December’s featured lesson is Shake.  If you have questions or tips for others, please post them here.

Happy Training

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Rotating your dog’s toys can prevent boredom, and save you money! Every time you pull out a new toy, it’s like you’ve just returned from the pet store with a new gift.

If you are gone for long days, have a wide variety of toys and treat toys that are appropriate for your dog. If your dog loves to tear things up, don’t give him a plush toy while you are away – get those out when you are home. Make sure the toys are indestructable for your dog’s level of activity.

To easily rotate toys on a daily basis, a time saver is to choose 2 or 3 toys the night before, and place them with your keys safely out of your dog’s reach. In the morning, you can toss the toys down for your dog when you pick up your keys to leave.

Reserve your dog’s most favorite toy for special play times and training. A special toy creates high treat value that serves as a big pay check for your dog.

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This past weekend we adopted 5 year old Griffin and are signing up for classes! While we provide many lessons online, it’s still a good idea to meet in person with trainer and expose your dog to learning in a distracting situation such as obedience classes.

Timing is everything! I want to start this week, but all of the classes start in August or September! While I am capable of training at home, I like a class setting and I benefit from third person feedback. Diane, my trainer of choice, starts her next class in September, so how do I find a good trainer?

1. Word of mouth is the best way to find a reliable trainer to match what you want. I have already asked Diane who she trusts and am looking into those classes until Diane starts back up.
2. Find the training style you trust, and visit the certifying agency. For instance, I want to use clicker training with Griffin and want to do it correctly. So I went to Karen Pryor’s Clicker Training web site and did a search in my state.
3. Search the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Professional level members have some sort of certification and have taken a test. Beware though, just because they have certification doesn’t mean you will agree with their practices.

For all trainers, ask for references and NEVER do anything with or to your dog that doesn’t feel right. It is much better to feel like a fool in class than to do something that may damage your dog physically or mentally. If it doesn’t feel right, walk away and find another trainer!

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The 4th of July — a summertime holiday filled with fun, picnics, and fireworks for the family.  However, many of our canine family members are not overly enthusiatic for the fireworks.  Fireworks often cause a stress/fear response in our dogs which may be exhibited by excessive drooling, whining, digging, destructive behavior, etc.   

If your dog is stressed by fireworks, here are a few tips that may make the 4th of July more pleasurable for all:

1. State of Mind — remember that your dog is responding to a fear (i.e. destroying things) and it’s your job to help alleviate the situation. If you respond by getting upset you will only reinforce that fireworks cause bad things to happen (i.e. mom yells at me).
2. Plan, Plan, Plan — Make sure you have a plan for the 4th of July as well as the week leading up to the 4th
   • As the 4th of July approaches you will likely hear bottle rockets and other fireworks throughout the neighborhood, use this as an opportunity to desensitize — keep your dog’s favorite treats or toys handy and reward your dog for remaining calm when he/she hears a firework.
   • On the 4th of July, keep your dog inside with the TV or radio volume high enough to drown out firework noises and close the curtains if your dog has associated the lights with fireworks.
   • If you are home reward, reward, reward for calm behavior.
   • If you won’t be at home, keep your dog in a confined and safe place like a crate or kennel.

Start thinking about next year — try desensitizing your dog to loud noises through increased exposure with rewards. For example, you could purchase a CD with firework noises, play it softly and reward for a calm response. Gradually increase the volume and reward until your dog is confident

Safety Tip — Even if your dog is not afraid of fireworks, it is a good practice to keep your dog away from firework shows to prevent damage to their hearing.

For additional tips surrounding this holiday and it’s festivities, see ASPCA’s Fourth of July Safety Tips.

Have a fun and safe 4th of July — The Trainers of Online Dog Coach

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Rankine and I attended a Front Range Agility Team seminar this past week with Jennifer Crank.  I signed up for two sessions to work on stress related issues (i.e. Table sniffing) and improved contacts.  I must admit I was a little disappointed in the morning session because it was heavily focused on motivation versus stress and if there is anything Rankine doesn’t need to work on it’s motivation.  That aside, Jennifer made the following very eye opening and obvious statement:

“Those who work on Training tend to perform better in Standard classes versus those who work on Handling tend to perform better in Jumper classes”.  To which I replied, “that explains why have a dog in USDAA Master Jumpers that only has 1 qualifying run in Starters Standard”.  Needless to say that Jennifer and the seminar participates had a good laugh.

So what’s the difference you ask:

• Training focuses on a specific skill (i.e.  you go into the agility ring with one goal such as completing 12 weave poles or training the A-frame down contact).  Note – Online Dog Coach lessons are training focused.
• Handling focuses on sequencing (i.e. you setup and work a full course)

In my case, I am fortunate to have a 100′ x 80′ agility training ring in my backyard with a compliment of agility equipment.  Consequently, I have a tendency to handle full courses because they are readily available.   Prior to moving to this house, my wife and I had a limited amount of space which made us train basic skills versus handle full courses.   Surprise, surprise our older dog, TJ, has beautiful contacts and agility basics.

My goal? Go back to training basic agility skills for the near term.

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