Off the Beaten Trail Canine Facility in Newark, Vermont

1 Month "Pup"date!

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:12:18 GMT

We've already had Kiah for one whole month!

Time sure flies when you're having fun! We wanted to give you all a one month update (pupdate!) on how things are going since adding this sweet and sassy little boxer pup into our lives!

Firstly, in one of my recent blogs I talked about all we had been doing on the training front. None of that has changed and every single day we have worked on crate training, recall, impulse control, and obedience. It's all just interwoven into how we interact with her. She knows sit, lay down, and stay, and we are starting to add distance and distractions to the stay command. She has been absolutely crushing recall, as she really just wants to be near us anyways and is a very engaged pup overall. She is just now starting to sleep in her crate like a dream (and crates up with her Kong and some wet puppy food when we need to leave the house for a bit). It can be so easy to want to keep your puppy around you all the time, but try to resist that and take advantage of the early weeks to teach them routines that will benefit them (and you!) in the long run, your work will definitely pay off!

Secondly, I had also talked about how we were just working with coexistence with the other dogs and not forcing them to have any kind of relationship. It's always best to go slow and steady with this and to manage your expectations. It can be disheartening when you're not seeing your dogs play with your new puppy, or worse when they seem grumpy about the new addition. But just know this is totally normal behavior and, as always, just give it time! Would you be happy if all of a sudden someone new moved into your house without warning and had way more energy than you and wanted to climb all over you and eat your food and drink your water and claim your bed? Probably not!

Little by little, you'll start to see the walls come down as everyone starts understanding each other and they develop their own style of communication and play. We are just now starting to see consistent play between them all and it still doesn't happen everyday, but when it does it's beautiful! And the rest of the time they are interacting well with each other and coexisting peacefully. It's a small price to pay for a lifetime of a happy pack!

Thirdly, we are starting to introduce her to other dogs and people through our Puppy Potential class! Socialization is crucial during this imprint period, it helps to have her meet other dogs, build confidence, and overall just have her experience new situations so they don't take her off guard later on.

Finally, loud noises, like the vacuum, don't phase her one bit thanks to that early desensitization work. Woohoo! That's a huge win in my book, as this house can certainly get chaotic and loud at times!

All in all, she has brightened our lives in so many ways and brought a great spunky energy to this house that we didn't we were missing. Stay tuned for more Kiah pupdates, and enjoy this video of some great play between Kiah and Lexi!

A Love Letter to Stryker

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 19:51:26 GMT

How adopting a difficult dog prepared me for a puppy

If you’ve followed us for awhile, you know that in April of 2020 we adopted a 4-year-old Great Dane/English Mastiff mix named Stryker. Stryker had been surrendered to us a few months before then, as his owners (who loved him very much and did everything in their power to keep him) were facing some pretty serious situations that life sometimes throws at us all. Stryker was a 160-pound ball of panic and impulsivity. He liked to train but had practiced anxiety so much, any little thing could throw him into a spiral. Anyone who met him during those early days knew how much work was cut out for us when we welcomed him into our home.

For one, our goal as trainers is to always take the worry out of the dog’s mind. We want to build a relationship based on trust and respect; one that could foster more relaxation because that dog knows that we can take care of anything that comes up. Anxious dogs usually feel the need to step up and “do something” about “scary” situations because they feel like their owners aren’t. Several months into our time with Stryker I actually broke down and cried to Jeff because I said I feel like my whole life is revolving around him! Any time we had a delivery, I needed to stop what I was doing to train with Stryker to teach him that delivery people = treats and rewards, and to change that association. I couldn’t move from room to room without putting one of the dogs outside, one of the dogs in a crate, or bringing Stryker with me wherever I went to avoid any confrontations between the dogs without me being present to guide them. It was SO. MUCH. MANAGEMENT. in the beginning. And Jeff said something to me that completely changed my perspective and gave me the motivation to keep going. He said, “I know it’s really hard, but you’re taking all those feelings on so that he doesn’t have to. You’re changing his life.”

Cue more tears.

As time went on and I stayed consistent over anything else (even if my training wasn’t perfect every time, I was always there to guide him and teach him to be calm in new situations instead of rambunctious or impulsive). Little by little, we started to see him relax more, sleep deeper, look to me for rewards when someone pulled in the driveway instead of barking and pacing. He started to play more, to roll on his back outside and run in our field and give those huge play bows that are adorable when puppies do them and somehow even more adorable when giant breeds do them! We learned that he is actually this super goofy, happy-go-lucky, misunderstood social-butterfly of a dog that just wasn’t given many opportunities in his early life to “be” all of those things, which caused a lot of pent-up frustration…which can really look like aggression. And, that can definitely be intimidating in a giant breed dog!

I can’t even count how many times we’ve said out loud, what would Stryker be like now if we had the opportunity to guide him like this right from the very beginning.

Welp – then it hit me. Everything I do for Stryker as a reaction to his practiced impulsivity, I am teaching our new puppy right from the get go the expected behavior in those situations. Delivery person at the door? Sit at my feet and focus on me. Catch a scent of something and want to run off? Come back to me instead and get a reward. Crate time = rest time, special toys, food. Anytime we go for a walk if I stop walking, come sit at my feet and wait for my instructions. It’s the classic, “before you tell them no, tell them where to go.” It was like I had gone to puppy boot camp for the last 3 ½ years, and I can honestly say I don’t think I have ever been so prepared to shape a young mind.

All this to say that it's not the easy relationships in life that teach us things, right? It’s not the easy gym sessions or the “just one more cookie” mentality that gets us into better shape. It’s not Netflix that expands our knowledge. Only those things that challenge us will make us grow into better people, spouses, parents, and friends. Those difficult gym sessions force our bodies to change and become stronger. Those self-help books give us more awareness about ourselves and others and foster more perspective and understanding.

And those difficult dogs make us better dog trainers (PS: if you train your dog, you’re a dog trainer).

Stryker will always hold a special place in my heart as the dog that forced me to grow into a better steward of all dogs everywhere. And I can’t thank him enough for this opportunity he’s given me with our new girl, Kiah, and where we can all go from here.

We Got A Puppy!

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 18:24:47 GMT

Meet Kiah - our 8 week old boxer puppy!

It has been 10 long years since we’ve welcomed a puppy into our home! Since then, we had our “two pack” (Ellie and Lexi) for years. About 4 years ago we were planning on bringing a puppy home and starting to figure out the logistics of it all, and then before we knew it covid hit and the world shut down. With it, so did our kennel, and Stryker (the Great Dane/Mastiff mix we had taken in for training and rehoming) suddenly came to live with us in our house and the rest is history. You can read that story here if you’d like! Then in April of this year, we lost our girl Ellie after a very long life of 13 years. We really needed time for our hearts to heal after that.

The puppy conversation started coming back around and we all started getting ready for the cuteness, the puppy breath, the little barks, the potty breaks, the hours and hours of work, and the puppy love! We were finally ready – and we welcomed Kiah into our lives on October 28 ^th !

We are going to take you along on our journey raising her – we can already tell she’s going to be a sweet, smart, confident, self-assured, well rounded and playful pup! We are having a ton of fun!

What we’ve done so far:

Slow introductions to our pack. We just want them all to coexist together, they don’t need to play or force a relationship that isn’t there yet. We are making sure the puppy is appropriate with the older dogs, who can tire easily and need space to sleep. We are rewarding the older dogs’ good behavior around the puppy with lots of praise and pets, and then we’re giving them down time in separate rooms.

We have started obedience training with her – sit, lay down, and “whistle training” (recall). We are doing small sessions (just a few minutes) so we don't overwhelm her little mind, and if she is starting to get frustrated, we end on a good note and move onto playing with her (then letting her nap).

We are starting to crate train her. She takes naps in her crate when she gets tired during the day. Even just now I took a break from writing because she had woken up. She made a little noise and I came around the corner and she was just sitting in her crate waiting for me! I let her outside for a potty break and then I started to play with her but she was still exhausted. Back in the crate she went and within minutes she was out again (oh my goodness the puppy snores!). When I walked by her crate to come back to the computer she woke up for a second, but felt confident enough to go right back to sleep. She is learning to be by herself which is a great thing to teach a young pup! This time of her life is so pivotal, and it would be very easy to give in and be around her all the time (especially because she WANTS to be around us all the time). But that will only create separation anxiety in the future, and I want to slowly build her confidence around being alone in short bursts. It’s a fine line between taking advantage of this time when they want to be near you 24/7, and creating a dependency. You do not want a full-grown dog velcro-ed to your side, so make sure to allow the space for them to feel good in their own skin without you around while they’re young! (Side note – also don’t leave them alone for too long…I know, fine line!)

We bring her outside all the time! She has been doing so well with potty training, so we are really capitalizing on that. The more often she goes outside, the more often we can praise her for it, and the quicker she learns. Even if she’s not sniffing around like she has to go to the bathroom, we just bring her outside anyways and wait for her to go. For a pup this young they may need to go potty only 10 minutes after drinking water!

We are introducing her to new things. We brought the vacuum out for her to acquaint herself with – after all, she’s going to be seeing it a lot in a house with 2 kids, 3 dogs and a cat! I haven’t turned it on yet, I'm just letting her check it out. I also let her smell her brush and her nail trimmer, although I haven’t used them yet. At this stage it’s all about desensitizing her to things she’s going to encounter regularly. We’ve also been touching her paws and looking in her mouth like a veterinarian would. Remember to take it slow with things like this, it can be easy to rush it but it's better to let it all evolve organically!

All this to say – we are a few days in, and we are all totally in love and can’t really remember what we did without her! Stay tuned for more Kiah posts in the days (weeks, months!) to come! ��

The Importance of Timely Vaccinations/Titer Tests

offthebeatentrailvt@gmail.com (Gillian Scarpino) — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 18:42:00 GMT

Why should you keep your dog up to date?

I'm not sure if there is something in the air these days, but it seems like so many people are experiencing emergencies or other kinds of urgent or last minute travel needs. And that's the thing about emergencies - they can happen to anyone, at anytime. Whether a family member has unexpectedly passed, or a baby is on the way early, or anything in between, these are times of stress that don't need to be exacerbated by unforeseen problems! That's why we love being able to help people out in their times of dire need! However, our hands are completely tied if their dogs are not up to date on their vaccinations. And unfortunately we have seen that happen quite a few times in recent months!

Due to an increase in canine respiratory infections nationwide, many kennels (ours included) have shifted their policies on vaccinations, in hopes to better protect the dogs in our care.

Particularly - I'm referring to the Bordetella vaccine (aka kennel cough). Bordetella is not a core vaccine, which means it is optional and you can either choose to vaccinate your dog against it or not. Furthermore, new evidence is showing that it is not effective immediately, which has lead us to become more strict about this policy. As of the start of 2023 - if a Bordetella vaccine has lapsed (meaning it has been more than a year since the dog has been vaccinated against it), then we would not consider that dog to be fully vaccinated until one week after the new vaccine (and therefore would not be able to board with us until that time frame). This can create quite a problem when it comes to urgent situations! Time is not a luxury at that point, and it can be very difficult to find someone to stay with your dog last minute.

So what do we recommend? Get out ahead of this problem! Our kennel requires rabies, distemper and Bordetella vaccines, as do the majority of kennels. Stay on a consistent vaccine schedule with your dog and follow your veterinarian's advice. Then, when problems arise, you are well prepared and don't need to play catch up when time is of the essence. There is nothing quite like the reassurance that comes with knowing your dog has a safe place to stay when another part of your life needs your full attention :)

The Board and Train Myth

offthebeatentrailvt@gmail.com (Gillian Scarpino) — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 15:46:15 GMT

Changing behavior takes time!

For many – the idea of a board and train is so appealing, and I can totally see why! Send your dog to an experienced trainer for a couple (2, 3, 4 weeks) and see instant changes. All those behaviors you could do without? Gone! Just like that. And sure, the thought of not having your dog by your side for weeks on end is so frightening, but to know that there is such a bright light at the end of the tunnel makes it all seem worth it.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. And, although a few weeks without your constant companion can seem like an eternity, it is a small dent in the time it actually takes to shape and change behavior.

The truth is, a board and train will never fix all your problems. We really wish it could! But in order to understand why it can’t, you first need to look at this through a wider lens. First of all – behavior is shaped over the long term. Did you fall into the routine of waking up at a certain time, making your way to the kitchen for your first cup of coffee, reading the paper, getting dressed right foot first, having breakfast, brushing your teeth, and so on and so forth, - did you one day decide that’s how you were going to start your day, or was it slowly pieced together until it became practiced over and over and over again? Taking it one step further, have you ever tried to change your morning routine? Get up earlier to go for a walk? Maybe some stretching or yoga, or just to have some alone time without chaos? Did you change in an instant with ease, or was it difficult? Maybe you even fell back to your normal ways only a few days in.

The point is – the brain likes things that are familiar. It likes the path of least resistance. Changing behavior is never easy, it’s never fast, and it’s never done in a matter of a couple weeks.

The only thing that a board and train will do is set a new foundation upon which new behaviors can be built. And, if you think about it, foundations are arguably the most important part of a structure, are they not? Without a solid foundation, nothing can be built without crumbling in the long term.

The first few weeks of changing behavior are when consistency and repetition are THE MOST IMPORTANT ! If you want behavior to change quickly (keeping that word in perspective), you have to be persistent, consistent, reliable and you have to do it over and over again. The thing is, you won’t see any noticeable improvements right away, which could make you feel like it’s not working. And if you’re putting in all this work and not seeing any changes….your brain will want to go back to what’s familiar, right?! Because changing both your behavior and your dog’s is hard work.

We now live in a microwave society, which has changed our perspectives on what we once thought was possible. We can order something and get it delivered the next day, whereas only a matter of years ago we could only dream of that! We used to need to talk to an expert or read encyclopedias to learn new things, now we have more information than we could ever know what to do with right at our fingertips. If we don’t know how to do something, just a quick search on YouTube will bring up a free video and solve our problem. It’s a wonderful age, don’t get me wrong, but I think it has warped some expectations for us all.

Changing behavior is one of those things that we have to do the old fashioned way! Board and trains can be a fantastic option – as long as it’s understood that the time your dog will spend at training will be akin to turning the ship around. That takes time, especially considering how fast the ship was traveling to begin with. It needs to slow down, safely turn, then pick up some momentum once it’s going in the right direction. The momentum will start happening once your dog is back home with you and you’re maintaining your new lifestyle there. That’s where the magic happens! And it’s an awesome feeling when it does! However, if nothing changes at home once your dog is back, all those old behaviors will come rushing back in no time.

That being said – board and trains have helped lots of dogs and are very valuable in some circumstances! Remember to manage your expectations, know that you’ll be putting in a good amount of work after it’s done, and that your dog will not be the only one who needs to change.

But, all in all, it can be a great reset for you both and set you up for much success in the future!

What It Means to Lead the Pack

offthebeatentrailvt@gmail.com (Gillian Scarpino) — Tue, 24 May 2022 17:09:22 GMT

The Ultimate Gift You Can Give Your Pups!

The other day I was talking to Jeff about what it takes to manage our pack of dogs here at home – I do a lot of my work from my home office so I am here with them a lot of the time. Those of you who’ve followed our story know that we adopted Stryker back in the beginning of Covid. He’s a big boy at 140 pounds and he came to us nervous and without much confidence (which could be a dangerous combination in any dog, let alone a giant breed). Our other two dogs have been with us since puppies – they are now 8 and 12.

Lexi, our 8 year old shepherd/newfie mix, is confident as all get out, and will jump right into a conflict if one were to arise. It doesn’t happen often, but she’s willing to fight if it’s there. Ellie is our 12 year old bullmastiff and she is losing some of her hearing and possibly seeing, therefore she can sometimes not have the best social skills. So – to combine that with a giant dog who gets possessive over his toys, sticks, the water bowl, etc, and then another dog that will jump into a fight just because – it is constant management on my part to keep my pack balanced and happy! And I want to add – they really are a happy pack of dogs. They get along just fine because of the stage we have set for them. But it's important to remember that they are still animals with instincts and safety is always on my radar.

So back to Jeff – I was telling him how sometimes it just feels like all I’m doing is monitoring our dogs at times. I want to make sure they are all happy and have time to play. I want them all to feel safe. I want them to all get along and I want to minimize stressful moments for them. This means I am constantly monitoring the room – are there toys that accidentally got out of Stryker’s crate? Is there food that the kids spilled on the ground that could cause a fight? Is Ellie unknowingly in Stryker’s space but not realizing it because she can’t hear his warning signals? Was I supposed to get a delivery today? What time does Fed Ex usually come… It goes on and on. And then Jeff said something to me that made it all so clear. He said, “That stress that you’re feeling is exactly what our dogs would feel if you didn’t take on this role for them.”

Whoa.

My mind was blown. I mean, of course that makes complete sense. But it had never been said quite like that to me. My role day in and day out as the leader of the pack has minimized the stress my dogs would otherwise feel. That’s a dang good feeling. So yes, sometimes it is a lot! Sometimes it gets overwhelming. But my dogs are happy and healthy – always getting a clean bill of health at the vets – their personalities are always coming out in goofy ways – and they sleep soundly at night. There is nothing better than that and it’s absolutely worth the hypervigilance and extra monitoring that goes into ensuring a good life for my 3 pack of pups!

Leading the way for our dogs really is the best gift we can give them!

Thinking On Your Feet!

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 21:08:22 GMT

Unpredictable dogs sure can keep you on your toes!

If you're a parent you might be home with your kids for February Break like I am. I love spending this time with my kids - we try to do a fun activity each day, even if it's just getting outside for some sledding here in our own yard. Monday we tried our hand at ice skating and yesterday we hit the bowling alley and arcade!

Today, before heading out on another adventure, I brought our three dogs outside to play and go to the bathroom. Due to the above freezing temperatures and some rain, our driveway is mostly glare ice with patches of gravel peaking through. We carefully made our way to the "potty spot" which still gives me eyes on both the house and the top of the driveway near the road. The dogs head off into the woods as per usual and I contemplate what a warm, beautiful day it is! The sun is out, the mountains look blue in the distance, and I notice how good the warm air feels on my skin. Spring is around the corner for sure (after some more snow and freezing temps of course!).

As quickly as I let my guard down, it comes right back up as I suddenly become aware that the electric company vehicle is pulling into my driveway! Immediately I bring my eyes to the dogs who are meandering their way back to me - thank goodness! I reach for my trusty treat pouch and get really excited - "COME ON GUYS!! GET SOME TREATS!!" and I start running as calculated and carefully as I can over icy spots and small rivers of running water to the backyard. Thank goodness the dogs chase after me with excitement as I peak over and notice the truck still bombing down the driveway! I don't know if the dogs just didn't notice the truck or if my excitement was more important to them, but either way I'm sending up a prayer because all the dogs follow me over a small hill and we tuck down behind it out of view of the truck.

As the dogs seem oblivious to what's going on, I start doing some tricks with them all; first sit, then I bring the treats down slowly to keep their focus on the food. Then I tell them to lay down and wait until they are all settled before throwing treats in the snow in front of them all. I keep looking over to see how long I have to do this and still a little shocked that my plan worked like magic! You see, Stryker is a very big boy at 140 pounds and can be hit or miss with strangers/delivery trucks/the mailman, etc. He came to live with us almost two years ago when he was 4 and although we have made amazing progress with him (I have a great "delivery man" routine with him while we are in the house, but outside is a whole new ballgame!), I had zero desires to take any chances with him as his unpredictability is what makes things challenging. Not to mention, with a driveway full of ice, there was always the potential that the truck wouldn't have been able to stop if my dogs ran in front of it. There was a lot to think about in that millisecond before I started running!

I keep changing things up on them to keep their interest until I see the truck driving away and I feel like I can breathe again. Whew! Now that I was really awake, it was time for some quality time with my kids, and we head back towards the house.

Difficult dogs make better trainers out of us. They force us to keep up, make quick decisions, and put us in some uncomfortable positions that force us to grow. So if you're going through some challenging times with your pup right now, just remember you're a better dog owner for going through the mud with them and there will be rewards on the other side of it all. Don't give up and remember to look back and see how far you've come now and then!

The Best Laid Plans

offthebeatentrailvt@gmail.com (Gillian Scarpino) — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 18:51:07 GMT

The training that really matters

Is it just me, or does the universe have a funny sense of humor when it comes to thinking you're in control? It’s like if I’m feeling really ambitious one day, something is always right around the corner to keep me humble and remind me that I’m not actually in charge of anything.

Case in point, I had so much planned for this week and I couldn’t wait to dive into work after a long holiday weekend. Then I got a call from the school that my youngest would be remote learning for the week. I don’t have to tell you that working with a 5 year old at home is next to impossible! Add to that the fact that I’m suddenly incredibly sensitive to caffeine to the point where I am completely avoiding it, and we can just call this week a wash! So far I’ve been able to get the vital things done to keep things moving along, but anything extra has been pushed back to next week for the sake of my sanity.

However, today I was reminded that life is always messy, and we just need to learn how to live in it. When it comes to training our dogs, there are days where literally nothing goes how we want it to go, right? They can take us by surprise, chase after a squirrel, growl at another dog, refuse to do what we ask, and endless other examples. And that’s just how it is! And we need to learn to cope.

Today, I wasn’t expecting a delivery but of course, the universe saw that I was unprepared and took full advantage! As soon as I heard the car door shut I jumped out of my chair and raced downstairs as fast as I could (you can read my previous blog post here to learn why I get so jumpy when this happens!). I came downstairs to a beautiful picture: Stryker was calmly standing at the window observing the mailman get a package out of his car. I took an extra second to simply BE in this moment and soak it all in – we have come so far. Then I grabbed some strawberries out of the fridge and called him over to me calmly. He walked over and sat down like we’ve done countless times, casually looked back out the window at the delivery man who was now walking to our door, then looked back at me in eager anticipation. I gave him a strawberry. He watched the delivery man set down the package and walk away, then looked back at me and laid down to see if this would net him another strawberry (it did). I told him what a good boy he was and scratched his head. I then let him walk over to the window to watch the man drive away.

This calm, easy experience wouldn’t have been possible without the hundreds of times (yes, hundreds. I mean it) that I showed up for a training moment when I wasn’t prepared, when it was messy, and when I had to completely make something up in the moment to keep Stryker under control. My point?

The best laid plans are an illusion.

The training moments that matter the most and have the biggest impact are usually the ones that you’re jolted into and unprepared for. That’s where the real learning happens, for both you and your dog. So keep on finding those moments that count, and avoid thinking that you’ll “train for 15 mins per day” and that will solve all your problems. (You are never not training, even if you think you’re not). Every moment is a training moment and an opportunity to shape your dog’s behavior. The most important thing is that you simply show up for those moments and put in the effort, time and time again.

Life and training are messy and imperfect, and that’s perfectly fine!

Stryker's Story - We Adopted a Middle Aged Dog

offthebeatentrailvt@gmail.com (Gillian Scarpino) — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 16:59:01 GMT

Back in the beginning of 2020, we took in this big guy right here:

Originally we took Stryker (4 year old Grate Dane/Mastiff Mix) in at our training facility; our goal was to socialize him (although he was already very social with other dogs! Just needed a little tweaking), put him through some rigorous training (he was not a fan of strangers, for instance), and then we would find him a new home.

Then – the world shut down. March of 2020 hit and of course, all operations at OTBT came to a grinding halt. The normal hustle and bustle we were so used to at the facility evaporated overnight, and Stryker became the only dog standing. We decided it wasn’t fair for Stryker to be in the kennel by himself, and we thought he could stay in our home for a few weeks until things “got back to normal”��‍♀️. So, we brought our kids up to the kennel to meet him and he immediately melted. His excitement to see them was palpable! His ears went back, his body got looser, and he almost started prancing around! We introduced them in our large daycare room and Stryker would walk back and forth wagging his tail, giving each one a quick lick, and then came over to greet Jeff and I. We felt very comfortable that he would do well in our home for a few weeks.

Since we have a lot of structure in our household, we knew that Stryker would be able to peacefully coexist with our two dogs Ellie (10) and Lexi (7) for the short amount of time he was with us. So – we brought him home!

He was very uncertain for quite awhile in the beginning – not knowing where his place was and not knowing what the rules were. The first night he was with us, he had fallen asleep on Ellie’s bed, and Ellie had decided that there was plenty of room for her to snuggle up on the bed too, so she started climbing in and Stryker woke up out of a sound sleep and scrambled to get out of that bed as fast as he could! I wish I had it on camera, he was a real-life Scooby Doo for a few seconds! I felt so bad for him that he was that scared. But that’s how it went for several weeks – he didn’t settle much, he was on guard and hypervigilant, and he didn’t understand our rules and was always surprised that we had them.

The third day he was staying with us, he came in from outside, walked right up to our youngest son and took his sandwich right out of his hand and ate it in one gulp. It became clear that Stryker didn’t understand our rules because he may have never had any rules enforced in his first home. He’s a BIG boy (150 pounds at the time), and it could be very easy to lose control of a dog that size if you aren’t consistently working to control his mind.

So we added more and more structure: We had to pull the water bowl in the evening because he would drink so much that he would wake us up in the middle of the night or worse, go in the house. He counter surfed even if we were right there next to him so we had to be extra careful about what food was left out and had to keep things spic and span day in and day out. He would eat paper towels and get into the garbage can and we even found him munching on a steel scrubber that he pulled from the sink! So we bought a new trash can with a lock, bought a very large crate that now lives in our dining room (ahem, takes up our dining room!), and we started to be extra cautious of what he was and wasn’t allowed to do.

After that, even more structure was needed when we found him being possessive over a bone with our other dogs. He wasn’t given any more chances and bones and toys were now only allowed in his crate, never out in the open. This also meant that we needed to heavily monitor when our other dogs were given bones, and take them away before we let Stryker out of his crate.

Remember how he didn’t like strangers? Well anytime we got a delivery, he would go berserk! His bark is deep and he is a very big dog that can easily seem intimidating. So, I needed to get even more strategic and change up that routine. Essentially – I needed to be on guard at all times to make sure Stryker had the opportunity to make better and better decisions. Left to his own devices he would easily revert back to his old ways, and any time he practiced an old, unwanted behavior, I knew it would become even harder and harder to change over time. He needed very strong guidance immediately.

While Stryker obviously came with quite a bit of work right off the bat, he also had this soft, goofy side. As a Dane, he was SO animated any time he would try and play with the dogs! He would throw his giant paws up at them and then quickly jump around and show them his back side (really good play!). He would do play bows and get running around outside with so much joy that we couldn't help but laugh at how quirky and cute he was! Even if he was like having a giant, overgrown, drooly puppy!

When the reality of the situation with Covid set in and we realized that our kids wouldn’t be going back to school that year and life wouldn't be normal for quite some time, I knew that not only was I going to need to wear the hat of business owner and teacher, but I would also need to take on the majority of the training with Stryker, since Jeff would be working at the kennel once we opened back up for daycare/boarding for essential employees. But I was ready – I knew we had to be there for him and that our lives would never be the same, but we made a commitment and we were going to honor that. We decided to officially adopt him!

There will be many, many "Stryker Stories" coming up in the next several blog posts, but for now I’ll just say this. Perhaps you’ve seen this meme floating around Facebook:

Let me tell you that while I do love this sentiment – it’s not entirely accurate. How much time it takes for an adopted dog to settle into your home and your routine is entirely dependent on the dog. Stryker was 4 when he came to live with us, and being that he’s a dane/mastiff mix means he was middleaged at that point. He’s now lived with us for 18 months and we are STILL consistently working with him to change behavior. Of course we saw improvements early on, but they came with the price of being consistent, rewarding good behavior, and working to give constant guidance so that he didn’t have the opportunity to practice anything unwanted (like barking at the mailman). I would say that for him, it took a full year to really settle in and follow our rules and realize that he didn’t have to be so scared and intimidating (one in the same!), because we were always there to take care of things.

I’m not telling you this to discourage you, but to bring some truth to light when it comes to adopting older dogs with behavior issues. NOTHING will happen overnight. It likely won’t even be months. You’ll be in it for the long haul. But what I can tell you unequivocally, without a doubt, is that when you do see a glimmer of change, when you see your dog almost revert to old ways and then make a conscious decision to choose a better option, when he comes and sits next to you for his treat when the mailman pulls in instead of barking uncontrollably, you’ll know that all your hard work was totally worth it, you’ll feel such a sense of pride and accomplishment, and you’ll feel more capable than you’ve ever felt in your life. Oh, and you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your dog and who he has the potential to be, too, which will only make you want to do better and work harder ��

It's all worth it in the end, especially when you know you've saved a life.

"Why is That Dog Wearing a Muzzle? Is He Aggressive?"

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 20:46:34 GMT

Let's bust some myths about the wonderful tool that is the muzzle!

If you follow our Facebook or Instagram feeds at all, you're likely to see pictures of dogs wearing muzzles pretty often. We sometimes get comments wondering why certain dogs have to wear muzzles, wondering if those dogs are dangerous, or wondering when those dogs will be able to take those muzzles off and never have to wear them again. And we understand the confusion, before we were several years deep into working with packs of dogs day in and day out, we didn't know the truths about this tool either. So let's bust some myths!

Myth: He must be dangerous if he's wearing that

Truth: He just became the safest dog in the room because he can't put his mouth on another dog (or human)

Myth: He must be aggressive if he's wearing that

Truth: There are lots of reasons why an owner might have their dog muzzled (we will get to those shortly)

Myth: He is probably bad with other dogs

Truth: On the contrary, he may be great a huge majority of the time, but that small chance that a scuffle happens he could be serious

Myth: They can't eat or drink when they are wearing them

Truth: They absolutely can! We recommend the Baskerville Muzzle : dogs can pant, eat, and drink while wearing them!

Myth: He must not be allowed near other dogs

Truth: It is BECAUSE of this tool that dogs who may not have the best social skills can finally have a chance to safely interact, learn from other dogs, and change their behavior.

In relating this to human behavior, someone who might be a little insecure may hold everything in until they overreact, right? (Forgive my psychology background here!) They probably didn't learn the lower levels of communicating how they really feel in constructive ways, maybe they didn't have anyone to model that behavior for them, or were never given any chances to talk about their feelings so they learned the cycle of repress, repress, repress, blow up, repeat.

It is pretty similar to dogs here! When dogs don't learn social skills (especially during critical periods of their lives), they have nothing to pull from. All they know is how to blow up. Once they've blown up, and it has gotten them the response they wanted, they are going to do it again. So now that they have a practiced behavior, we need to expect that they have the capacity to do it again, so we need to have a backup plan while we take on behavior modification. So it's not "this dog is aggressive", it's "this dog has shown aggressive behavior" and we need to help him learn to communicate in a new way, and muzzles can often be a huge part of that training plan!

Let's talk about the multitude of reasons a dog might be wearing a muzzle.

1. They need help learning new social skills (in other words, they have been in a dog fight in the past)

2. They have a bite history (either with humans or dogs)

3. They may be dealing with a painful medical condition that could make them more likely to react

4. The owner doesn't want other people or dogs coming near them

5. The dog wears a muzzle to the veterinarian's office as an extra measure to keep everyone safe

6. The dog wears a muzzle to the groomer's as an extra measure to keep everyone safe

7. An owner is introducing another animal to the house and wants to keep everyone safe

8. It is even required in some cities that certain dogs wear muzzles!

9. So many more reasons...

As you can see, just because something looks a certain way, doesn't mean it is that way at all. A shift in perception will help you see that muzzles have actually been game changers for countless owners, given dogs a new quality of life that includes playing with other dogs and letting their guards down, and kept everyone safe even if things didn't go as planned. After all, we are only human, and dogs are really predators who have been domesticated! Having a backup plan is always a good idea when there is room for error!

For more information about muzzles and teaching dogs how to socialize, check out our blog post about Duke: https://www.otbtvt.com/social-skills-save-lives

If you are considering teaching your dog how to wear a muzzle (known as the " Muzzle Conditioning " process), check out our newest course in our online membership at www.otbt.training , it just dropped today! We teach you step by step how to introduce the muzzle in a positive way so your dog always knows something great is about to happen whenever it comes out! We have several other courses on the inside, from Basic Obedience to Loose Leash Walking to teaching your dog to come back to you.

Happy Training!

"It Sounds Like Your Dog Might Need a Little More Structure"

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 18:35:44 GMT

You get it in theory, you're supposed to be more consistent and enforce rules with your dog...but what does that look like in reality?

You may have heard your trainer say that it would really benefit you and your dog to add more structure and boundaries to your days. But sometimes that’s easier said than done, especially if it makes sense in theory but not in practice! So, I wanted to take some time and give some ideas for what a more structured day might look like.

For one, let’s look at how a preschool is set up. My son’s preschool has a perfect balance of structure and free play. Every morning I bring him to school and the kids are playing at various “areas” for the first several minutes. Then it’s time to wash hands and sit at the table for breakfast. Then they have circle time where they always read a book, sing a song, and talk about the calendar and the weather. Then they go outside. Then they come in for a project, and then it’s hand washing time again and then lunch time. Do you see where I’m going with this? Every day is structured the same so the kids have some direction and know what to expect.

Overall, the day has specific time frames and activities already built in. Then, within the day there are rules to be followed. For instance, using inside voices and listening ears, keeping your hands to yourself and following along with the rules of each day’s project. When kids do not follow the rules, they are not allowed to partake in that part of the day. They may need to take a break or apologize for their behavior, then they are allowed to try again and then either removed again or praised for making the right decision.

Knowing what is expected from them can take the guesswork out of a kid’s mind. Having solid rules lets preschools and other establishments run as smoothly as possible with many children at once!

Now let’s transfer this to your day with your dog. Is your dog telling you when he wants to go outside? When he wants to eat? When she wants to play or wants your attention? Does she nudge you until you get up to walk her? Do you walk her every now and then or can she count on a walk every day? Does she beg for your food until you give in and give her table scraps? Does he have a predictable schedule to follow and rules he knows he has to obey or are you inconsistent with your expectations? Can you imagine if a preschool was run by the children or if it was a free-for-all?!

When you start looking at your relationship with your dog from an overall perspective, it can be easier to see where there might be some holes in your structure or boundaries. These questions are not meant to point out things you’re doing “wrong”, they are meant to get you reflecting upon things that have become automatic behaviors for you (for everyone! ).

A more structured day might look something like this:

Wake Up

Bring your dog outside/For a walk

Feed your dog

Give your dog a puzzle game or let them do seeking work in the house when you leave for work

Crate your dog before work (if you choose to)

Come home from work and let your dog o utside

Practice commands with your dog

Bring your dog for a walk and practice recall throughout the walk, or make it a structured walk with heel

Free play with your dog

Feed your dog dinner

Outside one more time

Crate/bedtime

That’s a structured day.

Now, within this day, there can be more rules and firmer boundaries. For instance:

Your dog is no longer allowed to get up on the couch or bed whenever she wants, but rather she must be invited

You become a little more aware of when you’re giving your dog attention – is it when she is demanding it from you or when you decide she is doing something that you want her to do (you get what you pet!)

When your dog jumps on your guests you remove her from the room, let her calm down, then give her another chance to make a better decision

When you’re about to bring your dog outside if she starts charging the door you close the door, wait for her to sit back down, then slowly open the door again. Keep repeating until she understands that she must be calm before walking through the door.

Do you see how you can be the one setting the tone and the expectations for the day? Just like a preschool teacher would lovingly set rules and boundaries, provide the structure and the flow for the day, and be the one to lead the students from one activity to another, so can you for your dog! You will find that your dog will really appreciate the consistency and the clear communication, and you will undoubtedly see better behaviors from your dog in the long run!

Social Skills Save Lives

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 18:17:29 GMT

Duke's Story

Yesterday, Jeff and I visited a local animal shelter to teach their staff and volunteers the hows and whys and whats of socializing dogs. The title of that workshop was called Social Skills Save Lives , and although this is what we do for a living, it’s emotional every single time we are able to show people what is possible with their dogs (and in this case, what was possible with many shelter dogs who had very little experience spending time with each other). Needless to say, I'm all fired up about this topic now!

Socialization is a very wide and very deep subject, so I wanted to narrow it down for this blog post and talk about something that many people have dealt with or maybe are currently dealing with: a dog who reacts or blows up when they interact with other dogs. Usually, the advice is to keep that dog away from other dogs. That would be considered a form of management and the route that many people choose. Allow me to paint a different picture for dogs (and their humans) who might have this struggle.

Let’s take our awesome kennel dog Duke as an example. Duke was surrendered to us exactly two years ago this month. It was not an easy decision for his owners, but Duke and their other large dog were not peacefully existing and they had one too many scary dog fights to know that their situation needed to change. Duke came to us as a 7-8-year-old dog who had never properly been socialized, who had spent a majority of his younger days in a crate, and who barked and lunged at every dog who walked by. The family that surrendered him was his second home, and we became his third. He is an American Bulldog mix, a beautiful, yet misunderstood and confused dog.

Duke became our biggest teacher in the world of socialization. It would be so easy to write an older dog off, saying he couldn’t possibly change his ways now. But we believed in the power of the pack, so instead of keeping him separate from the other dogs, we decided the other dogs could help teach him new ways to coexist. The thing is, we as humans just expect our dogs to know how to communicate, and unless they’ve spent time with other dogs, especially in critical growth periods as puppies, they are going to have a huge disadvantage. When dogs fly off the handle quickly, it usually means they have no idea how to get their point across in subtler ways. Instead of a light growl to let another dog know they are coming too close and it's making them uncomfortable, they go 0-10. They've never had success any other way, so it's all they know.

In the beginning, Duke relied heavily on his eyes to gain information about the world around him. He would just stare at other dogs, not knowing any other way to learn about them. He was stiff because he was scared and insecure, being around other dogs was new to him. Hard eyes and a stiff body sends a message to other dogs that this dog is serious and ready to fight. However, that wasn’t always what Duke was trying to communicate! He had nothing to go by, no baseline or positive experiences to build on. Do you see how easily things can be misinterpreted from every angle?

So, we started to teach him how to use his nose to solve problems using enrichment toys and getting him to seek for his food and treats. This took several weeks (and honestly months) until he would start to use his nose to smell another dog walking by his kennel, instead of his eyes. Dogs have incredibly powerful noses and teaching them to use them to gain information is absolutely critical in getting them out of that impulsive and reactive mindset, and into a more relaxed and coherent one.

Safety first… always. We muzzle conditioned Duke (which means we taught Duke how to wear a muzzle by pairing it with high value treats.) He also started out on-leash. This would allow us to start introducing him to other dogs while making sure everyone would be safe. We started with just one or two dogs, introducing them slowly through the fence. Easy dogs that have fantastic social skills. If he reacted poorly, he would miss out on that chance to greet and have a social interaction. Dogs are social creatures naturally. Wolves are pack animals, and so are dogs. They want to be around each other, so not allowing them to socialize is a consequence of sorts.

Moving forward, he could suddenly let other dogs smell him and he could in turn smell other dogs. He was learning how to peacefully co-exist in small packs of dogs. He started avoiding conflict by walking away from situations instead of confronting other dogs. He never even knew he had that choice before! When other dogs started to initiate play, instead of panicking he would try and play back (albeit awkwardly and rigidly!). Slowly but surely, he was having some positive social interactions to build from. Every time he had a good social interaction, we would praise him.

Before we knew it, he was integrating wonderfully into our pack of dogs. Although he was kind of a loner at first, he kept softening and softening, getting looser and looser as he learned how to play with some of his favorite regular visitors. He finally had an outlet to get some energy out, and was finally able to get some deep sleep (side note: reactive dogs often are not getting enough sleep. They are constantly on edge and running on adrenaline, which makes it difficult for them to fall asleep, which perpetuates the lack of sleep, etc). Sleep brings out a whole new side to dogs, you can learn more about that here .

Today, he is a 9-10 year old dog who spends his days in packs of dogs (muzzle on – always) playing, taking naps, and just BE-ing with up to 30 other dogs every day. He is always using his nose to smell the ground, the air, other dogs, etc, and he has become part of our family up here.

As you can see, the power of the pack is incredible. It can bring nervous dogs out of their shells. It can teach scared or frustrated dogs to calm down and loosen up. It teaches all dogs to communicate at lower levels by giving them opportunities to try things out and learn from them. When they start to develop confidence in their own abilities to initiate play, say “I’m uncomfortable, please move away”, and to have other dogs respect them and listen to them, they start to learn how to trust – both other dogs and themselves.

In life, sometimes the only way out is through (oftentimes, right?) So, if a dog is reacting to other dogs it often means he is scared and unsure. Other dogs are a source of unknown for them, and it’s normal to fear the unknown. Allowing those dogs to develop coping mechanisms one positive social experience at a time will have a tremendous impact on who they become. Sometimes, it is even life or death.

Social Skills Save Lives. Teaching dogs to communicate and to make better decisions around each other is an integral piece of dog training. We have yet to find another tool more powerful than our pack. We couldn’t do this without them and continue to learn from them every single day.

Prepare Your Dog for Holiday Guests!

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 18:59:42 GMT

You aren't the only one who will be stressing this time of year!

I’m not sure if I can believe that Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away, and Christmas is just 4 weeks after that! Somehow the holidays always sneak up on me! One thing is for sure though, your dog never knows what to expect during the holidays! Usually it means lots of visitors, lots of stress, possible travel…the sky is the limit. So, while you are probably stressing about the holidays, let’s take a look at this time of year from your dog’s perspective:

Typically, emotions heighten during the days leading up to the holiday. Especially if you are hosting: the house needs to be spotless, the food needs to be purchased, you need to have a schedule for cooking the food, thawing the turkey, making endless trips to the packed grocery store…it’s constricting just thinking about it! On top of this you may also be working, running your regular errands, your kids might have hockey games or after-school programs. And then of course, we have our dogs and their regular routines! To them, they can sense your heightened stress and may react by being a bit more underfoot than usual. Perhaps you don’t have a ton of time to exercise them or get their energy out since you’ve added so many things to your plate. So now, they have lots of pent up energy, they are feeding off your stress, and…you guessed it…they are wild and rambunctious when your guests come over!

The good news is, it definitely doesn’t have to be like this! Let’s take a look at some of the things we can do to help your dog through the stress of the holidays:

1. Whatever you do, remember that your dog’s routine ideally needs to stay the same. Even if that means utilizing a grocery delivery service so you can get your daily walk in with your dog, or agreeing to have a few people bring side dishes to dinner. You could even hire a dog walker or a one-time house cleaner…this is the time to delegate.

2. Several days leading up to the holiday, ramp up the exercise. You could take them for longer walks, teach them a new trick or two, purchase a puzzle feeder so they have to work harder to get their food, etc. You could even schedule a playdate with a friend’s dog or check out a doggie daycare service to help drain energy!

3. Start desensitizing to knocks on the door and people coming in and out of the doorway. Do this by getting them into a seeking game, whether through a puzzle feeder or scattering kibble or treats throughout the house. Once they are really “in the zone” and focused on the game, knock on the door. If they come right out of that mindset and perk up, start barking, or become excitable, just ignore them completely and go back to what you were doing. Then, let them get a little further into their seeking "zone" until you try it again. Ideally you want them to look at the door for a second, then go back to their seeking work. Do this once or twice a day every day leading up to the holiday and your dog will respond much better to the knocking on the door. Eventually, the knock will become a non-event to them.

4. If you can have someone come over and help you with this, make sure that they know to only give the dog attention if he or she greets them appropriately! If your dog is known to jump on the guests, you could put him on leash while guests are arriving, giving him the chance to greet everyone and if he goes to jump, walk him away and have him sit until he’s calm, then go back over and let him have another chance. Your guests could even have some food to give him if he sits and waits patiently for them! Practicing this as much as possible beforehand will be incredibly beneficial.

5. Call your guests or send them a message and let them know that you need their help training your dog during your get together! Tell them what you need from them (knock on the door, wait until I say “ok!” then come in! If Chase comes over nicely, you can pet him, but if not, I will walk him away from you, settle him down, and then I will give him another chance.” The last thing you want to do is try and explain all of this while everyone is coming through the door, excited to see each other and when emotions are running high!

6. This might sound counter-intuitive, but make sure your dog has adequate downtime before your guests arrive. Plan to get some energy out of him early in the day, then let him have down time in his crate or on his bed until it’s go time. Overtired dogs will act more excited than usual, so your best bet is to drain some energy, let him decompress for a bit, and then watch as all your hard work pays off as everyone arrives!

7. Last but not least, make sure to give your dog some praise (affection, petting, treats) when he is nice and calm, laying down during dinnertime, or anytime he is acting appropriately during what can be a very stressful time for a dog. Remember, “you get what you pet!” Give your dog feedback when he’s doing exactly what you want him to do!

All in all, if you prepare your dog ahead of time for what you expect from him, the lines of communication are open between the two of you, and you will be more likely to see much better behaviors during these times of stress. Happy training!

Winter is Coming!

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 19:57:19 GMT

But there is still plenty you can do to tire out your dog this season!

As I’m sitting here in my office looking out the window at the snowflakes coming down, I’m realizing that it’s time to admit that winter is actually coming! Not that I’m exactly opposed to winter, there can by some really beautiful parts to this time of year (side note: since November 1st my kids have been telling me it’s almost Christmas…now THAT I’m not ready for!). But one aspect of winter that is hard for everyone is making sure their dogs get enough exercise. Not only do we

not want to go out and walk or hike in the bitter cold, our dogs really don’t either! Unless you ask my newfie of course, that dog is always down for a hike in the cold!

Here are a few things to keep in mind as we change seasons, because it is just as important to give your dogs proper mental and physical exercise in the winter as it is in fair weather months.

1. Don’t underestimate the power of a winter jacket for your dog. Our bull mastiff is not a fan of the cold whatsoever and even more so now that she is getting older. We bought a Weatherbeeta jacket for her last winter and what a difference it has made! She enjoys our walks so much more with that extra layer on. You can find more information on those jackets here . There are many more options for keeping your dog warm in the winter, this is just one!

2. We absolutely LOVE Proper Pups Snacks and Toys . Firstly, they make high quality dog treats that our dogs go crazy for. I use them for a high value reward in everyday training sessions. Secondly, their mental stimulation toys have been such a wonderful addition to our toolbox. Ellie loves the snuffle ball (she has to roll the ball around until food comes out), and Lexi loves the PVC pipe (same idea). Getting dogs to use their brain (and especially their noses) to solve problems is a fantastic way to drain energy and tire them out. Proper Pups has other toys and products as well, and if that isn’t enough, they just started making winter jackets as well! We highly recommend them.

3. Doggie daycare can be a wonderful way to drain energy during the winter months! When you are looking around for a kennel that offers this service, make sure you find one that always monitors the dogs and one that gives the dogs downtime during the day to decompress (super important!). Playing with other dogs in a safe and controlled environment can be one of the best ways to tire out a dog! Click here for information about our daycare service here at OTBT!

4. If you’re local to us, you could consider checking out our Sunday Social program! This program provides a safe environment for dogs to learn invaluable social skills, play with other dogs, and learn to become comfortable around other dogs and humans. Not only is this great for mental stimulation, but it can also be a great confidence builder for nervous dogs. And finally, it’s a great excuse for you to get out in the winter, meet some new people, and watch your dog have a good time!

5. If your dog is really good at using his or her nose, you can up the ante by tossing treats in the freshly fallen snow! When dogs aren’t able to rely on their eyes to find what they are looking for, they are forced to use their nose to pick up the scent. This will tire out their brain much faster, and it can be a really fun game for them (and really easy for you!)

All in all, winter can be a great time to get creative with activities both you and your dog can enjoy! It is here, so we might as well embrace it!

How to Effectively Communicate with Your Dog

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:38:34 GMT

Opening the lines of clear communication

Yesterday, I was reading about delegating tasks as a way to get more accomplished and there was a sentence that stuck out to me. “No one can give you what you want unless you clearly ask for it.” I immediately knew I had to explore this further as it relates to communicating with dogs. You see, we are always communicating with our dogs (and with each other). Humans tend to believe that verbal communication is the only real form of communication, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, and in fact most experts agree it is the smallest portion of communication (and that is absolutely true when it comes to dogs!) Non verbal communication says so much more. Think body language, gestures, averting your eyes, being fully present in the conversation or being “somewhere else”, etc. Dogs read our body language so much more than they listen to our words.

So, if no one can give us what we want unless we clearly ask for it, and dogs watch us more than listen to us… how are you asking for things from your dog? When you tell your dog to sit, are you moving your hands around a lot? Are you asking repeatedly? Are you moving into his space to push his butt down to the ground? Are you feeling rushed and frustrated wishing your dog would just sit for you? If so, you may not be communicating what you think you are. We have a saying up here that goes, “If you say it once, you’re telling. If you say it multiple times, you’re asking.” You’re muddying up the waters for your dog. Instead, say it once. It’s even better if you have a hand gesture that goes with it. Stay calm in your body and trust that your dog will understand you. When he does, that’s when you reward, that’s when you add all the words (praise!). But the act of communicating what we want needs to be clear and concise, and if you’re moving all around and talking a whole bunch, your dog is probably getting confused!

There is a massive language barrier between us. This is not a verbal language barrier, it’s a species language barrier. Your dog might associate certain words with certain things, but he does not understand the full sentences. All he knows is that you’re giving him lots of attention and verbalizing a lot of words towards him when he’s jumping all over your guests (in general, attention is the equivalent to “yes” to a dog). He doesn’t know you’re saying “Baxter get down! Don’t jump on aunt Ruby, she doesn’t want your muddy paws all over her nice blouse! Why do you always do this?! I swear he’s really a good dog!” (Side note, don’t feel bad, everyone does this, I just want to point out where this might be working against you!). In this scenario, all forms of your communication are all over the place and your dog doesn’t know he’s doing anything wrong. Imagine instead, you had practiced teaching your dog to “stay”, saying it once with a hand gesture and stepping back once. A few times later, stepping back twice. Then working up to having your dog stay and turning the door knob. Eventually you’ll be able to open the door fully. Finally, you’ll practice with guests coming over, and if your dog breaks the stay command, you go back a few steps and keep building that foundation with more basic steps. Eventually, your dog will know exactly what you want from him, because you will have communicated it effectively and taught him how to act. Clear, articulate (in dog terms!), baby steps is the way to effective communication. And when it comes to verbalizing what you want, less is always more.

A Letter To Family and Friends without Dogs (From Dog Owners)

offthebeatentrailvt@gmail.com (Gillian Scarpino) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 17:52:13 GMT

Please help us reinforce the good behaviors in our dogs!

Dear Family, Friends, Co-Workers, and Strangers,

We know that you want to love all over our dogs, give them tons of affection, praise, and treats, let them take up your space, and lick you constantly. You may even love that they jump all over you, scratch your leg for attention, or want to be on top of you every second. We get it! But here’s the thing. To us, many of those behaviors are really not something we want our dogs doing. You see, how dogs do one thing is how they do everything. They have a hard time generalizing. Let's take this scenario: If you’re praising and petting my dog when he's jumping all over you, when I never allow him to jump up on me, my dog is getting a big dopamine dump and he’s going to want to do that again! Therefore, all that work that I’ve done to train my dog not to jump has been highly rewarded by you (unintentionally). It is even more significant to the dog when it doesn’t happen every time, because now he’s going to be thinking “Am I going to get away with it this time? Or this time? Or this time? YES! I’M GETTING AWAY WITH IT!” You get the idea. You don’t catch a fish every time you cast a line but your brain is always wondering if this is the time you’ll catch that monster, and when you do, your brain rewards you big time. And that’s why people get so hooked on fishing (no pun intended).

So now, my dog wants to jump on you every time he sees you. And not only that, but that last time we visited with my sister, my dog knocked over my 3 year old nephew and now she doesn't want me to bring the dog over anymore. See where I'm going with this? If dogs start getting away with behaviors like this, they are not isolated events. They start happening in lots of different scenarios.

So, what to do if you are a friend or family member of someone who owns a dog? We know you’re coming from a place of love, and since you don’t have dogs yourself, you didn’t even know that what you were doing might be working against the owners!

The best plan is to simply ask the owner, do you mind if I ______? Pet your dog? Give him a treat? Let him lick me? Whatever the question might be. And if the person says no, take no offense, they are simply advocating for their dog! That is the sign of a great dog owner! And when in doubt, just wait until the dog is more settled and calm, and then you can give praise and interact (again, with permission). That is always a good rule of thumb! Just remember, any state of mind you are interacting with, you can easily be reinforcing - make sure it's a good one.

Sincerely,

Dog Owners

And a side note to all the dog owners, never feel badly for asking someone not to treat your dog in a certain way. No, it is never easy, especially if it’s someone you normally look up to or you’re not used to standing up for yourself. But use your dog as an excuse to learn how to set and stick to your boundaries. And if you need any help with that, pass the blame along to your trainer! “You know, I used to love letting my dog jump up on me, but my trainer said not to let him do that anymore.” And leave it at that. Piece of cake!

You're Saying My Dog Needs MORE Sleep?!

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 13:48:52 GMT

But he's so hyper!

I think it’s fair to say that most dog owners feel the need to let their dogs run and run and run, play and play and play, to “get all their energy out” before either going to work or going to sleep for the night, right? I can honestly say that was my exact thought when it came to my youngest son! He kept waking up in the night (anywhere between 5-20 times per night), plus it would take him well over an hour to fall asleep at bedtime and he would always wake up in the 5 o’clock hour. Day in and day out, even at almost three years old. To say we were exhausted and at the end of our ropes is the understatement of the century!

My thought process was, if he’s not sleeping, it means he’s not getting his energy out during the day. So I voted for having him skip his nap, bring him to a playground or the bike trail daily, and run the energy out of him. It HAD to work, right?

WRONG!

It made it all worse. Convinced I had the only child who had ever been this terrible of a sleeper, I decided we needed to enlist the help of an expert. White noise, changing bedtime routines, keeping him up later so he would sleep longer in the morning, bringing him into bed with me…literally nothing worked. I had no idea what a sleep specialist would tell me, but I was ready to hear it and ready for a miracle.

The first phone call with her gave me so much hope. It also made me think I should never tell her what we do for a living. She asked us if we had ever heard of the fight or flight response? Attention seeking behaviors? Positive reinforcement? Creating structure and boundaries? Desensitization? Positive associations?

Let’s just say we felt kind of silly.

Our conversation with the sleep specialist paralleled countless other conversations we have held with our clients over the years in so many ways! It made me realize that while the broader ideas were pretty easy to comprehend, putting them into practice was where the guidance was needed.

She explained that a lack of sleep will make the body produce stress hormones (adrenaline, etc) that keep you in fight or flight mode. She asked if we had ever gone to a concert or something like that and then had trouble falling asleep when we got home. It was the same thing for our son, except that was his reality every single night. He was sleep deprived and therefore running on stress hormones which made it appear that he was full of energy, and those same hormones made it impossible for him to fall asleep at night, stay asleep at night, and sleep in in the morning. It was a vicious, downward spiral. The more tired he was, the more adrenaline he would run on, the less he would be able to sleep. No wonder my plan of running the energy out of him didn’t work.

The goal was to build his “sleep bank” over time, change the association of the bedtime routine from negative to positive, give him a visual barrier (a baby gate so he couldn’t leave his room once it was bedtime), slowly desensitize him to being by himself to fall asleep, helping him develop self-soothing mechanisms which helped him go back to sleep on his own, not giving into his attention seeking behaviors which only prolonged the negative sleep routine, and rewarding him for following the sleep plan and eventually sleeping through the night!

In eleven days of working with the sleep specialist, our son (and the rest of the family) slept through the night for the first time in years.

Not only that, but we actually got to see who our son was for the first time. He became this sweet, joyful, excited and confident little man who could focus on tasks, follow directions, and, most importantly, rest when it was time to rest. Think about that – I didn’t really know my son until he was well rested. Sleep is amazing.

That was a long winded way of saying that if your dog is hyperactive, unfocused, constantly seeking attention, and you feel like you can never run enough energy out of him (or all of the above), 9 times out of 10 your dog is sleep deprived and running on stress hormones. Seems counter-intuitive, right? I know, but as the sleep specialist reminded me dozens of times, sleep is not logical, it’s biological.

Dogs need an average of 12-14 hours of sleep per day, and puppies need as much as 18-20 hours! Older dogs tend to need more than the average as well. And I’m not talking about sleep that the dog is easily awakened from, I’m talking deep, restful sleep!

A few signs to look out for:

Hyperactivity

Inability to focus

Anxiety

Sleeping with “one ear perked and one eye open”

Inability to leave the room without your dog waking up to follow you

Difficulty controlling impulses

Pacing

Weak Immune system

Sleep also helps dogs process and store information into their long-term memory. We recommend letting your dog sleep after training sessions for this very reason! The crate is a great tool for this.

I cannot stress enough the importance of the right amount of good, quality sleep for your dog (and for you!) It takes a few weeks to change this pattern, but I promise you, you will see a whole new side to your dog that you never knew existed.

Go Slow to Go Fast

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 20:13:34 GMT

Real Change Takes Time

Real dog training moves slowly. It takes a very long time to undo old patterns and conditioning that the dog has practiced for months and oftentimes years. What we see a lot of the time is people struggling for a long time, eventually reaching the end of their rope, and wanting certain behaviors to stop ASAP.

And we get it! We have been there! I remember so clearly how frustrating it was not to have the answers and to just want my dog to get along with other dogs, stop jumping on people, and come back to me every time I called him.

But here’s the thing, if I’m not honest with you, I’m not doing you any favors. So the truth is: real change doesn’t happen quickly. And, not only that, but if you’re going to only reinforce the new training rules we give you occasionally or even most of the time, you will not see any lasting changes whatsoever, and might end up fueling the naughty behaviors even more.

Think about gambling:

- you play and you don’t win

- you play and you win a little

- you play and you don’t win

- YOU HIT THE JACKPOT!

What a huge rush of feel-good dopamine! That didn’t happen because you won every time, it happened because you didn’t know when you were going to win or how much you were going to win. The unpredictability is addictive. Think about that when it comes to letting your dog get away with old and unwanted behaviors every now and then . It is working against you in a more powerful way than you may have realized.

But back to my main point: truly changing behavior takes several weeks to solidify, and I would even argue a few months to become habit for the both of you. There are no quick fixes. A professional can help shorten the time it would normally take for you to reach your goals, but it’s important to manage expectations. Overnight success just doesn’t happen. And the quicker you realize that your own personal growth will propel your dog’s growth, now you’re understanding the bigger picture.

The other analogy I like to offer for this: picture a car speeding down the highway. Let’s say the driver realizes he’s heading south, and he needs to head north. Can that car, in any way, shape, or form, turn around in an instant and suddenly be heading North? Or does the driver need to slow the car down, find a pull-off or a place to turn around, and then start heading in the correct direction, slowly at first, and then building momentum when he can? Real change is slow. We can help slow you down, turn you around, and guide you toward the right direction, but it will be up to you to keep that momentum going and stay the course. Just make sure you enjoy the view and look back every now and then to see how far you’ve come!

There Will Be Setbacks!

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 14:38:51 GMT

It's how you deal with them that counts.

As I’ve been recently working with my own dogs on a few goals I have set for them, I've realized that I'm not as hard on myself as I once was. I identify as a recovering perfectionist, and I would like to thank motherhood, dog ownership, and business ownership for humbling me LOL! In the beginning, I would have doubted myself, thrown in the towel early, or felt like a failure if one little thing went wrong in the training process. How many of you can relate to that?

I like to talk about mindset a lot because I feel like it’s the missing ingredient. You can have a bunch of tools in your toolbox when it comes to training your dog, but if your mind is your own worst enemy, you won’t get very far.

The very first thing you should know when you start any kind of training program is that – THERE WILL BE SETBACKS! No one is immune to this. And setbacks are not a bad thing. Reframe that thought into something that is helpful: Setbacks mean you are trying. Setbacks mean you are learning. Setbacks mean you are at least out there willing to make mistakes and figure out how to help your dog. You are doing what others are not willing to do!

Our Aussie mix Lexi (pictured above) loves to chase squirrels. It is something she learned to do when she used to have free range of our property and we were not always outside to monitor her. She has practiced this behavior for a few years, so changing her mind about squirrels will not be an overnight fix. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of work with her on this to help her realize that every time she hears that squirrel “chirp” she gets treats if she looks at me. Last week, I had put her in a sit/stay during one of our walks. As I stepped back, a squirrel that was very close by let out a chirp and Lexi was GONE! She bounded away into the woods after him and ran for about 5 straight seconds. I stayed silent and watched her run. When she stopped running, I gave out a whistle and said “come here Lex!”. She came running back and sat next to me awaiting her treat. To me, this was a huge victory! Yes, she broke and ran after the squirrel, the one thing we are working on her not doing. But, two weeks earlier, I moved a little too fast with the training and took her off leash before she was ready. The first time she heard a "chirp" she was off and running, scaling the tree and barking, totally focused on the squirrel and not paying attention to me. It took her a full minute to tune into what I was asking from her. When she came back I still gave her some praise, then put her back on leash and did some focus exercises with her to help calm her down (she was amped!). Taking that chance by letting her off leash, I knew the risk. I let her practice the behavior I didn't want her to do, but I learned where we stood in the training and came up with new ideas to help slow her down and change that association.

Last week, she only broke for a matter of seconds and came back the first time I called. I was able to slow her down again and we enjoyed the rest of our walk with her by my side, off leash, tuned into me.

Three days ago, a squirrel chirped while we were walking in the woods, and instead of bolting, she looked to me for guidance. What an amazing feeling that was! The setbacks that have happened during this process still led me to my ultimate goal for her. Think about that! You are allowed to make mistakes and you will still reach your goal! The only way you will fail is if you will quit. Reaching my goal for Lexi didn’t happen by planning out a perfect training program from inside my house. It happened by going outside and trying new things and being patient with myself and with her. I also know, with 100% certainty, that there will be more setbacks and mistakes with our squirrel training, guaranteed.

If you don’t expect setbacks, it’s going to make the training journey very difficult! There is no such thing as failure – you either get what you wanted or you get the lesson. You can’t edit a blank page. You just have to get out there, expect to mess up, and then pick yourself back up and move forward. Dogs are not robots, they are living, breathing beings with their own free will. Cut them (and yourself) some slack and watch the magic that happens when you throw out all expectations and start with what you know and where you are.

Happy training!

What Does it Mean to "Train" a Dog?

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 14:15:25 GMT

What other things do you "train" for?

What does it mean to “train” a dog? Let’s think about that concept for a minute. When you train for a marathon, do you show up for a marathon and hope for the best? When you train for a weight lifting competition, do you show up at the day of the competition and think “I’m pretty strong, I’ve got this!”. Or how about a baking competition? Fishing tournament? Relay race? Or how about your first ever public speech? It is highly unlikely that anyone would show up for any of these somewhat stressful events without in some way, shape, or form, preparing for them ahead of time!

Let’s change the wording, for the sake of this post, from “training your dog” to “preparing your dog”.

Almost everyone that we talk to wants to know how they can help their dog in one particular situation or another. It might be how to get along with other dogs, or how to help them through fireworks, or how to get them to come back to them when they call their name. In every single one of these instances, the solution to the question lies outside of that particular event. The question remains, are the dogs prepared for it ? Have we, as the humans and as their leaders, prepared the dog to come back to us when we call them? Or is the only time we try to call them back to us when they are chasing after a squirrel or running straight for the road? Have we prepared them with coping skills throughout the year to teach them how to focus during times of stress, or do we wait until the fireworks have started and wonder what we can do now to calm them down?

Training is nothing more than helping prepare our dogs for times of heightened stress. And this always, always, always needs to be done in controlled situations, with no distractions or signs of stress around…at first.

The first time I had to give a speech, I did not put it out of my mind until the day of the speech. I spent a lot of time sitting at my computer writing and then rewriting my speech. I had thoughts come to me when I was out and about, which I quickly jotted down and then added to the speech when I got home. I read the speech over dozens of times, first in my head, then out loud to myself. I knew which parts of the speech I wanted to emphasize, and which parts I would look up from my notes and make eye contact with the audience. I practiced in front of one person, then two. I wanted to get a feel for having eyes on my and how I would handle that pressure. Then I would visualize being on the stage and having a full audience in front of me, which helped me to anticipate the nerves that would inevitably appear, which in turn helped me know which coping skills to draw on and develop. I practiced talking slowly, breathing deeply, smiling, pausing for effect, enunciating, etc. Then I practiced on the stage with a microphone in front of a few more people, so I knew how closely to stand to the mic, and how loudly I should speak. This process took weeks of preparation and a huge majority of my mental energy. Then, and only then, was I ready and fully prepared for my first big speech. I was 18, still completely terrified, but I knew what I wanted to say, how to say it, and how to get myself through the experience. The day of the speech, I hit it out of the park, in front of a packed audience of a couple hundred people.

Let’s talk about fireworks. If you are not preparing your dog for fireworks (and we can all count on fireworks going off quite a bit the first week of July every single year), it is the equivalent to someone pulling you out of the audience, putting you up on stage, and expecting you to deliver a speech without ever preparing you for it.

Take a second and feel how terrifying that would be, and then realize this is what your dog is feeling every time he goes into panic. Do you see how much easier it would be to help them through stressful events if you had practiced with them over and over and over again when there were no stressors around?

When things are calm, and you teach your dog to focus on you, even if it’s just for a few minutes of fun doing basic obedience commands, this is going to become familiar to them. The brain likes familiar things, it is easy to "go there" once it's established. Then, when you can still control the environment, find a video on YouTube of fireworks going off, play it quietly but make sure your dog hears the sound, and practice the same routine. As time goes on, continue to make the video louder and louder as your dog can handle it. Then, on the 4th of July, when the fireworks start and your dog’s heart rate goes up and she starts pacing around and getting frantic, you can help her by doing that same familiar routine. Be a lighthouse in the dark. Prepare your dog for the inevitable experiences they will have, and they will always have those coping skills to draw on.

Training is nothing more than preparing your dog ahead of time for lots of different scenarios. We can all do that! What other situations can you think of that you can prepare your dog for?

Vermont Public Radio Interview

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 17:38:38 GMT

Dog psychology, training, and choosing a dog that fits your family & lifestyle.

With Jeff Scarpino from Off The Beaten Trail & Jocelyn Meilleur from APEX Vermont Dog Training

On August 13th we had such an incredible experience. Not only did we get to be guests on Vermont Public Radio , but we got to share that experience with fellow trainer Jocelyn Meilleur . Jocelyn runs APEX Vermont Dog Training where she has combined her intelligence, compassion and drive to create a business that goes above and beyond.

Calm And Confident: Training Your Dog (And Yourself)

By PETER HIRSCHFELD & MATTHEW F. SMITH • AUG 12, 2019

What's involved in training a dog? " Vermont Edition " discusses creating a link with your dog to maintain confidence during stressful times.

It's easy to spot a well-trained dog. Maybe the pup is well-behaved in a large group of people or other dogs. Perhaps the pooch can sit, shake and roll over on command. But what's involved in training your pet that molds a calm, confident and well-behaved dog? We're talking about dog training and dog psychology with two Vermont dog trainers.

Jeff Scarpino , co-owner and trainer at Off The Beaten Trail training and canine facility in Newark, helps us understand dog psychology and behavior, and important training techniques for trainers and dogs alike.

And Jo Meilleur , owner and trainer at Apex Vermont Dog Training in South Burlington, talks about matching goals for your dog with your family and your lifestyle, and creating a link between owner and animal to promote confidence and avoid panic during stressful situations.

Dog Psych 101

Meilleur: “I think a lot of things that people don’t think about when it comes to their dogs are what really motivates them and what really is enticing to them — to, like, light them up and be excited about what they’re doing. A lot of dogs aren’t super excited about strict obedience; sometimes they’re really excited about playing and/or chasing a toy or really using some sort of food motivator . We use a lot of different toys and/or food to actually motivate a dog, to get them out of any type of weird panic or fear kind of reaction, in order to get them to start playing and really open up to being in the different environments.”

Scarpino: “You need that motivation and you need to figure out how to use that motivation to curb towards the behaviors that you want to see. So a lot of times what I bump into is people are giving out, you know, their affection, their time so much that it almost dilutes one of your most powerful tools. And so when you start to use it towards what you want to curb your dog into doing, you become more effective and your communication becomes better. So a lot of times what you end up having to do is making sure that you have spent enough time developing that communication so it’s very effective with you and your dog.”

Scarpino also recommends Temple Grandin’s book Animals Make Us Human: “One of the things that she talks about in there is the two main systems that drive behavior: you’re going to have what’s called a ‘seeking system’ and what’s called a ‘ panic system .’ …

“Dogs that are stuck in the panic system … basically run on adrenaline and cortisol all day long — that’s what fuels their behavior. So as you start to combat anxiety and stuff like this, you have to be increasing and changing the way that the dog’s brain works. And a lot of times I do this through games.”

Radical Responsibility

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 00:01:49 GMT

It all starts with your level of commitment

I am currently taking a business course and in one of the modules the instructor was talking about 100% commitment and radical responsibility. He was explaining that when we give ourselves permission to be completely honest with ourselves about the level of commitment we have been giving something, we see it for what it really is. We have a jumping off point. The initial assessment. The truth. For many people, this is hard to do. We are afraid to tell the truth, even to ourselves, because we know we have been lacking. We have been making excuses, even justifiable ones. But when you take the judgement out of it, the labels fall away, too. You’re not a bad person if you weren’t 100% committed to something and you’re not necessarily a good person if you were. However, you are a better person if you can accept that perhaps you’ve been avoiding taking radical responsibility. Because once you accept that, you can change it. Awareness does so much of the work for us.

As with most things, I couldn’t stop thinking about how this applies to dog training . How many of us can say that we are 100% committed to helping our dogs live their best lives? Because this means sacrificing some things ourselves. It means adopting some new habits, which take time and energy. It means getting out of our own heads so we can be present in the moment with our dogs, completely tuned into them so we can decipher their needs and figure out in real time the best ways to communicate with them. It means anticipating their needs 20 minutes, 5 hours, and even 4 years in the future, managing situations and consistently setting them up for success. It means advocating for them, even when your loving mother just wants to love on them when they are jumping all over her. It means learning to say no and set boundaries, and it means taking a stand and deciding that changing yourself in order to best help your dog is worth it, even if it might be difficult at first.

It’s not just a series of techniques and strategies that will help you with any unwanted behaviors, it’s your mindset, and your level of commitment. It’s radical responsibility. If you take away your excuses, you will gain a relationship with your dog that you didn’t even know could exist. And I think we can all agree, the love of a dog is worth it!

When the Thought of Training Becomes Overwhelming

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:35:22 GMT

One small change is all it takes!

I’ve been in a place of overwhelm for a few weeks now, and I think there is something in the air, because I’m definitely not the only one! Sometimes it seems like we have so many things to take care of that it feels pointless to even try. I am a very “all or nothing” kind of girl, and paired with my “idealism” and my constant-pining for a better future, sometimes that’s a recipe for disaster. For me, when overwhelm shows up in my life it’s showing me two things. 1 – I need to delegate. Take things of my plate. Manage my expectations. Know that my idealism is getting the best of me. 2 – I remind myself that one small step is better than standing still. In so many cases, I cannot make giant leaps toward my goals. But I can be consistent, persistent, and move the needle a little bit. Again, I need to manage my expectations.

If you’re like me and are prone to overwhelm when taking on a big project (like, say, stopping your dog’s separation anxiety!), we need to remember to slow down. These things take time. If you don’t have time to dedicate hours on end to working with your dog (by the way, almost NO ONE does!), then you only have one option: start small. Do one thing differently. Plus, all behaviors are related and interconnected, so if you aren’t working on the exact problem you think you have with your dog, that’s ok! Any training you do with them to reiterate a calm state of mind, and remind them that you’ve got everything under control, will help them make better decisions in those tougher circumstances. In fact, in the beginning of any form of training, get as far away from the “problem” as you can! In stressful situations, dogs will immediately go to their default settings. And no learning can be done when adrenaline is running high, anyways. So, what you need to do is reset their default settings in calmer, more controlled situations.

If you have been walking your dog once per day, bring them for two structured walks per day with immediate crate time afterwards so they can decompress and sleep. If you haven’t done anything to start desensitizing your dog to you leaving the house, walk over to your keys, jingle them, then put them back down and ignore your dog. Do this whenever you can, just make it a part of your day whenever possible, and keep ignoring their reaction. Something that takes just a few seconds can have an enormous impact on a dog’s behavior over time. Eventually your dog won’t be triggered by the sound of your keys. Give your dog a massage at the end of the day to help them get really relaxed (most anxious dogs have a very hard time relaxing). The more they practice relaxation, the more accessible it will be for them down the road.

It is pointless to try and change anything important in a moment’s notice. Nothing worthwhile happens overnight! The only thing we can ever do is slow down and take things one step at a time. One small change in your day will inevitably lead to more, but you just have to start somewhere, and then trust the process from there!

The Story of Happy

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 21:11:32 GMT

How a Nervous Rescue Dog Learned How To Trust Again

Happy is a sweet but nervous rescue dog who has lived with multiple families - her current owner recently adopted her at 5 years old. She came to us at first for a daycare evaluation and instantly did not trust anyone. Her owner explained that she was especially afraid of men. We were so excited to have her with us, we knew we could help her gain confidence and break out of her shell. It is heartbreaking to know that any dog is living their life in fear!

In her first pack session, she spent a lot of time in the corner and sent warning snaps whenever a dog would get anywhere near her. These snaps were too much – definitely an overreaction and told us that she was very nervous and untrusting. There was no danger present, we had been advocating for her and controlling the space around her. None of the rambunctious dogs were allowed to come near her, as we knew they would make her feel threatened.

Her owner had explained that in 2 months he was going to need to board her for 2 weeks. Excellent! We had time to get her used to both us and the pack. She started coming to daycare regularly. The first few weeks she was still scared, but little by little she would allow the dogs to get closer to her. Although she was still visibly uncomfortable, she was not giving off so many warning signals (showing her teeth, growling, snapping, etc), so we knew she was making progress. She got to the point where she would walk around in the daycare setting – this is a good sign! Movement is good, it shows curiosity and some confidence. The nervous dogs in the group will be stationary in a corner. The socialized, playful dogs will be wandering around saying hi to each other, engaging in play, or sniffing out the environment. The nervous dogs will NOT be using their noses, will usually have large, dilated eyes, and just look stiff. On the other side, the more confident dogs are loose and limber, comfortable with what is going on.

The BIG transformation with Happy came during her 2 weeks of boarding . There, she started to use her nose. Instead of snapping at dogs who came near, she sniffed them. This little moment that could so easily be overlooked was HUGE! When dogs are taking in information with their noses, they are naturally in a much calmer and more curious state of mind (basically the opposite of impulsive or reactive). She started following me around in daycare. I would wait for my moments, and then gently put my hand out for her to smell. She didn’t take me up on it at first. But after a few more days, her eyes were softer, she was breathing through her mouth (meaning she was more relaxed), and she was blinking her eyes and starting to look around at her environment. All signs that she was getting more comfortable. So, I put my hand out again, and she sniffed it! She had gone from not trusting me at all to engaging with me. She also did the same with Sarah and Anna, as well as with Jeff (remember, she especially disliked men!).

A few days after she started coming up to us and smelling us, she finally did it --- she PLAYED with another dog! Her little play bow was so cute! It took a long time, but she finally felt like she could let her walls down. She played, she ran around, she sneezed (if your dog is sneezing when playing, it means they are SOOO happy!). We had all waited so long for this moment, we couldn’t hold in our laughter and excitement!

Now that she was feeling comfortable, she did exactly what I expected her to do. She started jumping up on us. Now, it could be easy to reward this behavior and encourage it, considering all she had been through, but we didn’t. You see, nervous dogs need boundaries, too. Boundaries are not just for the confident, pushy dogs. Nervous dogs can be pushy too because of their anxiety. Allowing a nervous dog to constantly get in your space (uninvited) will only perpetuate nervousness. Think about it, what would have happened if I tried to get into HER space during the first few weeks with us? She would have snapped at me or possibly hurt me. I respected that. Now that she is jumping up onto me, I had to tell her this is not ok, but in a much nicer and calmer way! Because overreaction is a sign of sensitivity, I knew that she was a sensitive dog, therefore I just needed to walk forward a little bit to get her to sit back down. No need for any words or any kind of touch (that’s the case more often than you’d think!). This way, I simply communicated that she shouldn’t jump up on me. She tried it a few times and I kept walking forward until she sat next to me.

On our next interaction, she came over next to me and sat down. This is when I rewarded her! I pet her head and said “good girl Happy!” You could see the happiness in her eyes! When you take the guesswork out of things for nervous dogs, their anxiety subsides! Space is a huge resource to them – Happy didn’t want anyone in her space for a long time. Therefore, OUR space should also be seen as a resource. Allowing a nervous dog like Happy to claim the space around me could have easily led to her possessing me, and definitely would have perpetuated her anxiety. Instead, she now trusts and respects me (and everyone who works here!). We have given her an environment that allows her to flourish, that has her best interests at heart, and where she can finally relax and get curious about life instead of being so afraid. She knows that we will be there, advocating for her.

Happy now comes in for doggie daycare once per week. She is a completely different dog and we just love having her here! The power of the pack, and the power of communicating with dogs on a level they understand, is just astonishing. We are so happy for Happy!

Dogs Who Don't Come Back When Called

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 19:28:16 GMT

How Dog Owners Accidentally Teach Their Dogs NOT to Come When Called

Whether your dog is a puppy, an older dog, happy-go-lucky or incredibly nervous, the one thing that all dog owners have in common is that they want more than anything for their dog to come back to them when they are called! The funny thing is, most people are also really good about teaching their dog NOT to come back to them when they are called! That may sound strange but it’s true. Think about it, when do people call their dogs? When they want to see them? When they are about to go for a walk? Maybe. But a large majority of the time it’s when they want their dog to come inside! Dogs see patterns more than anything, so if every morning they are allowed to go out for a little while, only to get called back in before you leave for the day, it won’t take long before they catch on and start to resist! This is especially true if they still have pent up energy and are not ready to go sleep the day away (more on that in another post!).

So, what’s the solution? Change the pattern! Call your dog back to you in the house. Give him some love. Call him back again, give him a treat. Go outside with him, call him a few times and change up what you do when he comes back (hint – don’t be afraid to hold out on the treats and keep him guessing!). Give him lots of treats on a particularly good recall ! Not only does this get his brain thinking which burns mental energy, it will strengthen your bond AND change the pattern so he has no idea when you’ll call him in for good. He can’t resist coming inside if he doesn’t know when it will happen! If you’re always changing the pattern, he will have to keep paying attention to you to know what you want. Versus, if you constantly do the same thing over and over again, he can read you like a book and easily make his own decision about what he wants to do (which will probably not be what YOU want him to do).

Teach your dog to love coming back to you! And if this tip helped you, let us know :)

What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 16:04:45 GMT

Switching Gears to Heal a Back Injury...and How This Relates to Dog Training

Two and a half years ago on March 24, 2016, I was 5 months pregnant and still very active in the kennel. We had lots of dogs in for boarding, and one in particular that needed a walk every day in addition to the socializing he received during our 2 sessions of “pack time”. I wanted to get out and get some fresh air so I opted to walk him. He was not a training client so it wasn’t a structured walk, just more of an opportunity for him to smell all the smells and enjoy some fresh air. The end of winter was nearing, but there was still some ice and snow on the ground and a chill in the air. The walk was going great…until all of a sudden it wasn’t. Staying true to his terrier roots, he bolted at the split second he heard a chipmunk "chirp". Having absolutely no time to think, and already having an awkward center of gravity from my pregnant belly, I planted my feet and bent at the hips to soften the blow of his pull. The force of his flight pulled me right out of alignment and into excruciating pain. I held on tight so I didn’t lose him, but he kept pulling and pulling at the end of that leash, each tug more painful than the last for me. I didn’t have my cell phone on me, I was a quarter mile from the kennel, I couldn’t stand up straight, I was in tears, and I had a revved up dog at the end of the leash. The walk back to the kennel took an eternity.

Fast forward to today - I have been dealing with this injury to my Sacroiliac joint ever since. I have been seeing a chiropractor almost monthly and sometimes weekly, and while I have made some improvements, I inevitably regress and find myself in pain all over again. A friend suggested I see a physical therapist a little over a month ago and I decided to give it a shot. I have only had 2 appointments so far and the changes I’m experiencing are INCREDIBLE! First of all, I was using my OLD way of thinking to create my desired results. I would start to feel better and immediately try to go for a run or do some bicycle crunches or some high impact aerobic exercise (what used to be my THERAPY!). Every single time, I would pull myself out of alignment and back into pain. I kept telling myself it was because I was out of shape due to the injury, and I just needed to try HARDER.

However – one of my favorite quotes came to my head one day – What got you here, won’t get you there.

Everything I had been doing had clearly not been working, and now meeting with my physical therapist I had finally come to realize that I wasn’t healing because I wasn’t seeing the full picture. Yes my SI joint was unstable, but there was so much more to it. There was nerve damage and a possible muscle injury that I hadn’t even noticed because I was consistently (and unconsciously) holding myself a certain way to avoid the pain. I needed to stop doing the exercises I was doing which were only causing more rotation in my hips and tightening the WRONG muscles. What I needed to do instead was slow down, isolate the weak, innermost muscles, and build up and stabilize my infrastructure before I could ever think about high impact exercises. She said LESS is actually MORE in this stage.

A big AHA moment for me.

A little bit of time with these new exercises and I feel like I’m in a completely new body. 2 ½ years of applying the wrong way of thinking kept me in an undesirable space. And yet, 2 ½ WEEKS with the right mentality, armed with the right actions, and I’m on the fast track to healing.

THIS APPLIES TO TRAINING YOUR DOG! How many of us have been applying the same way of thinking to old behavioral problems with our dogs? Almost everyone. We repeat the same patterns unconsciously until we finally reach a point of frustration and defeat. When we reach out for help, we get loads of information about the ROOT of the problem, and we realize that all along we had been unknowingly (and often incorrectly) treating the SYMPTOMS. And most of the time…LESS IS MORE! The answer may be something like, stop giving your dog so much freedom and so many privileges. Give them the proper structure and the proper outlets, and then give them LESS free time and MORE downtime. Less obsessive ball throwing and more structured fetch in a fashion that you control. The list is endless, but the underlying point is the same. If the root of the problem is never addressed, the problem itself will continue to manifest in undesirable behavior. And...we don't know what we don't know!

My final point is to always know that it is ok to ask for help! That thinking we can do things by ourselves can oftentimes lead to lots of heartache and frustration. Just like I had no clue about muscle structure and proper exercises to heal and condition my core, you may not realize that as a dog owner you’re unintentionally reinforcing the behaviors you want to change. Continuing to interact with your dog the same ways you always have will only perpetuate the old ways of being. Reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and can make a very big difference for both you and your dog if you are willing to go in with an open mind and put in the work! Even small tweaks can make a massive impact. A good trainer (just like a good doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist) may be the answer you're looking for!

How Our Energy Affects Our Dogs

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 18:10:32 GMT

It's All About Awareness

Take a moment and think about the way you interact with your dogs on a daily basis. What is the energy behind those interactions? What is the overall energy in your home? Do you have young kids? Are you jam packed with soccer practice and meetings and grocery shopping and you don’t know how you’ll manage to do it all? Now think about the energy that YOU bring to your life everyday. Do you wake up already feeling behind the ball and stressed out? Or do you wake up calm and enjoy the morning hours? Do you rush your dogs out the door to go to the bathroom because you don’t have the time for them like you used to? Or do you intentionally spend time with them, in the moment, and share space with them and show them you love them?

We all go through phases where our schedule is so full we can't even remember if we’ve eaten that day. We are certainly allowed to have those times in our lives and should let ourselves off the hook for occasional stress! But, what if your chronic stress and overwhelm are contributing to that behavior that your dog has picked up? You know, that behavior that you’d like to change but you’re so busy that you wouldn’t even know what to start?

Dogs read body language . They literally read the energy of the room, of people, of other animals, then reflect that energy back. When we bring a new dog into our daycare pack, we get so much information about the incoming dog by watching our existing pack! They reflect back the same energy the new dog is giving off. If they come up to the new dog, sniff her through the fence, calmly wag their tail and then walk away, it’s a good sign the new dog is calm and non-reactive. If, however, the pack gets tense, the energy of the room gets denser, the play in the background stops, and hair goes up? That’s a whole different story.

The dogs in our lives are constantly giving us feedback about the energy levels we are putting off. If this sounds a little crazy, then think of it this way. When you’re at work, late for a deadline, and you keep getting interrupted, and then your child’s school calls and your son needs to get picked up early, and you still needed to get groceries for dinner tonight, and you forgot to make the mortgage payment, and, and, and….. your energy is tense and hectic and anxious. You’re thinking in the future and you’re all over the place feeling like you have no time. Versus, when you’re on vacation, and you are sitting on a white sand beach, with crystal-blue water, and you’re just listening to the waves, feeling the breeze, and not thinking about-a-thing? You are living in the moment, filled with joy. Your energy is serene and calm, peaceful and happy. We are constantly giving off energy as long as we are alive. And as long as we have dogs in our lives, those dogs are acting as a big-ole reflection for us.

So, the first step to improving any situation is to get crystal clear on where you already are. It’s all about awareness. Does your dog try to rush out the door ahead of you? Will he sit and wait for you to open the door or is it too difficult for him to stay calm? Is he constantly running out ahead of you, chasing anything that crosses his path, barking at strangers… Does he constantly need to play fetch and chase sticks? Or is he calm and respectful, is the walk nice and easy, does he stop and sniff the roses and calmly greet passers-by? Now, obviously, there are a lot of components at play here: how long have those behaviors been reinforced, what is your dog’s natural energy level, what is your dog’s age, etc. But, in general, the energy of your dog is an overall reflection of the average energy of your life and home over a period of time. In other words, if you are always late and stressed and anxious and chaotic, your dog will show those symptoms. If you are calm, take time to be present with your family, get out of your own head and live fully in the moment with your animals, and live life intentionally, then your dogs are going to show symptoms of that.

Now I am not writing this to blame or make anyone feel badly about their life! We are all hectic and crazy and running late from time to time. But before you get upset with your dog and start blaming him for unwanted behaviors, try looking at it from a new perspective. When you blame someone else you give all your power away. When you see behavior as a reflection of something in your life, you take your power back and you can actually do something about it.

It is ALL about awareness. First comes awareness, then comes ownership, then comes commitment, then comes change. Sometimes our dogs are simply acting as a warning light. They have the ability to show us where we need to change our ways, take our power back, and start living life from anew vantage point. Start seeing their naughty behavior as an invitation to change for the better, in all areas of your life, including dog ownership. In order to have that special bond with them that we all strive for, we must intentionally make time for them and honor them as the loving beings that they are. Soon enough, you may even be grateful that your dog helped you calm down, get grounded, and allowed you to become aware of some things in your life that you needed to change but couldn't see. Powerful stuff.

Our Mission as Dog Trainers

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 16:32:42 GMT

How our first dog changed our lives forever.

As dog trainers , our jobs can be tricky. You see, the entire reason that we do what we do is because we once had a dog that we didn’t understand. His name was Jibber, and while we loved him completely, he had issues that perplexed us, that frustrated us, and that progressed as time went on. We became aware of his aggressive tendencies and sought the help of a trainer. We thought we were doing the right thing by getting help from someone who clearly knew more than we did.

We met with this trainer one time for 1 hour. During this time, he explained a few things about Jibber’s body language, about how energy gets transferred down the leash to the dog, and about what kinds of treats and food we should be feeding him. He said Jibber was not aggressive and we should not be worried about it. While I was relieved, I was also confused. If this isn’t aggression than what is? Then, a few minutes later while we were outside finishing up the session, another client was bringing her dog in on a leash to get his nails trimmed. Jibber, staying true to form, growled and lunged straight towards that dog. Luckily Jeff had him on leash. Jibber didn’t calm himself until after the other dog was in the building. I was expecting the trainer to reevaluate Jibber's temperament after that, but instead he said that Jeff was holding the leash too tight, and that the other woman had no control over her dog. He shrugged and ended the session.

We left there more confused than ever, with no options for any kind of follow up training. Left to my own devices, I started diving into books and bought a clicker. I tried a harness and all kinds of leashes, and worked on my confidence while walking with him. Nothing seemed to work. He would still pull ahead of me no matter how many times I kept turning and walking the other way. He would still bark and lunge at passing people and dogs and try to chase cars on our walks. He would still jump up on our guests and start fights with our friends dogs. And he was still sweet as could be when it was just the three of us.

We had no idea how all of these issues were symptoms of something bigger. We had no idea that they were all connected, because the one person we sought help from either told us what we wanted to hear (rather than what we needed to hear), or perhaps didn’t know much about behavior or how to change it. We just don’t know what we don’t know.

Unfortunately, Jibber’s life came to an abrupt end one day when he chased a car who never saw him coming.

Looking back, we should have been told that we were allowing Jibber to practice impulsiveness, which feeds aggression. We should have been told that it’s never about the incident, but about the lifestyle. We should have been told that dogs need to be taught how to be calm, and that allowing him to play fetch, and tug, and run around chasing squirrels were feeding the exact state of mind that would lead to his death. An impulsive state of mind killed Jibber. We should have been told that we were viewing our dog through our human, emotional lenses, instead of seeing the bigger picture from a broader perspective. We needed to be told that we would have to step up as dog owners and become Jibber's stewards, and that it would have been work, but that we could do it with the knowledge and resources that were available. That we weren’t alone, that hundreds of other people have walked in our shoes. We should have been told that it was up to us to advocate for our dog, and then been shown the steps to do so.

This experience has helped shape everything about our approach to dog training. When you come to us for training, it usually means you are ready to change the dynamic. It means you’ve realized that what you’ve been doing has not been working in your favor, and it means that you’ve come to understand that there is more to know about dog behavior than what society has conditioned us to believe. You can rest assured that any advice we give you will be for the highest good, for both you and your dog. And it needs to be said that we by no means blame the other trainer. None of us know it all, and when we know better, we do better. What we have taken away from this experience is a drive to be the very best that we can be, both as people and as dog trainers, day in and day out. It is why we continue to immerse ourselves in education and certifications, and question what we know regularly. We will forever be students of dogs, and this is how we honor our Jib-Man and his legacy, and help as many people as possible avoid the heartbreak that we experienced.

Sometimes it’s necessary to say the things that are tough to hear. Sometimes we forget that they are not only family members, but animals who have been domesticated. Sometimes it takes heartbreak to completely shift a way of thinking, and start a movement to help others by changing how they, too, understand their dogs.

We are here for the dogs, to give a voice to the misunderstood and voiceless, and we are also here for you. We will hold your hands, show you the way, and honestly explain your dog’s behavior for what it is, how your choices affect him, and give you the support you need to change the trajectory of your life with your dog. We would have given anything to be told the reality about our situation, and then been offered solutions to help our dog be the best he could be. The truth could have saved his life, even if initially it would have been hard to hear. The alternative has proven to be so much harder.

Guest Post – How You and Your Dog Can Be Better Neighbors!

Fri, 25 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Aurora James from dogetiquette.info has written a guest post for us on How You and Your Dog Can Be Better Neighbors! We hope you enjoy it ��

How You and Your Dog Can Be Better Neighbors

Are you worried that your dog may not be fitting in with the neighbors? Whether you just moved to a new neighborhood, just got a new dog, or have had your dogs for years, you may want to give thought to how you can be a mindful dog-owning neighbor. The last thing you want is for your best buddy to cause a rift between you and your neighbors, so here are some ways you can take care of your pup while taking care of any unwanted negativity.

Follow Those Leash Laws

Most communities have leash laws which require dogs to be leashed at all times when out in public, and it’s a good idea to adhere to those rules. Even if your area doesn’t have leash laws, keeping your pup on leash can ensure the safety of your dog and other people and pets in the neighborhood. So even if you are walking a short distance, say from your car to the front door, keep your dog on a leash and controlled. Without a leash, a weird noise or random bird could set your dog to running, possibly causing harm to neighbors, their pet, or their property.

Make Your Dog Mind His Manners

Providing proper training for your pup can be beneficial for his mind and your sanity, but it can also help you both be better neighbors. If you plan on taking your dog out for walks around the block or to the local dog park, it is essential for you both to be aware of proper public pet etiquette. Always ask before allowing your dog to meet other animals, no matter how friendly your dog might be, and teach your dog that jumping on people is not allowed. Jumping up on you may be an adorable greeting in your house, but your dog could cause serious injury when jumping on children or a neighbor who is older or physically impaired.

Properly Dispose of Pet Waste

Whether you’re walking around the neighborhood or just hanging out in your own backyard, cleaning up your dog’s waste is always the right choice. Besides being a source of contamination and producing pests, your dog’s poop and urine just smells and can damage grass . That’s not the first thing you want your friends next door to notice, and neighbors shouldn’t have to put up with your dog’s waste in their yards. Bring along bags when taking walks and find a prac tical wa y to get rid of anything left in your yard.

Set Up a Safe Space for Your Pet to Play

Your dog needs to get out and play on a regular basis, so make sure you set up a spot where he can run around without causing problems for your neighbors. If you don’t have a fence, consider installing one around at least part of your yard, to keep your dog out of trouble. Be mindful of your dog’s jumping and digging abilities when pla nning you r fence to prevent escapes. You may also want to post a “Dog on Premises” sign (avoid “ Be ware o f Dog ”) on the outside of your new fence to alert utility workers and avoid mishaps with people opening gates. Giving your canine companion a secure area to stretch out can provide some much-needed exercise while providing you and your neighbors with peace of mind.
You want to maintain positive relationships with your neighbors whether you just moved to the area or have lived in the same house for years. Having a dog shouldn’t have an effect on those bonds, but you can be proactive in practicing proper pet etiquette and head off any issues before they arise. Then your neighbors may come to love your dog almost as much as you do.

The Best Way to Drop Your Dog Off for Boarding!

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

You can’t wait for your trip, you’ve been planning it for so long! It’s going to be so nice to get away, you need a break, you’re almost there. Then it hits you, you’ll have to say goodbye to your dog.

How is she going to do without me? Is he going to get enough love while he’s there? Will she miss me when I’m gone?

Let us start by saying, we totally get it ! We are human too and we absolutely hate saying goodbye to our dogs when we go on trips. However, now that we have a better understanding of how dogs brains work, it’s much easier for us to make saying goodbye a “non-event”. You see, dog’s live in the moment. They don’t understand when we say “we will be back! we will miss you!” They don’t understand sentences like that. To them, your energy changed and they are reacting to that shift, which sometimes causes them to feel anxious, and then all the extra attention they are getting in that moment is only continuing to reinforce that state of nervousness. Although we may have the best intentions to make them feel better, we are keeping them in a nervous state of mind when we make saying goodbye a big deal.

When a nervous dog gets integrated into a pack of dogs, the nervous dog’s energy causes the entire pack’s energy to shift. Unbalanced energy creates unbalanced energy. There tends to be a ripple effect in a sense! Whereas when a calm, confident dog gets dropped off and gets integrated into the pack, the introductions are much easier and much more of a “non-event”. The pack gets right back to playing and socializing without much of a thought. Make sense?

The absolute, best thing you can do for your dog when you’re dropping him or her off for boarding (or daycare , or training ) is to make it as seamless as possible. Remember, you are more upset than your dog is! A pack of playing dogs is like heaven to most pups. Your dog will get to play and romp and nap and have humans there to keep everyone safe and happy. They may even get to partake in a pool party! And, you guessed it, we are absolutely there to love on them and give them affection when they are in the right states of mind (and when it won’t effect the energy of the group as a whole). We are here for the dogs! Which is why we believe this topic is so important.

Just try and keep in mind:

You are more worried than your dog!
Your dog will be playing with other dogs and having a blast in no time.
We are here to advocate for your dog.
A quick goodbye is the best for everyone!
We post pictures daily on Facebook and you can always check in.
Your dog will go home happy, fulfilled, and oh-so-tired and content ��

Allow yourselves to enjoy your vacations, your getaways, or even a few days at home to yourself. You deserve it and your dog will be well taken care of while they are here!

The Vital Role of Canine Nutrition

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Let’s talk about canine nutrition! Last night Jeff and I were settling in after another busy day. We were both exhausted and almost ready to call it a night, when Ellie, our 7 year old Bullmastiff started initiating play with Lexi, our 4 year old Newfoundland/Shepherd mix. Ellie was full of life at 8pm at night, doing play bows, letting out little barks, sneezing, and wagging her tail into oblivion! Lexi absolutely loved the play session, too, and they both enjoyed a healthy and fun interaction. It was so fun to watch and Jeff and I looked at each other and both said, “she hasn’t acted like this in years!” Ellie has always been low energy, low drive, and would almost always prefer to go to bed than go outside. She is, after all, a mastiff. However, after attending the IACP Conference in September and learning some incredible tidbits on nutrition and the vital role it plays in our dogs’ lives, we knew we had to make some changes. The results have been incredible!

The first thing we did was cut the dogs’ kibble almost in half. What we learned from Rodney Habib’s “Bio Hacks” presentation at the conference was that the guidelines on the bags of kibble are vague. Rodney cited a study of Oliver – the dog who went over 100 days without food and was still jumping over walls and otherwise very agile and full of energy. By no means are we advocating you try and replicate this study, we absolutely are not! What Rodney explained to us is that since dogs have the genetic makeup of wolves, they do not need to eat as much or as often as we humans are feeding them. Think about wolves and what their routine is. They rarely stumble upon food in the wild. First, they must work together as a pack to hunt. They are natural born predators. They put all their energy into the hunt and a large percentage of time, the hunt is not even successful. They can go days and sometimes weeks or longer with no substantial source of food. Domesticated dogs on the other hand usually have easy access to food and treats without having to work for them at all. This goes against their very nature and without an outlet to exercise their muscles, brain, and creativity, they start to gain weight, lose energy, and lose their zest for life. (Giving dogs free access to food and other resources without having them work for it is also a surefire way to create behavioral problems, but that is a post for another time!)

Look at your dog’s mid section – can you see the lower couple of ribs? Can you see the outline of their ribs at all? If not, they are overweight. It is important to look at your dog’s physique everyday before feeding them, and adjust portions accordingly. Our habits are to feed them the usual one or two scoops without even thinking about it, but a little mindfulness here can go a long way.

Another important fact worth talking about is the link between the prevalence of canine cancer since the inception of kibble 100 years ago. The rise of commercially processed dog food and the rise of canine cancer are nearly parallel. Now while feeding your dog raw food is one of the best things you can do for them, we understand that is just not possible for many dog owners. Luckily, there are many ways to improve the quality of food we feed our dogs without breaking the bank.

Think back to years ago when dogs weren’t domesticated and lived in the wild – what did they eat? What was available? Experts believe they consumed vegetables, nuts, meats, and organs, among other things.

A 2005 study found that dogs on a diet of dry commercial pet food that were also fed leafy green vegetables at least 3 times per week were 90% less likely to develop cancer than dogs that weren’t. That same study also found that dogs that were fed yellow and orange vegetables at least 3 times per week were 70% less likely. (Pet food study: http:/ /www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-adding-human-food-to-your-dogs-diet-is-so-i mportant/ ) These are important facts to know, since today’s experts claim that 60% of dogs will develop cancer. Another study found that dogs who were fed 25% less food than the average dog lived 15% longer (average of 2 extra years). They have also found that adding in coconut oil and omega 3s significantly improve cognitive functioning. We learned all of these facts from Rodney’s presentation. We urge you all to follow him on Facebook here and also keep informed with the Truth about Pet Cancer series here .

As a summary, this is what we have done to our dogs’ feeding routine to optimize nutrition:

Cut their kibble by ¼ – ½
Added ½ cup of vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli, yellow and orange peppers
Added in omega 3s through supplements (you can also use sardines)
Added 1 teaspoon of coconut oil

Raw vegetables can be difficult for them to digest, so we steam them up and then puree them. We then pour the batches into ice cube trays and put them in the freezer. When it’s feeding time it’s so easy to pop a few veggie-cubes out and put them in the food bowl! Sometimes life gets crazy and I run out of time to make the puree, so I always have bags of frozen veggies to fall back on – broccoli, peppers, and spinach that I just pour over their food. It doesn’t get any easier than that! We also use Advocare’s omega 3 supplements. They are 3rd party tested ( watch this video ) and passed with flying colors. We became Advocare members and you can purchase them through this l ink her e . Whatever brand you choose, just make sure they are safe and 3rd party tested, and watch for mercury levels. The supplements expire within 30 days of opening the bottle.

There are so many ways to help our dogs live longer, happier, and more fulfilled lives. These 5 “Bio Hacks” as Rodney refers to them are a fantastic start:

Add veggies 3x/week
Increase the amount of exercise
Caloric Restriction
Add coconut oil and Omega 3s to their diets
Switch to raw food (even 1 day of raw per week significantly reduces disease markers)

On top of all of the benefits, these hacks lower insulin levels, which takes pressure off their brains, which increases cognitive functioning tenfold. Isn’t that amazing? Your dogs will lose weight, feel better, have more brain capacity, be more eager to learn, and be more playful, just by changing their nutrition. All of these attributes make for a much more trainable dog! We have found all of these things to be true with our dog Ellie. She has been happier, more engaged with the family, more willing to play, keeps up with us when we bring her hiking, and is all around a more present and fulfilled dog. What a wonderful gift to give our best friends.

The Hows and Whys of Recall

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This morning I (Gillian) was out walking with my Australian Shepherd/Newfoundland mix, Lexi. We walk off-leash up and down our private road a few times every day. Lexi is well-trained off-leash and has a very consistent recall … except when she spots a squirrel. When she sees that squirrel she loses all control and runs as fast as she can to catch it! It’s pointless to call her back when she is already chasing that poor little guy up a tree. You see, dogs are either in pack drive, or they are in prey drive. When in pack drive, they are calm, they obey, they use their nose to take in information, they are curious, etc. When they are in prey drive, they are on high alert, they use their eyes to take in information, and they are impulsive.

I’m telling this story because I think most people can relate to having a dog be “with them” in one second and “gone” the next. By “gone” I mean they have lost control of the dog’s mind, and the dog is now making his or her own choices. How does this relate to recall? Because it brings up a good point about how to reinforce what you want when your dog hasn’t made the right decision.

Let’s go back to when I was first teaching Lexi recall. When we first brought her home as a puppy, she didn’t know us and we didn’t know her. We spoke two different languages and we needed to form a relationship in order for trust and respect to grow. When we were first teaching her to come back to us, we encouraged it like crazy every time she started moving in our direction. We wanted to make it very clear that we were pleased with what she was doing. We were forming a bond and setting her up for success. We did that a lot – repetition will drive any point home. Once she understood that every time she heard the whistle, she should come back to us, we changed up how and when we were rewarding her. When anything gets too predictable, it gets boring – this is true for both dogs and humans. So we started calling her back to us, but stopped giving her praise or treats every single time. Instead, we made her work for it. She had to keep her focus on us to make sure she was doing what was asked of her, and it was fun for her because she never knew when the treat was coming. It could be the second time we called her back, it could be the seventh. But when it happened, she absolutely loved it.

Fast forward to today. Our languages have been linked and we have a bond and a very clear form of communication. She has been in our lives for over 4 years now and consistent training has solidified these skills over this time frame. So today, I called her back to me a mere second before she caught wind of that squirrel. One second she was on her way back to me and the next second she was impulsive. She eventually did find her way back to me, but I ignored her. She knew what I wanted and instead she chose to make her own decisions. I withheld the reward because I am looking for more precision out of her. She is, after all, still in training and always will be! I did NOT however, punish her for coming back to me. I never want her to see coming back to me as punishment. I simply withheld the reward. The next time I called her back to me, she came right away, sat down, and she got a treat.

I wanted to point this out because it’s all too easy to get confused and too caught up in the many details of dog training. This was the perfect example to point out the hows and whys of rewards. We do our best to set our dogs up for success, but sometimes they make the wrong decisions. The most important thing to remember is to keep your dog’s safety in mind. Knowing that every now and then Lexi chases squirrels, I’m not going to walk her down a busy road off leash, even if I can trust her 9 times out of 10. Remember, you are ALWAYS advocating for your dog.

In summary – we started training recall the day we brought her home. It has been all she has ever known. We encouraged like crazy in the beginning, then we started to make her work for it more. She’s an intelligent dog and loves to be mentally challenged. By doing this our bond grew deeper and our line of communication opened up more and more. We started recall training in controlled environments with no distractions to set her up for success. We slowly integrated distractions one at a time to keep reinforcing how important it was to come back to us. We train her every single day, even if it is only for 10 minutes. Now, in very distracting environments, we consistently call her back to us and reward her when she does. If she doesn’t come back right away, we withhold rewards. There are also times we put her on leash for our walks and do not let her make her own decisions, especially on days that she is tired or lacking focus. A good recall is a great way to manage your dog – with Lexi’s consistent recall we can let her enjoy her off-leash time and then call her back to us when we see other people walking (or any other distraction), then put the leash on her when she comes back to us. It’s a great tool for your toolbox!

Love my girl!

Hopefully this has clarified some questions you might have on recall training and what it takes to train your dog to come back to you! Keep it in your mind that you need to be that consistent leader for your dog. The bond with your dog will become deeper and more satisfying the more you take the time to communicate with him and offer meaningful engagement when he is correct. We are always here to help in any way we can – check out our Facebook page for more training tips here or our website here. Happy training everyone!

xoxo,

Gillian