Resources

Leash Walking

When beginning your Loose Leash Walking journey, take it slow Remember to exercise your dog before you walk your dog (or puppy) to get the beans out and then choose how far you will practice your structured walk (ex. From your driveway to the stop sign down the street) and when you've reached your goal, give your dog a release cue to let them know "all done for now!" And finish your walk with some sniffs and exploration. Trying to get all the way around your block doing a structured training walk at the beginning stages may end up being too frustrating for you and your pup. Slowly extend the distance that you spend doing your training walk, always ending with a big party and a celebratory sniff

Training Techniques

When teaching and shaping a brand new behaviour from the ground-up, balance out shaping the new behaviour with periodic breaks and a revisit to something your dog knows really well. For example, while shaping a back up for the first time, throw in some hand targets or spins that your dog already knows well, giving them that feeling of success and to help keep them engaged with you and not frustrated with the new things you're learning together

Keep the treats small - when planning for training sessions, even if your dog is considered a large size, your training treats still only need to be pea-sized portions. Our dogs will work for their rewards, even if it’s just a small taste. You can lengthen your training sessions, if appropriate for your dog, by reducing the size of your treats. Test this out with your dog by breaking up what you may usually use, and see how it goes!

Life with Dogs

Personal space Did you know that a dog's personal space bubble is 7-8 feet? Keep this in mind when you're passing or are near a distraction that could overstimulate your pup - distance is one of your best controlling factors as you work on counter conditioning and desensitizing your pup to stimuli.

Dog photography tip You can condition your pup to the sight, sounds and movements involved when taking photos. Practice your stationary positions like sit, down and stand stays and incorporate you kneeling down and pausing, as if you were snapping a photo, eventually adding in the camera itself to this exercise. You can show your pup that pausing for a photo-op is super fun and rewarding, especially of it's followed by a treat or toy party!

Ditch the bowl and take advantage of your pup's daily food amount Use your pup’s meals as an extra training opportunity! Feeding even a portion of your pup’s meal as individual rewards for 10-15 minutes of training will get their brains working and provide mental stimulation. Remember, mental stimulation works to tire a dog in as many, if not, more ways as physical exercise.

It's another hot one this week! Did you know that dogs can get sunburned? Shorthaired dogs like Viszlas, Boxers and Bulldogs can be vulnerable to sunburns on their ears and muzzles, especially if they have little or no fur in those areas You can get UV body suits for white or hairless dogs for outdoor adventures to protect their bodies from the sun's rays if you know you'll be outside & for those delicate noses and muzzles - check with your vet about a dog-safe sunscreen (regular human sunscreen can be toxic if your dog licks it off!)

Take your pup for walks during the early mornings and late evenings when temperatures are lower. During the day, focus on mental enrichment inside like frozen Kong's, treat puzzles, playing hide and seek or some indoor training. Lots of our dogs don't realize they're too warm and will still run, jump and play in the heat - resulting in possible heat stroke later in the day.

Puppy Problems

Have a sharky pup or a dog that is very excited around food? Teaching them an impulse control game that incorporates focus and eye contact will help them understand that patient and calm wins the treat!

Polite Pooches

If you have a pup who is super excited to meet people and you're struggling to help them keep four on the floor, you can teach them a "fist bump" or "touch" cue to replace the full greeting with pets and scratches, which may just be too much for your furry friend. Teaching them to go out and "touch" is a great way to still greet people, while also keeping it short and sweet and it's a trick people love! Need help learning a polite people greeting? Let us know!

Tricks, Enrichment & Games

Have a pup who doesn't naturally retrieve or play with toys often? You can build toy value by pairing it with a tasty reward and a game of tug or fetch, teaching your pup that the toy is the key to the game continuing