Helpful tips-tricks-and-stories-for-dog-lovers "rel" =canonical

Treat Values in Training

7/13/2024

Using treats effectively in dog training relies on understanding their relative value to your dog. Dogs, like people, enjoy variety and can become bored when they get same treats repeatedly. You can think of various food rewards like currency. Regular dog food might be seen as low-value, similar to pennies, while high-value treats like rotisserie chicken can be compared to dollars.

In familiar, low-distraction environments, such as your living room, your dog might respond well to low-value treats. However, in more challenging environments with higher distractions, like training class or a busy park, you'll need high-value treats. This helps you to capture and maintain your dog's attention. You can't expect high-level, "million-dollar" behavior for "pennies." For complex tasks, ensure you have valuable rewards to match the behavior you are asking for. To put it even more simply, your dog may sell you five sits for a nickel in the living room but that same sit is going to cost $5 at the park.

Experimenting with different types of food, from training treats, "people food", and even homemade treats, can help you discover what your dog enjoys most. Dogs are context-specific learners, so using people food in training won't necessarily make them beg more. Training concepts like "Leave It" and practicing impulse control around food can prevent begging behavior. Utilizing high-value "people food" in training can significantly enhance your dog's learning and responsiveness.

You can check out our blog for recipes and tips on making your own training treats, tailored to what your dog really enjoys. Have fun experimenting with different foods to discover your dog's preferences!

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The realities of rehoming challenging dogs

10/8/2023

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It is almost impossible to rehome a challenging dog. It is harsh but it is true. There are just not homes lined up around the corner with the skills, time, energy, and space to help dogs that have issues. Those homes are exceedingly rare. If I opened my heart and home to every behaviorally challenging dog in need that crossed my path I would have dozens of dogs, and that's from this year alone. You are one of many people that feel out of your depth with the issues your dog is facing, but truly, the best place for them is right where they are in most cases. You don't need to become a dog trainer to work with challenging dogs and many people can successfully manage behavior cases with professional guidance. If you, who have loved this dog from the start no longer can live with them, then very tough conversations need to be had.

Many rescues will not take a dog that has shown aggression into their foster programs, especially if that dog has a bite history. It is a question of liability. Adopting out a dog that is a known danger can have massive legal repercussions for not only the rescue but also you, the original owner. When you knowingly rehome a dog that might or has bitten someone there is a possibility that if they bite someone that someone's insurance may come after you. When looking for who is "at fault" the trail leads back to the original owner in most cases. You certainly could have a liability waiver in place but that also requires legal help to ensure it would hold up to scrutiny. It is a roll of the dice any way you look at it. If your dog is not aggressive they may have more options and you might have more luck listing them with a rescue if you offer to foster yourself. There are also websites such as adoptapet.com and various Facebook Groups devoted to rehoming. It is best to be upfront and honest with the challenges that your dog faces to give them the best chance at finding a good fit.

"But don't dog trainers want these dogs?"

I can't speak to my whole profession, but do you like to take work home? I help people with their dogs on a daily basis, from puppies to severe aggression, sometimes in the same day, I see it all. It is for this reason that when I am able to, I choose dogs that have an agreeable temperament and love training. I don't want to work that hard for engagement or coexistence within my household. I also regularly take board and train as well as foster dogs into my home and need dogs that can tolerate the revolving door. They come to work with me and do all the sports. I spend my work time on behavior modification, I want to spend my free time enjoying the fun side of dogs and I wont apologize for that. I have the dogs I do, so I can help dogs like yours'.

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Using a Marker Word to Elevate Your Training

10/26/2022

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Marker training has been used with marine mammals for years, and is a clear, effective way to communicate with animals. Traditionally these trainers use a clicker. A clicker is a small plastic box with a metal tab that makes a clicking sound when pressed. The click acts as a marker to let an animal know the exact moment they are doing the desired behavior. Why would an animal care if you click? Because each click is followed by a treat! Animals learn quickly that “click equals treat,” so they try to figure out how to make us humans “click.”

In pet dog training we like to substitute the clicker for the word, "yes". Since dogs are a little more in-tune with humans and we often don't need the exact precision that comes with a clicker. Why "yes" instead of shouting, “Eureka!” or “You’ve got it!” or "Good Dog? Because a yes is faster and shorter, you can say it in much the same way every time.. Long words or phrases are not preferable since we want to make it very clear what exactly the dog did that was correct.

There are various ways to get your dog to do something that will earn a mark and reward. Luring means leading your dog into position by having him follow a treat. Shaping means rewarding progressive bits of a behavior. For example, to get your dog to lie down from a sit, you might mark and reward at first for a slight dip of the head, then for the head lowered further, then for head lowered further combined with one paw reaching forward, and so on until your dog was fully lying down. Luring and shaping are often combined. Capturing a behavior means marking each time your dog happens to do it on his own. For example, if you mark and reward each time your dog voluntarily makes eye contact, you will soon have a dog who is staring at you! In marker training, we do not add the verbal cue (for example, “Down”) until after the dog is performing the behavior correctly. Once they've “got it” and is freely offering the behavior, we simply add the verbal cue just before the dog starts doing the behavior, thus creating an association in their mind. That allows us to then elicit the behavior by giving the verbal cue.

The marker word should not be used to get your dog’s attention; that would only confuse him.
While the timing of the marker is very important, almost no one has perfect timing at first.
Don’t worry; your timing will improve with practice. In the meantime, if you mark a bit early or late, your dog still gets the treat.
Keep practice sessions short. Aim for three to five sessions of three to five minutes daily, broken into 30-second rounds; work on one behavior per round. Break up the rounds with short play/petting sessions. End each round and session on a good performance.
Change undesirable behaviors by marking alternate ones. If your dog jumps, mark for four paws on the floor or sitting instead. For a barking problem, mark and reward for silence.
When working on a behavior such as sit or down, after clicking, toss the treat a short distance away so your dog has to stand to get it. That sets him up for the next repetition.

Have fun!

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Getting Through the First Few Weeks With Your New Dog- By Sarah Schueler

7/14/2022

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A few tips on how to successfully get through transitioning a new dog into your home with as little frustration as possible for you and your dog. Written from the experiences of our resident assistant trainer, Sarah, who has 10+ years and over 100 dogs worth of rescue experience.
Wherever you are getting your new four-legged, furry friend – these tips will help you and your pup weather the transition to their new environment. Some dogs will be easy-peasy lemon squeezy and adapt to their new environment quickly. Some dogs (especially rescue dogs) may take a little extra time to decompress and adjust.
The three most important things to give you and your pup are: TIME, SPACE and PATIENCE.
TIME ~ Give yourself and your new pup time to get to know each other and don’t judge your progress on any other dog/person relationship. Keep in mind that going at your dog’s pace is key to building a positive, trusting relationship.
SPACE ~ Everyone who gets a dog wants that fluffy, snuggly, lovey beast that worships time and attention while also understanding and respecting space. Think about that: you want your dog to love being loved, but also give you space while you are doing things like dishes, laundry, reading a book, etc. Dogs sometimes also want space and for you to respect that.
PATIENCE ~ Again, don’t compare and/or judge your progress with your dog with any other dog/person relationship. Not all dogs learn things at the same speed. And, depending on what baggage your new pup may come with, you may need to work through more important things like potty training, trust, and boundaries before you can start working on sit, down and other “tricks.” Be patient and give yourself credit for progress you do make instead of worrying about what you haven’t accomplished yet. **Journaling even the smallest things like potty times and naps can give you something to look back at to see your progress in real time.**

First Day/Night –
No matter where you get your new pup, how old they are, or what their personality seems to be; the first day/night with your pup can be huge in setting the tone going forward.
Don’t be concerned if your new pup seems aloof and distracted, hyper and clueless, shut-down and sad, or even scared and jittery. Most younger pups will adapt and adjust quickly, but our focus here will be on the pups that need a little more of a guide to successfully acclimate to their environment…
My most successful set up for all dogs I’ve brought into my home has been to give them a separate, quiet, and safe space away from all other animals and people for at least the first 24 hours. Whether or not they are nervous, this gives them some time to listen to and smell their new environment without any pressure to meet anyone or anydog/cat. This is where SPACE becomes the most important thing you need to give your pup. Pushing them with too much excitement with other pets and people can overwhelm them and create distrust. Which (and how many) of my resident dogs are free-roaming in the house as I take the new dog out to potty and bring them back in completely depends on the body language of the new dog. If they seem friendly and interested in sniffing, I’ll let them greet my calmer more established resident dogs for short bursts each time we move through the house. However, my main focus these first 24+ hours is to get the dogs out to potty and back in safely. We’ll get to dog-dog and dog-people intros later in the week.
I also recommend giving your new dog small amounts of food and water more often throughout the first 24-72 hours. Depending on where they came from, travel time to you, and how sensitive their tummies are – giving them normal portions, or free-feeding them, could cause them to eat and/or drink too much too fast which will upset their tummies. Sensitive skin and stomach, or another type of Gastrointestinal food is best when transitioning a new dog if you don’t know or don’t have access to whatever they were previously eating.
Potty accidents are almost guaranteed – even for adult dogs that were potty trained wherever they came from. A new environment and schedule means your new pup has to figure out where the bathroom is and adjust to when they’ll be able to get to it. I’ve also had dogs that didn’t eat, drink or potty for days when bringing them home. Unless they seem bloated, straining to go, or generally uncomfortable in other ways – don’t panic. Stress can cause more than just unwanted behaviors, it can make them feel yucky physically. If you do have concerns about their physical well-being be sure to contact your veterinarian.

Establishing a Routine –
Beyond just giving your new dog TIME, SPACE and PATIENCE in the first 24+ hours, you should be working to set a routine. Dogs do much better when they know what is expected of them and when. Your schedule may change at times, but the routine should remain as much the same as possible.
Reestablishing or beginning potty training is probably the main focus for most people right away. The general rule for young puppies is that they should be reasonably able to “hold it” for the number of months old they are +1: A 4 month old puppy can (generally) be expected to not have to go potty for about 5 hours. However, when just beginning potty training, they’ll most likely have to go much more often. I generally take new dogs (of any age) out to potty as soon as they wake up from a nap (or get up from resting quietly), any time they stop playing, before and after they eat, after a training session, after they drink and right before bed. As they get used to a routine, the times between trips outside will get longer. Keeping a log of when they go potty and whether they had an accident inside or made it outside can help you establish a routine and see when to start extending time between trips.
It is never too early to start training sessions with your new dog. Just make sure to keep sessions short, to the point and always end on a positive result. If you are working on “sit” work just on that for a short period of time. Once you have been given 2-3 solid correct responses, stop and move on to another topic, or – give your dog a break and come back to training in a while. Training should become a part of your day throughout the day, not just at certain times of the day. Make it part of your routine as much as possible and you will see far greater results more quickly.

Introducing your new dog to other pets/people –
Having already established resident dogs can surely aid a new dog in getting the hang of things. It is crucial to a new dog’s well-being for you to stay aware of their body language and keep your introductions to other pets and people short and sweet. Letting dogs just play until they are exhausted is not always a good idea, sometimes you will need to let the dogs hang out and then put everydog away for a nap. It is also best to keep all toys and food put away until you know how the dogs are getting along. Slowly introduce toys only when supervised to best avoid issues with resource guarding.
Slowly introducing new people and giving your dog the option of whether or not they want to interact a lot, a little, or not at all is the best way to show your dog that you respect their space and level of sociability. Not all dogs want to be around lots of people, and that’s ok. Of course we want every person to love our dog as much as we do, and we want our dog to be a social butterfly, but that’s just simply not always what our dogs want. Most of my resident dogs love every person they meet, or are at least indifferent to people coming to the house. However, I do have a dog that would rather not be a part of the party, he is much happier being in his kennel or room while we have guests over.

Give yourself credit where credit is due –
Again, the timeframe for progress with individual dogs will vary, there’s a general meme shared among rescue groups with varying descriptions of the 3 day/3 week/3 month rule. I don’t like to put numbers on these things as it tends to create a need in people to be at a certain place in a certain timeframe. It also tends to cause frustration and get people “stuck” on one thing because they’re not “where they should be” according to what they read is the “norm.”
My general advice to people when they get a new dog is to not look at how long it is taking for the dog to learn each individual skill, but to keep track of whatever progress is being made in whatever areas progress is being made. It is very easy to want to give up on a task if you are only thinking about the negatives associated with it. This doesn’t mean that I have never sat in the middle of my floor with a bottle of wine, wondering at my level of sanity, while 2 or 3 rescue puppy fosters chew on everything they shouldn’t, have accidents even though we JUST WENT OUTSIDE, cry, bark, play, irritate each other and my dogs, chase the cats… you get the idea. It just means that I take that time to let go for a minute (or 30) while plotting my next move to restore some semblance of order.
It’s also absolutely OK to admit you are in over your head and need assistance. Not everyone is as willing or able as the next person to face certain challenges head-on without support. Any time I get to a point where I don’t know what to do next, I reach out to my rescue family and my training family for help. It is also absolutely OK to put your dog in a crate or other safe space and just step away to recombobulate yourself. The challenge won’t magically go away, but your level of frustration and anxiety over it will diminish and you can take a different approach and work at it from a different perspective.
I have fostered well over 100 dogs in my 10+ years volunteering with rescues: puppies, adults, all different breeds and personalities. I have spent many a day and night questioning my sanity while seriously considering throwing in the towel and just letting the dogs have the house. But every time I get to that point, I think of the last time I was at that point and how things eventually started to get better. There’s nothing quite like the feeling that comes over you when you see something finally “click” for your dog. It’s quite magical, hold on to those moments, they will help get you and your dog through those more challenging moments.

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Onward Bound’s Top Ten Chewies

2/1/2022

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Chewing is a necessary and natural behavior for dogs of any age. Chewing can help puppies with the development of their teeth and also helps older dogs maintain better dental hygiene. Chewing is very instinctual to most dogs; it is great for mental and physical stimulation. However, with all those fun chewies on the market, how do you choose the right one for your dog? Here are our suggestions:
For puppies and light chewers:

Nylabone Flexi Chew/Teething Keys
Can also be frozen for teething puppies
Frozen Kongs, SodaPups, and West Paw Toppls
Filling Ideas: Kibble can be mixed with wet food, yogurt, peanut butter, Kong brand Stuff’N, ect.
Good Lovin’ Pumpkin Flavored Teething Rings
Rawhide-free, massaging edible chew

For adolescent and moderate chewers:

Bully Sticks
Lean, appetizing to most dogs, and an easily digestible edible chew
Beef Cheeks
Sturdy and digestible edible chew
Benebones
Durable, long lasting non-edible chew

For adult and heavy chewers:

Gorilla Chew
Natural, untreated java wood. Durable, long lasting non-edible chew
Himalayan Yak Chew
Odorless, easily digestible edible chew.
Antlers
Durable, natural, long lasting.
Raw bones
Natural, durable, appetizing to most dogs

Safety Note: When choosing a bone or chew for your dog, always pick a size larger rather than smaller. This helps reduce the chance of choking. Be sure to always monitor your dog while chewing and take care to remove any small pieces/damaged chews. Use Caution when selecting heavy duty chews such as bones an antlers, they can cause broken teeth in extreme chewing situations.

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Doggy Daycare, thoughts and Considerations

3/8/2021

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There are a few concerns about doggy daycare in general for most dogs that should be taken into account when considering doggy daycare for your dog. Traditional doggy daycare relies on free-for-all style play that often leads to bad habits. It teaches dogs that other dogs are for playing and that's where all the fun is to be had. While most dog owners think of doggy daycare as a good way to socialize their dog with other dogs this isn't exactly the case. You can read more about what proper socialization looks like here. In short, socialization is more about positive exposures and that doesn't necessarily include playing or even interaction. Below we will highlight some issues that can crop up with traditional doggy daycare.

Unrestricted play can lead to dogs developing undesirable behaviors such as rough play, excessive barking, reactivity, or even aggression.
- Dogs learn that other dogs are FOR playing so when they see other dogs, all they want to do is play!
- Dogs may develop frustration-induced behaviors like leash reactivity, barking, or pulling when they can't play with other dogs they see during walks.
- If a dog learns that barking and pulling on the leash will get them access to other dogs, these behaviors will become more frequent and entrenched.
If your dog attends daycare twice a week they are spending approximately 16 hours a week at daycare playing. That means a significant amount of reinforcement is coming from other dogs.
- In contrast, how long do you spend playing with and training your dog on a weekly basis?

Different breeds often clash when thrown into a melting pot like environment and different behavior problems can arise.

Labradors and Golden Retrievers get excited easily might resort to big physical behaviors like humping, mouthing, and jumping due to overexcitement.
Herding Breeds (e.g., Border Collies, Australian Shepherds) try desperately to control other dogs by nipping and herding. This can be misinterpreted and lead to conflicts when other dogs don't follow their arbitrary rules
Bully Breeds (e.g., Bulldogs, Boxers) Their play style can be very physical and might intimidate or upset other dogs, leading to possible aggression or fear. (Herding breeds in particular can take offense to being body slammed!!)
Terriers have a high prey drive and can kick into overdrive when their instincts are triggered. They also think they are bigger than they are and can "bite off more than they can chew."
Sighthounds love to run and be chased but hate being caught! Run and chase games in a group can get dangerous fast as it brings out the prey drive in many dogs!

Another consideration is the level of training the individual dog handler in charge of the playgroup may have. The entire pet industry is unregulated so there is no standard for dog behavior knowledge, number of dogs, area sizes, or equipment used. Often doggy daycares are opened by well meaning dog owners or dog groomers adding services. But without important understanding about what healthy play looks like or even basic current dog behavior knowledge some doggy daycares can be canine mosh pits with little over-sight.

While some daycares have robust training systems, the majority do not. Many dog handlers are young and lack formal training in dog behavior and management.
The average handler is often a high school student or in their early 20s, with limited understanding of canine behavior and no professional training background.
Handlers often manage large groups of dogs, typically ranging from 10 to 25, which can be challenging and often leads to the use of aversive tools to control the dogs like squirt bottles, shaker cans, hoses, and shock collars (with and without owner permission in some cases).

Owners should thoroughly research and visit potential daycares to assess the quality of care, training of handlers, and overall environment. Maintaining open communication with daycare staff about specific needs and concerns regarding their dog’s behavior and well-being should be welcomed and encouraged. Not every dog would enjoy doggy daycare and that is okay! Finding a dog walker is a great alternative or providing enrichment in new and fun ways can keep them engaged and entertained too! Your dog is your best friend and there is nothing they would want more than to spend time with you!

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How to Stop Puppy Nipping and Biting

12/3/2020

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A three week old Tervuren puppy with a whole toe in his mouth!

"How do I stop my puppy from biting... me, the kids, my furniture, my clothes...." the list goes on. Poor pet parents reach out almost daily to help them with their biting puppies!

Puppies explore their world with their mouth just as human babies do. Unfortunately, puppies bite and mouth with needle sharp teeth! When bringing home a puppy it is important to realize that they are going to mouth you, that is part of a puppy growing up. If you have kids it is especially important that you teach them how to interact with your puppy. There are many things you can do to manage mouthing and prevent it from turning into a behavior problem when your puppy becomes a dog.

Puppies need to bite, some more than others. Breed plays into how mouthy your puppy might be. Working, herding, and sporting breeds tend to be especially bitey. With my breed, working line Belgian Tervuren, they are born and bred with an innate desire to use their mouths to subdue anything that moves. Other more popular breeds like Labs, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Doodles like to bite and hold things when excited. To live in our human world dogs need to learn what is okay to bite and what is not. They also need to learn that human skin in particular is very delicate and you must not ever bite down on it.

So what are poor puppy parents to do? There are three basic things you can do to greatly reduce your puppy's mouthing and biting and as they age, the puppy biting fades away, how wonderful.

Redirection. Redirection. Redirection. "Not this, that", is your motto with a mouthy puppy. Always carry a toy, children in the home especially should always be armed with a toy. I insistently put toys in front of those puppy teeth any time they come near me. Make your toy more fun to bite than you are, channel your inner squirrel through that toy. I generally say, "get your toy" and I can later use that as a cue to have my dog get their toy when they're excited. A great tool to have when you come home or guests arrive. Since I also want to develop my puppy's play skills I want to pay more attention to them than the toy. I pet the puppy, and then I tug the toy, then I pet the puppy again. This instills confidence that I'm not going to pull the toy from their mouth, they're always winning, and I'm fun to be around.

Manage your puppy. Almost all problem behaviors can be prevented if you manage your puppy's environment. Baby gates, tethers, exercise pens, and crates are all ways to control the environment rather than the puppy. This leads to a puppy that naturally develops self control because bad behavior never becomes habit. You should already be managing for potty training add biting to reasons on the list. If your puppy is a little flesh seeking missile sometimes the best choice is to flee. Not only does this save you from those terrible needle teeth it acts as a punishment. You bite me, I leave, taking away what the puppy wants most, my attention.

Your puppy needs to SLEEP! They are growing and need to sleep 18-20 hours a day! So many people think their dog needs more and more exercise but the opposite is true. I am absolutely not saying not to exercise your puppy. It is very important that they move their bodies with play and movement. But they do not need long walks. In fact, don't take your baby puppy for walks but that is another post. Spend time with them in new places, teach them basic obedience and make it fun, you will be surprised at how tired training can make your puppy! I follow a cycle for puppies using the crate or x-pen (even if I'm home) to encourage them to settle down and sleep. Most puppies and even adult dogs peter out at an hour of activity then it is a stuffed toy and a nap for at least two hours and up to four depending on how active they were.

Check out Wally, he did our puppy board and train in September of 2020. As a lab he was a very mouthy puppy this video is a whole play session I would do with a 13 week old puppy. His family reports that he is doing excellent!

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Homemade treats, your dog's new favorite thing

1/19/2019

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I go through a lot of treats, like a lot. Between lessons, classes, my dogs, and board and train dogs it seems like the demand is never ending. Enter homemade dog treats, for only a couple dollars and a $10 investment I can make over 2,000 treats in an hour. I get to know what is in the treat and play around with flavors to find what my dog loves.

The key here is the pyramid pan! This handy silicone rack was originally designed to drain fat away from foods during cooking. Flip it over and it is the perfect treat mold for training treats, 556 of them in fact. The batter should be thinned to pancake batter which makes it easy to fill all the holes.

The ingredients are simple and flexible. Like most baking what really matters are your ratios. I use one can of "something". This can be chicken baby food (check for onions!), liver, any meat, or canned fish. In a pinch I will use canned wet dog food. Be flexible here, you know what your dog likes. If you don't homemade treats are a great way to find out! Then just two eggs, oil, flour of your choice, and water. The special ingredient is... all of the herbs and spices you've got. Well, don't add onions as they are toxic I would also avoid any pepper. Dog smell in layers, the more layers the more interesting the treat.

This recipe was done with a full sized can of mackerel (15 oz) and wheat flour. Since I used the mackerel I needed my blender. If you use something like pate wet dog food or baby food you could mix by hand. There's no special method, I just dump it all in the blender and hit start. Add water as needed to make it the consistency of pancake batter.

I then use a wooden spatula to smooth it all into each hole. It can be as neat as you want it to be. Overflow will also bake and turn into treats. Make sure to put a cookie sheet under your pyramid pan BEFORE pouring in the batter, trust me.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, every oven is different.

The image on the right was the last bit of batter. Three full pans and this one. For a total of about 2000 treats.

Caloric break down for this recipe is roughly .5 calories per treat making them ideal for training. Most dogs go crazy over them. A main rule for using food is that new is always better, this flexible recipe is the perfect way to keep treats in rotation.

The recipe I used:

1 cup whole wheat flour (reduce amounts for almond or coconut flour)
1 15 ounce can of mackerel, brine and all
2 eggs
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian herb mix
1 tsp Ginger

Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes, watch for them to turn golden but careful not to burn them! The darker treats were left in the oven for 15 minutes, the dogs didn't seem to mind but they burn quick!

Make some treats! Please ask any questions or share your recipes!

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"Dog Trainer Near Me"- How do I find the right dog trainer?

8/15/2018

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Did you know that dog training is a completely unregulated industry? In fact, there is very little regulation on most pet services. That puts the responsibility on the consumer to do their research. There are plenty of dog lovers out there that have good intentions and call themselves trainers. It is important that you feel comfortable with who is working with you and your dog. There are three questions you should ask a trainer and my answers. You get to decide what is best for your dog.

"What happens when my dog gets it right?"

I use a variety of rewards and reinforcement strategies depending on the dog. Generally food is the fastest way to get new behaviors. For two of my dogs the all-mighty ball is their biggest reward. Some dogs the opportunity to sniff and explore is a huge reward. All that matters is that the dog wants it and I am smart enough to figure out how to use it.

"What happens when my dog gets it wrong?"

Generally, nothing. A big part of initial training is to set the dog up for success. This means that I don't often let them be wrong. If I am asking the dog to do something and they respond in a way I don't expect I try to figure out where I went wrong. Am I too close to a distraction? Have I worked with my dog on what I'm asking recently? Did I maybe move too quickly and skip a step? I take full responsibility for my dog's behavior, I'm supposed to be the smart one in our relationship.

"Is there a less stressful way to do it?"

Maybe. I know that I am a better trainer than I was even one year ago. I am always learning new methods and new ways to approach changing behavior. My goal is always success with as much fun as possible. I want my students to be excited to come to their training classes. I want it to be the highlight of their dog's week. Some training is stressful in small increments because life is stressful and our dogs need to learn how to tolerate stress to a degree. Ultimately what matter most to me is the relationship we're building between owner and dog. A well trained dog is just a by-product of a great relationship.

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Why Choose Force Free Board and Train

8/8/2018

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There have been several news stories lately about dogs suffering greatly at the hands of "trainers" while staying with them. A Great Dane, starved and wounded. An English Bulldog, dead and hidden. Another family in California left their two dogs with a trainer one was killed and the other seriously injured from the trainer's dog mauling them. This has all happened in the last month. Locally I have personally seen dogs come back from franchise trainers with neck sores, ear infections, half starved, and broken. It is scary. It is a real problem.

I offer a unique board and train service, my program uses no shock, prong, or choke collars. I will never put results above the welfare of your dog. I firmly believe learning should never hurt. When an owner entrusts me with their dog I am humbled and honored. My clients adore their dogs, they are their family and the time they spend with me they are treated as my family. My current set up allows for one dog to stay with me and my family at a time. They receive at least one hour of solid training split over the day with playing in a large fenced yard, relaxing in the living room, and learning from three well adjusted adult dogs. There is no chain-link run with a concrete floor, there are couches and orthopedic dog beds. I often refer to my house as Doggy Disneyland.

After we meet for the pick up your dog is taken home with me in a crate or seat-belted. Once we arrive at my home your dog is given free roam of my fenced backyard and training starts. It doesn't start with the skills we talked about, those will come. No, in the beginning I am teaching your dog that I am a source of good things with no social pressure. I sit in the middle of the yard with something tasty in my pockets. Eventually or right away your dog will start to focus in on me, this process takes anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour occasionally longer, but I'm patient. Depending on how comfortable your dog is I can then start to introduce them to my dogs. If your dog needs more decompression time they are taken to my training room for some alone time with a safe chew toy. My main focus at this point is to make your dog as comfortable as possible. After some decompression time it is back out to the yard. Your dog decides what we do, more free engagement, a game of chase, fetch, playing with my dogs, or maybe some training. The days continue on and we start to train the skills laid out in our first meeting. There is no rush here because a comfortable dog learns quickly. You will get videos and pictures daily with weekly written updates so you know what is going well and what might need more work.

I do not offer any guarantee and you should run far and fast from anyone who does. Your dog is a living creature with their own thoughts and feelings. Traditional board and trains use force and with the liberty of no owners around they can be down right cruel. They will make your dog behave by any means necessary. It is scary. It is a real problem. What is the solution?

The responsibility is on you as the pet owner. It is important to know who is taking your dog and what they will be doing. Not just for board and train but for any training! You are the only one who will advocate for your dog. Observe the trainer, ask to speak with past clients, ask about professional affiliations, keep asking questions. Our dogs deserve better treatment.

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