DogTrained. Positive Play. Canine Success.
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One Spot left: TRICKS FOR TREAT!!
Start date: July 14 Sunday 11:45-12:45pm, six consecutive weeks, 4 dogs per class, located at 4906 Wisconsin Ave NW. Washington DC. Tricks include Sit Pretty, Roll Over, Take a bow, Clean up toys, Crawl, Push, Weave, Spin, Shake, High Five, Cross your paws, Wipe your Paws and more! Use shaping, luring, capturing and targeting to start. variety of skills or advance them if you have already working on your tricks titles or just having fun.
Animal Behavior Wellness Center is looking for dogs to enroll in a clinical trial investigating an oral supplement and its effects on separation disorders. Please share!
Does your dog experience behavioral issues when you leave the house? Does he/she tremble, vocalize, pant excessively, or become destructive? Has your dog been diagnosed with separation anxiety? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, please contact us about enrollment in our double-blinded, placebo controlled, fully funded study. This is a completely remote study, so you don’t have to worry about bringing your dog into the clinic and adding to his/her anxiety.
This study provides you with a high-resolution, Wi-Fi enabled, audio/video recording device for use during the study to capture and send behavioral videos to Dr. Eng for evaluation. As part of our thanks for your enrollment, you will keep the recording device and receive a *$200 Amazon Gift Card at the completion of the 30-day study.
Scan the QR code or visit https://www.abwellnesscenter.com/clinical-behavior-trial for more information. Thank you for helping to promote the behavioral wellness of our best friends.
Animal Behavior Wellness Center
Treatment. Training. Compassion.
11230 Waples Mill Road
Suite 125A
Fairfax, VA, USA 22030
888.438.0788 ext.1
A little caffeine on a beautiful, rainy, New Year's Day and I have the best new game for us this year! What would you add to your dog's Bingo card?
Management is something every trainer I know talks about - it’s one of the first conversations I have with clients. Baby gates, x-pens, leash tethers, the list goes on…
I’ve always thought I was good at finding adaptive solutions but today I walked into a lesson and was blown away by the genius of my client! Their dog is a big boy who loves to counter surf, but also struggles with being confined.
Look at this beautiful AND creative solution they came up with! This is a portable ping pong net 🤯 I am so in love with this and was so impressed with their ingenious idea.
You can find them on Amazon - get one while you can because I think this is gonna be a new trend 😂
Dogs behave the way they do for many reasons. They do NOT do things deliberately to be stubborn or ‘naughty’, nor do they aim to assert control. Outdated mythologies and training methods have detrimental effects on well-being and strain the relationship between a dog and their caregiver.
🧬A dog's breed and genetic makeup can play a significant role in determining certain behavioural traits. Dogs have genetic predispositions and breed-specific tendencies that contribute to their behaviour.
Some breeds are predisposed to specific behaviours, such as herding, hunting, or guarding.
The environment in which a dog is raised and lives can profoundly impact their behaviour. Early socialisation, which involves exposing a puppy to a wide range of people, animals, and environments during their critical developmental period, is crucial for building confidence and shaping a dog's social behaviour to reduce fear or aggression.
Overstimulation can cause all kinds of unwanted behaviours as it overwhelms their senses and can lead to hyperactivity or erratic responses. For example, if a dog is exposed to loud noises, multiple people, and various stimuli all at once, or on a daily basis, they might exhibit excessive excitable behaviour, poor impulse control, become agitated and exhibit behaviours like jumping, barking, or pulling on the leash, as their senses are overwhelmed by the excessive input.
Previous experiences and learning consequences can influence a dog's behaviour. Traumatic experiences, in particular, can lead to fear, anxiety, or aggression.
How a dog is trained and educated by their caregiver or handler can significantly affect their behaviour. Consistent, positive reinforcement-based training can lead to desired behaviours, while harsh or inconsistent methods can result in confusion or fear.
A dog's health, including their physical and mental well-being, can influence their behaviour. Illness, pain, or discomfort can lead to changes in behaviour.
A dog's emotional state, including fear, anxiety, and excitement, can affect their behaviour. For example, a fearful dog may display unpredictable defensive reactive behaviours or might avoid any encounters and run away trying to hide. While a confident dog may exhibit playfulness and a relaxed demeanour.
A dog can become frustrated and destructive if their mental and physical needs are not met. This dog, full of pent-up energy and boredom, may become frustrated and exhibit poor impulse control. In their frustration, they might resort to destructive behaviours, such as chewing furniture, digging up the garden, or incessant barking. This destructive behaviour is often an expression of their frustration and an attempt to alleviate their built-up energy and mental stress.
The type of diet a dog receives can significantly influence their behaviour, with high-quality nutrition promoting better energy levels, mood, and overall well-being, while poor diet choices can lead to issues like irritability, hyperactivity, or digestive problems.
As dogs age, they may experience canine cognitive decline, which can manifest as changes in memory, learning, and behaviour. This condition can lead to increased confusion, disorientation, and altered social interactions in older dogs.
It is really important to understand that each dog is unique, and their behaviour can vary widely, even within the same breed. Dogs use body language, vocalizations, and other forms of communication to express their needs, emotions, and intentions. Understanding a dog's communication cues is essential for interpreting their behaviour.
It's not a judgement of their love or your worth - just their mood in the moment!
Sunday Funny!
The sentiment behind this trainer's words are in my heart every time I train.
I don’t use pain or fear to teach Sidney, and I never will...
Precision and crispness in behaviours are important to me, detail and consistency are paramount in my training and I spend everyday in search of these goals.
I’ve watched all sorts of training techniques in this pursuit as I believe you can learn something from everyone. I’ve seen some exceptional training with some (not all) of the crispest behaviours I’ve seen have being taught in a ways that I wouldn’t choose to use.
But why not?
Because emotion is everywhere, it’s weaved though life and is inextricably linked to tasks, people, places, sounds, colours and inanimate objects.
I love maths... But do I love it because I’m good at it? Or am I good at it because I love it? Or maybe, just maybe... I was tutored in a way where I was setup to succeed and rewarded for my successes.
A debt I owe to Mr Townsend, to him I was a single student, already forgotten. To me, he’s the only maths tutor I can remember.
How we train, what we train has an emotional contingent, whether we like it or not. As the trainer our methods form and shape a huge part of that emotional picture.
A picture in which we are also present!
Ultimately, when I get down to the nub of the issue. These IS something more important than precision to me... and that’s the relationship I have with my boy.
When I reach out for Sidney, I don’t want one single hair on his silly little head to ever doubt my intention. I want him to know I would never hurt him and to trust, beyond any question, that my hands are a place of warmth, security and love.
💬🐶 LET’S TALK SOCIALISATION! 🐶💬
If you’ve recently welcomed a puppy into your life, you’re probably keen to start introducing them to other people and other dogs as soon as possible, during that all-important ‘socialisation window’. ⏲️🪟🐕
But what should socialisation actually look like?
🤔 Does your puppy really need to meet dogs of all different ages, breeds, and temperaments in order to learn the right etiquette?
🤔 Do you actually need to work through a checklist of different people, animals, events, and environments for your puppy to experience in the first few weeks?
😬 Or could that actually overwhelm them and knock their confidence and optimism?
The traditional view of ‘socialisation’ would have you believe that you have a critical window in which to expose your puppy to as many experiences as possible, to prepare them for everything they are going to encounter in life. The truth is, this approach relies on exposure and it can really go quite wrong for a lot of dogs, no matter their age. It is what we would call training IN the situation, before your pup has the skills and knowledge FOR that situation.
At absoluteDOGS, we know socialisation is actually an opportunity to cleverly show your puppy that the world is a safe place that they can navigate with you by their side. It’s not about a checklist of things to expose your puppy to… It’s really an opportunity to provide your puppy with a foundation of optimism, confidence, and value in YOU (not the environment and everything it has on offer)! 🐾😍
Socialisation is a life-long event in many ways. We should be regularly training for novelty and non-events, preparing our dogs for real-life scenarios, and doing that over a more extended time period – all while growing optimism, confidence and disengagement skills. We’ve got to be our dog’s guardians, their protectors, and learn when to say “no” to socialisation to guard their carefully grown optimism! ✨✅💪🐶
Keen to learn HOW to get socialisation right from the start and grow confidence and optimism for your puppy (or rehome, rescue, foster or existing family dog)? ✨💖
🔗 Check out our FREE eBook on ‘Socialisation’ in our Secrets to Raising A Puppy: The absoluteDOGS Way resource bundle!
https://absolutedogs.me/resources
🔗 And head over to our absoluteDOGS TV YouTube channel to find our video on How to Smash Through Your Puppy's Socialisation Checklist!
https://youtu.be/tYf1bEaGPhY
This post is a beautiful example of how rescues can take care of the needs of the canine and humans that come through their lives. Rescues that can be a safe space for as many times and as long as needed for each individual in their care are rescues that I can support.
July 4. Fireworks. They’re coming. Have you thought about how to help prevent or minimize your pups noise sensitivity?
Soundproofing a dog crate. Sounds easy, right? It's not. Even the most skilled DIY-er can't overcome physics. Don't waste your time or money.
"The secret to healthy dog play is found in the pauses, when one dog stops."
Watching dogs play well together is one life’s greatest joys. One of my essential criteria when looking for a dog to replace Willie was whether he played well with Maggie. We tried two dogs out before we found Skip, neither of whom had any interest in playing with Maggie. Maggie ignored one, and h...
No dog park for us today.
28 Likes, 3 Comments - DogTrained.com | Certified Dog Trainers () on Instagram: "No dog park today. "
Behavior is complicated. It stems from genetics, from experiences, from health, from environment... from everything, really. Well, everything *except* a value of your worth as a dog owner - or their worth as a dog.
Think of behavior as communication, not a judgement.
[image description: a black and white dog sits underneath a gauge with an arrow pointing to the center. Text reads "'Behavior is a barometer.' Kathy Murphy. Think of your dog's behavior as communication, not a judgement of their (or your) worth"]
Love this class with Dr Amy Cook! We took it, live it and recommend it!
Is your dog brilliant at home but shuts down at the show? Or does he bark and lunge at people or dogs on walks? Does she seem generally stressed, whether frantic about it or quiet and vigilant? All of these common behaviors can be addressed through Therapeutic Social Play!
ENROLLMENT STARTS TODAY!
🔗 in bio to enroll!
Join Dr Pike and Your Dog's Friend this Saturday for a FREE webinar on PTSD in dogs. Register here: https://yourdogsfriend.org/free-workshops/
Check out a great class by one of our other local (ish) trainers!
You’ve only got TWO MORE WEEKS to sign up for Gone With The Wind - our four week class focused on helping you build a reliable recall!
When you have a dog who doesn’t come when called - right away, please! - it can fall anywhere between “a little annoying” and “a matter of life and death.”
It’s time to get started on making life a little easier, a little less stressful, and a little safer.
Gone With The Wind starts Monday, March 13th with a virtual lesson, and then we hit the road!
Sign up today! https://dogearedtraining.as.me/gwtw
* Bringing this post out of the vault, because it’s so important * 👇🏻
I think it’s common to think that when our dog is unruly, there is something wrong with them.
Especially when we look around us and see perfectly behaved pups strolling happily down the street with their owners.
But the truth is…
Everything your dog does is NORMAL.
Chewing…
Digging…
Barking…
Pulling on the lead…
Lunging at other dogs or joggers…
Growling…
It’s all NORMAL.
This is a normal response for a predator (because that’s what dogs once were) that got plucked out of their natural environment and dropped onto your sofa.
What’s not normal?
Walking on a leash at a mind numbingly slow pace as you stare at your phone…
NOT chewing things, or mouthing you…
Holding a sit stay or a down stay as you chat to a friend…
NOT losing their mind around another dog.
Sure selective breeding has curbed some of the more natural responses our dogs have…
But the truth is…
Your dog’s behavior is a NORMAL response to them trying to adapt to an environment that truthfully is NOT normal for them.
So tell me…
What does that shift for you?
Because your dog isn’t “Bad”. There’s nothing wrong with them. Everything they are doing is completely normal.
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😐 Yup, there is now a bald spot on Lemon’s chin. *sigh*. Full disclosure Lemon has an amazing groomer (Erin @maxiebowdaxie) but Lemon is also a senior dog who doesn’t enjoy the clippers around her face anymore. She probably has some sensitive teeth. Lemon also gets the “quick and dirty” haircut because it is harder to stand for a full groom. Her groomer says Lemom might start whining or fidgeting and so she ends the groom as fast as she can or she simply just stops even if Lemon is only half groomed. I am 1000% ok with that because I can appreciate her respecting Lemon’s space and well being. Lemon having a great haircut is 50% for me because I like how it looks and 50% for her because I will let her wallow in more mud puddles with a short hair cut. But then I step in a tiny bit in between haircuts to help out with clippers and Lemon will sit for me for a little while and very patiently tolerates my ineptitude BECAUSE of all the training, bonding and playing we have done throughout the years. Training is so much more that SIT. It’s more than a perfect off leash recall. Training is about making these imperfect moments a little bonding time with my best old girl. ♥️ 🍋 ♥️. #mullet #seniordog #deafdog #beardedcollie #dogtrainingtips #positivetraining #puppytraining #k9
We created this little walking pattern to help our new puppies in class learn to move around and away from people and dogs they might encounter out on walks. The goal is to simply be able to ask your pup on a leash to quickly move to you and away from a person or dog that might not want to say hello. Your body language encourages pup to chase you, move into your space as you back away and praise and kibble is offered to help reinforce your pup’s attention. The pattern makes the human more interesting than other distractions in the environment and keeps positive associations going, you won’t have to worry about correcting your pup away from people. We will add the cue WITH ME to our back up maneuvering and LET’S GO to our forward momentum. Can you consider all of the places this might benefit you and your pup? Practice login to and away from front doors both open and closed (on leash for safety!) Set up a napkin or stray piece of food outside as though someone had dropped it and your pup was about to eat it, use this pattern to move them away from temptation. Your pup is still learning about intersections? Practice as you walk up towards one. Make it a default behavior to have your pup orient towards you and check in. #pupppytips #looseleash #dogtraining #lovemyjob #caninecollege #puppylove #mydogismy #positivereinforcement #citydogs #playswithdogs #corgi #gsd
Dog Neutral/Dog Reactive The Neutral Dog is steady and predictable as they enter a space. They must be quiet, calm, not seeking play, not barking to any person or dog. The Reactive Dog might bark, lunge, seek engagement or tuck tail and fold back ears and pull away from other dogs and people. Soon you won’t be able to tel which dog here is which. *Both* of the pups in this video are dog reactive but well on their way to becoming dog neutral. Our little doberman girlfriend here has become less and less reactive with fun and patience! The doberman is not super food motivated for a variety of reasons, new home, heat, going in and out of heat. She is very motivated by tennis balls, playing in the water spigot and running away from dogs that concern her. The success you see in this video where she offers without any instruction her own SIT and DOWN calmly in the presence of another dog has come from the humans watching and listening to her as they approached. We staged our space so our german shepherd was stationary. Our Dobie got to approach from a distance and was encouraged and allowed to run away when she was uncomfortable coming closer! This Dobie has some of the loveliest coping mechanisms all on her own when people listen! She would often walk towards us then look away and casually walk away. Her Human then responded with praise and running a little away with her which brought out sheer joy, bouncing and playfulness. Throughout the session we would let her run and grab a tennis ball or run and apply with water from a nearby spigot! There is not always a straight forward path to helping reduce your dog’s anxiety, fear, frustration but when you work with a great trainer they can help you read your pup and identify behavior taught will get you to your goal. #reactivedog #barkydog #doberman #germanshepherd #positivetraining #dcdogs # angrydog #k9training #dogtrainingtips #adopt #rescuedog #citydog
Did you know? Puppies often struggle with stairs! Not because they are stubborn but often because their bum is in a different place than it was just a week ago! Remember your medium sized pup can be growing 2-3# a week or more, their growth plates are not fully formed and there are so many new smells and sights that it is perfectly normal to see your pup stall out going down or up steps. Compared to humans a pup’s vision can be better in dim light but worse in bright light with a visual acuity closer to 20/75. How can you help your pup navigate your house or other stairs? Set them up for success by carrying them up or down to the last few steps in the environment. A pup that has to navigate only a step or two can easily gain confidence navigating a smaller incline. Patience, praise and a little renegotiation can get your pup flying up and down stairs in a week! #puppytips #puppytraining #doglife #dogmanners #citydog #k9training #dogislove #dogist #instadog #labradoodlesofinstagram
Long lines help you maintain a constant connection to your dog without constant tension. Your dog can slip the slack easily through your hands allowing yourself pup to sniff, train and explore! #dogtraining #dogtreats #dcdogs #dogsofinstagram #adventureswithdogs #dogsonleash #gsd #hikingwithdogs #k9fitness
You will not make your dog a begger if you feed them while you are at the table. *If* you use the food to reinforce a position that isn’t pushy and begging! This is a great example of sitting at a coffee shop and simply rewarding the calm while everyone moves around them. In order to teach a dog that this isn’t about begging our timing is to deliver goods when pup a) remains the down b) people walk past. This also builds goo feelings around new people. Instead of correcting a mistake I simply choose to walk away. But what we have here is all about leveraging successes. Good things happen to pups who wait at a rate of reinforcement that works for them. Later, we can change the rate of reinforcement when we have that learning history implanted. #dcdogs #dogtraining #dogtips #lifewithdogs #doglife #adventureswithdogs #k9 #dogmom #dogsdoingthings #novadogs #dogsofthedmv #cutedogs #dogfun #tricktraining #igdc #cutedogs #instapuppy #bethesda #chevychase #georgetown #mydogismy #dcdogs #dogtraining #dogtips ##adventureswithdogs #k9 #puppytraining #gsd #deafeogs #dogsdoingthings #novadogs #dogsofthedmv #cutedogs #dogfun #tricktraining #igdc #cutedogs #instapuppy #bethesda #chevychase #georgetown #mydogismy #dc
Where you train matters! Simple foundation skills can be taken to doorways, yards, on leash, in the car and start to take the shape of polite manners for puppy. Choose a quiet interior door or baby gate to start teaching your pup to ask for permission to come through to the other side. This is application of a life skill. It will also give you access code p more options to reward your pup! Here you see trainer Gwen using food, praise, access and toys to reward this little pups lovely calm demeanor. We will be able to wean off treats for this skill with very little repetition because our pup also wants to earn the reward of coming through the gate. #dcdogs #dogtraining #igdc #cutedogs #instapuppy #bethesda #chevychase #georgetown #mydogismy #dc #puppytraining #puppiesofinstagram
Build a solid recall “PUPPY COME!” with a little fun this week! Grab a family member or friends and some yummy, tiny pea sized treats and encourage your pup to run back and forth earning rewards from everyone! Keys to success: start in a low distraction environment, reward your pup for showing up every time and keep your sessions short! Traps to watch out for? Don’t call your pup and take things away from them, don’t call your pup to put them in a crate, don’t call your pup when it is time to leave a fun friend! In time your recall bank account will be so huge with only good things you will be able to work up to your goals but for now we have to convince these pups “COME” is a word worth flying in for! #dcdogs #puppytraining #dogtrainingtips #sheltie #sheltie #puppyplaydate #trainersofig #mypuppylove #puppytips
We are ONE month out from the dreaded and beautiful fireworks. Are you preparing your pup!?? Owner and CPDT-ka trainer Gwen Podulka was on the Doggy Dojo Podcast talking with @susanlightla about noise aversion, sensitivity and reactivity. 🐶🎆🐶🎇 Listen to the full podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doggydojo/id1542560229. #dogtrainingtips #puppytips #dogsandfireworks #dogsafety #reactivity #positovetraining #dogsofinstagram #fearfuldog #reactivedog.
Two cues. Here @henry_yellow_lab is taking a test between UP and OFF. Here is the rhythm of the verbal cues: UP OFF OFF OFF Off UP UP UP and a super CUTE UP! and on and on. It is not a one for one pattern anymore. The lab’s got the game and I *think* the words have been associated for just long enough for me to throw a little test into the mix. I’m watching trainer body language and dog body language as we move through this exercise. How often does trainer rotate in a way that cues one behavior over the other? Is Henry really “hearing” the verbal cue? Is he responding to the pattern? Is he looking for visual cues? There is a great rule of thumb for deciding when to offer your pup a training test. 4/5. If your pup gets four out of five right consider testing a skill. Sometimes it is this - word discrimination. Other times you get 4/5 right answers and you might wean off a hand signal, phase out a treat, ask for more duration. Your next steps in how you forward with a cue are up to you but be fair to your pup! #dogtraining #dogtips #yellowlab #positivereinforcement #puppytraining #pawsup #dcdog #mydogismy ##jumpingdog #popquiz #k9trainer #sundays
Senior dogs are the best. ♥️♥️♥️ There is a lifetime with this pup, aka 12 year old Lemon. There is the history of where she came from (wandering the streets in Florida with a brother at the age of about five months.) There were days when she first came home where she would come no where near me and I could watch from my kitchen window as played and pounced on her toys in the backyard but the moment I appeared in the doorway she would slink away. And then we bonded with a little eye contact, toys, some walks and squirrel chasing. She and I became a team. We made a best dog friend named Trent who came with one of the kindest humans in the world and all of her amazing people. Every year I have watched her become more comfortable and tolerant of people but she has always been the best puppy teacher I could ever bring to class. There are the homes we’ve lived in and the states we’ve traveled through. There has been agility and nosework, hikes and beach runs. There have been sooooo many puppies through our life. Lemon led me to DC and changing jobs and giving me the strength to start Dog Trained. She is the greatest car traveler with never a complaint but still a hearty willingness to yell at motorcycles as we pass them on the highway. Lemon has paved the way for worried dogs to build confidence and under our care and been a consistent PLAY or DIE companion for 12 years. I hope every day for 12 more but will celebrate the moments I have now. #lemon #deafdog #positivetraining #dogtrainingtips #k9life #seniordogs #puppylife #puppiesofinstagram #newpuppyparents #newdogmom #newpuppy #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementdogtraining #puppyproblems #dogtrainer #dogmom #weeklyfluff #barked #gooddoggo
Ideally, pup’s sit to greet without anyone yelling SIT to get bums on ground. Ideally, we also don’t correct jumping because you don’t know where you might want a pup to offer that behavior and if we make jumping a horrible, rotten, no good behavior will your pup ever confidently offer jump again? Where might you want you pup to jump? Into a car? Over tree stumps? Through an agility ring? Over your legs? Yay!!! Now you’re thinking like a trainer. Behavior isn’t good or bad. It’s behavior and sometimes we humans want one behavior to come out more than another. Sits for greeting are much safer than jumps to greet, so let’s reinforce oodles of four paws on the floors. # dcdogs #dogtraining #dogtips #lifewithdogs #doglife #k9 #dogmom cutedogs #dogfun #tricktraining #igdc #cutedogs #instapuppy #bethesda #chevychase #georgetown #mydogismy #dc
I know! I know!! All the equipment on this soft, sweet doodle seems a little excessive, right? WHAT is that all about?!?? SAFETY then training! and yes, it is also training with an eye on the human individual’s limitations. Trainer Angel is working with this pup during day training walks. We, as trainers, get a chance to lay a foundation of skills for the owner to follow through on after we complete our day training walks. And we KNOW this pup is actually pretty low key and chill but she is young and can weave this way and that and pull very excitedly to greet or sniff a sniff (her favorite reward). We also know this pup has a wonderful, caring owner who is recovering from surgery. The owner would love to get back to enjoying her daily walks with her pup but we’ve opted to incorporate the head halter to minimize ANY pulling. The head halter will get us to our loose leash goals quickly, we will be able to wean off treats, and just in case, if this pup pulls it will be with much reduced tension on the leash. It is important that a trainer and owner take into account our own limitations when training as well as our’s dogs. There really are 100 things we can train better, differently, with more ease, new exercises but it is also ok to stop and take a short cut that is not aversive to our canine companions if it brings more quality of life to the relationship. @gentleleader #hearhalter #leashwalking #positivereinforcement #dogtrainingtips #looseleashwalking #k9training #doodle #heel #dogadventures #dogsofinstagram #dogtips
On Adventure!
