Paws4Training

Memorial Day is coming soon and many of you will be heading out to do some camping and taking you dogs along. There are many things to consider to make it an enjoyable and safe outing. Check out the link below to read more: Camping with our dogs! Jim McKay Communication Specialist GoAllOutdoors.com

What is Clicker Training? If you’ve ever considered wanting to try out using a clicker when training your pup, you’ve come to the right post! Clicker training is science-based and allows for successful, clear communication to occur between the handler and animal in a way that both parties can understand. Clicker training uses positive reinforcement-a treat or toy-paired with an event marker (the click). For example, the dog sits. Click and treat. Clicker training should be a fun learning process for both the handler and the dog. It allows you to teach your animal new behaviors without using force or punishment. Basics of the Clicker The clicker is an event marker and a conditioned reinforcer . An event marker is something that pinpoints the exact moment in time when the animal offers the desired behavior. This can be a click or a visual stimulus (flashlight). The clicker allows you to communicate to your dog at the exact moment they perform the behavior. A conditioned r...

No, is the short answer. Of course, it’s more complicated than this because dogs and humans are both complex species. But, I can assure you, whatever behavior your dog is exhibiting towards you or other humans has nothing to do with dominance. Many people grasp onto what’s in popular culture (social media and on our television screens), or have had trainers insist that owners need to be the “pack leader” or “alpha.” Well, I’m here to tell you that this simply is not true and has unfortunately led to many dog owners harming (emotionally and sometimes physically) their dogs. So let’s unpack this misconception and where it came from in the first place. Where did this whole thing start?  In the 1970s, research was done on a pack of unrelated, captive wolves. The results of these studies suggested that there is a strict hierarchy with “alphas” who have priority access to resources and maintain the group using force and aggression. Because dogs were believed to be descended from wolv...

I love my dog, but his breath sure does smell some days (don’t lie and say you don’t relate). While oral health is an important aspect of your dog’s overall health, it’s one that’s often overlooked. If your dog ever suffers from a toothache, bacteria on their teeth left untreated can lead to health problems that impact their heart, kidneys, or liver. Veterinarians report that an estimated 85% of dogs over the age of 4 are suffering from some form of periodontal disease. But not to worry! We are going to go over some different ways to care for your dog’s teeth.  Brushing their Teeth Sounds simple right? If you’re someone who’s conditioned your dog to enjoying and/or tolerating having their teeth brushed-then yes. But if you haven’t conditioned your dog to enjoying tooth brushing or adopted your dog later in their life-then this is definitely not easy. This is the single most effective way to maintain your dog’s oral health, but it’s not doable for everyone. There are a variet...

As humans, when we see a dog growl, bark, lunge, bare its’ teeth, snap, or bite-a common response is to think “that dog is a bad dog.” While this is a common and natural response to have as humans, it’s an incorrect assessment of the dog’s behavior. Aggression is a normal behavior for dogs to display in the proper context. Aggression can be utilized by dogs for a variety of purposes including: defense of resources, establishment within a dog hierarchy, self-defense when feeling threatened, and to obtain food. With that said, some dogs may be displaying aggression and putting dogs and/or humans in danger as the result of their response(s). Before we start, if you own a dog who is demonstrating aggressive behavior, it’s important and perhaps even life-saving for your dog, if you work with a professional trainer. In this post, we are going to go over why dogs display aggressive behavior-but nothing in here is going to “cure” your dog or help you manage the behavior 100%-so I encourage ...

Crate training your dog can be a great tool to have in your back pocket for a variety of situations. Why should my dog be crate trained? Housetraining: for puppies that aren’t fully housetrained, crates can be a great tool to prevent accidents from happening. Most puppies will instinctively hold their pee or poop until they are let out. Unless you are someone who can follow your puppy around 24/7-crate training from a young age is likely to come in handy! Destructive behavior: For dogs who find themselves tearing up the furniture while the family is out, crate training can prevent the demolishing of your household items. The crate can be a safe and comfortable space for your dog to stay during the day until they can be trusted to not destroy anything while you are away. Medical reasons: Surgery and medical needs are a part of most (if not all) dog’s lives. If your dog is already comfortable staying in the crate, then in situations where they are already under stress-you won’...

Bringing a new rescue dog home is a transition period not only for you, but also for your new four (or three) legged family member. It can also be a very fun and exciting time for you (you just got a dog-who wouldn't be excited?!). Keep in mind though, that for your new dog- this is a time of adjustment and learning about a brand new space. We will discuss some common issues that might come up and how to address them. This is not an extensive list of common issues, we are merely scratching the surface. It’s also possible that none of this will apply to you-that’s great! However, for those of you it does apply to, working with a trainer can go a long way in setting you and your dog up for success.  Eating If you can help it, keep your dog on the same food diet they were on before they came to you. This can help prevent an upset stomach (diarrhea and/or vomiting). Also know that your dog might not eat for the first day while being with you. Add some chicken broth or b...

I often see owners continuously tell their dogs some sequence of “off, no, stop, don’t eat that, stop barking,” and the list goes on. Not only is this exhausting for owners, but we aren’t teaching dogs what we would like them to do instead- we leave them to figure it out on their own (which they do not know how to do). This can make training pretty frustrating for us and our dogs. Here we are yelling at them to stop doing whatever they’re doing, and they’re left confused about what they are doing wrong. I'll be honest and say that I've had to catch myself multiple times doing this with my own dog (but aren't I a dog trainer?!). No one is perfect and it takes a lot of practice for humans to get out of the habit of telling our dogs "no." Instead of focusing on what we don’t want our dogs to do, we should be rewarding all of the behaviors we want them to do. How do we do this? Reward! Pay attention to your dog and reward all of those behaviors you like. Bri...

Mental stimulation is just as important for dogs as physical exercise. It can also be a lot easier of a job on the human’s end. Mental stimulation is a great way to tire out your dog on a rainy day, when they are recovering from an injury or surgery, and just great to do in general. It can  alleviate boredom and the behavioral issues that can come with boredom (ex: barking and chewing up our stuff). Below are some options for adding some mental stimulation to your dog’s daily routine. Food toys: snuffle mats, kongs, puzzles, wobblers, etc. Instead of just tossing your dog’s food in their bowl, enrich their lives with creative feeding. Snuffle mats are a great way to allow dogs the opportunity to sniff and search for the food (these are a quick google search). Stuff your dog’s Kong with Kibble and wet food, cream cheese and kibble, etc. (check out https://www.kongcompany.com/learn/stuffing-recipes for some fun recipes). Puzzle toys allow your dog to practice their probl...

Owning wiggly, fun-loving, treat-searching friends can be a lot of fun-but also there’s a lot to learn! So let’s talk about the different stages of development and important things to pay attention to in each period. Neonatal (birth to 12 days) This is long before your puppy came home with you but this is where the learning begins! During this time, the pup is mostly immobile and stays close to her mom. A breeder or rescue provides a warm environment for them. It’s important pups are handled regularly and gently during this stage to allow the dog to more easily cope with stress throughout their life. Transition Period (13 to 20 days) Your pup’s eyes opened during this time and they started walking in a wobbly manner. The puppy may be able to eat solid food. It’s important the environment the puppy is in during this time is complex (different noises, surfaces to walk on, people to meet, and toys). Primary Socialization (3 to 7 weeks)  A puppy’s vision begins to develop at...

Through my experiences talking with and observing dog owners,  I’ve seen a lot of folks become irritated and angry at their dogs when they don’t respond to the cues they believe they should know by now. It’s a familiar story for most dog owners, the repeated, “Molly, sit….Molly, sit….sit….MOLLY SIT!” And by the final attempt-Molly sits. Your dog can hear you. Unless your dog is deaf, they can hear you loud and clear. Many people (including myself) have made the mistake of repeating cues over and over again until our dog does what we want them to do. There are many problems with repetition, one being that our dog isn’t actually learning what we want them to do. If they do learn anything, it’s to only sit after the fourth “sit.” I don’t know about you, but I would like my dog to sit the first time I say it and not the fourth or fifth time. Another problem with repetition is that our dogs can begin to ignore us, which is the exact opposite of what we are trying to teach them. ...