzle Toy Feeding Guidelines:
✅ DO start with an easy toy to build their confidence and prevent frustration.
❌ DON'T just hand them a difficult toy and walk away. Show them how it works the first few times.
✅ DO adjust the difficulty as your dog gets better at solving it.
❌ DON'T use a puzzle toy if you have multiple dogs that might guard resources from each other. Feed them in separate, safe spaces.
✅ DO clean the puzzle toys regularly, just like you would their food bowl.

Make mealtime the most exciting part of their day!

📞 Call 717-629-0383
📧 Email [email protected]

01/08/2026

The Benefits of "Capturing Calmness" 🧘‍♀️✨
We often reward our dogs for doing things—sitting, staying, shaking a paw. But what if we rewarded them for doing nothing? "Capturing Calmness" is a simple yet profound training technique that teaches your dog that being relaxed is a rewarding behavior.

For energetic or anxious dogs, this is a game-changer. It helps them learn to self-soothe and offer calm behavior on their own, instead of constantly needing direction from you.

How to Capture Calmness:
🤫 Step 1: Be a Silent Observer: Keep a small bowl of treats handy. Go about your day, but keep an eye on your dog.

😌 Step 2: Spot the Calm: The moment you see your dog choose to lie down, put their head down, or simply relax on their own, it's time to act.

🚶 Step 3: The Calm Reward: Without saying a word, calmly walk over and place a treat on the floor between their paws. Then, walk away.

🔁 Step 4: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: Do this every time you see them offer a calm behavior. They will quickly learn that relaxing in the house makes good things magically appear.

This technique teaches your dog that calm is a choice they can make, leading to a more peaceful and relaxed companion.

📞 Call 717-629-0383
📧 Email [email protected]

01/07/2026

01/06/2026

How to Politely Teach "Off" the Furniture 🛋️🚫
Want to reclaim your couch? Teaching "Off" with positive reinforcement is the kindest and most effective way.

🐾 Step 1: Lure Them Off
Toss a tasty treat on the floor. The moment your dog's paws hit the ground to get it, say your cue, "Off!"

👍 Step 2: Reward on the Floor
As soon as they are on the floor eating the first treat, give them another one right away on the floor. This rewards them for being on the ground.

🛏️ Step 3: Provide a Better Spot
Teach them that their own bed is a fantastic place to be by randomly dropping treats there throughout the day.

👏 Step 4: Manage When You Can't Train
When you're not actively training, keep their leash on so you can calmly guide them off the furniture without a struggle.

📞 Call 717-629-0383
📧 Email [email protected]

01/05/2026

Your Dog's "Emergency Recall" Training Plan ✅🏃‍♂️
A standard recall ("Come!") is great, but an Emergency Recall is a life-saving cue that means "Drop everything and come back to me NOW for the best thing ever!"

Your training checklist:
🗣️ Choose a Unique Cue
Pick a word or phrase you would never use in casual conversation, like "Jackpot!" or "Touchdown!"

🎉 Make it a Party
This cue is ONLY ever used for practice and real emergencies. When you say it, it must predict an amazing reward: a shower of hot dog pieces, a special squeaky toy, etc.

🏡 Start Indoors
Practice in a low-distraction area. Say your cue once, and when your dog comes, throw the "party" with amazing treats and praise.

🌳 Move Outside (On Leash)
Practice in your yard on a long line. The reward must always be worth it for them to come back.

Never use the Emergency Recall for anything mundane, like calling them in from the yard. Save it for when it truly matters.

📞 Call 717-629-0383
📧 Email [email protected]

01/02/2026

The "Find It" Game: An Easy Scent Work Starter 👃🎯
Looking for a simple way to burn your Doodle's mental energy? The "Find It" game is a perfect introduction to scent work that you can play anywhere, anytime.

🧠 Why It's So Powerful:
This game encourages your dog to use their natural sniffing ability to solve a problem. Just 10 minutes of focused scent work can be more tiring for a dog than a 30-minute walk. It builds confidence and is incredibly fun for them.

⭐ Step 1: The "Get It" Phase
With your dog in front of you, show them a treat, say "Get it!" and toss it a few feet away for them to eat. Repeat 5-6 times so they understand the game.

⭐ Step 2: The "Find It" Phase
Now, say "Find it!" and toss the treat, but this time, toss it into slightly longer grass or just behind a chair leg so they have to use their nose for a second to locate it.

⭐ Step 3: Increase the Difficulty
Once they master that, have them "stay" while you hide a few treats around the room in easy spots. Then release them with "Find it!" and celebrate as they use their nose to discover the rewards.

This game is a fantastic way to bond and provide critical mental stimulation on cold or rainy days.

📞 Call 717-629-0383
📧 Email [email protected]

12/30/2025

Polite Leash Greetings Do’s & Don’ts 🤝🐾
On-leash greetings can be stressful for dogs. Let's set them up for success.

🐕 Leash Greeting Guidelines:
✅ DO ask the other owner "Is your dog friendly?" from a distance before approaching.
❌ DON'T allow a nose-to-nose greeting, which can be confrontational for dogs.
✅ DO keep the leashes loose and the greeting very brief (a 3-second rule is great).
❌ DON'T let the leashes get tangled, as this can cause panic and fights.
✅ DO walk in a curve to approach the other dog, rather than head-on.

A polite greeting is a safe greeting.

📞 Call 717-629-0383
📧 Email [email protected]

12/29/2025

Decoding Your Dog's Zoomies: What Do They Mean? 💨⚡
We've all seen it: that sudden, frantic burst of energy where your dog tears around the house or yard in circles. These are "zoomies," or Frenetic Random Activity Periods (FRAPs), and they are a completely normal and often hilarious part of being a dog.

Zoomies are a way for dogs to release pent-up energy or excitement. Think of it like a pressure valve releasing. They are most common in puppies and young dogs but can happen at any age.

Common Zoomie Triggers:
🛁 Post-Bath Excitement: Many dogs get the zoomies after a bath, either from the relief of it being over or the sheer joy of being clean and free.

🌙 Evening Energy Burst: It's common for dogs to get a case of the zoomies in the evening, especially if they've been resting most of the day while you were at work.

🎉 Happy Stress Release: Seeing a favorite person come home, finishing a training session, or even a moment of pure happiness during play can trigger a celebratory zoomie session.

While fun to watch, ensure the area is safe. A slippery floor or a room with sharp-cornered furniture isn't ideal. If you need to calm them, try to avoid chasing them (which they'll see as a game) and instead, calmly toss a high-value treat on their mat to encourage them to settle.

📞 Call 717-629-0383
📧 Email [email protected]