True Life K9

Fearful dog training….

Believe it or not, this is progress for Belle the Malamute. We are using an E-Collar (gasp) to build trust and obedience. That’s right, an Ecollar on a fearful dog. That’s because Ecollars, at very low levels, are actually an extremely affective way of getting a nervous dog’s attention using the least amount of tension. Basically, think of it like a very slight tingle that’s the equivalent of tapping her on her shoulder and saying calmly, “Hey, c’mere.”

Belle has no interest in treats, toys, or praise, and has also been on anxiety meds for a while.

By using the ecollar, the hope is we can create more trust and motivation. Oh, and also get her to come when called so her owners don’t have to spend 20 minutes wrangling her up in the backyard just to get her to come inside.

Social queues in dog socialization 🐶

These two dogs live together and haven’t been able to be in the same room together. One of them is new to the family and has been starting fights. Can you tell which one?

Working on teaching 4 month old Lucy the “Out” command, which means drop it/leave it. Lucy’s owner told me that he was previously nipped by her when his hand got too close to the bowl while she was eating. This is a relatively common behavior, even in young dogs, so it’s important to teach dogs to leave/drop items when asked. We are making a positive association with telling Lucy “out” by giving her a high value reward. At the same time, we want her to know that leaving the food when told is not optional, and any nasty behavior will certainly be corrected. So far no corrections have been needed. By teaching this command and showing them it is non-negotiable, it helps remove some of the tension that a dog can often times feel around resources.

Diesel really wants to get his toys 🐶🎾

Did you know most dogs can be taught to stop pulling in 20-30 minutes? Check out Porkchop 🐶 showing how it’s done!

Working on teaching 4 month old Lucy the “Out” command, which means drop it/leave it. Lucy’s owner told me that he was previously nipped by her when his hand got too close to the bowl while she was eating. This is a relatively common behavior, even in young dogs, so it’s important to teach dogs to leave/drop items when asked. We are making a positive association with telling Lucy “out” by giving her a high value reward. At the same time, we want her to know that leaving the food when told is not optional, and any nasty behavior will certainly be corrected. So far no corrections have been needed. By teaching this command and showing them it is non-negotiable, it helps remove some of the tension that a dog can often times feel around resources.