Pawsitive K9 Training

Meet Biscuit, one of PK9's graduates!
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When I first met Biscuit's owner, I was amazed to discover that his behaviour was primarily fear and flight driven (very similar to that of rescue horses that are flighty). Biscuit was the runt of the litter and had many ailments that were afflicting his health, physical movement and manifesting into these fear driven behaviours, all before the age of one.
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Dogs that experience phobias tend to rely on eyesight and sound, rarely using their sense of smell to stimulate their mind and gain information about the environment that can help them feel more comfortable.
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When working with dogs like Biscuit, it is crucial to introduce scent work and games that encourage the dog to use their sense of smell and reinforce the positive association made with scent work while on walks in new environments. This kind of work builds trust between the dog and the handler in new environments while allowing us to use commands the dog knows well to redirect the fear into actions that build confidence and ultimately create a relationship based on trust.
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Jenn and her family have been diligently working on introducing Biscuit to new environments in a positive way and the progress blows me away!

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Sniffing is an incredibly important function of mental stimulation and enrichment for our dogs considering that dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses compared to roughly 6 million in humans, making their sense of smell extremely heightened. Sniffing is a crucial part of our dog’s everyday lives as they use it for understanding, communicating, evaluating and exploring their environment.
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Enrichment activities such as puzzle toys or snuffle mats can be an inexpensive and fun way to offer more diversified mental stimulation into your dog’s daily routine and help tire them out. Hiding treats throughout the house can also be a great way to keep your dog entertained on days when it’s too cold to be outside for long periods of time or for dogs that are less mobile. These activities help build confidence and positive associations with play time.
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A 2019 study published in the Applied Animal Behaviour Science Journal found that allowing dogs to sniff allows them to be more autonomous and express a natural behaviour, which increases optimism in our dogs and contributes to overall welfare (Duranton and Horowitz).
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In the simplest of terms: sniffing is crucial to your dog’s overall happiness, confidence and well-being. If you love them, let them sniff!

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The most memorable times of my life have been with a dog by my side. Ashlyn (pictured) had a way of putting the biggest smile on my face from the very first moment we met him. As a puppy, he was naturally super smart and intuitive. As a teenager, he was rambunctious and excitable. As an adult, he was an amazing therapy dog, emotional support dog, demo dog, farm dog and best friend. He taught me the most about how to raise a balanced, happy, healthy and well-behaved companion. He showed me that an old dog really can learn new tricks and that if we learn how to listen to their energy, we can understand more than we initially thought we could in terms of canine behaviour.
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Ash taught me that each and every dog has an individual personality that needs to be acknowledged and nurtured in order for true happiness and balance to happen. Simply, he taught me that the dog's happiness matters. In having a dog, I aim to be the person my dog thinks I am each and every day.
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Here is Ash doing an advanced long distance stay with leave it for a professional photo shoot.

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