Dog Training Tips

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To Add or Not to Add (April 4, 2011)

by Debby McMullen with Pawsitive Reactions

Everyone is different. We all have stories to tell about the dogs that we have acquired in our lives. Some of us go to shelters or rescue groups when we get the urge to fill a void. Some of us go to breeders. Some of us do both at different times in our lives. Some of us simply end up keeping a dog that we found or the one who found us. Some of us fail as foster mom's (or dad's!) and keep a dog who was supposed to be temporarily in our lives but should that really be considered as failing? Some of us simply can't resist an email with a sad face in need. The stories are endless.

The criteria that each of us use to decide that another crew member is an option differ as much as the ways that we add the new pup. So many things can make a difference in whether the decision is an easy one or a hard one. Possessing a desire to fill a void left in one's heart after having lost a crew member is usually one of the easy decisions. So is feeling so comfortable with the number you currently have in your life that an addition would not create unrest. Having dogs who are super dog friendly makes thoughts of the more the merrier easier as well.

There are many things that should factor into the decision to add if none of the above situations apply to you. One of the most important considerations is whether you can financially afford to add another crew member. Food, toys, beds, supplies, and vet visits all add up. It is important to be realistic as to whether an addition would create a hardship on you or not.

Time is another consideration. Do you have time to add more duties to your life? This is an especially important consideration if the new addition you are considering is a puppy. Puppies take a lot of time and energy to raise properly and rightly so! The breed that you are considering adding is important as well as some breeds are naturally more active than others.

Aside from the previously mentioned considerations, how your current crew approaches having a new dog around is important to note! If they are not at all welcoming, then that is something you should be working on modifying before you contemplate an addition to your crew.

If they are welcoming in most scenarios, then that is one less con that you have to consider. Simply taking into consideration the best personality type to add to your crew is the best route to success in this case. If you have a mix of males and females, you should consider the current dynamic and whether one sex might be a better choice than another. If you are unsure of the answer to that question, enlist a dog behavior savvy friend or hire a professional to give an opinion.

Having senior dogs in your home creates a special situation to consider, especially if you are contemplating adding a very young dog to your crew. You must be very cognizant of keeping your senior dogs physically safe and secure while still allowing a young dog enough exercise and stimulation. Making sure that you are up to such a task will ensure your best success.

Make sure that you take all facets of adding a new crew member into consideration. I recently had to do just this. A close friend has an oops litter (not something I condone but it truly was an accident) and the breed mix is not a pairing that is likely to ever be repeated and includes one of my favorite breeds. The mother dog is a favorite of mine and of a delightful temperament. Three of my dogs adore puppies and would be very good with an addition that young. The fourth would be accepting enough to deal with. But among my considerations is the fact that in my house, I do everything! I am the sole human present so I have a lot on my plate. I also have a difficult foster dog living with me at present with no concrete leads on her placement prospects at present. Add to that, being self employed is not a secure income at times and you have what I call not the best timing to add a crew member.

Should perfect timing always matter? No, because life doesn't always happen according to our self-imposed schedules and many of our best memories are created when we let life just happen. But I am nothing if not practical. And my biggest blockade is the presence of the foster dog. So at this writing, the puppies are just our weeks old and the decision is leaning towards no. But could that change? I honestly don't know.

I do know that I am comfortable with my crew as it stands. I am also not especially eager to take on the work of a puppy, especially a puppy of such lineage that will need much socialization and expertise. As previously mentioned, we all have our criteria that will differ. We each must make our own decisions on changing our household dynamics. But taking all facets of the consequences of a decision into consideration will give each of us the best chance of living happily with such a decision. The results of my particular dilemma remain to be seen. Stay tuned.

Previous Weekly Tips

Chaos or Chorus? Barking Blog Part 2 (March 27, 2011)

This tip is from Pawsitive Reactions. Enjoy!

by Debby McMullen

How your crew greets visitors can cause you stress or make you proud. Do you avoid having family over for fear of the barking that can ensue? Do you make workman call first so you can block your crew away from the doorway? And forget about parties, it's just too much to deal with, right? Well, it can be better with some work on your part if your primary issue is barking and not aggression.

Alert barking, which is what this is, is a normal behavior in most dogs, especially guarding breeds, which is what most of my own crew is. I am not going to lie to my readers: as mentioned in my book, I have not really trained out barking at visitors with my crew. But reasons for that is a simple one. It's not laziness. It's just that I don't really have many visitors that are not "dog people" and my crew is pretty comfortable with "dog people" right away.

For service persons, I simple baby gate them in rooms that said service persons will not be in. Occasionally, if the service person professes to be a "dog person" and I believe him, I will let Merlin in with us because he has been voted "most likely to bark at length if not permitted to greet visitors". Merlin has a lot of opinions and he loves people so he is fine after greeting them with his opinion.

I actually have very successful parties despite mostly ignoring visitor training with my own crew. The reason for that may also be helpful for some of you. Once past the 3-4 visitor mark, my crew ceases to use barking as a greeting. Instead, they anticipate attention and potential food dispensing from any newcomer so they are on their best "we are too cute to ignore" behavior.

I always ask friends who my crew is familiar with to be among the first few to arrive at the melee and that helps my crew to feel more comfortable and helps to sets the stage for success. I have even had a successful Pampered Chef party with a PC rep who was afraid of dogs with this formula. Congrats to Dee for handling Siri (90# of Rottie mix!) being nosy while enthusiastically showcasing her wares!

So how is it possible to minimize the visitor barking? Easy. Will work for food is the motto of most dogs I know, especially those with this issue. You goal is to give your dog something else equally rewarding to do other than bark.

One of my very favorite food rewards to use for this issue is peanut butter. If you are allergic to peanuts, other nut butters work just as well as does soy butter. The sticking quality is what you need for a lengthier positive connection between said visitor and the yummy food reward. Any nut butter cannot be immediately swallowed so basically, you get more bang for your buck.

I have training tubes that can be filled with peanut butter and dispensed directly from the tube in order to minimize any mess that using peanut butter on a spoon can cause. They can be purchased directly at any R.E.I. store or you can buy them online. They are made for camping. What a great idea!

It's difficult to do step by step training in this venue for this particular issue so I won't attempt it. Steps are very much based on the individual dog. But if you keep certain things in mind, perhaps these tips can help.

-You must practice this with one dog at a time until each is pretty predictable. Then start with the two that are best at it together and progress from there. As long as your crew gets along well together, once at the all together point of training, you can use some competition to get the slower on the take pups to be faster at being quiet.
-You should practice associating the doorbell with peanut butter (or other food) before you need it. It takes time. Be patient and very consistent.
-You will need a helper or two. You cannot ring the bell and feed the dog at the same time!
-The peanut butter starts before the doorbell rings and until the door opens. There should be no ringing (or knocking) without food happening.
-It is important to talk to your dog while practicing this in order to keep the connection going. Use your best happy voice to verbally acknowledge staying with you/the peanut butter as well as choosing not to bark. Eye contact with you is a very rewardable behavior as well.
-If your dog heads towards the door at any time before the visitor enters, use your best happy voice to get his attention back on you. If he ignores you, get closer.
-Do not bribe him by placing the treat in front of his face but instead, prompt a head turn towards you and reward that, then head back away from the door
-Once your guest is in, you can allow your dog to greet your guest if he is not barking.
-You can give your guest treats other than peanut butter to offer your dog. Think high value such as boiled chicken, hot dogs, liver, etc.
-You can also implement a time out (just the removal of attention, nothing scary) if barking is excessive.
-Never use a negative word or tone to try and "correct" barking. Attention is still attention and negative (no, bad, etc.) attention still maintains or increase the behavior (barking).

One thing that I have found that helps with group greetings to visitors is allowing one dog at a time in to greet until every dog that can be there is present. This tends to take the excitement level down to a manageable level. You can use baby gates or simply another room to separate dogs until it's their turn to come in.

You can also simply train your dogs, again one at a time, to go to a special place such as a mat, crate or dog bed when they hear the door. Then you have the option of inviting them from said place to come and greet guests on your pre-trained terms. Again, this will not happen over night and you must be patient.

Courtenay in British Columbia is a Manners Minder aficionado. I admit I have not yet tried this wonderful machine but it's not for lack of wanting to. It is not cheap but it's helpful for this sort of thing if you do choose to train the "go to place" for door manners. Courtenay did this and it worked well for her.

Crystal in Indiana, PA has also trained her dogs to go to a place when visitors arrive, though her method differs. She has the crew first go to her couch and when they are calm, they are permitted to come and greet the visitors. Once they do this, they are sent to go lay in their individual places. When she has visitors that are staying a bit longer, the dogs are given Kongs or other high value distractions while they are in their spots.

Training dogs, especially a multiple dog household, to be calmer around visitors is not the easiest behavior to train but it can be done with patience and vigilance. Having multiple dogs at all requires both so give yourself credit for this feat and believe that you can persevere!

Beyond Obedience Part 3: Seiki's Story--Creating New Beliefs and Stories (March 13, 2011)

Last week I wrote about my Dog Skills on Manifestation.  This week I will share about my last Dog Skills class on "Creating New Beliefs and Stories."  This tip will give you a great feel of what "Beyond Obedience" is all about.  My new 8 week Course.  You not only learn basic obedience but also learn how your energy affects your dog's response to you.  You will learn how to be accountable for your reality.  As a result,  you will not only see shifts in the relationship with your dog but also in your entire life :)  There are only 4 dogs in a course :)

Seiki was left at my friend's house and accidentally got locked into the garage for 36 hours.  I found out that he was missing in a text while I was riding home from Kanab.  My heart dropped.  I was soo scared.  My friend looked for him a bit and was not that motivated to find him.  As a result, I texted a ton of my friends to ask them for support in finding Seiki.  Support poured in.  Angie Kieffer (AngiesPetWorld.com), one of the best pet sitters that I know, was the first to show up at my friend's house to help find Seiki.  The second person I got to talk to you was Christiane Turner, my NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Coach.  She called me and immediately wanted me to get clear what I was meant to learn from this.  It was difficult in that moment to focus on that and yet I realized quickly it was about trust.  It was about trusting myself.

I have had quite a few core stories in my life: People are against me.  I am all alone.  I also have had difficulty in trusting the decisions that I make.  I was made fun for years when I was kid and support especially at school wasn't there for me.  I didn't feel much love or acceptance.  These stories created a subconscious manifestation of my missing dog.  The incident was there for me to learn more how I can allow more trust and support in my life.

It was amazing how many times I got to dive deep into love and create a new story.  I began trusting my intuition and other's intuition that Seiki was okay and was not in any danger.  As far as the support aspect, there were at least a hundred people looking for this dog and probably more.  My story that people are against me can now be thrown down the drain.   I got a HUGE chance to breath and allow support into my life.  I had to because I knew I couldn't look for my dog all alone.  I knew he could be hours and hours away from my friend's that I dropped him off.  I chose into the support.  I chose to embrace it and welcome it. What a beautiful experience for me to know that there is a huge community out there.

The interesting thing is that some of our stories may never go away.  Even though I had dived deep into these stories before and shifted them to a degree, it was time to shift them at an even deeper level.  It is nice to have something to compare to.  I can think about this time in my life and remember that support is all around me always.

I welcome you to become more aware of your stories and to choose different.  You have the power to recommit and change them to mold more of what you want in your life :)

Is this confusing to you?  Maybe or maybe not.  Definitely if it is confusing to you, "Beyond Obedience" could be a great course for you.  You will become more aware of your stories and you will learn important shifts that you will practice from week to week to help create a new reality in your life.  You have the power to create exactly what you want!

Blessings to All of You and Have a Magnificent Day!

Beyond Obedience Part 2: Seiki's Story-Manifestation (March 6, 2011)

My last Dog Skills class focused on this topic.  I thought I would write about manifestation for those of you that were unable to come.  This will also give more of a taste of my Beyond Obedience Course.  This course explores inner work as well as basic training with your dog.

I left Seiki at a friend's house while I was away on a trip in Kanab.  My friend contacted me and told me that Seiki had run off.  I felt scared.  He was missing for 36 hours.  It was important for me to focus on what I wanted and to have good mind set.

How many times in our lives do we focus on what we do NOT want?  We focus on not wanting our dog to pull on the leash, that we have relationship problems, that work is stressful, etc.  It is so easy for people to do and it is time to realize that you have the power to create your reality and you can focus on what you want instead.

You can focus on wanting your dog to walk on a loose leash.  You can also focus on how to create work to be more fun and easy.  You can focus on how to create your relationship to be more loving.  It is a matter of choice.  When we focus on what we want our behavior changes.  Our mind actually thinks differently and solutions come to us more easily.  The universe feels this as well.  Somethings what we want show up without any effort.  This is called manifestation.

Manifestation involves the following:

• Getting clear on what you want.  Creating a clear picture.
• Dropping the attachment of the want.  You are focused on being in the moment and on love instead of desperation.
• Carrying a vibration as if you have what you want now.  Feeling how you would feel if you have what you want NOW.
  

Beyond Obedience: Part 1 "Being in the Moment" (Feb. 21, 2011)

"We only see what we believe is possible." -Christopher Franke

Many of you know that I am now doing a course called "Beyond Obedience."  This course lasts for 8 weeks and teaches basic dog obedience commands and teaches you how your thoughts, emotions, and energy affect your dog on a deep level.  

What will you learn from this course and why would anyone want to spend money on a course like this?

1.) You will learn how to create a DEEP SOUL connection with your dog.  So deep that you will become ONE with your dog.

2.) You will learn how to easily shift from any emotion back to love quickly and effectively.

3.)  You will identify clear stories that are affecting your dog's response and you will create new stories.  As a result, your dog will listen to you better.

4.)  You will create a HIGH LEVEL of teamwork between you and your dog.

5.) The techniques you learn in this class WILL generalize to other areas of you life.  If you are committed your relationships, career, and whole life will improve.  Learn how to create a vibrant and radiant life for you and for you dog now!

For the next few weeks Angie Kieffer will be sharing you many personal stories that she has shared with my dog, Seiki.  These stories are her experience of "Beyond Obedience."  Angie is highly conscious and is learning to live "Beyond Obedience" on a day to day basis.

Read the next few weeks to learn how this course can affect your life now!  See if this course is a fit for you and if it is register now by contacting me at

Below a true story of Angie and Seiki.  Read at a quiet time and fully feel Angie's experience with Seik.

It was a sunny day, ice and slush were on the ground. Seiki, my little dog buddy walked me down the hill at Tanner Park. As we both walked through the mud and slush, the wind blew through our hair. I know I'm not a dog, but I sure saw my self as one on this day. I started to tune into everything. I couldn't wait to get to the bottom of the hill so I could let Seikiloose to run. I wanted to watch him dash through the trees and frolic through the grass.

At the moment I reached the bottom of the hill, I let him off leash. He started to run and play, and he was continually checking-in with me. He wanted to make sure what he was doing was OK with me. As the wind was blowing, my senses opened to my surroundings. Passing the other dogs and owners, I noticed that both people and dogs were friendly and kind.

When we got to the body of water at Tanner, Seiki made motion that he wanted to get in the water. He looked at me and I said, “OK! Go ahead!” But he wasn't going in. I noticed that the water was deep.  I thought to myself, “maybe he wants to find a shallower area...” At that exact moment, he darted off to another part of the water where it was shallower. It was as if he read my mind, or was talking to me. We were connected mentally. Maybe that is how we are supposed to be as dog owners and friends.

I'm not a dog psychic, but I knew what he wanted. He looked at me and was inviting me in. Not with a bark, not with a growl, but with his eyes and smile. He want me to play with him. I threw a stick, but he wasn't appeased with that. He wanted me in the water! I let him know that it was too cold for me, but promised him that I would come and play with him when it was warmer.

When it was time to go and we got to the point where I had to put him back on his leash, Seiki ran off and and said “Just five more minutes!”.  Just like a kid would say to his / her parents! I didn't want to leave either because it felt so good to be in nature.

When I took him home, I wanted to go back to this place of oneness with Seiki. It felt so good to be in nature with a well-trained dog.

We as people and pet owners need to tune in more to what is around us. We sometimes get caught up in the hustle and bustle.  We can get lost in all the electronics and drama.  As a result, we don't pay attention to the amazing enjoyable earth! I invite you to slow down and pay attention to the wind and the trees.  Feel and enjoy the nature around you. Listen and pay attention to your dog, it will amaze you what he is telling you and how well he communicates with you.

Thank you Angie!  You are the best Pet Sitter I know!

Wow what a story!  Remember you can create this connection with your dog and taking the "Beyond Obedience Course" is one way to do this!

Angie Kieffer is a Professional Pet Sitter for Angie's Pet World

Canine Karma on Walks (Feb. 13, 2011)

This weekly tip is again written by Angie Kieffer, a wonderful pet sitter with Angie's Pet World.

I was with my canine friend Seiki. We were walking down his favorite route. As we came around the corner, we both saw a stray dog. I wasn't sure how Seiki was going to react to this wanderer, so I stopped in the road about 50 feet away and asked Seiki to sit and wait. The stray dog barked at us, and I'm sure he was saying, "Hey! Why are you sitting? Come over here and meet me. I won't hurt you. I want to be your friend!" I didn't buy it, but Seiki had his attention on the dog and wanted to go meet him. Seiki is well trained. He stayed in a sit waiting for the "OK" to go. I was very pleased with his continual effort to listen and stay. I'm not sure if Seiki knew that I was doing this for his safety.

As I watched the dog, who was twice the size of Seiki, move to the left side of the road I gave the "OK lets go" command to Seiki. We walked down the right side of the road. I kept my eye on the dog and watched Seiki's behavior, which was great. He did not stir and he stayed by my side with his leash loose. He matched my energy. He knew what I was feeling and what I wanted him to do. The other dog had his hair up on his back and did a predator-like prowl as we passed it. I was amazed that the other dog knew to stay away. I felt very proud to be walking with Seiki who listened and was open for praise.

As a professional pet service provider, I'm always hoping that I have this kind of opportunity. Johanna Teresi is the owner of Seiki and has trained her dog so well! She has dedicated many hours of loving time into her dog, and he knows the boundaries when he is on a leash. From learning about dog behavior and training techniques through Johanna and Seiki, I have grown not only in my business but also in my personal relationship with my dogs.

I am grateful for the new knowledge of dog energy. If I remain calm and grounded, the dog I am with will pick up on that. Because I remained calm and watched before I continued on towards the stray dog I knew that Seiki would follow my lead.

I encourage you, to learn more about your dog and his / her behavior. Avoid confrontations with an off leash dogs when your dog is on leash. Even if the off leash dog looks happy, you never know what might happen. An off leash dog and an on leash dog can be trouble and fights can easily be created.

Some of my favorite tips for walking dogs are:

• Take time to train your dog.
• Walk your dog on a leash. This creates a stronger bond between you and your dog
• Go to dog friendly places.
• Bring treats with you especially for training.
• Take bags with you. Its always kind to pick up after your dog.
• Stay hydrated. Bring water for you and your dog, and maybe a collapsible bowl for him to drink from.
• Take time to rest. It is very important for both you and your canine pal.
• Give your dog a job to do. If have a dog back pack, you can put bottles of water in it. Some dogs really enjoy a job to do.
• Identification is a must for your dog. If he gets loose you want to have a way for people to know his name and contact information for you.
• Allow off leash romps too. It's always a great reward for your dog to be able to run faster than you!
  

I hope you and your dogs have fun on your walks!

Angie Kieffer of Angie's Pet World

Different Day, Different Dog Activity (Feb. 6, 2011)

As I am creating new curriculums in my business I am choosing to allow a community of weekly tips to share. This week Debby McMullen is writing again about multi-dog households :) Enjoy!

Playing fair with with the dogs left home alone.

If you are like most multiple dog owners, you are a dog geek, participating in a variety of dog related activities. In the case of a multiple dog home, activities done with one dog probably are not the same as activities done with the others.

This requires that you sometimes or even frequently take one dog and leave the others at home. If you are a dedicated multiple dog owner (and I know you are or you would not be reading this), then you probably spend more time than you should feeling guilty and wondering if your dogs understand why they don't all get to go sometimes.

There are rules about playing fair, but there are also rules about life not necessarily being fair at every moment. That is to say, just like with people, all dogs can not always have the same privileges or get the same treatment at the same time. It is inevitable that one dog needs a med and another doesn't, or one dog needs extra training (which results in extra one-on-one time) and another doesn't. This could easily be a cause for jealousy among the rest of your crew.

Preventing these situations from being an issue is easier than imagined. First, the crew needs to learn that they don't decide who gets what and when. You do. There should not be a pecking order other than you as the leader. Of course, there are always leader dogs and follower dogs. But if you regularly reinforce positions that you imagine to be set in stone, you can cause chaos in the crew. Status among dogs is fluid and dependent on the situation at hand.

On a daily basis, vary who gets what first. Take care to make it the status quo that no one knows in advance who goes first. This levels the playing field and sets the tone for everything else, including when one gets to go and the others don't.

Three dogs who know it's not their turn this time.

So it's more like this: life is fair today but may not be tomorrow. One day one dog goes to a dog show and the next day another dog goes to agility class. Maybe you have a dog or two that is not involved in any dog sports or the like. That dog should get a solo walk or something else one-on-one with you. This is another way of leveling the playing field.

Practicing this makes it easier when you take one dog somewhere and leave the rest behind. Not doing everything as one big crew also helps your dogs to have time away from each other. It's very important that your dogs learn to function as individuals and not just as part of a crew. There will come a day when you will lose one before the others. It's inevitable unfortunately. Having a history of being able to function without a particular crew member present, even if for a short time, is helpful to emotional survival.

It may be even harder when you have just two dogs since there is only one left when you take the other somewhere. And if you're a single person, this makes things harder on the one who is home alone. So make sure it's not a sad or scary situation. Making the home alone situation as safe and special as possible is more important with a crew of two. A special Kong along with some soothing music can make all the difference in the world to the one left alone.

If you have done your homework and set the stage for success with your crew, then you should feel comfortable with the dynamics of any combo of dogs left alone. And it's a lot easier when your dogs have learned that life is not always fair. If you have taught that, then all should be well. If you have any worries at all about leaving certain dogs alone together, then always pay attention to your gut and make the proper provisions. Safety first.

Now back to guilt. Work on letting it go. Your dogs will easily pick up on any unease that you feel about leaving any of them behind. The more you make sure that each dog gets special one-on-one time on a regular basis, the better off you will be. Every time you take one dog on an outing act as though it's a natural activity and your dogs will think of it as perfectly appropriate. Just be on your way and your remaining crew will treat it as any other outing without them and simply eagerly await your return.

By Debby McMullen with Pawsitive Reactions

Can You Hear Me Now? When group barking is out of control! (Jan. 30, 2011)

To do this you can develop a cue word or phrase that you use for just this purpose. It need not make sense to anyone else or even be in English! I learned a great trick from the wonderful trainer, Pam Dennison, several years ago at a seminar she conducted here in my city. Her advice was to go and look in the direction of the bark and while looking back at your dogs, say in a calm and assured voice, “It’s just Uncle Fred”. The first time I did this with my dogs, my dog Kera looked at me like, “We don’t have an Uncle Fred.” But she ceased barking! I have since modified that phrase to another cue phrase. I now use, “It’s just the neighbor, we’re fine,” with much success. That is, when I am consistent enough to remember to do this instead of yelling, which is most of the time, thankfully!

Why not simply yell instead? Well, aside from the fact that yelling usually doesn’t work, yelling is to your dogs the human equivalent of barking. Which pretty much explains why yelling doesn’t work well: your dogs think you are helping them to alert everyone! So choosing the proper response to your dog’s excessive barking can have much better results than choosing to yell.

What other scenarios can result in group barking? The possibilities are endless so I will do my best to summarize some scenarios. Any time you have a group of dogs together, when one barks, the other will likely follow. It’s just a natural response. Your job as the owner and crew leader is to establish an alternate behavior that is a much more rewardable action that barking. What that means is that you will be very consistent about rewarding what you do want your dogs to do instead of barking.

For example, when on a group walk, I have taught my dogs to look at me when they see an animal that they want to bark at (and then chase!). For doing what I want, the dog in question gets handsomely rewarded with a yummy treat. I have done this in steps with a clicker. In some part, I have used Leslie McDevitt’s “Control Unleashed” exercises. I click when they see the object of attention and because my dogs equate a click with a high value treat, I typically get a quick head turn which results in a treat for the turned head!

This did not happen overnight. In fact, with Kera and Trent, it still isn’t completely second nature. But with Merlin, who is extremely food motivated, he has been doing the head turn at the sight of a squirrel or a deer for years. Siri has recently joined him in deer head turns and for her, this is a graduation of sorts. She is highly excited at the sight of a deer but because she is also very food motivated as well as competitive, she has (in my mind) decided that it is preferable to get fed when Merlin gets fed rather than afterwards. Kera has some northern breed in her so nature takes over a bit more with her and working on impulse control with Trent is ongoing but they respond to competition as well so we persist in their training.

Competition is an important training tool with a multiple dog crew if your crew gets along well. If not, you do not want to incite any wars over resources, which is what anything one dog focuses on becomes. If fights over resources are an issue, work on that before worrying about group barking. So be very careful about using competition but do use it with your crew if it is appropriate to do so.

I use competition in many situations. Rewarding a dog who looks at me when wildlife is spotted is just one situation where I use this tactic. How do I use it? By simply being more verbally enthusiastic than I need to be in noticing what dogs looked at me for rewards instead of a squirrel bark alert. I also use this method in my vehicle when we see other dogs. My dogs typically ignore other dogs that we see being walked UNLESS we are in the park where we walk. In that case, a couple of them may bark, most notably Trent, Kera and Siri in order of likeliness.

Trent’s barking is a work in progress and in his case, I do not use competition if he is with us. What works best for him is a whole other blog subject and best addressed by researching the wonderful Grisha Stewart’s work with BAT at ahimsadogtraining.com. But with Kera and Siri, I use a NRM (No Reward Marker). My NRM is “Too Bad!” said in a very happy sing song voice. I immediately tell Merlin that he is the best dog ever after telling Siri and Kera individually “Too Bad”. Merlin gets a treat with his verbal reward. This virtually guarantees that the next dog that we see, Siri and Kera are quiet for and everyone gets rewarded. This is a win/win situation for all of us!

Another scenario in which competition can be employed, is when in your crew’s outdoor territory, their yard. If your dogs are prone to excessive barking in this situation as many dogs are, the number one thing that you need to do is supervise, supervise, and supervise more. There is nothing that you can do to remedy this situation if you are remiss in this area. Weather permitting, the easy way to train an alternate behavior to barking is by simply sitting outside with your dogs and using your clicker to mark any time a dog chooses to come to you. Of course, following this with a super yummy treat will be the real reason for choosing the alternate behavior.

Note that I did not mention calling your dogs to you when they bark. If you do this and then click and treat for coming to you, you run the risk of creating what is called a behavior chain. What that means is that your dog barks, you call him, he comes, you click and treat. He associates the bark with the beginning of the behavior chain and necessary to the end result. This is not what you want!

This method is best used at low distraction time frames at first in order to minimize the annoyance to your neighbors. And as always, I would recommend teaching a good recall so that if barking is a typical result of your dogs being outside, you can quickly get them inside in order to avoid citations! In this case, you would reward your dogs once inside, for coming to you, not for barking. Varying the sequence of the rewards can help prevent a behavior chain in this circumstance as well. And again, you can use competition in both of these circumstances if it is appropriate with your crew.

A visitor arriving at your home is a scenario that can cause a lot of barking, especially if you have guarding breeds. I am not going to address that scenario in this blog because it is a subject in of itself, so look for a future blog on that subject.

Vigilance and consistency can go a long way towards eliminating nuisance barking with your crew. Patience helps! Do not get frustrated, but remember, even dog pros yell sometimes! It’s just human nature but so is barking canine nature. If both humans and canines practice impulse control, your life with multiple dogs can be much calmer!

By Debby McMullen with Pawsitive Reactions

Begging at the Table (Jan. 23, 2011)

As my business is expanding,  I am allowing Angie Kieffer with Angie's Pet World to write the weekly tip again!

Growing up, my parents taught me to “not feed the dog from the table.”  And that “it was bad to give human food to the dog.” But I did it anyway!  If I didn't like my vegetables or the fat on my meat; the dog would get it. Now as an adult I really don't care as much about it.  I do know what not to feed dogs, but mine are Chihuahuas!  They don't eat very much, so whatever the baby has left on the floor is what they get. And they love it! I know some of you out there may not agree with this, so I am going to share with you what I have used in the past with my bigger dogs. Please understand that these techniques can be used for any breed, any size.

If Fido already knows to go to his own place and lie down and stay; then dinner time is when you can start slowly reinforcing him not to beg while you eat.  A great way to do this is to introduce a Kong and put his favorite food in it.  A high stimulating treat, such as peanut  butter or cheese will do the trick! You can also use a water bottle with some kibble in it and let him push the bottle to get the kibble out while you enjoy your meal.  Only use this type of food in the Kong or water bottle whenever you sit down and eat with your family. It's also vital that everyone in the family is in on this goal; so everyone understands that table scraps are not always the best food for your dog.

A good way to get him to go to his place is as follows:

Make sure your dog is in a place without much distraction and also reward him with touch and a kind voice.  I always make sure my dogs are looking at me as I feel eye contact is also an important way to communicate praise with my voice.

Reward your dog for putting one paw on his bed .  If your dog is clicker trained then use a click and treat.  Next click and treat for two feet on the bed.  Then C/T for three feet on the bed.  Lastly reward for four feet on the bed.  Add the command once your dog can readily put four feet on the bed.  In teaching my dogs these steps I have found that patience is key and that it does not have to happen over night.  It may take time, but it will bond you and your dog.

Now that Fido knows “place” the next thing you will do is ask him to lie down and click and treat.  Then offer him the Kong or water bottle,  let him smell it and click, and then set it down or let him take it from you. Once he takes a liking to it go to your table like you are going to eat; and see a great response :)

I hope that you find this tip to be useful in your family dinner time and make it fun for you and your family.  Much of my experience and training has come from Johanna Teresi of Four Legged Scholars; and also from many years learning how to speak dog.

Woofs!
Angie Kieffer

Barking at the Door (Jan. 16, 2011)

Angie Kieffer and I have been working together for quite awhile.  She has learned much about dog training through Four Legged Scholars and is a professional pet sitter.  This weeks weekly tip is written by Angie Kieffer.  Enjoy!

Knock, Knock!  Woof, Woof!

Is this a familiar scenario? There's a knock at the door and your dog instinctively begins barking. Despite repeatedly scolding your dog, the barking continues. Perhaps you clap your hands together or stomp the floor with your feet. Nothing seems to curb the barking dog.  Your dog becomes startled and barks louder.  He may also tuck his tail between his legs and possibly urinates on the floor.

Has it ever occurred to you that the above described methods simply don't work? And yet, you repeat the same failed techniques over and over again with the same failed results. Is there a better, more effective way to stop the unwanted barking behavior?

To better understand your dog's problematic behavior, consider how you'd react under similar circumstances. Imagine yourself as a child, wishing to express your affection by verbally demanding someone's attention. How do you feel and react when your demands a met with angry rejection? How would you feel if as a child, you were punished by being locked in the bathroom. Some parents actually resort to such punishment methods and the results are just as frustrating.

After constant reprimands and rejections, a dog reacts in much the same way a child would. It is a reaction of fear, frustration and anger. This state of mind, usually leads to a sense of being trapped which in turn can lead to passive withdrawal, or even retaliation. Once we understand that animals and humans alike react similarly to negative forms of punishment, we can begin to implement more positive alternatives.

With regard to dog training techniques specifically, there is a whole range of training methods known as reward based training. It's a form of positive reinforcement. In the case of your dog barking at the sound of a knock at the door, it's possible to modify that behavior through rewards rather than punishment.  This is often accomplished by momentarily rewarding your dog with a treat when he is quiet. It may require patience, but once your dog realizes that a reward is waiting when he stops barking, half the battle is won.

It may not be possible to instantly stop your dog from barking every time he hears someone at the door, but in time, the frequency and duration of the barking will diminish. The important factor is to associate a reward with the desired behavior. To calmly, without anger, offer, your dog a reward for not barking.

Positive reward dog training requires persistence, patience and understanding. But in the end, you will find that the extra work was worthwhile in enabling you to strengthen the psychological and behavioral bond between you and that very special dog in your life.

Another possible option, one which I have personally decided to use myself, is simply to allow my dog to express herself when she hears a knock at the door. I refer to this as permitting my dog its natural “dog rights.” Is that so strange? Not at all when again, you relate your dog's behavior to your own. For instance, when an unknown person knocks at your door, have you ever barked out “who's there?” Of course you have. When you realize this, your dog's questioning bark should not annoy you quite so much.

What I have found by employing this method, is that by permitting my dog to express itself, that I have been able to minimize her barking over time. Following her initial bark, I calmly call her name or use a clicker to distract her. Then, she is immediately rewarded as I answer the door. Over time, her repeated barking has diminished, but she still has the right to ask “who's there?”.

"We Think The World Of Your Pets" angiespetworld.com

It's Cold Outside! (Jan. 9, 2011)

I know that some of you are having a hard time going outside to exercise your dog in this cold weather.  Shaping is a great way to give your dog mental stimulation which will definitely exercise your dog's mind.  A tired mind is a tired dog.  For dogs who love to learn this type of training is fabulous.  Read more to learn what is shaping is and how to do it.

I love shaping with my border collie, Seiki.  He has learned to crawl, roll over, close the door, close the drawer, wag his tail, shake his head "no," spin, rewind, and more through shaping.  When I am training my dog to do shaping I get to be lazy and warm :)  I also don't even have to use my voice.

What do you need to shape your dog a behavior or trick?  The first thing you need is an idea of what you would like to train your dog to do.  You will then need to break the behavior up into small approximate steps in your mind or you can write down the steps.  See below for more details.  You also need something to mark each step when your dog performs a step correctly.  I like using a clicker.  The clicker says "You did the correct movement / behavior and you are immediately receiving a treat."  You can also use the word "yes" as a marker.

Here is an example of breaking a behavior into steps with shaping:

Behavior: Seiki is learning to shut the door with his muzzle.

1.) Seiki looks at the door C/T (Click and Treat).
2.) Seiki moves towards the door C/T.
3.) Seiki moves even closer to the door C/T.
4.) Seiki touches the door with his muzzle C/T.
5.) Seiki pushes the door with his muzzle C/T.
6.) Seiki pushes the door for a longer time period C/T.
7.) Seiki pushes the door for even a longer time period C/T/
8.) Seiki pushes the door for so long that the door shuts.  Yahoo!  The terminal behavior is met!
9.) I continually reward step #8 with Seiki and when it is predictable that he is definitely going to shut the door I add the command "Close" immediately before he exhibits the behavior.

When you start shaping your dog to do something, you may reward any behavior that is an approximation of what you want.  Then you begin to become more specific and only reward behaviors that are moving closer to your terminal goal.  Stop rewarding easier behavior or the behaviors that your dog was initially displaying and only reward the ones that are closer to the goal.  Then only reward your dog when he / she performs the terminal behavior.

Shaping takes practice and it is important that you start somewhere.  Test the waters and give it a try. Click here to watch a video for a great example of shaping and of course call Four Legged Scholars if you would like a session on this :)

Yea now your dog is tired and you are warm :)

New Year's Dog Resolution (Jan. 2, 2011)

With the New Year many of us wondering how we can create new resolutions, goals, stories, clarity, etc.  It is time for a fresh start.  Why leave your dog out?  Your dog is a HUGE part of your life. The way you interact with your dog reflects other areas and relationships in your life.  How would it look to formulate a deep soul connecting relationship with your dog?

I am offering a WEEKLY class to the community called "Dog Skills."  Each class is a stand alone class and will address multiple topics to support a positive and loving relationship with your dog.  We will address topics such as: reading dog behavior, how your emotions affect your dog, creating integrity with your dog, how your beliefs affect your dog, etc.  Overall by taking these classes you will become more aware how your reactions affect your dog's reactions.  The classes will not be addressing how to train specific behaviors as the classes are for humans only.

Who is a good fit for these classes?

People who already consider their dog as a part of their family and want to explore a deeper and more loving relationship with their dog.

Are You Wanting to…

• Have Your Dog Listen Better?
• Develop a Trusting Relationship with Your Dog?
• Learn How Your Emotions, Thoughts, and Body Language Affect Your Dog?
  

Pointers When Your Friends Watch Your Dog (Dec. 24)

There are many things that can happen when a friend and not a professional pet sitter are watching your dog.  Your dog could get sick, run out of the house into the road, eat something toxic, etc.  Read below to learn what to look for if you are choosing to have a friend to watch your dog.
 
Communication is key and is probably the most important aspect to consider.  First and foremost is your friend reliable and trustworthy?  When they say they are going to do something do they follow through?  Are they good at listening and following instructions from you?  Is it easy for them to communicate with you if something goes wrong?  These questions are key so that you know that your friend will not subject your dog to dangerous situation by not following your directions.  Also if it is easy for them to tell you that your dog got injured then emergency care will be easier to create for your dog in the moment of an injury.
 
Is your friend a dog person?  If the answer is yes then they might know the basics of dog care.  If they are not then be clear about the following: exercise, feeding time and proportions, keeping food off the counter, covering trash cans, how to give medication,  leash walking, etc.  They may not be a good candidate to walk your dog off leash.  Common sense to us is not common sense to a non-dog person.  Also communicate foods that are toxic for dogs: raisins, onions, avocado, garlic in large quantities, chocolate, etc.
 
If your friend is not familiar with dog care a trial time might be needed.  You can have them watch the dog for one day.  Having you friend come with you on frequent dog walks can be highly beneficial as well.
 
A few more tips:
 
Of course make sure that your friend understands that your dog is to be kept inside.
 
Also, if your dog has any medical conditions, give very specific instructions about medication dosage, how to give your dog medication and activity restrictions, etc.
 
Making sure your friend has emergency contact info of another dog friend and of course vet information.
 
With the holidays being here having friends watch our dogs can be beneficial.  Make sure you are creating a good choice. If you can’t find someone responsible leave your dog at a boarding facility such as Animal Medical Clinic, the Titanic’s Toy Hilton, or Coddled Critters.
 
Happy Holidays!
Johanna Teresi, Professional Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC

Dog Walks are More Than Just Exercise (Dec. 22)

Do you regularly walk your dog?  If not keep reading. Walking is a simple pleasure that will affect many areas of your life.  Read below about my personal experiences.
 
If I become overwhelmed with work and I just stand up and take my dog out, breath the fresh air and allow myself to connect with my dog I shift into much more ease and flow. Walking brings me into the moment. As I am moving, emotions flow through my body instead of remaining stagnant.  I also gain a whole new perspective and notice when my brain is blowing things out of proportion.
 
Hiking brings even greater affects for me especially when my dog is off leash.  I become a child again.  I remember walking my dog regularly when I was a child in our woods and how I was so in the moment.  This feeling fills my entire body.  Many times I feel magical as if I am in a fantasyland.  Gratitude is much easier to feel and I appreciate my life so much more.
 
Of course the benefits of connecting with your dog are profound as well.  There are few dogs that don’t enjoy walks.  If your dog is enjoying himself, you are more likely to feel the joy as well.  Happiness rubs off and is spread.  Our dogs are so easily happy and walking can remind you about the simplicity of life.  When I am walking my dog especially off leash there are times when I just feel complete Oneness with the Universe, and the soul connection I have with my dog is amazing.
 
I invite you to be present and aware during your walks so if you can reap in more benefits.  If you aren’t walking frequently how about you create new resolution to start?  The benefits are too strong to pass.

Not Enough Time to Train! (Dec. 11)

Time is a common block that I run into frequently with my clients. Generally, the story is that they do not have enough time to train their dog.  However, the reality is that we all have enough time to do the things that are a priority to us.  The other side of reality is that most training sessions only need to last 2-5 minutes long.  What is the true block here?  With the above being stated the block isn't really time :)

Some of you may be familiar with the word "Persona."  This is a mask that covers up our emotions and is generally a mask from reality.  You can have a persona when you are in overwhelm, a persona when you believe people are against you, a persona when you believe you are all alone, etc.

My favorite persona is named "Mini Mouse."  This persona is when I feel like I am not heard.  When I am in the "Mini Mouse" persona no one hears me.  My behavior, actions, tonality, etc. all create myself to not be heard.  When I choose to shift out of that persona and recommit to being heard then I am heard.

What is the truth under not having enough time?  It could be a person where you feel that your dog is against you, a persona of overwhelm, a persona that this is hard work, etc.

This week wonder about what persona is showing up for you if you are not creating dog training time.  Name your persona to add some humor to this side of you.  Notice if you want to breath and shift out of this persona.  Then recommit!

Transform Your Energy, Transform Your Dog (Dec. 6)

In October, I taught a class on Transform Your Energy Transform Your Dog.  For those of you who are familiar with NLP.  The class involved NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming).  The class was on how your thoughts, emotions, body language affect dog training.  Below is an excerpt from Christiane Turner's Blog.  Christiane teaches Quantum NLP and is my NLP coach.

I will be regularly teaching classes on this subject.  The classes are called "Dog Skills" and will include how to transform your energy and transform your dog.

Day: Dec 16th
Time: 7-8:30
Location: Dogs Meow, 2047 East 3300 South, Salt Lake City,
Cost: Suggested Love Donation $20, No One Turned Away,
RSVP Please and bring friends.

More classes to come in the New Year!

Excerpt about the  October "Transform Your Energy Transform Your Dog" class that Christiane and I Wrote:

I’m so grateful that Johanna Teresi, professional Dog Trainer from “Fourlegged Scholars” shared her expertise with the community, by teaching a seminar on how to create a more resourceful relationship with your pet. Let me give you a couple of examples of the stories that participants from the seminar shared with Johanna afterward. They show the power and importance of her work with NLP with animals and their owners. Animals truly are great teachers, and we can be so grateful, that they choose to live with us. Also, in case you couldn’t be at the seminar in person, you can still learn from Johanna’s teaching, as written below.

In Johanna’s words: “The seminar was awesome and we had a great turnout with over 20 people. It was amazing!

I had people think of a situation with their pet that was frustrating to them. They were to take on the body sensation that they feel in this situation. Then source it back to their childhood and notice when this body feeling first started. Then they were to notice what thoughts came up in their mind from this body feeling and identify the core belief. From there I helped them change their beliefs.

I still have people come up to me and are telling how this has been life changing for them

Here are a few short examples:

One of my current clients has a deaf dog. She realized that it is no coincidence that she owns a deaf dog. She has a story that she is not heard. Learning tools on how to move past this story has created a much easier relationship with her dog. When her dog doesn’t listen to her she opens herself to a new story and her dog is now listening to her better. I have seen it and watched it. She is learning how to feel heard even when her husband and family don’t really hear her in the way she would like.

Another client that I just saw the other day: Her dogs bark frequently throughout the day. She normally yells at them and this feeds into the behavior. From the class she has learned to be more calm. She said at times she doesn’t even have to ask them to anything. She just has to stop and breathe and become calm and the dogs stop barking.

One more example: A friend of mine has an aggressive dog. When her dog reacts (barks, bites people, etc.), she yells at her dog and tells him how much she disapproves of this behavior. After the class, she came up to me and said that she realized that the way she has been treating her dog is the way her family treated her when she was younger. I believe this realization will help her be more of a calm mirror for her dog.

And here is Johanna’s testimonial, how much the Quantum NLP Training has enhanced her own life and work:

“You allowing me to teach this class has changed sooo many lives!!! Thank you for believing in me. Because you allowed me to teach, many dogs, families, people, etc., lives are and will continue to be changed. You have made a HUGE difference. Because of the many techniques I have learned with you I am so much more present with my clients. Thank you for being my teacher. I am so filled with gratitude towards you!! Blessings, my dear friend and teacher!!"-
Johanna and my beautiful doggie, Seiki

Afterword by Christiane:

Animals are the true masters of raising consciousness on earth, and I am deeply committed to making a huge difference in the lives of animals around the globe, on all continents. Being in China so much, my heart especially goes out to the animals on the Asian continent, and I am already changing people’s minds about animal rights, by talking to my students and clients and educating them.

Of course it all starts at home, in my own case with the four wonderful cats who share their lives with us, and bring us constant joy, love and amazing learning opportunities. Our oldest cat is already 16 years old and our little baby is about half a year old.

I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Johanna Teresi from “Fourlegged Scholars” for her dedication to bringing Quantum NLP to people with animals, she is doing a huge service for our community.

Dear Readers, in case you don’t have a pet at this point, consider the possibility to adopt a pet, there are so many animals out there that need our love, care and support. Check out ”Best Friends” in Southern Utah or go to ”No more homeless pets” in Salt Lake City, and help an animal in need. Thank you. You will be amazed, how much a pet can enrich your life and bring you love and joy beyond your wildest imagination.

Together we are making a difference in the world. Blessed be.

How Do I Train During the Holidays? (Nov. 24)

I know so many people that get carried away with business during the holidays :) It is time to have fun and be with our family.  So if it is time for our family then why do our dogs need to get neglected during the holidays?  Our dogs are our family right?  Below are some fun tips to keep up with the fun with your dog during the holidays :)

1.) If you are having a family get together create some Ziploc bags with kibble or your dog's treats in them.  Give the bags to numerous people that are coming to your house for the get together.  Tell them they can give your dog a treat if he/she sits.  Also you can show them other tricks that your does: down, target, stay, come, etc. and ask them to give treats for these commands as well.

2.) Do the children in your family love dogs?  Have the children create a circle.  Each person (one at a time of course)  in the circle calls the dog to them.   You can also do this with the "target" command.

3.) If you have a large immediate family delegate your dog's training to each family member.  Remember training sessions only need to last 2-5 minutes.  If you have 4 people in your family you can assign one person each day.  You can also have each family member train every day.  Either way the training will get done in very little time :)

4.) The big stones are what gets done in life.  Delegate training as a priority.  You can do it first thing in the morning on your busy days.  Don't save it for last task when you feel you don't have time to do it.

5.) Hire Four Legged Scholars to do Study Hall with your dog.  This works great if you are extremely busy.  I will come to your house and train your dog for you.  Then I will show what your dog has learned and help the behaviors generalize over to you.  Last year my busiest time was during the holiday season.  Your dog needs attention and training too and I am here to support you :)

6.)  Train your dog during his / her normal exercising routine.  Train your dog during games such as fetch or during walks, etc.

7.)  Create training to be so much fun that there is no way you want to skip it during the holiday season.  Allow training your dog to be peaceful and fun. It is a break in your hectic day.  A time to be in the moment and to connect :)
Happy Holidays Everyone!

Winter Training Tips (Nov. 21)

Okay so far it has been warm for November and I know that the snow will hit Salt Lake City soon.  When it does hit it is easy for us to stop training when we are walking our dogs outside.  We get cold and walks might be shorter.  Training your dog in the winter is just as important as in the summer and possibly more important with the ice and winter dangers.  Below are some solutions.

How do I use the clicker in the winter?

1.)  Use your tongue click instead

2.) Use a plastic i-Click

3.) Wear thin gloves and cover them with finger-less gloves.  Then put hand warmers between the two layers.  This makes it very easy to hold the clicker without getting your hands cold.

How do I give treats with thick gloves on?

1.) Use bigger treats

2.) See #3 above.

My dog pulls me too much and it is icy.

1.) Use a front hook harness

2.) Use a head collar

These are just a few tips for you!  If you have questions about any of the training materials above please contact me :) Have a great winter and remember to dress warm and keep your dog warm too!

Integrity with Your Dog (Nov. 12)

It can be easy to be out of integrity with your dog and it can be easy to be within integrity as well.  As people there are some things that we love to do and without doing these things we feel out of balance.  For me this includes:  hiking, meditating, running, yoga, and socializing.  What are some of yours?  Now switch from you to your dog.

What are some things that your dog loves to and may or may not be doing? For my dog this includes running off leash, chasing birds, playing fetch and performing tricks.  The biggest one for him is to run off leash.  If he doesn't get that he is a mess.  We do flyball as well and he isn't so much into the actual game as he is to the running part of the game.

Create a list of what your dog loves to do. This is a great way to check and see if you are within integrity with your dog.  If you are out of integrity with your dog more behavior problems are going to result.  Your dog will be less likely to listen to you and will feel extremely frustrated.  They are dying to do what they LOVE to do :)  Just like you!

Now wonder how you can create more integrity with your dog.  That is it just wonder.  Let the ideas flow to you.  Let your brain wonder and see what pops up.  Then write them down and take action :)

Having fun with your dog is large part of a game called "Life!"

Anchoring Peace When Dog Training (Nov. 7)

Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in frustration and focus on everything that is going so called "wrong" in our lives.  Wrong and right is always perception anyways.  Our mind chooses our past patterns to decide about right / wrong or good / bad.  We can choose to play our past patterns or choose something different.  When we are in overwhelm with our lives it is easy to carry this into our dog training sessions.

Let me share with you a story.  Fridays are my days where I am most likely to feel overwhelm in my body.  My story has been "Oh my gosh I haven't  gotten all that I wanted to do this week.  Ahh ohh what do I do?"  I get into "doing" mode and forget the important things in my life.  During the day on Friday has been the least likely time for me to take a break and exercise or play with my dog.  Today I chose different.

I came home for a dog training appointment.  Started lunch and then turned on Sesame Street music and played with my dog, laughing and being in the moment.  What shifted?  The first thing I did was choose.  The second is I chose listen to something that took me back to playtime as a child.  I loved Sesame Street music as a child.  My parents also loved to sing and we loved to laugh together.  My whole body went back in time and I was in the moment with my dog.

I am asking you to choose different when you are spending time with your dog.  Choose to be in the moment with love.  Sesame Street music is an anchor for my childhood.  What are some things that bring happiness, laughter, etc. to you?  If it is an activity spend just a few minutes doing this activity BEFORE training your dog.  If it is activity you do normally, pair your dog training after this activity.  If there are songs you love, listen to this music while you are dog training.  Are there certain environments that bring peace to you?  If so you can choose to train your dog in these moments or in these places if the distractions are not too high for your dog.  All of these things are anchors.  Anchors are something that bring an emotion into your body or remind you of something prominent.  At this time I am referring to an anchor that naturally brings happiness, love, peace, etc. into your body withOUT any concentration on the happiness.

You are always at choice in your life.  When you are making your choices in your day to day life you are affecting more than just you and most importantly you are affecting your dog.  What choices are you going to choose to make when you are training and playing with your dog?

With Training Love,

Johanna Teresi, Professional Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC

The Dog Training Shift List (Nov. 1)

Hi everyone!  I am so excited to be writing to you again!  These weekly tips are getting more and more exciting for me to write.  Today is something spectacular.  I mean so spectacular that when you get it, dog training is TEN times easier....seriously.  However, it can take time to grasp.  You will grasp it at deeper levels as you go throughout your life, if you choose :)  Today I am giving you some quick and easy tools to use when you feel stressed during dog training.  Generally when we are stressed during dog training, our dogs are not responding to us!  How do we get them to be more responsive?  One way is through our energy.

Let me give you a short description.  If you are attempting to teach your dog to "sit stay" and you are overwhelmed, your dog may be less likely to learn what you are communicating.  Your communication is scattered because you are in overwhelm.  Your visual cues are not clear.  Your tonality may be too firm or having a such a frustrating tone behind it that your dog feels this chaotic energy.  Your mind is also focused on other "to do's" of the day or focused on thoughts around your dog not listening!  Yikes!

However, what if you chose to shift in that moment.  You shift and your dog shifts!  What I mean with shifting is that you change from frustration to ease and flow.  Below are some ways to do this!  Some of you may know this stuff already so it might be a good review.  For others it might be totally new. Regardless ENJOY!

Breath through your belly (This moves emotions out of you and can be grounding for you.)

Visualize success (You can visualize your dog performing the command, and you can visualize success on your part too.  This must be believable to you for it to work strongly.)

Take a Break (Stop training in the moment. Do something else and come back later.)

Feel Your Emotion (Take a Break and fully feel your sadness (cry), anger (run), fear (move and breath), etc.)

Ask for Support (Call a friend. Call Four Legged Scholars.)

Wonder (Hmmm I wonder how I can create teamwork with my dog in this moment?)

Be authentic (Voice that you are frustrated, and tell your dog that it has to do with you and not him / her.  Voicing it allows the emotion to begin to move out of your body.)

Anchor in a New Emotion (Close your eyes and go back in time when you were relaxed, happy, confident, etc.  Take in this feeling.  Generalize this feeling back over to when you are training your dog.)

There are many more shifts.  These are just a few.  Remember you create your reality with your dog.  When you are inspired, your dog is inspired to learn from you!

The Abundance Experiment (Oct. 23)

Hmm, well here I go again.  I love sharing lately exactly what I am learning and applying.  The juicy stuff for you!!  The authentic and real me :)  I want you to be inspired by what I am learning so I share :)  Where do I begin on this topic? I will start by saying when we are in lack or scarcity it affects our dogs.  When we are in abundance, love and gratitude this affects are dogs too :)  They truly feel our energy :)

Yesterday, I was hiking at Neff's Canyon with my dog, Seiki.  At the beginning of the walk I was scared.  I felt scarce in abundance.  What does this mean?  This means I lost the inner God / Spirit within me.  Scarcity is when we loose the truth or the essence within us.  It isn't bad or wrong.  It just is.  We are human and we will fluctuate from time to time from scarcity to abundance and back to scarcity and then back to abundance again :)  Later on in the hike I was in complete abundance and bliss.  How did I shift?  I am currently working with business coach Scott Molluso  and I am held accountable to read the Abundance Book by John Randolph Price.  I decided what a better place to read then in the mountains!

I found a nice place to read.  As I read the book, my energy shifted. I will share a quote with you that is inspiring from this book: "The Inner Presence the You of you-is truly the money maker.  Your thinking, reasoning mind is not.  Your only Source is the God Presence within you." So why I am telling you this?  What does this have to do with dog training? Everything!  There was an interesting shift in Seiki and I.  If you read last weeks tip you will recall that I wrote that my dog's check-ins on hikes (running toward me occasionally to check-in with me without a command) were less than frequent last week.  Well on this hike it was different Seiki was checking in so much!!  When he was out of sight I was rarely in fear of where he was, if he was safe ,etc.  I was in bliss.  I was connecting with his soul.  I knew where he was at all times even though he was out of sight.  He was connected to me.  This is what I mean about staying connected with your dog even when you are with another person such as a visitor (see last weeks tip).

When you are in lack your emotions may be one or more of the following: frustration, fear, sadness, etc.  There is a feeling of lack of control.  Your dog then feels this energy and doesn't respond as well.  When you are in abundance your dog reflects this.  Your connection is strong.  His response to you is strong :)

Surprisingly tonight I went to yoga (Shakti Yoga) and what was the topic about?  Lack and abundance.  Another reminder for me.  If this is coming up for me so much I am imagining it is something that I need to share.

Learning to find the God / Spirit within you when you are training your dog is profound.  I promise you will not only feel a difference, you will see the difference as well!

Connecting and Looping Out (Oct. 17)

I had an amazing experience the other day and I definitely felt fear.  I was hiking with my friend and we were talking.  I was rewarding Seiki for his check-ins.  They weren't as frequent as I would have liked.  He found something and got pretty distracted and wouldn't come when I called him.  I realized an important dog training tip in that moment.  Connect with your dog frequently.  How many times do we as parents pay attention to our guests when they are visiting and our dogs get attention but our guests get more of the attention?

Anyways I was giving my dog quite a lot of attention for check-ins.  However, I wasn't outer looping or connecting with him as much as I do when we hike alone.  It reminded me of the energetic difference.  Of course the attention will be different when someone else is present, and remember if you are training your dog when someone else is around notice how your attention is affecting your dog.  Are you giving enough?  Are you giving too little?

This tip is short this week and is something that I was inspired to write about and I hope it gets your gears turning!

Being in the Training Moment (Oct. 10)

I have been wondering more about my thoughts and how they are not really true.  Thoughts can uplift me and they can create sadness, fear, anger ,etc.  Learning to be aware of our thoughts and how they create our reality is profound.  One thought that I am releasing BIG time lately is "People are against me."  This thought use to be so true for me so many people were not supportive of me and of course I created this with my thinking.  I am releasing this and opening up to "People are supportive of me."  As I shift into this new belief many emotions of mine are being felt mainly fear and sadness.  I am fully feeling and allowing.  As a result, support is flowing to me from all directions.  I love it! So one way of being in the training moment is by being aware of our mind and choosing what is best to believe to create what we want at this time.  I will let you relate this to a specific dog training instance for you.

Another share that happened this week was yesterday.  I was at a park and Seiki, my dog, went into a marsh.  I began to throw kibble into the water. I was above him on a bridge.  He really wasn't aware that it was kibble.  However, I wasn't attached to anything. I was just in the moment. I kept throwing kibble in the water.  I didn't care if he ate it or not.  Well then he began to realize that it was food and began to walk through the water to eat it.  It was so cute when he realized he could eat in the water.  I was tossing it everywhere and he kept following them and eating them.

The fun part came when some floated into a deeper part of the marsh and he had to swim a bit to get it.  Seiki hasn't been a lover of water so he felt a bit scared.  Once again I had no intention to persuade him to swim.  It just turned out that it was deeper there.  Because I was enjoying the creation I decided to set an intention to allow Seiki to gain more confidence swimming.  I was still not attached to the outcome and excited to see the results.  I gradually threw the kibble closer and closer to the deeper spot.  Seiki would follow the kibble, then break and eat some of the kibble on the outskirts as it was floating around in some shallow spots.  Then we would repeat this process.  When he began to gain some wonderment about going into the deeper part I began to add the clicker.  Wow what a difference.  His fear seemed to dissipate.  His love for the sound of the clicker anchored through his body.  He was swimming for quite a few seconds with me clicking and treating :)  What a wonderful moment!  Another way to be in the dog training moment is by flowing with what is naturally occuring rather than forcing something different.  When you do this you can build onto the moment and create new things!  Great training shifts happen between me and my dog when I create this!!  Wonderfully and deliciously fun!

More About Fear (Oct. 3)

I wanted discuss more about fear and how this emotion can help us move through training blocks with our dogs and how it can also lock training blocks in place.  Mainly I run into the fear the most frequently when a dog has a strong behavior issue where the owner is afraid of someone getting hurt or is afraid of embarrassment.  Of course there are more situations.

How do we feed into our dog's behavior with their fears?  Our bodies condition themselves and are good at predicting what will happen in a particular situation especially if it is based on numerous past events.  For example, if your dog reacts at other dogs when you are walking your dog when you see another dog approaching your body may get tense and your mind may think some thoughts such as "Oh know here we go again!"  Your dog may develop a behavior issue disregarding your actions, however our emotions can lock these behaviors in place.  If you are constantly feeling fear every time a dog approaches then your dog begins to realize that you get scared when a dog approaches!  "Wow" your dog thinks, "This must be a scary situation then!"  You are  reassuring him that his fear is of value.

What are some ways to believe in our dogs and be safe at the same time? Neuro-Lingustic Programming (NLP)  can help wonders for fear.  This is a technique when a new neuropathway is developed in the owners brain by creating a new emotional response in a situation.  One great way to move through this is visualization.  Not just any visualization but Deep Deep visualization.  I will walk you through a process right now and if are you able after you read this, do it :)  Get in a comfortable quiet place and be standing or sitting whichever feels best for you.  Close your eyes or look at a pretend screen.  Disassociate from this scene so that you don't become physically involved in the scene.  Look at the situation or issue you are having with your dog.  Examine yourself.  What does your dog body feel like.  Scan your entire body and take in all of the areas of tension and all of the areas of relaxation.  Really examine your whole body:  Your forehead, lips, eyes, neck, shoulders, entire back, etc.  When you get a clear picture of what your body feels like, look at the actions you are doing.  What are you saying?  What motions are you doing?  What is your body overtly communicating?  Now look at your dog.  What is your dog doing?  What is his body saying?  What motions are your dog doing?  Okay add any other senses that you may want (smell, taste, auditory, etc.).  Look at the scene and ask yourself "How could I create something different?  I wonder how I could create a different response that might be more productive."  Note any messages that you get.  When you feel complete step away from this spot and shake your body to move out these emotions.  If you feel something big coming up fully feel your sadness, anger, fear etc (Sometimes people cry.  This is okay if you do.).  Breath deep as well to let them pass through your body.

Okay now for the fun part!  Create a new scene.  This one is best to do with your eyes closed or in a way that you feel fully part of the scene :) Now take the answer to the above question "How could I create something different?" and visualize these answers in the new scene.  Fully take in how your body feels different.  Scan your entire body.  What are you doing differently?  What are you saying differently?  How is your dog reacting differently?  Take in all of your senses auditory, taste, smell, all of the colors, sights, feelings....etc.  Take the scene fully in.  When you feel complete with this move to a week a from now and notice the differences that you see in your life and your dog' life.  Now move to a month from now...then a year...then two years...then 5 years...then 10 years...etc.  Go so far into the future that you can see, hear and feel all of the changes that are occurring as a result of these different response you have in your body, mind and spirit :)  Awesome!!  You are complete with the process.

For some people there is a drastic shift from this process and for others a minor shift.  Other people may not experience anything different.  Embrace any results.  Know that you can repeat this process many times over a period of months and each time you will learn something new.

If you liked this process I will be teaching NLP processes with people and their animals on Oct 26th. Learn how your thoughts, emotions, energy, and body language all affect your pets' response to you.  When you are in alignment, creating the reality that you want with your pet is easy!   I will guide you through some NLP processes that will encourage your pet to respond to you the way you want!  If you pet isn't listening to you or responding the way you want this class is for you!! Contact me at Info@FourLeggedScholars or 801-463-1668 for more information on the details of the class :)  Please RSVP.

Trusting and Oneness (Sept. 26)

How much do you really connect with your dog in a spiritual and trusting manner?  It is choice really.  Of course there are times when I am totally connected with my dog and there are times when I am a bit more separated.  You will more likely experience the same.  I wanted to share with you some personal connections that are warm to my heart pertaining to my dog when we allowed both of ourselves to move through our fears and authentically connect.  All of the experiences I am writing about are from a personal camping trip at the Uintas with Seiki, a friend of mine, her dog, and I.

So the trip begins as every trip begins with choices.  Choices based on fears and restrictions or choices based on oneness that invites freedom and expression.  My friend and I hiked for an entire day and I mean an entire day.  We climbed over rocks, saw horses, saw cliffs, played in the water, and of course had our dogs off leash. I don't know about you but when my dog is off leash I can sometimes choose, worry.  What if my dog walks off the cliff?  What if my dog trips over the rocks on the side of this mountain (and I mean we climbed over rocks for at least an hour up and down)?  What if my dog chases the horses and gets kicked?  What if my dog runs off and never comes back?  Can you relate to these fears?  At times these fears are valid.  Other times it is time to be in a place of allowing.  Let me share a few stories with you.

My friend and I are sitting on the edge of a cliff and we are looking at the beautiful stream below.  So peaceful!  Seiki walks to the edge of the cliff and looks down.  I am scared.  What if he falls off the cliff?  I remember that I create my reality.  I choose to voice my fear and say "I am scared and I am committing to love and safety with my dog."  I ask the universe to give us safety.  Then we can have safety and love at the same time.  Seiki is fine and through this he builds confidence and learns about his foot placements.

My friend and I are resting on the rocks basking in the sun with our dogs.  Around the corner horses pass.  Seiki takes off.  He runs up to the horses and barks.  There is no way I can go and grab him in time.  We are too far up and climbing rocks isn't fast for me.  I breath.  I feel my fear and breath.  I also believe.  I believe he is safe.  The horses pass off and Seiki follows.  I call him, hold my breath and wonder....will he really come back?  I remember to believe he is safe and that he has learned an excellent recall.  He comes back quickly.  He takes off again after them and immediately comes back when called.  Really??  Can this be true?  My border collie who use to lunge and bark at horses on leash and in the car is coming to me off leash around horses?  I breath and allow my body to take in the truth.  It is true :)  Celebrating, I feel more confident.  My dog is growing up and this trip is a HUGE learning experience for the both of us :)

One of my fondest memories is at the beginning of the trip when my friend is scared to take her dog off leash in the mountains.  She has had a rough time with his recall.  Her roommate has not.  Cidney, her dog is great off leash with her roommate.  Why?  Her roommate has a trust bond with this dog.  He believes they are connected and that Cidney will return and will "come."  My friend knows this. She is extremely conscious.  This trip is a time for her to practice believing in her dog.  It really was the same for me too with Seiki!!  She was hesistent to take Cidney off leash.  I tell her to wait until her body feels ready.  She does and man did Cidney do great.  She trusted :) WOW!!!  I remember how much her dog would take off in the past and this time Cidney stayed so close to her during the whole hike :)

So that is a small scoop of our day full of hiking.  Much more than that happened and I don't want to write a book...however, there are two more things for me to share.  The next day, my friend and got in a kayak with our dogs!  Yes, I am serious.  My friend's dog is calm and she had no worries that Cidney would do good in the kyak.  I felt the same about Cidney.  My dog was a bit different to me.  Seiki runs and barks in the car when he is not crated.  He also has a swimming phobia and loves to catch water in the air.  However, I chose to move through my fear and trust.  I love my dog and I want him to learn and grow in confidence.  I want to share this journey with him together :)  So surprisingly we all fit in the kyak.  Seiki is excited.  He wants to bite the water as it is flying up in the air from the ore.  I am holding his collar so that he won't run all over the boat (at least that is my story).  He doesn't seem to want to sit still.  Inside I am terrified.  What if Seiki falls in?  What if the boat tips?  I don't really enjoy swimming much myself.  I breath.  I breath so deep from my belly.  I presence my fear and trust.  I tell Seiki that I trust he is safe and is choosing safety.  He loves that I believe in him :)  I have no clue how long we were in the kyak for but I am sure it was at least a half hour :)  It was an amazing.  I loved this experience so much and the boat never tipped over :)

The last experience I am sharing today is that Seiki swam on this trip!  My dog that hates to swim...yes he swam.  I was on the shore of Moon Lake with him.  I went into the water and stood.  I know that Seiki loves it when I splash the water into the air.  He wants to bark, jump up, and catch it.  So he does.  I gradually move the splashes deeper and deeper into the lake until he has to swim for a bit to the get water.  He does.  He takes a break and goes back to shore.  He is processing his fears.  He comes out again and we do the process again.  Again he breaks to move to shore to process his fear.  It was fascinating to watch.  I don't pressure him.  I just allow.  We do this routine over and over again.  It is wonderful and beautiful :)

So the moral of these stories is the following: fear can be highly beneficial and can be a signal to avoid to do something.  It can be a sign that there is danger is around.  It can also be at times something to move through.  Know the difference.  We can be over protective with our dogs as some parents can be with our children.  It is our choice.  Our dogs won't tell us like children will do. They will love us either way.  However, our connection is so much deeper if we BABY step through fears safely.  That was one of the most spiritual journeys I have ever had in my life.  My dog is my oneness connection.  To move through fears with him and to build this type of trust was amazing!!  I hope you choose to dive deep and experience the same!

The Zen Part of Dog Training (Sept. 19)

I so love sharing personal stories so this week I am sharing one again :)  I was thinking about my past dog, Shadow, today.  She was an amazing dog and taught me so much.  Her anxiety was sky high for many years of her life.  In fact, I actually removed her from dog agility because it ampt her up so much that she would whine all the way there in the car and then bark almost continuously through class.  It didn't stop there.  She also whined frequently at home.  Laying down and being quiet could be extremely difficult for her.  When it was time for a walk she would whine much as well.  I wanted to help her so I taught her how to relax.  As she learned to relax I learned as well.  Not surprisingly I had anxiety too.  Learning to relax is healthy for the immune system and for the entire body health wise.

When I got Seiki, the dog I own now, I treated him a bit differently.  He barked at soo many stimuli when I received him.  Because I love dog sports and because Seiki was a high energy border collie I was eager to start flyball with him.  Flyball is like a dog relay race sport.  I refrained from joining immediately.  Instead I took time to teach him to be quiet with many stimuli on walks and when he was in the yard before joining flyball.  When we joined flyball I also taught him to be quiet while he saw other dogs barking and running the course.  This was important for me because I wanted him to learn how to be relaxed.  I believe being highly aroused and having fun is fabulous for dogs.  I also agree it is important for them to learn the other end of the spectrum as well.  My opinion is a healthy dog knows how to go both ways.  I am still amazed that my border collie is so quiet on my flyball team.  However, I realize he learned this.

The point of this tip is to remember if you want a more calm dog you have to help him learn how to do this.  It is best to teach him to do this before you join any dog sports.  After he learns to be calm, he will generalize this calm behavior faster and more easily into the environment of the dog sport.

Kids and Dogs (Sept. 12)

I know so many people who have children and dogs.  Sometimes it is a good match and sometimes it can be a mess :) Here are few tips.

1.) Never leave child unsupervised with a dog.  A dog can at anytime bite a child and it doesn't take too much for the bite to be dangerous with a little child.

2.)  Be ready to do much training with your dog.  A little jump with some full-grown dogs can knock down your child.

3.) Many children play rough with dogs as they want to pull the dogs hair, tail, ears and etc. This can irritate your dog and possibly cause the dog to bite them.  It is best to pair some treats with body handling to help acclimate your dog to this.

4.)  Children love to run and dogs love to chase running people.  Teach your dog to stay on his bed or to stay in these situations.  If your dog will not stay then separate him from the children when they are playing loudly and running.

5.) Children respond best when they are told what to with dogs rather than what not to do. Be positive with your child.  Having a reward-based system set up with your child can be highly beneficial.  You can create a chart with five empty spots for stars.  When your child responds well with the dog give your child a star then after your child gets five stars give him/her a big reward.

6.) Family meetings can be good and ideal.  The entire family needs to be on the same page.

7.)  "Leave it" can be an excellent command to train as your dog may want to grab food out of your child's hands.

8.)  Keep a clean house.  It is easy for children to get messy.  Teach them to keep food in the cupboards and away from the counter. Also teach them to clean up their toys :)  Keeping food off the counter will prevent your dog from wanting to jump onto it.

9.) Expect at some point your dog may grab one of your child's toy.  Do not yank the toy out of your dog's mouth, instead show your dog a treat to encourage him to drop it.

10.) Teach your children not to grab toys out of your dog's mouth and to stay away from your dog while eating.  This will prevent an angry biting dog.

11.) It is highly recommend to work with a trainer if any issues arise as kids and dogs can get sticky at times.  These are just a few tips and many more ideas can be implemented as well.

The Art of Imperfection (Aug. 22)

Anything that is learned can change.  The only thing that we can guarantee in life is change.  Your dog will never do anything perfect all of the time and neither will you.  However, you can view the imperfections as perfect if you choose to learn and see the gifts in it!

This week was huge learning for me.  At flyball Seiki ran off and didn't come back when I called him for quite a few minutes. He repeated this pattern at flyball quite a few times.  This was a past pattern of his.  We moved through it and then here it is again.  It came back:)  We also went hiking at Neff's Canyon yesterday and he was off leash.  He had about 2-3 times where his recall was extremely slow and he was distracted.

I am sure you have run into similar situations with your dog or in your life in general.  We have choices.  I can choose to be angry and project (yell at my dog or even just say "what is wrong with you?") or I can accept and allow what happen to be what is.  I choose to embrace the times that my dog runs off and doesn't come to me.  Why? Because it feels so much better in my body then resentment and there are no guarantees.  Also there are gifts in it for me.  I learn what emotions arise in me when my dog runs off.  I learn what emotions I was feeling before my dog ran off.  I can then learn how to shift these emotions.  I can also learn how I created my dog to run off.  I can relate to my clients and help you understand the reality of what is.  I definitely see the sweetness more when the unpredictability occurs.  When my dog comes it feels soogood and it is difficult for me to embrace this and love it as much if I don't have anything else to compare it to.  

I believe some of you have heard me say this before and I hope you grasp it a new level this time.  I know I have.  Fully embrace no matter what your dog does.  There is learning in all :)

Remember the Progress (Aug. 15)

So this week it is time for me to have a deep sharing.  I am here to inspire myself and others in this weekly tip, I am hoping you will get as much inspiration from reading it as I am from writing it!  I am focusing on how it is so easy for us to look at everything that is going on and forget about the progress.  How many times do we compare ourselves and our dogs to others?  How many times do we forget to look how ourselves and our dogs have changed in an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year, and in multiple years?

This week was a HUGE transition for me.  I moved into a wonderful house in Olympus Cove in April.  The lease is up in Oct.  I moved in after the lease was signed.  I was not put on the lease and didn't think anything of it.  Apparently my roommate who signed the lease was having multiple issues with the property management company.  The company has not been following through with agreements and appears to be trying to get money from her.  We were having trouble with the sprinkling system and my roommate told the management company.  The company stated that she would send someone out.  Well she didn't.  The grass just wasn't getting water as it should have been and we received a three day eviction notice.  My fears kicked in wondering where I would go and what to do.  I felt that I did wrong and should have known the law as a tenant more.  I believe we worked the part with the eviction out.  I am in the process of finding a new place and am choosing to not pay double rent and will be out by Oct.  My roommates are choosing to leave earlier and are paying double rent.  This is just some background information for you.

As I check in with my body when I think of staying until the end or middle of Sept it feels like a "yes" to me.  Yet the fear kicks in, I feel scared that I may still get evicted.  That I should be following what others (my roommates) are doing)....meaning that I should leave soon and pay double rent.  I am scared that I will be all alone and abandoned in my house when they leave and wondering if I will have to deal with the property management company all alone.  The truth of the matter is that it is time for me to believe in my power and my truth.  It is time for me to listen to myself and not do something just because someone else is doing it.  If I left now I feel that I would be running away from my fear instead of learning from it.

So now I am sitting here and writing this story wanting you to understand that what I am saying is that this whole week has been a gift to me.  It has been a time to check my progress.  In the past, I would have followed what my roommates were doing and felt that I HAD to leave now.  I would have chosen to run away from my fear and not face the lesson that I am to learn. I would have ignored the truth of my body which is telling me to "stay"  in the house for now.  Trusting myself is a new break through for me.  Also allowing myself to believe in my power is new for me.  So this is my progress through this whole big big so called "drama" that was created.  I am choosing to acknowledge this progress:)

I am asking you to check in with yourself and remember to notice past patterns that you did when you were training your dog and give yourself credit for the small changes that you are making.  Integration can take time and does not always happen over night.  What I am saying is if one of your challenges is to become more relaxed around your dog to help him channel his energy.  The first step is to just notice your body's tension.  Acknowledge that progress.  The second step is to remember to breath.  acknowledge the times that you remember to breath even if they are few in the beginning.  The third step is to increase the number of times that you remember to breath.  Acknowledge that.  Keep allowing yourself to move forward and look back and see how far you have come!

Do the same with your dog.  Notice the baby steps in progress.  If your dog pulls on the leash frequently.  First notice that he is just paying attention to you better.  Then notice that he is pulling on the leash less in areas of low distractions with a high treat frequency.  Then notice that you can decrease the treat frequency.  Then notice that it generalizes to more distracting areas.  Acknowledge each step and remember that for your dog you may have more steps or less steps to acknowledge than this!

Celebrate progress.  It feels so much better than choosing to be degrading and noticing how far away you still are from your terminal goal :)

Oh and one more thing.  If any of you know of a wonderful house for rent that is dog friendly and is in the Salt Lake City area please let me know.  I would love to have peaceful roommates and have two bedrooms just for me (one for my office and one for my bedroom).  I will be moving at the middle / end of Sept. Thank you!

Get Support (Aug. 8)

Training our dogs and living our lives without any support can be difficult.  It can create us to live life as a victim so that we feel helpless and have no way to create what we want.  I believe one of the first steps with training dogs is to ask for support!

When we are lost we can ask others how they trained their dogs.  We can talk to friends, other clients of Four Legged Scholars, other trainers, family, read books, take classes etc. This can sometimes be a place to vent and let our emotions to flow through us. Other times it can be a time to ask for advise and find out what others have done.

Sometimes it may be asking for something that we want and it could be as simple as "Can you walk my dog for me today?  I am working later than I planned."

Remember you cannot do anything alone.  Being alone all of the time never gets us anywhere.  Receiving support is a strength and not a weakness.  When we have support we have more energy to create what we want with our dogs :)

When are energy is free we can move toward what we want.  When it is constricted our flow stops.

For those of you that are clients (past or current) of mine I have created a support page on facebook just for you :)

Click here to go to Facebook Page and search for "Clients of Four Legged Scholars Support Page".

This is a page to talk to other clients of Four Legged Scholars.  Use this page to:

Vent
Ask for what you want
Ask for unknown support
Voice your feelings
Use as an accountability system for doing your homework
Set up safe and friendly play dates
Practice homework together with other clients
Of course anything else you can think of!

I will be on the page periodically.  This is a page to talk to other clients and is not to ask urgent questions to Four Legged Scholars as I will not be on this page daily.  This page will only be as useful if you use it!  I hope many of my clients join in on the fun :)

For those of you that are not clients of mine.  Remember you still can receive support in other ways :)  Don't leave yourself alone in the dark :)

Setbacks (Aug. 1)

I know setbacks are something that happens to all of us so lets talk about it.  There are times when we train our dogs and then they have what we could call a "setback."  What is this all about?

Remember our dogs are no different from us.  They will never do anything perfectly all of the time.  They have good days and bad days just like us.  They have emotions that are affected by our emotions.  They have emotions that are affected by their routine or lack of routine.  Sometimes there are changes in the environment that are different so it appears the dog is having a setback and actually the dog just needs to generalize this behavior to the new circumstances (a new environment, new person, new distraction, etc.).

What is the best thing to do when your dog has a so called "setback"?  The best thing is to feel any emotions and notice the stories that arise.  Recommit to a new story if the story is preventing you from moving forward.  Presence your emotions and sometimes channeling them to an activity such as running, skiing, yoga, etc.  Taking a break is also helpful.  The biggest thing to remember is that no matter what thoughts you have and what feelings come back this is just a circumstance of the moment. Things change.  Nothing stays the same.  The next day your dog could perform the behavior perfectly.  Sometimes reminding yourself of the good days can be helpful so that you don't overreact and actually convince yourself to believe that your dog has unlearned everything.

Be in the moment.  Learn from the moment.  Look at what is being communicated to you and be with it :)

Remember to allow training to be fun.  It is not a race or competition.  It can take time for a dog to change an ingrained habit!

Stories: Are They Really True? (July 25)

Remember 100% of our reality is created through our thoughts (beliefs) and our emotions.  It is no different with your dog.  What stories are you still holding onto?  How are they effecting your lives beyond your dogs?

I talked to a client today and she stated that she wanted to work more with me because she felt it would change her relationship with her husband.  Now that is what I am talking about!  Some deep deep stuff!!  WOW!

When we choose to create our reality it shows up not only in our relationships with our dogs but also in our relationships in everyday life.

I see visions of my clients having trouble getting their dogs to listen to a command and believing that their dog is stubborn, not paying attention, won’t listen, etc.  These are all stories.  We can recommit to something different.  When we choose to do this our energy, thoughts, and actions are different.  Our dogs choose to feel and acknowledge this.

Are you listening to what your dog is telling you about your stories?

If not no worries there is always now. I hope you choose to open your eyes and see what your best friend is wanting you so dearly to understand.

Control Verses Team Work (July 18)

When I first switched to positive reinforcement dog training (reward-based dog training), I still was in a mode of control.  I was in a mode of what I say goes.  When I told my dog to do something I created a thought in my mind that my dog must follow through and I would do everything in a humane way to create follow through.  While follow through is important control is not.

When I was in a mode of control I was on the drama triangle with my dog and generating energy mainly from an emotion of anger or fear despite that I was using humane training methods.  For some of you this may be confusing.  The easiest way to tell if you are coming from a place of control is to pay attention to your body.  When you are training your dog from a place of team work, your body will feel relaxed loose and at ease.  Your tonality will also be happy and relaxed rather than stern and frustrated.

When team work is created your energy is different and your dog will actually respond to you more reliably.  You will also have much more fun training your dog.

When my dog barks in my house I can yell at him to come to me or I can ask him politely to come to me.  This a huge difference.  If you forget think of how you would like to be talked to.

I hope this sheds some light on creating a stronger and more peaceful relationship with your dog!!

What do you Really Want? (July 9)

It is important that we address this question "What do I really want?" time and time again in our lives.  I find as things change in my life my wants shifts.   I am sure you will find that to be true as well.  There are times when I am busier with my clients and the way I spend with my dog may shift and change.  At times I spend a little less amount of time with him than I actually want.  Time to re-evaluate.

I invite you to this with your relationship with your dog and with your everyday life.  There are weeks where you might want to dedicate hours in obedience training and weeks that may be less.  Be clear with yourself and be open to shifts.  There are times when you may want to train "come" with your dog and times when "stay" maybe more important to you in training.

Exercise is important to be clear with.  Know what you want to create with your dog.  It is fun to exercise in ways that already match your desired wants (running, biking, etc.).  This too may shift as you get busier or if you injure yourself.  Also if you want a calm dog then exercise may be a high priority.  Remember there are ways to delegate.

There are no obstacles and there are no barriers.  It is all about being clear AND being open to change :)

Some ways to get clear of your wants:

Writing

Talking to another person

Visualizing

Check in with your body and notice if the idea feels good.  If it does then it is a "yes."

Feeling your emotions to clear blocks

Have fun with this and experiment.  Remember there is no "wrong" and no such thing as failure. When you are clear with what you want then life flows more easily!

How Much Training to Do A Day (June 24th)

I thought this week I would be very authentic so that people get a feel of what a dog trainer does with their dog.  You can get a feel of how much training is good to do in a day and how much exercise is good for your dog.  Remember I have a very active dog, a Border Collie.

First of all I don't have a consistent schedule by any means, however training my dog and exercising him is very important to me!  This is a generalized schedule:

I get up in the morning anywhere from 6:30 to 9:00 AM.  I play fetch with my dog indoors, run with him outside on or off leash, or take him for walk.  Generally this lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

In the afternoon I play another round of fetch or walk my dog.  Sometimes I will go on a short hike.  If I get too busy at times this will not always happen.  However, fetch is generally pretty easy to do if I am on the phone. This can last 10-20 minutes usually.

In the evening I play fetch, walk my dog, or go on a hike.  This generally lasts 20-30 minutes.

On the weekends my schedule is a bit different.  The morning exercise is mainly the same.  Saturday I may go on a longer hike or run for an hour or longer.

Sunday is definitely off leash time at a dog park and flyball, a dog sport.

During all of these walk and play times I train my dog.  So I incorporate training when I am already doing a fun activity with my dog.  There are times where I may do trick training for 30-60 minutes.  Generally I do short training sessions within the playtime, walk time, run time, or hike time.  I always work on loose leash walking during on leash hikes and recall work during off leash walks.

Training can be fun and easy to fit in your day.  Allow it to be easy!  If you are overwhelmed with training contact me and I am happy to come over and help you train your dog while you are away during the day :)  Support can create dog training to be easier than if you are doing it all alone.

Recall Training (June 20th)

I know many people go through many months before they are able to reliably create an excellent "come" command with their dogs.  I wanted to write a personal story this week that gives you a level of understanding of what you can create.

Many of you know that my border collie loves to chase birds.  I remember a time when he wouldn't break away from chasing any birds when I would call me.  Now it is different.  Let's say that practice creates huge shifts.  The best results were created with me when I entered into a place of love and allowing.  I shifted to not attempting to fix my dog from chasing birds so much to a place of allowing.  As my energy shifted into this place huge shifts began to happen.  First I wasn't pushing a change so much in my dog or a "fix it" message.  If I was training him one day and I knew he wasn't in a place to perform a good recall I let it go.  The days that I knew he would perform well I would call him more frequently.

I also created a place of fun during the training.  I chose to have fun with it instead of force it.  I did not train my dog everyday with the recall.  I trained on days that it felt good for me to work with him.  This always lined up when I was taking him on an off leash walk.  Sometimes it isn't the frequency of training dogs that creates the difference.  Instead, the persistence of having fun during the training is the most important.

Okay here is the good news.  I took my dog on off leash hike and he saw many animals.  He broke away from all of them and came when I called him!  At flyball (a dog sport)  there are many days that he doesn't chase the birds at all.  Now that flyball is later in the day the birds are flying to their nests and the distractions are higher.  Well last year when this happened he would run off for a while.  Now he may run after them and immediately comes back when I call him!!  Remember progress can take time.  There are also days of backtracking.  Remember to see the good on those days too!

Seiki, my dog, and I have been training a great recall for 2 years.  Without distractions and with dogs the recall was easy for him to learn.  With wildlife and birds this is his college class for him.  He is learning one step at a time and I am choosing to learn with him.  I hope you choose to learn with your dog too instead of just expect him / her to show up the way you want.

Remember to love what is and take baby steps!

Remember a Dog is a Dog (June 8th)

Wow how many of us project our human behaviors on our dogs?  All of us do.  I do at times too :)  Remember a dog is dog and is not human.  What do I mean by this?

What dogs do:

Jump on People

Bark

Lick our Faces

Whine

Get excited to see us frequently and to go on walks

Need plenty of exercise

May play hard and rough

Eat Poop

Get in the Garbage

Love to Pull on the Leash

These are just a few examples.  My point is to be aware that our dogs are doggies :)  No matter how much training you do your dog will still do dog things.  It is healthy to allow your dogs to do some doggie things and realize that they are not going to act like humans :)  Kids are kids as dogs are dogs :)

Motivation Through Love is the Answer (June 4th)

"A person who has been punished is not thereby simply less inclined to behave in a given way; at best, he learns how to avoid punishment." - B. F. Skinner

B.F. Skinner was a major supporter for positive reinforcement and the above statement also applies to animals.  I thought this week I would share some of the side effects of punishment.

First of all here are some examples of what I would consider as punishment and I do not ever use with any dogs no matter what case I am dealing with:

Shock Collars

Prong Collars

Choke Collars

Water Spray Bottles

Shaking Cans

Fog Horns

Hitting

Kneeing the Dog especially with Jumping

Leash Popping

Putting My Hand Around the Dog's Muzzle

Flicking the Dog's Nose

There are many more examples.  The above are a few common ones.

So what is the big deal?  Well B.F. Skinner's quote above really says it all.  Many times the dog does try to react faster to avoid the punishment.

Let's give an example for this side effect.  Let's say we have a dog named Scooter that reacts at other dogs.  Every time he reacts we shock him with a shock collar. Hopefully Scooter learns the presence of dogs is what is correlated to the shock.  In time he could want to react stronger and faster in order to beat the electric shock.  Meaning he learns to attack faster and bit more intensely to other dogs.  Woohoo.  So yes, punishment can actually make the reaction worse :(

Here are some other side effects:

1.) Scooter shows numerous warning signs before reacting at other dogs.  He barks, growls, lunges, ears go back and his tail moves upward.  From being shocked he learns that his warning signs are not effective.  He chooses to no longer perform them anymore and goes straight for the bite.

2.) Scooter doesn't correlate the shock with other dogs.  He begins to correlate the shock with people instead.   Every time he reacted at another dog a person was present. Now he is aggressive with people too.  He learns to hate being around people because they signal a shock.

3.) Punishment can also teach the dog to discriminate and learn to perform the behavior when the owner is not present.  A squirt bottle can create this easily.  Your dog jumps on the counter and you squirt him.  He quickly learns that he will not get squirt when you are not around.

4.) Punishment doesn't teach the dog what to do instead.  Sometimes you can create what is called "learned helplessness".   This is when the dog just shuts down and basically becomes lost.  Scooter could also go this route.  He then does nothing and basically lays down.   His stress is extremely high.  Eventually it bubbles up after being imploded and a huge reaction starts.

5.) Redirected aggression can occur as well.  This is when the dog becomes frustrated from the punishment and reacts not at the stimulus but at something else near him.  Scooter could turn and bite his owner instead of the dog.

6.) Many times you will see punishment working as the dog implodes his frustration or fear.  Then in a few months or a year later he explodes and the reaction is now extremely worse.

7.) Sometimes you may only overtly see positive results.  Internally the dog is fearful and or angry.  These emotions can become repressed and if they aren't released in some way through a behavior the dog can easily become sick later in his life. Dogs immune systems react to stress as well.

8.) Training with love through positive reinforcement reduces many of these side effects and is much more fun too!  Love your dog through the way you train him!

The Truth of "Look at That!" (May 27th)

Fun at Wheeler Farm with my mom and dog

What is this wonderful command?  "Look at That!" allows your dog to look at the stimulus that he wants to look at.  When he does this and is quiet C/T (click and treat).  Your dog will immediately look right back at you if you are the correct distance away.  Do not be too close to the stimulus.  You will move closer as your dog is ready.  This command teaches your dog to look at distracting stimuli without barking, whining, and / or pulling on the leash.  Eventually, your dog will begin to look at you more than the stimuli.  This creates a dog that walks nicely on the leash without barking and without whining. Wow!!  I am telling you it is the command I use the most with my dog and I highly recommend it for any high strung dog :)

What a life changing week!  I had no clue that my dog would do so well with farm animals.  I mean really it isn't like we trained around them.  This is only the 2nd time he has seen them!

Okay so I am excited and wanted to share this personal and amazing experience with you!  I hope it inspires you to train "Look at That!".  If you need further clarification on how to train this please contact me.

Also if you love to read there is a book all about it: Controlled Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt.

Commitment (May 16th)

Leash Walking Two Dogs (May 11th)

Breath Work and Barking (May 5th)

Many us are more inspired to take action and change when we see the results that others have created from performing that specific change :)  Criticism and control rarely shifts people and can create resistance to change.  Barking dogs fall under this category for sure!

Here is a common scenario:

We've had a long day and we are tired.  Our dog begins to bark at a person passing by our house.  We yell and want them to be quiet.  They feed off our arousal and continue to  bark or our dog may be quiet for a period of time and then begin barking again.  The situation is re-created so it is circular process :)

Next time your dog barks try just breathing and calming yourself down.  Training of course is helpful, however, if you are training for control then the road is a bit more rocky.  Allowing is the key and loving the situation.  So how do we do that? When I meditate, sometimes my dog barks.  I choose relaxation.  My dog isn't in control of my relaxation, I am in control of that.  The more he barks the calmer I become and the longer and deeper my breath becomes.  As a result, my dog eventually follows my example and lays down.  It may or may not be that simple for you and your calm energy does make a difference in how your dog reacts either way.

One of my awesome clients told me an inspirational story.  His dogs alwayswhined in the car and he would yell at them.  Once he started training with me, he decided to attempt something different.  When they started to whine he breathed.  The dogs were quiet for the rest of the car ride:)

Inspiration is the key for sure and not control!

Best Training Wishes to All of You!

Camping Tips with Your Dog (Tip #1 April 29th)

Yes it is snowing lately and yet it is that time of year to begin camping and to think about camping.  Last weekend, I went to Escalante and it was wonderful experience.  My boyfriend and I both brought our dogs and it was a great learning experience for me!

Here are some great tips for you:

It is more distracting so be prepared to bring extra and possibly more powerful treats.  Bringing a cooler to keep the treats fresh is great if possible.  Know that what your dog knows in his home environment will change in this new and fun environment.  If you like to hike you may see a drastic difference in leash walking.  Remember to re-train.

Take your dog on hikes and in nature when you are not camping to prep him and get him acclimated to new environments.

If your dog likes to bark often.   I would recommend primitive camping or at least camp during a time at a campground when no one is around or when the volume is low.  "Look at That!" is a great command to teach your dog before you are camping and use it while you are camping (When your dog barks call him to you. Then have him look at the stimulus that he wants to bark at. As soon as he alerts and is quiet say "Look At That" and C/T (click and treat). Do not C/T if your dog is barking this will reward the barking.  Eventually he will start to look at you rather than barking at the stimulus.)

If your dog barks in the car putting him in a crate and cover it with a blanket.  Click and treat when your dog is quiet.  Listening to relaxing music in the car if you wish.  Also giving your dog a kong full of almond butter and kibble can work for part of the driving trip!

Remember the unknown can happen so be ready for that!

Keep your dog on leash unless you are confident that your dog has an excellent recall in new and distracting territory. Remember to use extra special treats (cheese, turkey hot dogs, freeze dried salmon ) for "come" when calling your dog.

Sleeping with your dog in the tent of course can be wonderful and fun. Be ready to wake up early!

Best Camping Wishes this Spring and Summer!

I am Now a Certified NLP Practitioner. What is NLP? (Tip #2 April 29th)

This week I chose to write two weekly dog training tips.  Enjoy!

It is time to educate the world the power of our thoughts, emotions and subconscious beliefs.  We are 100% responsible for creating our reality.  Yet for some people this might be a shock at first.  That is okay.  Take it one step at a time!

Here are some things that I created in my life from NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming):

I manifested a new and wonderful living space with awesome roommates.

An amazing boyfriend.

A more calmer and present relationship with my dog.

Continual and amazing support in my business and life.

Better connections with my family and friends.

The amount is endless.

I wanted to let everyone know that I have completed a program on NLP that lasted about 8 months.  This program taught me formulas and easy tools to use to manifest my reality.  These tools are amazingly useful in dog training.  I have found that when I use NLP on my clients their results are established much faster!

I hope that you will consider using NLP in your life.  Check out this wonderful site on NLP .  There are even free seminars that you can attend on it!  Spread the word to your friends.  You can tell them that you know of an awesome dog trainer that is excellent with the owners as well by using NLP.

I hope you have as much fun learning about NLP as I did!

Your Dog and Your Mirror (April 22)

It is easy to walk through life in our subconscious minds and have no clue what is going on around us.  When we become conscious the universe communicates and we can create our own reality.  Our own reality definitely includes our dogs.

Let me give you some examples of some mirrors.  My last dog had severe anxiety issues and would pace and whine like crazy for hours.  She had to learn to relax and she just didn't know how to.  Funny I was the same way.  I had severe anxiety myself.  As I shifted this within myself, my dog also shifted and became more calm.  Our dogs are our mirrors for us.

My current dog shows numerous fears around sudden noises and around cars.  Many of you know that I have done training around this and shifted myself to be more relaxed when my dog runs into these situations, but how about when we are not around these situations.  How do I handle fear then? Sometimes I want to run away from fear so bad!  I have huge fears as I expand my business and play bigger.  So is my dog mirroring these fears?  My assumption is yes.  He reminds me all the time to love and embrace my fears.  I keep moving forward.  I run, meditate, talk to others, read affirmations (and positive books), and do yoga to move through my fears.  Is my dog shifting as I move through my fears?  It is early to tell and my assumption is yes I am influencing him all the time.

Lesson: Listen to your dog.  What is he/she communicating to you?  How can he help shift you and how can you help shift him?  This can be a life long experience of learning.  It is not all about click and rewards.

Easy Exercise Ideas for Your Dog (April 16th)

Creating time for exercising our dogs can be difficult.  Many of us are good at exercising ourselves and not our dogs or vice versa.  I am a busy woman.  Below are some recent things I have come up with to create a more easeful exercising relationship with your dog.

Get out your dog's tug toy and your dog's ball.  Through your dog's ball and have him return to you and drop the ball to play tug.  Before you throw the ball again ask your dog to drop the tug and perform some obedience commands to decrease arousal.  This is great because it is intense exercise and you can even do it while talking on the phone if need be :)

If you are a runner, go to City Creek Canyon and run with your dog off leash.  This place works great.  Tanner Park is crowded with dogs and isn't as good of a place to run with your dog.  Of course you can also run with your dog on leash.

In the winter cross-country skiing is great.  Have your dog pull you or be off leash. Be safe :)  Use  a dog trainer if need be :)

Many of you have heard this before, do trick training with your dog.  Any training is mental stimulation that exercises your dog.

If your friends have dogs set up play dates.  This is awesome.  You get to socialize with your friends as your dogs play!  Fun!

Of course if you like to hike take your dog.  Millcreek Canyon is great for this and take a friend with you to make it more fun!

Enjoy your summer.  Come up with more creative and fun ways to exercise your dog.  An exercised dog is a happy dog!

Dog Fights and Trauma (April 2)

Most of us follow-up on the dog training perspective when our dogs have atraumatic experience but do we follow-up on ourselves?  Any stories or traumayou carry after the traumatic experience with your dog feeds into the situation.

First let's define a few traumatic experience that could happen between you and your dog:

You loose your dog for a short or long-term period.

Your dog gets attacked or is involved in a fight

Your dog has an extreme fear reaction to a stimulus

Your dog bites a person

Any other emotional traumatic experience involving your dog

This week my dog was attacked by another dog.  I chose to allow the emotions to flow through myself and my dog.  I wanted to share with you some techniques that are extremely for situations like this!  All of these techniques will help you regain power, confidence and sense of being grounded.  Your dog will feel this energy and this alone will help your dog shift!

1.) EFT  

This is a powerful technique that moves out negative emotions and stories.  

2.) Meditation

You can meditate with your dog if you wish.  While meditating visualize transformation and see a column of white light removing out negative emotions and stories.  Allow the light then to fill your body with trust and a sense of being grounded.

3.) Homeopathy is also very powerful.  There are places to buy Bach Flowers.  I recommend Christina Blumes with Blumes Farm

4.) Deep belly breathing.

5.) Setting an intention.  It can be an intention as simple as moving out stories and emotions.  It could be an intention to allow more trust and confidence into your body.  Any intention that will allow transformation within you will greatly affect your dog.

Remember shifting yourself is the first step to quantum dog training!

Happy Training!

Body Posture Affects Your Dog Interactions (March 24th)

I have signed up for 10 weeks of body work with my wonderful friend, Dan Schmidt, owner of Open Hand Body Work.  He does Feldenkrais and Structural Integration.  Look it up if you want to learn the details about what this is.  This week I am writing about how my sessions with Dan have changed my life and how you can apply it to training your dog.

Imagine someone coming up to you and asking you for support.  The person isn't even looking at you.  The person is actually slumped over with their shoulders forward.  Now imagine a person coming to you asking you for support and this person is giving you nice direct eye contact and he / she is standing upright.  Which person are you going to be more receptive toward?  Probably the person who is standing upright.

The way you carry your body affects every interaction you have including the one with your dog.  I have had muscle pain for years.  In fact, I was the person who slumped over.  My back and shoulders hurt immensely when I even tried to stand up or sit up straight.  This was true until I worked with Dan.  Now my body posture is more erect.  I see myself walking and talking to others with confidence.

My dog who has had made amazing shifts with his car anxiety.  When I would walk him he was scared when cars would drive by us on the sidewalk.  I have been training him for a few months with many techniques including energy and reward-based training.  When my body posture changed I saw the hugest shift so far.  I believe the result is a combination of all of the techniques I am using.  My confidence with walking him increased drastically as my body posture shifted.  He became more confident and calm as the cars drove by.

This week pay attention to what your body posture says to your dog.  Change it up and watch the difference.  If you are really motivated to make a huge shift call Dan.  If you are like me I had no choice with my pain to even stand a different way.  He allowed me to stand grounded, confident and in my power.  My dog so sees it and feels it!  Amazing!

Allowing (March 17th)

This week, I experienced some training back tracks with my dog.  It is totally normal for anyone to experience this with their dog and it is highly likely that you will at some point.  One experience was pulling crazily on the leash and the other was ignoring me during "come."

Now everyone that knows my dog knows that we have trained very consistently on leash walking and come.  There are days when my dog may receive less exercise, less attention, or have an off day (he appears to be in another world).  On these days, I allow my dog to be where he is instead of fighting of it.

For me I let my dog pull on the leash.  I didn't fight it.  It was clear to me that he needed to get pulling out of his system that day.  After about 10 minutes of this, he was willing to walk on his leash loosely.  In fact, it was one of his best times on the leash in a higher distracting area.  Now this isn't something I would do everyday but I am not open to fighting.  Fighting doesn't get us anywhere.  Dog training is not about control it is about being a team.

There are also days where I just know Seiki, my dog, needs to run and I don't push a recall ("come").  When I know he has gotten some of the off leash running out of his system then I will call him.

Notice when it is time for your dog to be a dog.  Honor this and watch how your training changes.

The Principles of Yoga and Dog Training (March 10th)

My new journey is yoga and dog training.  I took sometime away from work and went to yoga class almost every single day.  I was amazed at the shifts that were created for my life in such a short time period.  What I was more amazed about is the paralells with yoga and a good dog trainer.  This week I thought I would share those with you.

1.) Listening to your body.  Your body always knows what to do and always has the answers.  When we are in tune with what our bodies are telling us then answers flow easily through us when we are stuck in struggle with dog training.  I had a client that fully went into a meditative response and came up with an answer on how to handle their dog that began to bark at bikes.  By the next week the issue was resolved.  Check in with yourself.

This also goes to speak that if something feels like a "no" don't do it.  Especially when we have a fearful dog or an aggressive dog.  If we feel it is a bad day to walk in a certain area then listening to that is a good idea.

2.) Being in a state of observing and allowing.  Wanting to constantly change our dogs can be stressful.  Sometimes it is best to observe what is going on rather than trying to fix everything.  When we allow something to "be" solutions can come as well.  When my dog first began to become fearful with cars I wanted to fix it.  When I shifted into a place of allowing the fear significantly decreased.  I was no longer trying to fight it.  Yes, I am still training him and from a place of allowing.

3.) Coming from a place without judgement.  The more we judge our dogs the more we create what we don't want.  Remember we can observe without judgement.  This is simliar to #2.

4.) Doing things we enjoy brings us more alignment with our dogs.  I enjoy yoga, and I notice my training with my dog was easier especially on yoga days.  The more things I do that I enjoy, the happier my dog and I are together as a team.

5.) Avoid pain. Pain is not a good sign in yoga and it isn't in dog training either.  Dog training should be fun and easy.

6.) Deep breathing is important.  When we carry our fears, sadness, anger, etc into our training sessions with our dogs our results are less successful.  Taking time to breath through our bellies is important as it allows the emotions to move through us.  Emotions are just energy in motion.

7.) Baby steps are important.  As I am doing yoga I am finding many positions to be uncomfortable for me.  As a result, I do an approximation and as I get stronger I will do the terminal pose.  Dog training is the same.

I wanted to write the post from a different perspective this week.  I know many of my clients do yoga and when we take the attitude of yoga into dog training it is so much easier.

Best Training Wishes!

The Importance of Treats During Walks (March 3rd)

As a dog trainer, I want everyone to be successful in training their dogs to do what they would like to them to do.  Many times I see people walking their dogs and asking their dogs to perform a difficult behavior without having any treats present and their dogs completely ignore them.  I thought this week I would focus on the importance of bringing treats during dog walks.

When you are walking your dog, it can be one of the most difficult times to get your dog to listen.  There are so many distractions: other dogs, people, smells, sounds, constant stimuli, etc.  Their senses are heightened and they have fun using them.  If you are expecting to your dog to perform a harder or difficult behavior asking them to perform it outside without having treats is generally not the answer.

Remember that when we are training anything new we want to be on a continual reward based schedule.  This means that your dog is receiving consistent / reliable treats every time he performs this behavior.  When the behavior becomes learned then we shift to random rewards. Also remember, the treats serve as a motivator for your dog or a so called "pay check for your dog going to work."

The same applies to new or distraction environments.  You may need to shift back to a continual reinforcement schedule as the dog has to re-learn this behavior / command in a new environment.  Once your dog performs this behavior reliably in the new environment my advise is to shift to random rewards rather than discontinuing the treats all together.  Shifting to random rewards is the strongest reinforcement schedule.  Stopping the treats all together can cause the behavior to digress.

Having your clicker with you is also beneficial during walks.  Remember the clicker speeds the learning process.  It also is a distinct sound and reminds the dog that he has performed correct behaviors and can take his mind off of the distractions. Once you shift to random rewards, you can stop using the clicker.

As a trainer, what I am wanting to see is success with your dog.  I am hoping from this tip you have a greater understanding that treats are not just for the classroom or in your home but an overall training tool to train anything new.

The Power of Breath (Feb 24th)

Let's take a whole new spin on dog training.  I have been noticing more and more about how our emotions and energy affect how our dogs respond to us.  Our emotions affect how fast your dog will learn!  Wow...fascinating.  Most of you may know this already as it is not the first time I have mentioned it.  I am going to say that I believe 80% of the dog training results you create with your dog are a result of emitting confident and relaxed emotions.  Think about it when you are stressed, fearful, angry, sad, etc. your dog feels this and he is probably more focused on your emotions then what you are training him to do.

This past week I have had amazing experiences with breath and dog training.  What I am referring to is taking the time to ground yourself by breathing through your belly.  As you are doing this be in a place of allowing.  You can see white light traveling through your body and being emitted into the ground.  The point is that you are in the moment and are channeling your energy to become more balanced.

Here are three amazing scenarios that I witness this week with breath work and dogs:

1.) Last Wed I had my students breath at the beginning of class.  The dogs immediately became quiet afterwards.  To be clear they were barking before we did this and it wasn't minor.  It was a huge shift!

2.) I was at my boyfriend's house and our dogs love to play rough.  We took sometime in the morning to breath and meditate.  The dogs were drastically calmer and played less that morning.  They were more grounded.

3.) My dog is still moving through his fear of cars.  Today I breathed when I walked him.  I also slowed my walking pace.  He was much calmer as the cars went by.  Of course I was doing training.  The truth is disregarding the training he was calmer.

Take some time and breath before you train and during your training.  Watch the difference!

Reading Dog Behavior Week 4 (Feb 17th)

This is the last week on the series of "Reading Dog Behavior."  I hope it has been helpful for you.  This week I wanted to target other stress signs that your dog may show when he is out of alignment.  These stress signs can be a result of fear (defensive behavior), aggression (offensive behavior), excitement (over stimulation) or just over aroused in general.  If you see multiple stress signs make sure you do something to calm your dog.  It could be something holistic, checking in with your emotions or hiring Four Legged Scholars for training advice.

More Signs of Stress:

Moving quickly or pacing

Sweaty paws

Rapid or shallow breathing

Shedding excessively

Clicking teeth

Lethargic

Not wanting to eat or gulping food quickly

Dry Panting

Another tip that is helpful for you to know is that your dog will respond to stress in one of the following ways:

1.)   Fool Around (Displaying Calming Signals to Relieve Stress)

2.)   Fight (Bit or Attack)

3.)   Flight (Run Away)

4.)   Freeze (Totally Shut Down and Do Nothing)

5.)   Faint (Pass Out)

Reading Dog Behavior Week 3 (Feb 10th)

This week I am going to focus on calming signals.  Calming signals are signs that your dog demonstrates when he starting to get stressed and is wanting to calm himself down.  If you see many calming signals then you know that your dog is pretty stressed.  Remember that any dog that is extremely stressed can bit or fight.

These signs can be shown during play and also during training sessions.  If you see them during a training session it is best to end the training the session on a positive note.  Some of these signals can mean different things in other contexts.

Here is a list of calming signals:

• Eye Blinking
• Freezing
• Slow Movement
• Lip Licking
• Backing Away
• Yawning
• Sneezing
• Stretching
• Shaking
• Sniffing
• Paw Lifting
• Scratching as if for no reason

Have fun watching your dog and seeing these signals this week!

Reading Dog Behavior Week 2 (Feb 3)

Last week I gave some tips on determining if your dog is feeling fear (defensive behavior).  This week I am going to focus on offensive behavior.  Offensive behavior is when the dog wants to move forward and is generally more likely to want to attack immediately.  Generally when a dog is offensive we call him / her aggressive.

Today I am going to focus on offensive behavior. Begin to notice the signs below:

• The body is stiff rather than fluid.  The muscles are tense.
• The weight is shifted forwards.  So the dog may be thinking of moving toward the stimulus.
• The mouth is closed verses being open and relaxed.  The mouth could also be open and the lips are pulled forward.  The lips look like a "C" shape and you mainly see the front teeth.
• The ears are pulled forward on the head (erect).
• He / She may be hesitant to eat or he / she takes the treat with a very tense mouth.
• The tail is held upward from the neutral position.  It may be wagging very quickly.  When it is held high and wagging fast this is called a "flagged tail" (The dog is extremely aroused if this occurring).
• The movement is generally fast and jerky.  There is not fluid movement.
• The respiratory rate is fast.
• Direct eye contact is toward the stimulus.  Generally the eyes are big and round.
• The dog is silent or has a lower pitched growl or bark.
  

Reading Dog Behavior (Jan 27th)

Realizing what a learning curve it was for me to become really good at reading behavior, I thought it would be beneficial to write consecutive tips on how to read your dog.  Throughout the next few e-mails you will learn what your dog looks like when aroused verses being relaxed.

Today I am going to focus on fearful behavior. Begin to notice the signs below:

• The body stiff rather fluid.  The muscles are tense.
• The weight is shifted backwards.  So the dog may be thinking of backing away.
• The mouth is closed verses being open and relaxed.  The mouth could also be open and the lips are pulled backward showing many teeth.
• The ears are drawn back on the head.
• He / She may be hesitant to eat or he / she takes the treat with a very tense mouth.
• The tail is downward from the neutral position.  It may be tucked between the back legs.
• The movement is still (frozen) or jerky.  There is not fluid movement.
• The respiratory rate is fast.  You see intense panting.
  

The Commitment of Training (Jan 22nd)

It can be easy to procrastinate with dog training.  It also can be easy to create dog training to be a priority.  It is choice really.  Many life coaches that I know state "Commit and then the how shows up."  This rings true to me.  If you are truely committed and it is a full body "yes" then throw away all of the hows!  The hows will just show up after you commit.

For those of you who are searching for a "how."  Below is a tip on how to incorporate dog training easily in your life.  This is an amazing tool that I found on the internet.  As I expand and grow, I want to accomplish more and easily create organization.  As a result, I searched for some feedback on google on how other people structure and prioritize goals in their lives.  I came across a free website called Goal For It . Even though I have just started to use it.  I am a huge fan!

What you can do on Goal For It with dog training:

Create a list of what you would like to train your dog to do.  Check off what you have accomplished with your dog when the commands are completed.

Create a new Habit.  If training your dog on a routine has been hard for you.  Goal For It has a calendar.  On this calendar you can type in the commands that you want to train your dog and determine which days of the week you want to train them.  You can check them off when you have accomplished them.  There is also a reward-based system set up so you can reward yourself for creating a new habit.

Monitor and accomplish long term goals.  If you are training something intricate such as redirecting aggression, fear, or a command that requires a chain of multiple behaviors this is a great section to use.  On this section you can write what your terminal goal is and the steps that are needed to reach this goal.  You can use a picture to motivate yourself and also have  reward based system set up.  A deadline is possible too.

This program will also send you e-mail reminders if you wish :)

I hope you find this website as helpful as I have.  Check it out and formulate a new dog training habit in your life!

Self Care and Dog Training (Jan 15th)

Huh?  What does self care have to do with dog training?  Everything.  Imagine if never did anything for yourself.  You just got up and took care of your dog.  You never ate, never showered, never went out with friends, etc.  In this extreme of what I wrote you would no long live. You would die.  Many of us do just enough to survive.  When we do just enough to survive we actually die inside.  Frustration, anger and sadness builds as our body is not loved and taken care of.  If we don't take care of ourselves how can we expect ourselves to be grounded and centered when training our dogs?  How can we even expect to make time to train our dogs if we don't even love ourselves?

Everyone has a learning curve on self care and love. My toss for you this week is for you to ask the question "How can I love myself more?"  As you do this notice how your relationship with your dog changes.

Here are some suggestions:

Eat healthy (eat more greens and fruits and less meat)

Exercise (go to the gym or better yet let your dog be your gym... meaning go running with your dog, bike ride with your dog, ski with your dog, etc.)

Keep your house clean.  The energy in your house effects your energy which effects how much energy you have to train your dog :)

Set aside time for just you.  I like to meditate, journal, and sometimes even walk without my dog.

You get the idea. Pick an area and work to create a fun transition with it!

One thing I realized I wanted to do for self-care was exercise more.  I hate going to the gym.  I find running invigorating and fun.  As a result I have started to run and the best part is as I am exercising I can excercise my dog at the same time.  I can also cover much distance faster than when I am walking which allows me to have more time to do other things in my life as well :)

Our body needs to be full of love before we can give away love :)

Hope you put much love into your dog training this week!

Training and Play (Jan 8th)

I find many people separate training and play time.  It is important to include them together.  Your dog will not only work for food but will also work for toys.

There are a few benefits for training your dog during play.  One is that it teaches your dog to control impulses (biting and jumping).  Asking your dog to perform a command during a play session allows your dog to create a pause in play.  Pauses create a time for your dog to relax and decrease arousal ( For those of you that are familiar with calming signals. Pauses are also a calming signal.).  Also when your dog is playing, he is in the primitive / reactive part of the brain.  When you are asking your dog to perform a command, you are switching him from his reactive part of the brain to his cortex / thinking part of the brain. The faster your dog can make these shifts during play the easier it is to manage overall arousal in your dogs life :)

So what does play and obedience trianing look like together?  Here is an example with a game of fetch.

• Ask your dog to down.
• Click when your dog downs. Then immediately throw the ball for your dog to fetch it.
• When your dog brings the ball to you, ask him to drop it.  When he does ask him to target.
• Click when your dog targets (touches your hand on command).  Then immediately throw the ball.
• Repeat the above process with any command: leave it, watch, come, sit, stay etc.  Use different commands rather than the same one every time.
  

The Power of Intention in Dog Training (Dec. 31st)

This weekly tip was inspired from personal experience this week.  My dog, Seiki, has for unknown reasons at the moment developed fear when cars pass him when we are walking on the sidewalk.  Most of the time when I have walked him in the past I walked with the intention of exercise for Seiki and I.  As this new transition arose I noticed it was difficult walking, Seiki and I felt frustrated.  Everytime a car would go by he would become fearful and then would want to run and dart around on his leash.

I began to notice today what my intention had been in the past and realized that I wanted to change my walking intention during this new transition.  My new intention when walking Seiki is now " I am walking to be in the present moment with my dog.  I am also walking to create a positive association with my dog and cars."  With this new intention my frustration was gone.  Our walk was now peaceful.  I did not focus on exercise.  Instead, I focused on the behavior of my dog.  I rewarded him with a special treat every single time a car past by to formulate a new association with cars.  I enjoyed our time together.  Seiki walked nicely on the leash and the darting on the leash was totally gone :)

This week pay attention to the intentions that you create before walking and training your dog.  If your dog barks at other dogs, people, etc. and your intention is to walk for exercise this isn't in alignment with creating a quiet dog.  If your intention is to focus on your dog and to create quiet behavior with stimuli then your results and your emotions will be much more in alignment.

Remember as you and your dog change your intentions will change.

Also, notice your intentions with your dog as you approach the new year!

Happy Training and Happy New Year!

Johanna Teresi, Professional Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC

Training Breaks Can Be Good (Dec. 23rd)

There are many times where I have seen benefits from training breaks (a few weeks to a few months)!  Sometimes not training a behavior for an extended time period can speed up the learning curve in the dog.

I am not exactly sure why this but I remember reading about it years ago and I see it over again.  My dog is a great example his recall ("come") regressed.  We took a break from working on "come" for about 2 months.  He received much exercise in my yard, from training and during on leash walks.  After the break, his recall was 100% at Tanner and at City Creek Canyon even with birds (birds were a number one distraction for him).  My hypothesis is that the dogs have time to actually think about the material (integration time) instead of being constantly bombarded with learning material.

Sometimes a break results in a regression in training.  So how do you know if a break will be beneficial or not?  I have no clear cut answer to this.  Generally when I have taken breaks away from training it was never conscious.  It was a break due to circumstances that appeared in my life.  Then when I got back into training...wow.....progress....just like that!

My insight would be to follow your impulses and intuition.  If you strongly feel pulled to take a break follow that impulse.  If anything if you back track in training your dog will learn it faster the second time around.  Generally impulses and intuition if clearly felt are rarely wrong.

So throw away the guilt about not working with your dog constantly!  Remember breaks can be good!

Also another tip.  You do not have to train your dog everyday for him to learn a behavior or command.  Consistency is the key and daily boundaries.  So many of my clients feel guilty when I show up and they haven't worked enough with their dogs daily.  If you are working on a command 2-3 times a week you will see progress. Short training sessions lasting 2-5 minutes are generally best as well.

Take a break around the holidays and be consistent with your dog!  Have a wonderful time and may your season be filled with love and light!

Happy Holidays!

Johanna Teresi, Professional Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC

Holiday Party Tips (Dec. 18th)

Holidays can be easeful with your dog(s) or very stressful.  Here are some tips to create a more easeful holiday.

1.) First and foremost keep your dogs occupied during this busy part of the season.  If you don't have time to exercise your dogs contact one of the following dog walkers:

Adam 801-828-7200

Kathy 801-503-5256

Portia 801-755-2881

2.)  There are also awesome toys to keep your dog busy that I recommend at Pet Expertise

3.) If you need a break put your dog in his crate with a Kong or bully stick for your dog to chew on.

4.) During parties give each guest a small ziploc bag with some kibble or treats.  Your guests are then instructed to give your dog a treat when he sits.  If your dog jumps, the guests are instructed to turn their backs and ignore him until he sits.

5.) Children should only be with your dog under adult supervision.

6.) Exercise your dog before your guests arrive.  Off leash walk or play is best.

7.) If you are boarding your dog I recommend Animal Medical Clinic in Bountiful .

8.) Give yourself time for just you so that you are not rushing around doing everything for everyone else.  The more relaxed you are the more easeful the holidays will go for you and your dog!

Happy Holidays!

Johanna Teresi, Professional Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC

Knowing What You Want (Dec. 9th)

On Wed Dec 9th I was on a radio show, "Who Let the Dogs Out" with my Life Coach Megan Sillito.  I would love for all of you to listen to it!  Click Here to Listen to the Show.

As I was talking in the show, I realized that I have a formula that I use to help owners create what they want with their dogs. Below are the steps to create what you want with your doggies!

1.) Be clear with your body language.  Some of you have heard of this before and it cannot be told enough.  This is extremely important.

For example: If your dog is about to break a sit stay lean into your dog.  This is telling him not to move forward because you are moving into his space. If you lean back or stand still your dog may still break the stay.

Anther example:  If you want your dog to learn come.  Run away from your dog with your back toward your dog. This is clear body language.  If you run with your front facing your dog then you are saying come to me but don't.

2.) Be confident.  This is created easily by visualizing success.  If you visualize yourself training the behavior you want with confidence, clear communication, and clarity you are increasing great communication to your dog.  If I am your trainer, watch carefully how I train when I am with you.  Now close your eyes and visualize yourself as me training your dog.

3.) Be authentic.  If you feel frustrated, fear, anger, sadness, or any emotion voice it.  Let it out.  Do the same with stories.  If you have a story voice it.  One story might be "My dog won't listen to me".  You might even have a story that your dog only listens at home or that your dog is not smart.  After voicing it (this creates conscious awareness), do one of the following:

• Wonder.  Wondering if this story is possibly untrue.  If you agree that it is untrue recommit.
• Recommit immediately.  Recommit only if it is a "yes" for you to recommit.
  

• creating ease and flow with dog training.
• wondering how to create obedience with my dog.
• allowing my dog to listen to me.
• being clear in my communication so that my dog knows exactly what I want.
  

Introducing Your New Dog to Your Home (Dec. 5th)

When bring a new dog to your home there are some general guidelines that can make the transition more easeful.  Below are some tips!

1.) Take some time off of work.  When you get a new dog you should have plenty of extra time to dedicate to your dog.  Your new dog will be stressed in his new home and will want some time to acclimate to you!

2.) Look for a reward-based dog trainer (Group obedience training is great.).  Four Legged Scholars offers many training programs for all types of income levels.  It is best to have the training lined up BEFORE getting your dog.  Some dogs are great to start training immediately when you get your dog.  Others may do better with some alone time with you first for a few weeks without doing much training.

3.) Be prepared to walk your dog regularly.  Think of ideas BEFORE getting your dog what your walking schedule could look like.  Make it feasible and easy.

4.) Know places to take your dog.  If there are nearby dog parks I recommend you go to them at their least busy times.  Busy dog parks usually result in too much arousal levels and fights can result.

5.) Be ready to schedule a wellness check after receiving your dog to make sure your dog is healthy.  I recommend Animal Medical Clinic.

6.) If changing your dog's diet please do so gradually.

7.) Plan on doing some house training with your dog.  He may not be fully house trained quite yet.  Plan on taking him out every hour on leash and wait for 3-5 minutes.  Click and treat immediately after your dog goes potty.

8.) Dog proof your house BEFORE getting your dog.  Many new dogs will want to chew chew chew.

9.) Have plenty of chew toys for your dog: balls (NOT tennis balls...these are bad for their teeth), bully sticks, nylabones, raw beef soup bones, etc.  There are some awesome toys that I recommend at Pet Expertise.

10.) Crate train your dog immediately.  This is where you will want to put your dog when you are not able to supervise him and will prevent potty accidents and chewing.

11.) Expect that your dog may chew on something or have an accident.  He is in a new place and accidents can and more than likely will happen.

12.) Your dog will probably pull hard on the leash.  I recommend using the Front Hook Harness or the Head Collar.  Stay away from chokers and prong collars. These can cause aggression and damage the esophagus and spinal column.

13.) Create support.  Join my Dog Training and Activities group  and meet other dog people.  If you adopted your dog from a rescue attend their parties and events.

14.) Do things that you enjoy.  Remember owning a dog can be stressful especially during the first few months. Take time for yourself.  Do things you enjoy.

15.) Plan on keeping your dog on leash for awhile.  If he is off leash it should be in a fenced area.  Some rescues never allow adopted dogs to be off leash in an unfenced area.  Make sure you know the rules.  Recall training (training "come") takes time.

15.) Most of all have fun with your new dog!

Best Training Wishes!

Johanna Teresi Professional Owner and Trainer of Four Legged Scholars LLC

Calm Training Tips for Success (Nov 12th)

I wanted to write an overview this week of some broad basic tips to create success indog training:

1.) Be in open space.  This means that you are letting your emotions flow through you rather than exploding your emotions all over your dog.

2.) If you are not creating the results you want and feel frustrated.  Take break.  Breath and fully feel and love the frustration you are feeling.  The more you resist your frustration the more you will create it and the less success you will create.  The more you love it and be in the moment with it the faster it will pass and the faster you will be in open space.

3.) Be consistent.  Do not change the rules on your dog.  Be clear.

4.) Be visually clear.  Your body language is the most important communication to your dog.  If your dog is confused look at how you were moving your body.  Can you think of a clearer way to communicate with your body to create your dog to do what you want?

5.) Use plenty of praise.  When your dog does a great job acknowledge him / her.

6.) Use treats.  Treats are more of a motivator than praise by far.

7.) Use a clicker if you wish.  A clicker speeds up the learning process.

8.) Say your commands only ONE time.  Repeating doesn't usually create success.  Repeating usually creates frustration.

9.) Look at associations.  What happened before and after your dog performed the behavior?  Your dog will do something again if he likes what he is receiving.  Pay attention to pay offs and antecedents.

10.) Stop reprimands.  Yelling at your dog doesn't communicate to him /her what to do.  It increasing negative emotions between you and your dog and decreases success.

11.) Most of all have fun!  If you are not having fun then figure out how to create the training to be fun.

12.) End your training sessions on a positive note the best that you can.  Your dog remembers the first and the last thing of the training session the best.

13.) Create easy approximations.  Allow your dog to be successful.  Take the terminal behavior that you want and break it up into steps.

14.) Focus on the positive.  Remember your dog has a learning curve just as you do.  Success doesn't happen over night.

Happy Training!

Calm Behavior at the Door (Nov 3rd)

Many owners dread it when people knock at their door.  Their dog barks and then immediately jumps all over the visitor when they enter in the house.  Read below and learn some simple solutions to make this transition more easeful.

Have treats, your clicker, and your dog's leash readily available by the door.  When someone knocks at the door, put your dog's leash on and  lure your dog away from the door.  With a treat in your hand move your hand toward your dog's muzzle.  Then guide your dog by moving your hand to the location that you want him to remain. Usually your hand is like a magnet when you have a treat in it.  Choose a location that is out of the visitors path when he enters and a place that is not in the pathway of the opening door.

Next, ask your dog to sit.  Say "sit" then C/T (click and treat).  Repeat this multiple times in a row at a fast rate.  It might be beneficial to have multiple treats in your hand so that your C/T are super quick.  After your dog has been retaining the sit for a few seconds ask the visitor to come inside.  Body block your dog by standing in between the visitor and the dog.  Continue to say "sit" and C/T as the visitor walks inside.  When the visitor is visible this is the hardest time for the dog to retain the sit so once again have a high treat frequency.  I also recommend that you request the visitor to open the door rather than leaving your dog to open the door.

When you are ready to let your dog up say "okay" and he will be free to break the sit.  Repeat the above process multiple times with a variety of visitors.  Once your dog is consistent with holding the sit, you can begin to increase the time interval between the C/T.  Eventually, you will stop using the clicker and switch to random rewards.

For any further explanation contact Four Legged Scholars.

Happy Training!
Johanna Teresi Professional Owner and Trainer for Four Legged Scholars LLC.

Clicker Training (Oct 28th)

There are many aspects to dog training.  The biggest tip I can give you is that dogs learn by association.  If the dog receives something wonderful for a behavior then that behavior is more likely to occur again.  This is called positive reinforcement.  Four Legged Scholars uses Positive Reinforcement dog training.  Positive reinforcement increases the trust bond between you and your dog.

You can also use something that the dog highly dislikes to decrease a behavior.  This technique is not one that I recommend.  It can include shock collars, choke chains, etc.  Anything that causes pain can inflict a huge conflict with your dog.  Your dog could become aggressive or fearful.

I love using clicker training.  This is a form of positive reinforcement.  The clicker marks the behavior and tells the dog that they have done the correct behavior and that a treat is coming.  First you must teach your dog what the clicker means which is called clicker loading.  Click one time and immediately give your dog a treat disregarding any behavior your dog is doing.  Do not practice clicker loading if your dog is performing bad behaviors such as barking or jumping.  Practice clicker loading in a variety of rooms and a variety of different times throughout the day for about 3-7 days.

Once your dog understands that click means treat you can then pair the clicker with a behavior.  For example: when you ask your dog to sit click and treat (C/T).  Now sit will happen again because it was rewarded.

Why clicker training?

• The clicker speeds up the learning process.
• The clicker allows you to mark behaviors that happen quickly.  (For example if your dog is walking on the leash nicely for less than a second you can mark it easily with a clicker.  You probably would miss the reward time with just a treat).
• It is universal so it sounds the same no matter who uses it.  As a result, it is great to use in families.
• It reaches the primitive part of the brain called the amygdala so the dog knows he did the correct behavior without consciously thinking about it.  A verbal word such as "yes" requires conscious thinking.
  

The Emotional Roller Coaster (Oct 28th)

We have two choices with emotions in our lives.  Choice one is to feel our feelings.  Choice two is to repress our feelings.  Today I had an amazing session with Megan Sillito.  The anger I felt today was so intense.  She allowed me to fully feel my emotions with happiness and peace.  It was an amazing reminder that I can choose to feel my emotions without a negative connotation behind them.

I notice I do this more and more.  The more I fully embrace how I feel the more open space is created.  The more authentic relationships I create with my clients and the more present I am in my relationships.

Getting out of my head and into my body can be conflicting at times.  Last week I created a conflict with a close friend of mine as my mind got wrapped around stories and what I wanted to say.  When I chose to really "feel  my feelings" the conflict resolved itself and my friend chose to feel as well.  It was amazing.  I felt more love for her than I ever have.  The connection was one of the soul and was about ultimate truth.

So today I have felt much anger and sadness.  I have chosen to play with it.  As a result, I was so present with my dog client this afternoon it was amazing.  I arrived at my clients house feeling angry.  I chose to breath.  Then when I entered into the house instead of ignoring the anger I chose to be crazy.  I told the dog I felt angry.  I said it multiple times until it past and sadness came. The anger was covering up the sadness.  So I cried and the dog came and laid with me.  It was beautiful.  I realized in that moment that I had chosen so many times to repress my emotions when working with this dog.  I would choose to put on a mask that I was feeling fine on days that I really wasn't.

So today I chose differently.  The bond I created with the dog was so amazing.  When we left for our walk anger arose again so I chose to run and run.  It was so fun to feel my anger while running.  The dog ran with me and enjoyed it so much.  She was so happy.  I was laughing and felt so open.  I shifted to happiness and presence.  We worked on recalls and leash walking.  The session was amazing.  I also noticed the more I allowed myself to be who I was the more I was giving permission to this gorgeous dog to be who she is.

I noticed after I left I felt more sadness. I chose to go home and turn on some sad music and dance.  Seiki, my dog was so happy to dance with me.  We had fun with my sadness.  He loved it and I enjoyed it as well.

So the moral of the story is to feel your feelings.  It does great things to your body.  Most of all it allows you to create open space so that you can create wonderful space for your dog....amazing presence, a soul connection, easeful training, etc.  When you repress emotions training becomes so very very hard.  Create it be easeful.  Use any of the tools I have stated above and most of all have FUN doing it!

Happy Training!

Johanna Teresi, Professional Owner and Trainer of Four Legged Scholars LLC

The Adrenaline Rush (Oct 23rd)

There are so many aspects to dog training that just don't pertain to technique. This week I want to focus on the "drama triangle" and when we are on the drama triangle with our dogs behavioral issues seem to lock in place rather than shift.

Many of you may not be familiar with the drama triangle.  There are three positions on this triangle "victim," "villain," and "hero."  Whenever we are in conflict with money, relationships (including with our dogs), our business, etc. we are on the drama triangle.  The benefits of being on the triangle is an adrenaline rush similar to riding a roller coaster ride.  It actually can be fun for most of us (an addiction)!

When you are training your dog if you are being a hero then your dog has to be a victim or villain.  If you are a victim when training your dog then your dog has to be a hero or a villan.  If you are a villain than your dog has to be victim or a hero.

What does this mean?  A victim generally says  "poor me!"  You could be whining "My dog won't listen to me!"  or " I just can't get my dog to behave!".  A villain is attacking and might say "What is your problem?".  You could say to your dog "You need to listen to me!"  or "You are listening to me because you want to misbehave on purpose!".  A hero generally says "I will save you!".  This could be done when you see your dog reacting "Oh you are scared!  Let me calm you down" or "Let me reassure you so you know all is okay".

All of these methods are away from essence.  When you are training your dog I invite you to check in and notice if you are on the drama triangle.  When you notice you are on the drama triangle you can do one of the following to get back into open space / essence:

• Breath through your belly and choose to shift to love and wonder.
• Breath and move your body (run, dance, or just move any body part easefully).
• Take a training break and play with your dog.
  

Gratitude - Oct 14th

I have a dream.  My dream is a ranch that I own where disabled come to experience love through dance, hypnosis, life coaching, etc.  There are also rescue dogs on this ranch that are yearning for love as well.  The children coming to the ranch experience unconditional love through obedience training and bonding with the dogs.

My life coach, Megan Sillito with Lifeworks Strategies, lead me through an amazing experience last week.  I am in the process of manifesting this ranch.  What I have learned is gratitude for what is now.  As I carry the vibration of love and light that I feel when I am on the ranch right now then the ranch comes easefully.

I want to walk you through a process where you can do the same with your dogs.  It is very powerful in creating the behavior you want and desire.

1.) Think of what you want to create with your dog: walking on a loose leash, sit stay, calm behavior, quiet behavior, relaxed behavior, etc.  whatever it may be.  

2.) Pick an object in your house that resembles this goal.  For me I used a mirror which resembled the ranch.

3.) Place the object on the floor.  Walk away from the object so that you are creating a path toward the object.

4.) Take one step forward focusing on your goal and check into your body.  Notice what you feel and what thoughts come up.  Remain at this step until you are feeling in the moment and present with this step.

5.) Repeat step 4 over and over again until you reach your goal.  Remember to fully settle into each step so that you are not rushing.  Checking in with your body to discover what you might be learning from your body.

6.) Once you reach your goal pick up the object.  Check in with your body and notice what you feel.  Take the feeling into your body fully.

7.) Go back to the beginning of the path and take this body feeling with you.

Remember whatever you are training your dog to do it is learning journey that you have the chose to love or not.  Loving is the fastest way to shift into open space and leaves room for the behavior you want to train to develop faster.

Also notice a feeling of longing, hope and desperation while you are training your dog training creates the process to be hard.  Carry the vibration in your body as if you have reached the dog training goal now:)  This shows much gratitude and appreciation for what you have now.  How fun!

I hope you find this exercise very helpful.  The more I shift into love the more I manifest and create.  I hope you find the same with your dog training.

Best Training Wishes!

Teaching Drop - Oct. 9th

Many times it is easy to just grab something out of your dog's mouth.  This can encourage your dog to bite you and even play keep away.  A much better option is to train your dog to spit things out of his mouth on command with a "drop" command.

• Your dog has a toy show him a treat in your open hand.  As your dog drops the toy say, “drop.”  Then C/T (click and treat).
• Open your hand as if presenting a treat and say “drop.” When your dog drops the toy C/T.
• When your dog has a toy just try saying, “drop.”  If your dog drops the toy then C/T.  If your dog does not drop the toy then present your open hand (just as you did when you had a treat in it) but this time do not have a treat in it.  C/T when your dog drops the toy.
• Eventually your dog should “drop” the object with just the command.
  

Establishing a Great Rapport With Your Dog - Oct. 3rd

I am in the process of becoming a certified NLP Practitioner (NeuroLinguistic Patterning). The process below is used to create open space and to allow solutions to arise when you notice a conflict between you and your dog.

Think of a specific conflict or struggle you are having with your dog. It could be pulling on the leash or not performing some command.

Go back in time so that you are remembering this specific conflict / struggle.

Notice where you would be standing and where your dog would be standing if the conflict were real again. Step into the spot where you would be standing. Take on the emotions and the body posture you were feeling during the time of the conflict.

Shake to move these emotions out of your body.

Step into the space where your dog would be standing. Be your dog. Take on the emotions and the body posture your dog was feeling during the time of the conflict. Notice any communication that may going on inside your dog’s body and mind.

Shake to move these emotions out of your body.

Step into a neutral space. A space where you are the observer. Observe the conflict with no judgment. Notice any information you gather as the observer.

Step back into your space where you were standing during the conflict. Take all of the above information you have gathered and come from a new point of view that is more open and curious. What new information have you learned? How can you apply this new information when you are training your dog again? Use this information to create the result you want in a more fluid manner.

As I am learning more and more with NLP you will see shifts in my training techniques as I create an even greater rapport with my clients and help them establish the same with their dogs.

Happy Training!

Teaching Your Dog to Stay - Sept. 23rd

Recently I have had a few inquires on “sit stay.” Below are some simple steps to teach this wonderful command.

Sit Stay:

• Ask your dog to sit. Take a one step away from your dog and click. Then take a step inward toward your dog and give him a treat. Immediately remind him to “sit” and take step back. Then repeat.
  
  
• When it is time for your dog to get up from the stay walk to either your dog’s left or right side. Then say a release word such as “okay.” As you release the stay walk away from your dog. Do not give your dog a treat after releasing him.
  
  
• Gradually increase the stay time from 1-2 seconds to 3-4 seconds. Then to 5-6 seconds, etc. Practice each time interval at least 5 times before increasing the time period. C/T during this entire time interval.
  
  
• When your dog can hold the sit for 30 seconds begin to use the stay command. Then GRADUALLY increase the staying time to 1 minute. It is important to release your dog from the stay before he releases himself. If he broke the stay then you asked him to stay for too long. The next time you have him stay do the stay for a shorter time period.
  
  • DO NOT INCREASE THE STAYING DISTANCE B/W YOU AND YOUR DOG. WE ARE JUST INCREASING DURATION AT THIS TIME.
    
    
• When your dog will stay with you standing 1 or 2 feet away from him for 1 minute, it is time to gradually increase the staying distance. When you are increasing distance you will decrease the staying time (duration). Always return to your dog when releasing him (Do NOT call your dog to release him).
  
  
• Repeat the same process but stand 4 feet away from the dog. Return to your dog to give treats and remind him to stay after each treat you give your dog. Only expect your dog to stay for 1-5 seconds. Gradually increase the time period to 30 seconds.
  
  
• Now increase your staying distance to 6 feet and repeat “a.”
  
  
• Gradually increase the staying distance until you reach the distance of your choice. 10 feet is great!
  
  
  

Calming Signals as Communication Between Dogs and Humans - Sept. 20th

The last two weekly tips have discussed calming signals between dogs. This week I want to focus on calming signals transferring between dogs and humans.

If you do not remember what calming signals are please see the weekly tips for the past two weeks.

When dogs are stressed they will perform calming signals even when no other dogs are present. For example: If your dog hears a loud sudden noise and becomes startled you may see him perform some calming signals such as lip licking, eye blinking, head turning, etc.

These signals can be used to our advantage. When your dog is stressed and is not performing any calming signals sit next your dog. Remember sitting is a calming signal and start performing some calming signals yourself. The ones that transfer the best from humans to dogs are lip licking, eye blinking and yawning. Eventually you will start to establish a rapport with your dog. Your dog may mirror the same calming signals you are displaying or start performing some other calming signals.

Be patient. It may take 20-30 minutes of recurring calming signals performed by you before your dog really starts to calm down.

Practice these in everyday situations where your dog is somewhat stressed. If your dog is showing extreme stress in any situation please contact Four Legged Scholars. Do NOT submerge your dog into a highly stressed situation and keep him there while you perform calming signals. If your dog is highly stressed a more gradual process will bring better results.

Happy Training!

Knowing When Dog Play is Getting too Rough - Sept 9th

I apologize, I missed the weekly tip last week.  Hoping you were all busy with the holiday and didn't miss it :)

When two dogs play together it can go one of two ways smoothly or not so smoothly.  When play is going smoothly between two or more dogs generally many calming signals are displayed during play.

What are calming signals?
During play these are displayed when the dogs are communicating that they are "only playing."  It is similar to two people wrestling with playful communication rather than aggressive communication.  Also calming signals, calm or relax the dogs.  If arousal levels keep increasing in play, a fight is sure to break out.  By calming themselves down they are preventing the adrenaline from escalating too much.

What do calming signals look like?

Lip licking
Yawning
Shaking
Eye Blinking
Sitting or Downing
Walking Away
Freezing (Very common)
Turning the head to the side
Sniffing
Sneezing

Sometimes these signals may mean something completely different but in play with dogs more than likely they are calming signals.



When one dog displays a calming signal the other dog better mirror that calming signal or display a different calming signal.  If the other dog does not then a fight may arouse. One dog is saying "Stop hitting me for a moment.  I want to take a breath."  If the other dog listens then calmness is created for a second or two.  If not then the dog gets stressed.
Generally during play you will see calming signals every few seconds.  They are fast and short lived at times.  Other times you may see one demonstrated and play completely stops for a while.

A great book to read on calming signals is On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas.

If you have trouble seeing the calming signals.  Tape record the play session and play it back in slow motion.

Happy Training

Peaceful Play Sessions - August 26

Play sessions with dogs can either be very relaxing or very stressful. Below are some guidelines to create easeful play sessions.

• Create your own play sessions in your backyard or your friend's yard.  You can also use a secluded safe fenced area without unknown dogs.  It is much easier to keep the playful session fun and easeful away from the dog parks.  At the parks you are not in control if people are going to bring their aggressive dog into the park.  The larger the pack of dogs the greater the chances of a fight.

• Keep toys away.  Toys are a reason to fight.
  

• Have treats out.  Treats in a treat bag and a clicker.  Intermittently ask the dogs to perform commands during the play sessions such as sit, down, come etc.  C/T (click and treat) when the dog performs.
  

• Keep the numbers low.  Two dogs total is the best place to start. Once your dog listens well with two dogs then you can try three and then four.  Four to five is the max I would recommend.
  

• Have one person present per dog.  If there is a dilemma it is much easier to take control of the situation if one person is in charge of only one dog.
  

• Allow breaks so that the dogs do not become overwhelmed.  They need down time just as humans do.  If they are not choosing to lay down.  Take some time to put the dog in a crate or behind closed doors to allow him to relax / meditate for a little while.
  

• Read the book On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas.  Memorize and learn these calming signals.  If you are not seeing calming signals in play then a fight is likely.  See next week to get a good description of calming signals.
  

• If the dogs are getting over aroused.  It is best to ask them to perform an obedience command such as sit BEFORE a fight arises.  C/T.

• Never force two dogs to play together.  If they don't want to play together do not force it especially if they are not getting along.
  

The most important guideline is to pay attention.  Never leave the dogs alone.  Always have them under supervision where you are watching them and are present with them.

Best Training Wishes!

A What Does Appropriate Socialization (before 4 months of age and preferably before 3 months of age) for Puppies Look Like? - August 21

Expose your Puppy to Many of Each: (Make sure the exposure is positive. You can C/T (click and treat) during any of the introductions listed below)

a.) Surfaces: grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, newspaper, etc.
b.) Different objects: big balls, small balls, frisbees, squeaky toys, cardboard items, metal items, umbrellas, tents, skis, wheel chairs, skate boards, bikes, baby carriages, coats, sunglasses, hats, purses etc.
c.) Locations: friends houses, vet clinics, pet stores, playgrounds, anywhere you can take your dog (Make sure you aren’t going to dog parks and if you go to areas with other dogs carry your puppy).
d.) Actions /Challenges: walking down the stairs, running up a ramp, going through a tunnel, climb over obstacles, etc.
e.) Eat out of different food bowls: metal, plastic, glass, porcelain, plates, etc.
f.) Eaten in different places: backyard, kitchen, living room, etc.
g.) Meet many types of people each week: children, elderly, middle aged, teenagers, black people, white people, skinny people, fat people, children, etc. (Throw a party with many people at your house, sit outside of stores like Smith’s with your puppy, etc.) People is the most important one. 100's of people is best. You can do this easily by throwing low key parties. Standing with your puppy by store entrances and allowing people interact with your puppy.
Your puppy should not be walking in an areas where there is a frequently tracking of dogs (exception puppy class) until your puppy has all of his booster vaccinations (3-4 sets including rabies). Therefore, when you take your dog to the vet, Petco, Petsmart, etc. you should carry your dog.

Your puppy should not go to dog parks until he is at least 6 months of age.

Why Socialize? Socialization is the easiest prevention for anxiety, aggression, and any other behavior problems if it is done positively. Many dogs that develop aggression especially towards men were not socialized enough.

A Story of Love and Positive Reinforcement Dog Training - August 7

This week I felt like being more personable with my training tip. When I was a little girl I began training my dog with a choke chain. I yelled at my dog and used methods that were motivated through pain to get my dog to do what I wanted. I was in Elementary School and Middle School. My 4-H advisor encouraged me to be firm and not use many treats.

I remember feeling frustrated and I noticed that my dog, Heather, a Shetland Sheepdog, didn't even want to "come" to me. She was scared of being yelled at for having a slow recall. In her mind she was getting yelled at for "coming" period. I had much fun with her and in obedience she did great and won ribbons. Emotional wise we were not as connected as we could have been.

When she passed away I felt an emptiness and felt I could have trained her in a more happy and loving way. I was only in middle school. She got hit by a car and the sadness that filled through my body was intense. Subconsciously I felt so guilty for the inhumane methods I used in training her. When I got my next dog I promised to learn more about training with love.

Commitment comes first and then the how shows up. My how showed up when I was at a " show and go" (you practice for shows in a ring and have a judge). My judge was an awesome man and he trained dolphins for Sea World. He changed my life. I was jerking my border collie, Shadow, on the leash every time she pulled. I remember my face lightening up and I felt immense excitement.

I committed to learn about this other method, positive reinforcement. At a young age in early high school I began to study clicker training and training with love. I read and read and attended seminars with many famous dog trainers including Jean Donaldson, Terry Ryan, etc. The first positive reinforcement book I read was Don't Shoot the Dog By Karen Pryor.

I remember struggling with clicker training and nothing working. My dog's attention was everywhere but on me...lol. I read more and learned how to motivate my dog and give her what she wanted for what I wanted her do. Our bond increased and she learned at great speeds. She changed from freezing every time she went into crowds and biting people that came into her territory to loving people. She even got to go to State Fair for obedience showing.

My present dog, Seiki, a dog with a heart so huge that resemembles my love for dogs and their owners learns with leaps and bounds with positive reinforcement.

What is the moral of this story? Love is the answer to everything.

Can you train with shock collars, choke collars, prong collars, Tabasco sauce, yelling, hitting, etc.? The answer is "yes" you can. My response to this is why would you want to? What bond are you creating with your dog when you use these methods? What emotions are you giving off toward your dog? What type of trust bond are you creating with your dog by using these methods? Looking from your own perspective would you rather be motivated through fear or love? What are you doing to your dog's health?

Still confused? Think of a fight. Two people are fighting. It does NOT take two to fight. One person shifts the fight and decides to come from a place a of love. They might say "I hear you are saying.... "I imagine you feel... This is my story...and this is what I feel... I want.... I imagine you want... Let's co-create. I wonder how we can meet both of our wants?" This person who is shifting the fight is going deep. He/She is looking at the soul. What does his/her opponent feel? Now we have a connection. An understanding.

The other side of the story. Two people are fighting. One person yells and the others yells back. The fight continues.

Positive reinforcement with dogs is the same thing. Take the time to understand where your dog is coming from....listen. You are coming from a place of wonder. Now you can reward your dog for what you want him to do instead. As a result, you have formed a huge trust bond. You are connecting to your dog on a soul level. You are understanding that his emotions effect his health and immune system. You understand that your actions give off good energy and balance. Your dog wants to listen to you because he trusts you. He is having fun and so are you!

Why would you ever want to train any other way? The connections we formulate through trust and love are the strongest connections we make in our life whether it be with our spouse, our friends, or our family. Include your dog in this picture as well. Positive reinforcement is the way to go!

Best Training Wishes!!!!

What is the Best Age to Begin Group Classes With My Puppy? - August 1

The answer is 8 weeks of age after their first set of vaccinations. Surprised? Then keep reading.

Puppies are more likely to die (get euthanized) from not being socialized soon enough and developing bad behaviors than from disease from taking a group class.

Your puppy's socialization window is very short. It closes around 3-4 months of age which is also the same age when your puppy will be fully vaccinated.

Waiting until your puppy is fully vaccinated is risky. The socialization window is practically closed and your puppies learning rate has slowed down.

What about disease in group classes?

Disease in group classes is highly unlikely because a professional instructor will keep the room clean and free from disease. If adult dog classes are held in the same room then the adult dogs will be free of disease and vaccinated.

What is the socialization window?

This is the window where your puppy learns what is safe and what is not. Is important for your puppy to be acclimated to a variety of locations, people, dogs, challenges (climbing stairs, going through tunnels etc.), and objects (skis, tents, wheel chairs, etc.). In the wild, wolves need to learn about safety quickly so that they will not get eaten. For dogs as a house pet, this leaves limited time for the owner to socialize their puppy. Many adult dogs are fearful or aggressive of men or are fearful of certain locations. Generally this is due to the lack of socialization this dog received as a puppy before 3 months of age.

They also get to play with other puppies in a group class which allows them to learn how to play appropriately. Many dogs don't know this if they aren't taken to puppy classes soon enough. Bite inhibition is also learned from playing with puppies. If the puppy bites to hard the play session ends. If they do not learn bite inhibition they may be more likely to bite hard if they develop enough frustration or fear to bite as adults.

As a trainer there are two scenarios I see and hear of frequently (over concern or not enough concern):

Not enough concern: The puppy is taken to dog parks at a young age before 6 months. This is dangerous because your puppy is sensitive at this age and if he is attacked by another dog it may affect your puppy for life. Also the chances of disease are high. Any area that has a high track of unvaccinated dogs is risky for your puppy.

Too much concern: People who avoid group classes like the plague with their puppy. The puppy grows up and never received adequate socialization.

What I am noticing for me. My adult obedience classes are easier to fill than my puppy classes. Without many puppies in my classes socialization for puppies is harder. Please spread the word to your friends, family, neighbors, etc. the importance of socialization for puppies at 8 weeks of age. I want my puppy classes to grow and then the puppies will grow up well rounded with less behavior problems.


Upcoming and Current Classes:

• Create an Awesome Come Now. Four Week "Come" Course beginning in August on Saturday mornings. Begin with basics and graduate to more advanced settings including the park. Contact Johanna for further information.
  
  
• Puppy Kindergarten and Elementary Obedience Courses starting today and continuing until the end of the year. Join at anytime. The sooner you join the sooner you create the obedient dog of your dreams!

Advice for On Leash Dogs in Off Leash Parks - July 25

Many people want to walk their dogs on leash at off leash parks. This can work fluidly or be very dangerous.

First of all never have your dog on leash unless you are walking trail such as Tanner Park or City Creek Canyon. A dog park just for socializing is not a time to have your dog on leash.

Go at a time the dog volume is low. At a time that you are unlikely to run into 3-4 dogs in a pack.

If your dog responds well to your commands especially "come" it is better to have him off leash.

When an off leash dog approaches allow your dog to say "hi" with your leash loose. Do not tighten the leash. Tightening the leash increases tensions and increases the chances of a fight.

When an off leash dog approaches you can also lead your dog off of the trail and ask him to sit. Then have him remain in the sit until the dog passes. I do this by saying "sit" then C/T (click and treat). Repeat "sit" C/T many times in a row until the dog passes. If the dog comes up to say "hi" release your dog and stop giving treats and allow him to say "hi."

Remember you are in charge safety. Never walk your aggressive or fearful dog on leash in off leash area without consulting a professional dog training first.

Create a Calm Dog in your Car - July 18

• Does your dog bark in excitement when you are driving in your car?
  
• Does your dog bark at stimuli as cars pass you while you are driving?
  
• Having trouble listening to the radio in the car with your barking dog?
  

Below are some tips to create a more peaceful and quiet car.

• These tips are directed to dogs that get excited in the car.
  
• These tips may work for aggressive dogs as well.
  
• These tips are not for dogs who whine or bark in the car due to fear.
  
• Also these techniques are specifically directed to working and herding breeds such as Border Collies, Heelers, Shetland Sheepdogs, Great Pyrenees, Australian Shepherds, etc.
  
• You may find them to be helpful for other breeds as well :)
  

When there are two people in the car (one person driving and one passenger the passenger). The passenger can C/T (click and treat) when your dog is quiet. It is best to C/T after your dog has been quiet for at least 3 seconds.

Having your dog in a crate can help immensely if your dog runs and barks in the car. This can be common for herding dogs. Give your dog a Kong with almond butter or canned dog food (freezing the Kong is best). You can also C/T when your dog is quiet in his crate if there are two people in the car.

Covering the crate with a sheet can be very helpful. This is very calming for your dog and cuts down on what your dog can see outside of his crate. You can also buy a calming cap and this creates a similar experience: http://www.healthypets.com/premiercap.html

Turn on relaxing music in your car. Classical music is awsome. Also this website: http://www.throughadogsear.com/music_compositions.htm
has music that is designed to help your dog to relax :)

Yelling at your dog will feed the barking and will just increase his arousal level.
For best results use a combination of many of the above methods.

Creating and Peaceful and Quiet House Dog - July 11

• Do you work at home?
  
• Does your dog constantly bark throughout the day?
  
• Having trouble completing tasks due to your barking dog?
  

Below are some tips to create a more peaceful and quiet household.

• These tips are directed to dogs that bark at numerous stimulus outside of your house.
  
• It can be noises or sights (people, other dogs, etc.).
  
• These are directed toward dogs that are nonaggressive.
  
• Also these techniques are specifically directed to working and herding breeds such as Border Collies, Heelers, Shetland
• Sheepdogs, Great Pyrenees, Australian Shepherds, etc.
  
• You may find them to be helpful for other breeds as well :)

First and foremost is to keep your dog indoors. Keeping them outside unsupervised will encourage them to bark more.

Cover your windows with blinds and or drapes. This reduces the amount of stimuli that they will see.

Frequently exercise your dog. If your dog is not exercised then it is difficult for them to be quiet. Their energy level is high and they are on high alert. I recommend exercising your dog at least 2-3 times a day. If you work at home shoot for 3 times a day. Most dogs need to run not walk.

During the exercise routine have your dog perform commands so they get use to switching from their primitive part of their brain to their cortex.

When you have tasks that require quiet time do them immediately after exercising your dog such as talking on the phone.

Bach Flowers can be helpful. Check out www.blumesfarm.com/animals.html. I recommend discussing the best remedy with Christina Blume. However, the "Calming Blend" can help reduce barking.

Crate train your dog. Give him a Kong or something for him to do in the crate that is food oriented and healthy. Put your dog in the crate when you are busy and want quiet time. If you use a Kong put almond butter, canned food, or peanut butter in it and freeze it.

Train your dog LAT (look at that). When your dog barks call him to you. Then have him look at the stimulus that he wants to bark at. As soon as he alerts and is quiet say "Look At That" and C/T (click and treat). Do not C/T if your dog is barking this will reward the barking.

Keep your dog busy throughout the day. Pick up all of his toys and only give him some of his toys. Give him different toys everyday so that you are switching his toys around. Now they have more value.

Have plenty of objects for your dog to chew on and switch these daily as well: Kongs, Bully Sticks, Raw Beef Soup Bones, Cow Hooves, Pig Earz (with a "z"), etc.

Have your dog participate in fun games: Kibble Toss (toss his food in the yard or in the entire house and have him go and find it to eat it), put his food in a muffin tin and cover with tennis balls (your dog has to remove the balls to eat his food), buy a buster cube (put food in this cube and your dog has to push it around to get treats out), hide his food / treats around the house and have him go find it, etc.

Buy a DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) plug in. The mother gives this pheromone off to her young and it calms the puppies. It works great on adult dogs as well :)

Most importantly train your dog. Train him obedience commands and train him tricks. Do this in a positive fashion by motivating through love rather than through fear. With love as a motivator your dog will be more calm.

Meditate yourself and meditate with your dog :)

Join a dog sport. Sometimes this increases barking and sometimes not. If you have a barking issue teach your dog to be quiet during the sport if possible for best results. LAT works great :)

For best results use a combination of many of the above methods.

Acclimating Your Dog To His Crate - July 7

First of all if you dog has separation anxiety then crate training may not be the answer. Please contact Four Legged Scholars for more information on this :)

Here are some great ways to acclimate your dog to his crate.

First place your dog's meals in his crate so he has to go into it to eat. If he still won't go in and eat then place the bowl close to the door entrance and move it back a few inches every couple of days.

Also behavior catching works well. Leave your crate door open and C/T (click and treat) everytime he walks into his crate on his own. It is best if you are able to give him the treat while he is still in the crate. If you miss the opportunity to feed him while he is in the crate make sure your timing with the click is accurate and occurs when your dog is inside the crate and not when he is outside of the crate.

Once your dog readily goes into the crate, give him a food oriented toy (kong with almond butter or peanut butter, bully stick, cow hoof with peanut butter or almond butter, raw beef soup bone) to chew on. Give it to your dog when he walks into the crate voluntarily. Then shut the door for about a minute. Open the door and take away the toy. Next time have your dog be in the crate for 2 minutes. Then 3 minutes, etc. Repeat this process. If your dog is calm and loving the toy you may be able to jump in 2-5 minute intervals instead of 1 minute ones.

It is a good idea to make the crate comfortable and have a blanket in the crate with your dog and to always have a food oriented toy with your dog inside the crate. Feeding your dog meals in the crate can occur for many months to forever. This creates a positive association with the crate.

Best Training Wishes!!!!

More Leash Walking Devices for Leash Pullers - June 27

Some of you might have heard of these devices and they are awesome :)

The first one is called the Front Hook Harness.
There are many companies that sell these. One brand is the "Easy Walk Harness." Another is the "Halti Harness." My favorite is made by soft touch concepts and they are called "Sensation Harness".

The leash hooks on the front the dog (not on the dog's back) and when the dog pulls it throws the dog off balance just a little bit so that it is uncomfortable for the dog to pull. Some dogs immediately stop pulling when these are used and it is much easier on the owner's the arms and shoulders if the dog does pull.

The second one is called the Head Collar.
There are many companies that sell these as well. One brand is the "Gentle Leader." Another is the "Halti Head Collar." My favorite brand is the "Comfort Head Collar."

This collar goes behind the dog's ears and around the dog's muzzle. When the dog pulls gentle pressure is created on the dog's muzzle and generally the dogs stop pulling with training. This collar requires an acclimation period and is not recommended for labs. It is important to follow the directions on how to train and use this collar. If your dog pulls quickly and hard when wearing this collar he can break his neck.

I use the comfort head collar on my dog and absolutely love it :)

I sell both the front Hook Harness by Soft Touch and the Comfort Head Collar. If you are interested please contact me and I am more than happy to sell you one and instruct you on the proper use.

If you use either apparatus in conjunction with good training then you don't have to use them forever. Eventually, your dog will be able to walk on a normal flat buckle collar.

A Great Apparatus for Leash Pullers - June 20

Please feel free to submit training questions.  Your question maybe answered in a weekly dog training tip! 

Yesterday I remembered the wacky walker leash and walked my dog, Seiki on it for the first time. It was great. It was much hard for him to pull and I had a blast. He just wasn't able to pull. This leash is not for lunging dogs or for dogs who get overexcited on the leash. It is great for moderate or minor leash pullers.

The leash is similar to a bungee cord. When your dog pulls on the leash the leash stretches and eventually the pressure becomes strong and the dog cannot keep going forward. The leash actually gently guides your dog back so that there is no leash tension.

Also when your dog pulls there is no jerking on your arm.

I strongly advise the following when using this apparatus:

• Always hold the end of the leash. Do not shorten the leash.
  
• When your dog pulls stop walking. C/T (click and treat) when your dog looks back at you and is no longer pulling. Then start walking again.
  
• Say "easy" and C/T when your dog is walking nicely on the leash and not pulling.
  

Once again this leash is not for strong pullers or for dogs that lunge. Because the leash extends when a dog pulls the dog can be flipped on his back if he pulls too much on the leash. This is very unlikely for moderate or minor leash pullers. Also the leash does put pressure on the collar when the dog pulls so for extreme pullers it will be too hard on the neck.

Contact me for my questions or how to use the leash or for a wacky walker lesson.

You can buy the leash at WackyWalker.com

Not In There, Please! - June 13

Please feel free to submit training questions.  Your question maybe answered in a weekly dog training tip! 

Are there certain locations / rooms that you would prefer your dog to not venture into ... the basement, the living, or the kitchen, etc.?
 
You can train your dog to stay out of certain rooms and locations.
 
The first step is management.  It is important to have the door closed or some blockade up that prevents your dog from entering into that location / room.  Some examples are a dog gate, boxes, a board cut to fit the length to the room's entrance.
 
Management allows your dog to not develop a bad habit of going into that room when you are not training him.
 
The next step is to set up training sessions.  Have many treats and a clicker.  Walk a foot into the forbidden room.  C/T (click and treat) if your dog did not follow you into the room.  Walk up to your dog to give him a treat or throw him a few treats on the floor in the room he is allowed to be in. 
 
If you dog begins to follows you into the forbidden room body block him.  This means you walk into your dog a bit.  You are not pushing your dog or hitting him.  Actually you aren't really touching him at all.  You are just moving into your dog's space.  Your dog should back up and go back into the allowed room.
 
Repeat this step multiple times until your dog is reliably staying in the allowed room (s).
 
Next, repeat the above steps and walk 2 feet into the forbidden room.  Then repeat the steps again walking 3 feet into the room, then 4 feet, etc.
 
Once you can walk all the way into the room without your dog following you, begin increasing the duration he needs to stay out of the forbidden room.  Use a stop watch or a second hand and gradually increase the time frame that your needs to remain out of the forbidden room with you in the forbidden room.  Give your dog treats at the end of the each time frame.  Eventually, your dog should choose to lay down somewhere else and be happy to stay in the allowed rooms.
 
Happy Training!