And sometimes, if that means when I go to visit my sister, who's out of state, we don't see them that often, I always take a crate with me. So I might have three dogs and only one crate, but I have a crate so that if I have a dog that's going a little over the top and I don't want to deal with him, I don't want to have to put myself in a position where I'm stressed out because I'm trying to be entertaining with my family and deal with the dog. I can use the crate most of the time.
Read MoreHe knows how to affect the outcome. He says, I know how to do this. I can do this one and and I know how this is going to come out, right? And I can make the decision about how I'm going to make this come out, so I can do this and know, Oh, guess what? Aren't I great, and you're going to be totally responsive to me. And I know that it's, it's completely clear in my head, right? I know exactly what's going to happen here, yeah. And so that's empowering, and that's actually even though the other is a very loving gesture for the dog that is a more loving gesture for the dog, that's an easier thing for them to understand. So if you have a dog that tunes you out, and then you because you talk, talk, talk, talk, or other, there are other ways that you can get it right, tune you out, and then you suddenly throw something at them, and they don't do it because they've learned to tune you out.
Read More“ But you want to try to give your puppy, your young dog, and certainly if you're raising a litter of puppies, you want to try to give them a variety of experiences. One of the hardest things when people first whelp a litter, let's say, well, one of the worst things is that people do it and they don't give any don't give any thought to it ahead of time. But if you're going to do that, and you've taken all the necessary precautions, and you've done all the things that you need to do medically, and you've really thought it through, then you're also going to think through the process of giving that dog, those babies, a lot of experiences when they're young. That means not just keeping them in one room. You can't just keep them in one room the whole time, because they've got to get out, and they've got to have different experience and put their feet on different surfaces, absolutely different smells.”
Read MoreAnd that's not just about bringing out play in your dog, by the way, that's one of the most hilarious about training. It is everything about training. It is very difficult for dogs to take our word for it that something is important. It is not innately important to them. Maybe we're teaching them to do something that we think is a really big deal and left to their own devices it fits none of their natural behaviors and none of their sensibilities. Tell them that this is important.
Read MoreWhen I go into a household where somebody says, “well, the dog is really bothering my cat”, there's a few things that I look for. One of the things is, what's the attitude of the cat I want to see. What does the cat tell me? Does the cat tell me that they believe they'll get hurt? Because that belief, I weigh in. That weighs in, very important, very large for me, yeah, in terms of how I assess the situation, because the cat is reading the dog really well.
Read More"Well, he's a male dog, what do you expect him to do?" is a cop-out. Yes, marking is a natural male dog behavior. But so is urinating wherever they please, and we wouldn't tolerate that indoors. Dogs know the difference between a tree and a person, or a lamppost and a living room couch. What they don't know, unless you teach them, is that there should be a social or behavioral distinction in terms of marking.
Read MoreIf you don't have a picture in your mind of the behavior you want and what you want that behavior to look like, there's absolutely no way the dog is going to know. Clearly defining what it is that you're looking for is is one of the most important parts of consistency.
Read MoreToday we are going to talk about the myths and sort of rigid ideas and dogma that is somehow been adopted into dog training, and we are not sure why, and we don't know where they came from. And some of them, we do, and some of them may have made sense before, but they don't now. Or they may still make sense, but it doesn't mean that they're mandatory or that they're applicable to every situation.
Read MoreInterrupting play might feel counterintuitive, but it's a vital skill for any dog owner. Kim highlighted the need to stop play when a dog starts targeting another dog instead of the toy. Laura echoed this, mentioning her positive reinforcement strategy of rewarding dogs for staying close and not engaging in unwanted chasing. Kim further elaborated on teaching a "stay" command during ball play, ensuring all dogs get a turn without triggering unwanted chases.
Read MoreEver find yourself correcting your dog after they've already done something you don't want? This podcast explains why this common scenario – like a dog jumping on a guest and then being told to sit – can actually set your dog up for failure. Discover why waiting for the "bad" behavior before intervening can create a cycle that undermines your training goals.
Read More"Think you need hours of dedicated training? Think again. We're 'lazy trainers' who get results by integrating training into daily activities. Discover how to teach essential commands without disrupting your busy schedule."
Read MoreToday’s show is about the ins & outs of living in a multi-dog household. Laura & Kim have suggestions which will make your life easier as well as reasons why not to do certain things.
Read MoreWhen discussing shy, fearful or reactive dogs, it is important to know what we mean by that. What does a shy, fearful or reactive dog look like, and what can you do about it?
A shy or worried dog will be uncomfortable with a person moving into their space. They will likely do what is called avoidance behaviors. Avoidance behaviors are things a dog will do to indicate to the person or dog, that they are uncomfortable with the situation and want avoid interaction or confrontation. Things like turning their head, lick their lips, evert their eyes. Think of things you would do if you wanted to ignore a person (minus the lip licking).
Read MoreAs dog owners, we often encounter challenges when our canine companions exhibit fear or reactivity. Whether it's shyness around strangers or aggression towards other dogs, these behaviors can be difficult to manage and can even put our pets and others at risk. In this 2nd part of our 2 part podcast, we'll address fear and reactivity in dogs, drawing insights from experienced trainers Laura Bourhenne and Kim Rinehardt.
Read More“Dealing with Oh No! Situations” In today's show Kim & Laura talk about what to do when the unexpected happens. We've all been through it. You're out with your dog and a loose dog comes running up on you, what's the best way to handle that and keep your dog safe?
Read MoreThe fact is that dogs learn body language faster than verbal cues. We are a verbal species but dogs are a visual species. They must learn the body language of other dogs and those around them in order to successfully maneuver their way through life. It’s a survival skill, plain & simple.
Often, we think our dog knows a verbal cue when we are actually giving the tiniest visual cue as well. If you aren’t sure what your dog is picking up on then videotape yourself and see what your dog is seeing. When we work with our dogs it is important that we are aware of what our body is saying to the dog as well as the verbal cues we give. For example: if our mouth says “stay” but our body language says “come”, our dog will come to us. This is one great reason to practice moving around when teaching stay, instead of doing the all too common “stand frozen in front of your dog” routine. The entire reason we teach stay is so they won’t move while we are doing something else.
Read MoreHave you ever heard the phrase "It's not what you say, it's how you say it"? Well, that phrase has never been truer than when it is applied to how we communicate with dogs. Human beings rely heavily on words and vocal inflections to determine the meaning behind what other people are saying. Dogs, on the other hand, rely more on vocal inflections and body language. Today’s topic is about not only the words we use but how we say them. The tone of our voice and the inflections we use can help determine whether a dog will respond the way we want them to.
Read MoreWhen we choose to be caretakers of animals we make a contract with them. That contract says you will not put your dog into an uncomfortable/unnecessary situation. What we mean by that is if we are in public with our dogs and somebody wants to pet or interact with your dog, it is your duty to know your dog well enough, and read your dog’s body language to determine if he is comfortable with the person and wants to be petted.
Read MoreKim & Laura are usually on the same page with regards to training, but when it comes to playing tug with dogs they have differing opinions. Tug is a mutual killing game where you are a teammate with your dog killing the toy; it is not you against your dog fighting for the toy...
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