Saber K9

This little man looks happy as can be but he actually joined our board and train program due to severe human related anxiety. He’s very nervous even when his parents offer him treats.

So for the next few weeks the goal is to work on his anxiety as well as teach Gus a much better recall

Here is some tips for having a successful dog training session with your pup!

1. Always have something your dog believes is high value (ex. Food or toy) for their reward. Just because it was expensive does not mean the dog believes it’s high value

2. Break up the criteria into duration of command, distractions in the environment, and distance from the dog. Only work on one of those items at a time!

3. Have fun with your dog! If either of you are not enjoying the training in the moment, take a break and reevaluate if the criteria is too high

Honestly, I get bored training technical competitive obedience. So when I’m feeling a bit burnt out, we work on tricks! I love breaking out my dogs’ wide repertoire of adorable tricks for friends at backyard cookouts during summer.

One of my favorite classic tricks is sitting pretty like Mak is preforming in this picture but what I like to add is falling over into “playing dead”. This combo is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

An absolute hit among parents of young kids is when I bring out the “clean up” trick which is when a dog will put several toys into their basket.

A more complex trick is riding a skateboard. The behavior of standing on the board itself is not that difficult but the movement can often be a big hurtle for the dog to overcome.

What’s your favorite trick to bring out at parties?

I advocate for my clients to have a handle on their first dog before considering getting a second.

While not the primary way dogs learn, they can learn by watching other dogs. If the older dog potties outside the new pup will learn faster to also potty outside. But just like they can pick up how to do good things faster, they can also learn bad or unwanted behaviors from the older dog.

If the older dog is reactive then the new one can pick up that behavior or fear of the unknown from them. Or a bit more benignly they can learn the art of counter surfing from the older dog.

Have you ever seen a dog learn something from another dog? If so, share your story in the comments!