Tips About Treats

Let’s talk about dog treats (Photo: Blue-eyed Husky taking a treat from a human hand)

The treat aisle in every pet store is overflowing with cute packaging, eye-catching artwork, and promises to do everything from keeping Fido’s teeth clean to helping Flora’s joints. 

I’ve worked with lots of pet parents who have been told that their dog is overweight by their veterinarian. Some have been warned that if the weight doesn’t stay off, knee surgery will be necessary. 

From someone who has had knee surgery, trust me — you don’t want your dog to have to go through that. Period. 

Protect your dog from painful surgeries by keeping their weight healthy (Photo: overweight senior pug sits on a stool,)

So, how can we reward our dogs without making them obese? 

Here are a few tips to help your dog maintain a healthy weight. 

FOOD REWARDS: One of the best ways to bond with your dog is to spend time with her and teach her things. Turn your dog’s mealtimes into mini training sessions and watch your relationship flourish. Use her regular meal ration as her reward as you work on commands that will save her life (think “come” and “leave it”), and fun tricks too. 

TINY PIECES: Cut liver treats into pea-sized cubes. Not only will this reduce the amount of treats given, it will help your training sessions too. You don’t want your dog focussed on crumbs and chewing. You want her focusing on you to find out what’s next. 

VEGGIES AND FRUITS: Some dogs will do anything for a carrot, a piece of broccoli, or a blueberry. 

Tiny pieces, please (Photo: Frenchie being offered a whole banana whilst wearing a onesie covered in pictures of bananas)

INGREDIENTS: Select treats with very short ingredient lists, like liver treats. You may be surprised that your dog doesn’t really need to have toxic farts after all. You’re welcome. 

VERBAL PRAISE: Remember to verbally praise your dog as you reward her with a piece of her kibble or a small treat. Your praise is a very big reward to your dog. You’ll soon find you need wayyyy less treats because she’s happy to work for your praise. 

WORK: Remember that dogs love to work for food. Don’t just hand them a treat every time they walk into a room. Make your dog work for it. Have them sit. Have them lay down. Teach them to stay. That last one comes in super handy when you’re changing a diaper, break a glass in the kitchen, or drop something on the floor that’s toxic to dogs and need to clean it up.  

Turn mealtimes into training sessions to improve your relationship with your dog (Photo: puppy sitting for a treat beside an empty food bowl,)

Have a safe and happy Hallowe’en (Photo: Bulldog dressed up as a ghost)

Have a safe and happy Hallowe’en, Dog Leaders!

Alyssa 

Photos by: Marek Szturc @marxgall (Blue-eyed Husky taking a treat from a human hand,) Jorge Zapata

@jorgezapatag (overweight senior pug sits on a stool,) Karsten Winegeart

@karsten116 (Frenchie being offered a whole banana whilst wearing a onesie covered in pictures of bananas,)

Kacper Chrzanowski @typowy (puppy sitting for a treat beside an empty food bowl,) Upsplash Images (Bulldog dressed up as a ghost.)

ARE HALLOWE’EN DECORATIONS A NIGHTMARE FOR YOU?

Are Hallowe’en decorations tough on you and your pup? (Photo: French bulldog wearing a ghost costume)

Hallowe’en brings a trifecta of terror to many dog owners. 

First, there’s the decorations. Even the “regular” kind that don’t move, like skeletons or zombie arms jutting out of the ground, can be scary to some dogs. 

How is your dog doing with the motion-sensor decorations so far? The ones that light up, move, and make noise. 

Which decorations scare your dog the most? (Photo: life-sized skeletons pose in a yard)

How about the large inflatable jack o’ lanterns and cats? 

How about the plastic tape snapping in the wind? 

Ghosts swinging from tree branches? 

Let us know in the comments what your dogs struggles with. 

Whether stationary, moving on their own, or blowing in the wind, Hallowe’en decorations can be scary for some dogs (Photo: zombie hanging from a tree)

The second struggle that comes with Hallowe’en is people in costumes. Adults wear ENORMOUS…well, I’d call them masks, but really they are heads. These can be quite alarming to some dogs, especially when paired with HUGE fake hands. 

For dogs who are afraid of children, or people carrying objects, Hallowe’en is no fun at all. Not only are there children, but they are RUNNING, SCREAMING, and MOVING TOWARD YOUR DOG VERY QUICKLY while you’re out walking. Some rescue dogs really struggle with children waving swords, lightsabers, and pitch forks. 

Does your rescue dog cower in fear when people carry lightsabers…or golf clubs? (Photo: Darth Vadar pointing a lightsaber at the camera)

The third issue is people BANGING ON THE FRONT DOOR. This is something that many people struggle with on a daily basis, often locking their dog up when they have guests over. Hallowe’en is a gentle reminder to many people that their dog could really benefit from some training in this area. Wouldn’t you LOVE for your dog to be a part of your family gatherings? 

Trick or Treat? Are you and your dog ready for scary visitors? (Photo: person wearing a Freddy Kruger costume)

Let’s spend some time chatting about decorations because a) they are still going to be up for another couple of weeks and b) Christmas decorations are right around the corner. 

If your dog is concerned about decorations (nervous, running away from, won’t “let you” walk past them) there are a few tips you can try. None of us want our dog to live in fear. It’s a terrible way to feel. 

All dogs are different, so this may not work for every dog (depending on how fearful they are,) but if that’s the case, you can always schedule a FREE phone call with us and get some one-on-one coaching to help you out. The TAKE ACTION button will lead you straight to your FREE PHONE CALL.

1. BE CALM — If your dog has previously been afraid of decorations, you may be on edge and worried before you even pass by. Take a deep breath, relax, and look at your leash — it should be loose. Our own nervousness will travel down a tense leash and straight into our dogs. Breathe and believe!
   
   2. DON’T AVOID…TEACH — A lot of us do two things when it comes to dogs. We either AVOID the situation altogether (lock up your dog when people come over, store all food high up so they can’t reach it, never walk by certain houses because of decorations or backyard barkers.) When we do this, we miss an OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH. Take the opportunity to HELP your dog through the situation, instead of just brushing it under the rug. The other thing we tend to do is RUSH. We leave the house and only have time for a five minute walk (already in a rush,) and then scurry past scary decorations (because we think that will make it better, like ripping off a bandaid.)

Being on your phone and in a rush isn’t going to help your dog relax (or you!) (Photo: hand throwing away a cell phone)

Be in the moment. Leave your house with a clear goal of desensitizing your dog to ONE particular type of decoration. You don’t have to do all of them on the same walk, just try ONE thing. Experiment with walking past the object from a distance. Observe when your dog is uncomfortable (are you 30 feet away, 20 feet away, across the street?) Write all of these things down for your dog behaviourist. Every bit of information helps solve the puzzle. If you feel confident that you can tackle this on your own, hang out with your dog at a distance where they can ignore the object and LISTEN to a command. It’s okay if it’s far away, you can move closer gradually — and you don’t need to do it all in one day.

3. REWARDS — be sure to reward your dog when they are calm and relaxed. It may take awhile for them to be relaxed around the object, and that’s okay. Stand with them, with no leash tension, and simply be a calm source of energy. They will look to you for advice — if you look calm, they will feel safe. The reward doesn’t have to be food. You can rub their chest, say “good settle,” or engage in some tug of war. If they can play near the object, you’ll know they’re comfortable. If they are very food motivated and will NOT take a treat, you’ll know you still have work to do. And that’s okay. All good things are worth working for.

Remember to be consistent with your dog. If someone in your family is petting Daisy when she is shaking with fear beside a giant spider, they are reinforcing the fearful behaviour. Be sure that you come up with a solid plan about how to help your dog past her fear and GET ALL FAMILY MEMBERS ON BOARD. 

It’s the same for a dog who jumps up. If one family member allows jumping up, the dog will continue to be confused and jump up. 

I hope you have an amazing Hallowe’en season and that you are able to help your dogs move past their fear of decorations. 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Sarah Shull (French bulldog wearing a ghost costume,) NeONBRAND @neonbrand (life-sized skeletons pose in a yard,) Bellava G @bellava (zombie hanging from a tree,) Jose Martinez @jmartinez143 (Darth Vadar pointing a lightsaber at the camera,) Ilya Shishikhin @shishilya (person wearing a Freddy Kruger costume,) and Stanislav Kondratiev @technobulka (hand throwing away a cell phone.)

Trick or Treat

Trick or Treat? Let’s have some fun with tricks this week! (Photo: dog wearing a ghost costume)

Hallowe’en is my favourite holiday. Let’s have some fun, shall we? 

Let’s talk about dog tricks! 

Trick training is a great way to bond with your dog. It improves your communication with each other and allows you both to experience joy as a team. It also encourages your dog to pay attention to you for cues. Why does that matter in your relationship and on your walks? The more times per day that your dog learns to naturally look at you for direction (what should I do next?) the more she’ll be able to follow your direction when you’re out and about in your daily life. 

What’s your favourite trick that your dog already knows? 

Mine is probably the whisper because it makes Magic’s tail wag every single time. 

What is your favourite trick to watch other people do with their dogs? 

What is your favourite dog trick to watch or participate in? Tell us in the comments. (Photo: Border Collie jumping through a black and yellow hoop)

For me, that’s a tough one. There are so many tricks! I enjoy pretty much every trick as long as it looks as though: 

-the dog is having fun

-the dog isn’t at risk of being injured

-the human is having fun

-the dog’s state of mind is balanced (as opposed to way too excited or obsessive) 

What trick have you always wanted to teach your dog? Is it how to get them to speak? How to jump through a hula hoop? Post it in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you! 

I have always been trying to figure out how to get Magic to safely jump through my arms (if I make a circle.) I worked with a client to teach her and her much smaller dog do this trick and they are amazing at it. 

I have avoided teaching this to Magic because: 

-for some reason, despite having two very long volleyball arms, I always imagine getting clocked in the jaw during this trick

-of Magic’s shoulder injury (which plagued her for over a year) 

I have never seen this trick performed by a large breed or a working breed. It always seems to be performed by Border Collies and small rescue dogs. Perhaps this is why I stood in my own way for so long. I imagined that to do this trick “correctly,” my goal would have to be to have my arms at waist height with Magic sailing through the air. I didn’t want her to hurt herself on the landing.

When I began the first draft of the blog post, I realized that if I could get out of my own way (mentally) that Magic and I would probably have a lot of fun with this trick. I decided to keep the arm hoop low to the ground and not worry about ever making it too high (to protect her shoulder.) There is no “correct” when you’re doing tricks for fun. 

In our first attempt, Magic did great. Since she wasn’t jumping too high, I didn’t have to worry about her shoulder and could relax and have fun. 

I learned that I am perfectly capable of holding my head out of her way. This was a great reminder for me to live in the present moment, not the future.

Check out our new trick on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. You’ll see how to teach this trick from beginning to end.

Remember that our TikTok handle is: BeyondDogTraining

Instagram and Facebook: GoBeyondDogTraining 

Are you standing in your own way like I was? Pick a new trick and get started. You’ll have fun and so will your dog. 

Happy trick training! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Karsten Winegeart @karsten116 (dog wearing a ghost costume,) Andrea Lightfoot

@andreaelphotography (Border Collie jumping through a black and yellow hoop,)

"Off" VS. "Down"

Yelling “down” isn’t working. Here’s why. (Photo: a Frenchie/Boston Terrier mix stands with his front paws touching a person’s leg)

Are you making this mistake with your new puppy? 

If you are using “down” for two different things, you’re confusing your puppy. 

Confused puppies seem like they aren’t listening to you, when in reality they are confused by your directions because the directions are unclear. 

I hear clients, friends, and people on the street saying “down” to their puppies and dogs when the puppy’s two front paws are on someone’s leg. 

Often the owner is repeating herself over and over as her puppy plays patty-cake (or Wolverine, if the puppy is older and in need of a nail trim) on a stranger’s legs. “Down. Mushroom, down. Get down. Down! I’m so sorry, I don’t know why she’s not listening. Down! DOWN!” This is paired with pulling the dog’s harness many, many times. One of the worst parts of this scenario is the stranger petting the puppy, rewarding this terrible behaviour. 

This is what your dog thinks “down” means…because you taught him (Photo: German Shepherd mix lying down on a balcony)

Here’s why “down” isn’t working: 

If you are also teaching your puppy to lay down on command, you are confusing your puppy when they are jumping on people because you’re not actually asking for a “down” in that moment. What you mean, is “off.” 

Reserve “down” for “lie down” and use “off” for “I want four paws on the floor right now.” 

Use “off” when your puppy puts her front paws on:

-your furniture

-a stranger’s legs

-your countertop

-your legs

-your children’s legs

-anything else you don’t want her front paws on

Do your very best to never allow her paws to do any of those things. You can prevent unwanted behaviours by leaving a leash on and stopping her just as she’s taking off. Her muddy paws don’t ever need to make contact with that lady’s nice white pants. It’s on you to get in front of these behaviours. I would also use a slip lead and ditch the harness — it’s not helping you communicate with your dog.

This is literally teaching the dog to pull on the leash. Thud. (Photo: chihuahua on a harness pulling toward a hand that is holding a cookie.)

Do your very best not to repeat yourself as well. Changing “down, down, down. Down! DOWN!” to “off, off, off OFF! OFFFFFFF!” is not the answer. 

Say it once. Follow through if your puppy doesn’t listen. Reward her with getting it correct. For example: Your puppy puts her paws on your father’s legs. You say, “off.” Your puppy returns her front paws to the ground. “Good off,” delivered with a nice smile. 

Lead on, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Upsplash Images (a Frenchie/Boston Terrier mix stands with his front paws touching a person’s leg,) Upsplash Images (German Shepherd mix lying down on a balcony,) Tamara Bellis @tamarabellis (chihuahua on a harness pulling toward a hand that is holding a cookie.)

Camping Tips

What are your camping goals? (Photo: black and white Cocker Spaniel sits calmly in a green boat on the water)

You love camping and you want to bring your dog along but you’re worried about how she reacts: 

-on the leash

-when she’s tied up outside your trailer

-in the car

-around children

-around strangers

-and around other dogs

You imagine her swimming, playing fetch, and then having her space invaded by a well-meaning child…and you imagine the bite, the crying, and the furious parents. 

You imagine all of this even though your dog has never bitten anyone in the past. 

Help is on the way! 

You can achieve your camping goals. All you need to do is start small. (Photo: a woman and her dog sit calmly in a tent overlooking the water and mountains)

The first thing that will help you is to envision success. Imagine the swimming, the fetch, great recall, and hanging out at your campfire with your dog. 

Now, you need to set little goals to help achieve your camping dreams. 

Step One: 

Write down your vision. Do you want to do stand up paddle boarding? Canoe with your dog? Would you like her to be able to lay down and be chill at the campsite without defending it (and you) the entire time? Would you like her to relax in your canoe? 

Write them all down. The big goals. The small goals. 

Don’t forget to add: 

-calm in the car

-walk with you without pulling and reacting to dogs and people

Those two things matter because they revolve around teaching your dog to have a calm state of mind which is how you’ll achieve any goal with her. 

All set? 

Cheers to you reaching your goals with your dog (Photo: a couple cheers with wine glasses at a campsite. Their dog is lying calmly on the ground)

Step Two: 

Choose one small goal. Anything off the list that you can work on today. 

PRO TIP: Pick something that you can practice inside your home. A dog who doesn’t listen to you inside your home will not listen to you outside the home. It’s that simple. 

The biggest hurdle dog lovers have is getting started. Taking that first step. Because all those goals look like a mountain-worth of work. But guess what? Everything in life worth having takes hard work and dedication. Start small and we’ll get you there. 

Step Three: 

Commit to practicing this small goal three times today. Five minute sessions. That’s 15 minutes. You can make time for that. 

It doesn’t matter where you start. It matters that you’re brave enough to start. Be brave. 

Let me know what you’re working on in the comments below. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders. 

Alyssa 

Photos by: John Cameron @john_cameron (black and white Cocker Spaniel sits calmly in a green boat on the water,) Patrick Hendry @worldsbetweenlines (a woman and her dog sit calmly in a tent overlooking the water and mountains,) Jimmy Conover @jimmy_conover (a couple cheers with wine glasses at a campsite. Their dog is lying calmly on the ground,)

How Are Your Walks Going?

Are you relevant to your dog? (Photo: a person holding a retractable leash with the dog wayyyyyy out in front of them in a forest)

How are your walks going? Is there a lot of pulling? Does your dog spend most of her time on the walk: 

-zigzagging

-peeing on things

-hunting for squirrels/bunnies/birds/other dogs/people 

-lunging at people and other dogs

-chasing cars/cats/wildlife

-looking at everything but you

-pulling your arm out of its socket

-barking at…everything?

One of the reasons your dog is doing this is because you are not relevant. Sure, you’re attached to the other end of the leash, but you’re following behind her. She’s in control of where she’s going. 

Is your dog calling the shots and reacting to everything? (Photo: brown dog wearing a flat collar lunging at the end of his leash)

Because she’s in the front, she’s also in control of making all the decisions and dogs make pretty terrible decisions (and then yank us along with them, hurting our backs, shoulders, wrists, etc.) 

Here is your dog’s thought bubble: 

“That smells great, let me just pull over here. Now, over on this side of the sidewalk. Awesome! Mom’s pulling on the leash, guess I’ll dig in my nails, so she knows I want to keep smelling this. And GULP! Wow! That tasted as awesome as it smelled. Growl at that guy. Lunge at that senior citizen. I’ll nip that guy’s ankles, but I’ll wait until he’s passed by me. Barking seems to work to get other dogs to move away from me, so I’ll keep doing that move. Yep. Worked again. Those kids are screaming, let’s calm them down by jumping on them. Whoa! Garbage truck! Back away from that friggin’ thing! Squirrel!!” 

And on and on it goes. 

The only communication that is happening is: 

1. The dog is the leader and you are the follower. This is how pack animals think. If you are in the back, you’re a follower. If you’re in the front, you’re the leader.

2. There’s tension on your leash. Tension creates opposition reflex. In a nutshell, it communicates to your dog that it’s go time. Fight club time. Read more about that here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/who-is-protecting-whom

Are you practicing a bite sport, or are you on a calm and enjoyable walk? (Photo: a woman holding her Dogue de Bordeaux back while a man picks up a bite sleeve from the ground)

If you want a better relationship with your dog, but don’t know where to start, start with the walk. Teach your dog how to heel with a nice loose leash. Her head should be behind your knee to communicate to her that you are her leader. 

By walking your dog in this way, you earn leadership points. You get to choose which direction you walk which keeps you and your dog safe — you won’t be pulled toward aggressive dogs, forced to walk on the slipperiest part of the sidewalk, or pulled into traffic anymore!

Your dog will understand that it’s now your job to keep her safe, not the other way around. If she’s in front of you, it’s her job (that’s why she’s barking, lunging, and growling at every person and dog who comes toward you.) 

When your dog realizes you’ve got her back: 

-she can learn to trust you

-she can finally relax and just enjoy her walk (and not have to feel “on” all the time — she doesn’t like that, by the way.) 

-you will feel more relaxed and enjoy your walks more too

Walking your dog should be enjoyable. It shouldn’t feel like a chore. It shouldn’t be something you want to avoid. 

Walking your dog should feel like joy, peace, and calmness (Photo: Author, Alyssa Foulkes and her Rottweiler who is in an off-leash heel position in the forest)

Check out our latest IGTV video to learn more about: 

-fulfilling your dog’s physical and mental needs on walks

-heeling/loose leash walking

-one of the best places to practice loose leash walking 

Our Instagram handle is: @GoBeyondDogTraining

The video you’re looking for is called: Are you Fulfilling Your Dog? It’s in the IGTV Series: Structured Walks 

See you there! 

Happy training, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Marek Szturc @marxgall (a person holding a retractable leash with the dog wayyyyyy out in front of them in a forest,) Upsplash image (brown dog wearing a flat collar lunging at the end of his leash,) Upsplash (a woman holding her Dogue de Bordeaux back while a man picks up a bite sleeve from the ground,) Parry Bast (Author, Alyssa Foulkes and her Rottweiler who is in an off-leash heel position in the forest)

Cottage Tips

How to enjoy driving to and from the cottage and help your dog enjoy it too (Photo: the back of a German Shepherd mix sitting in a canoe)

Is your dog calm when you drive to your cottage? 

Pacing, panting, drooling, whining, and barking in the car is not the behaviour of a balanced, happy dog (Photo: a senior yellow Labrador Retriever wearing a worried expression in the backseat of a car,)

Does she pant, pace, whine, bark, walk back and forth over the kid’s legs? 

They’re not happy. You’re not happy. Your dog isn’t happy. 

Let’s change that with these tips. 

Most couples agree that their dog is stressed out in the car on the way up to the cottage. They have trouble pinning down the moment in time where the pacing, panting, and whining begins. They disagree about whether it begins as soon as the car starts, as soon as the car turns onto the highway, as soon as the car turns onto the gravel road near the cottage, or somewhere in between. 

The first tip is simply to observe your dog’s behaviour. 

Is she panting, pacing, or whining when you pack up the car? Where is she while you pack up the car? What is her state of mind? What is your state of mind? Are you in a rush? Hangry? These things matter. Dogs are our mirrors. 

It’s important to notice when your dog becomes stressed. Chances are it’s long before you hit the road (Photo: man packing camping items into the trunk of a vehicle)

If you notice that your dog is actually stressed out before you even get in the car, here are a few options to help her feel calm while you’re packing up: 

1. Have someone in the family take her on a long hike while the car is being packed up. Dogs who have been exercised are far more likely to be able to go into a resting state (which is preferred by everyone in the car during a four hour trip.)

2. Teach her the place command. The place command is an implied down-stay on an elevated surface. It is also a place of relaxation and calmness, so your dog’s job while you pack the car will be to relax in place.

3. Pack up early. If you’re in a rush and the family is running around yelling, your dog will pick up on that energy and mirror it back to you. You need to be in a calm and confident state of mind if you want your dog to be in a calm state of mind.

If your dog is pretty calm about most of the car ride, but gets amped up on the gravel road when you’re almost there, be mindful that you’re not amping her up. I recently helped a family who didn’t realize that they were getting their German Shepherd mix all excited on that road by letting her know they were almost there. “Almost there, girl. You can’t wait, can ya? You’re gonna chase the squirrels, aren’tcha? And swim, and play fetch, and catch sticks.” 

You’ve gotta be calm to teach calm. 

Try keeping the energy level joyful, but not bounce-off-the-walls excited. Your dog will be able to behave better upon arrival. 

Your energy and the energy of the other passengers has a ripple effect on your dog (Photo: A woman with her legs dangling out the car window. There is a road map on her lap.)

Imagine your dog arriving at the cottage and not having to worry about her: 

-jumping on the kids

-mouthing your hands

-biting people in the bum

-knocking over your grandkids

-racing to the neighbouring cottages and jumping up on them, their kids, their dogs

-running into the road and not coming when called 

-barking and chasing people and dogs who walk past your property 

Your dog’s behaviour at the cottage begins in your home. What you allow in your home and in your car, is what you agree with. 

Let us know in the comments how your dog behaves during your trips up to the cottage. 

Happy trails, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Lesly Juarez @jblesly (the back of a German Shepherd mix sitting in a canoe,) Karthik Sridasyam

@karthik1324 (a senior yellow Labrador Retriever wearing a worried expression in the backseat of a car,) Eddy Billard @eddybllrd (man packing camping items into the trunk of a vehicle,) Leio McLaren

@leio (A woman with her legs dangling out the car window. There is a road map on her lap.)

Try This!

If you want more of this on walks, read on for tips (Photo: Dachshund wearing a collar and leash looking up at his owner)

This week’s blog is a fun homework assignment. Who is ready to improve their relationship with their dog? 

Let’s go! 

This week, I want you to move more slowly. We humans are often in a big rush. We excitedly call our dog to the door, leash him up (even though he’s jumping on us and biting the leash,) and then we let him out the door ahead of ourselves. 

What happens next? 

We allow him into the car in an excited state of mind, where he barks out the window the whole time, paces, pants, and whines…and then we reward him by letting him leap out of the car and pull us around on a walk. 

You have to walk the dog you allow out of your front door. 

Read. 

That.

Twice. 

Please. 

If you allow your dog to get amped up before a walk, the walk will be a hot mess of pulling, anxious whining, reacting to dogs, reacting to people, and not listening to you. It can also be dangerous for you, the walker, if your dog is zig zagging, wrapping you up in the leash, tripping you, or yanking you into traffic. 

If your leash-up routine is a hot mess, your walk will be too (Photo: puppy grabbing and biting his collar)

Homework Assignment: 

Take your time before you pick up the leash to prepare yourself for the walk. That does not say: “to worry about the walk and all the dogs you think your dog will react to because she has in the past.”  

We are going to live in the moment during this homework assignment. Without talking to your dog, look over at your dog right now. 

Is she in a good state of mind right now? 

Sleeping? 

Calmly lying down nearby chewing a bone? 

Relaxed? 

This is the mindset that you want to reward and nurture, but you must begin with your own state of mind. 

Are you calm and confident right now? 

What would it take to remind yourself that you can do this? 

Do you need to remember a moment in your life where you felt confident? Perhaps you just received an award at work for leading your team to success. 

Maybe you just taught your daughter how to play the piano. 

So why do you think that you can’t walk your dog without drama? 

You can.

(Photo: woman on a mountain top with her arms spread wide in victory) The moment you start to believe in yourself is when you’ll see your dog’s behaviour shift in a positive direction

Hold on to that positive thought, puff yourself up, and let’s go get the leash. 

Wait! Before you get the leash, there’s one more thing that will help you: 

Review in your mind what your goal is going to be. 

It can be small! 

You can decide that this training session, you’re going to wait until your dog is calm before putting on the leash. Dedicate yourself to this process. 

I always recommend a quick potty break before you begin, especially if you have a puppy. This avoids accidents during your training session. It also keeps your mindset calm and confident (rather than worried about whether or not your dog needs to pee.) 

Now that you know what you’re looking for from your dog (calmness,) it’s time to get the leash. 

When you go get the leash, don’t say a word. 

Pick it up. 

If your dog comes over calmly, clip on the leash. 

If your dog comes over like a wild hyena (I’m not walking that thing), calmly set the leash down and go back to whatever you were doing before. 

This works. 

I teach this to all of my clients. 

Some have had dogs who would jump up on them. Others had dogs who would mouth or bite them. Many have had dogs who bite the leash and try to play tug. Other client dogs barked, jumped, and spun in circles. Clients with packs of dogs would deal with mouthing, wrestling, barking, and bouncing against the front door. Some client’s dogs would actually run away from the front hall. 

If any of those things happen to you, put the leash back and walk away. 

Dogs are very smart. 

Once your dog calms down, try this again. Don’t worry about it. Don’t be in a rush about it. You are strong, powerful, and confident and you’re the boss. 

Don’t feel badly about being a boss. Dogs require confident leadership. She won’t be mad at you, she will be relieved.

Dogs require leadership. Provide it and you’ll strengthen your relationship (Photo: woman sitting with her legs crossed holding a mug that reads: World’s Best Boss)

It’s the same as the first grade teacher who waits until all the children in the line are silent before allowing them to walk in the hallway to the assembly. If the teacher allows mayhem in the classroom and in the hallway, they will have wild students at the assembly. 

Wait your dog out. Believe you can do it. And then go do it! 

Post in the comments below how it goes. 

Have a wonderful long weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: laurent mandine @laurent38 (Dachshund wearing a collar and leash looking up at his owner,) Nat Chen @nat0408 (puppy grabbing and biting his collar,) Felipe Giacometti @fegiii (woman on a mountain top with her arms spread wide in victory,) Kelly Sikkema @kellysikkema (woman sitting with her legs crossed holding a mug that reads: World’s Best Boss,)

Puppy Love

Cuteness overload! Happy Friday! (Photo: three wrinkly puppies napping in a row)

If you haven’t had a puppy for awhile, or you’ve just adopted your very first puppy, you may be feeling very overwhelmed by chewing, barking, and crate training. There’s a lot to learn when it comes to raising a puppy into a balanced and well-behaved canine citizen. 

The first thing you’re going to need is not paper towels (though you’ll need a few of those) — it’s patience. 

Dogs are hardwired to follow calm and confident leaders, so freaking out, yelling, and waving your finger in their face are not going to help your relationship. 

The first ingredient to raising a puppy is patience (Photo: A woman leading her black dog on a park trail)

The second thing you’re going to need is this piece of information: your puppy is always, always, always learning. Anything you allow on day one (like pulling on the leash, biting the leash, and biting your fingers) that you’re not going to want your full-grown dog to do, will require lots of work to change later on in life. 

Don’t reach for your camera. Train your puppy that chewing this is off limits (Photo: Weimaraner puppy gnawing on the corner of a couch)

Start off on the right paw by teaching your puppy these five things: 

-they will get petted for having four paws on the floor and for being calm (not biting) 

-chewing the leash is not allowed

-the leash represents calmness (do not clip your leash onto a puppy who is jumping on you, biting you, or biting the leash) 

If you never allow this behaviour, you’ll never have trouble gearing up for walks with your full-grown dog (Photo: puppy lying on its back grabbing and biting its collar)

-you are the most important thing in the environment (so she should listen to you instead of pulling you toward every person, dog, cat, bunny, blowing leaf, and shiny object/reflection) 

-being in her crate is safe and wonderful (I just had a client who could not leave her house for two weeks to get groceries because her puppy could escape the crate. If you like eating, crate train your puppy and don’t skip any steps.) 

If you’ve never taught a puppy how to: 

-love a crate

-walk on a leash (without pulling or biting) 

-be calm around food

-greet strangers politely

-like having her nails trimmed

Schedule your free phone call today and we’ll show you how. 

Schedule your free call here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

You can prevent: 

-having a puppy who cries and howls in her crate

-your puppy from escaping her crate and injuring herself in the process

-having a dog who bites the leash and drags you toward everyone and everything on walks

-having a puppy who constantly barks at you for everything

This is what dog ownership feels like when you’ve trained from day one (Photo: woman on a hiking trail jumping for joy)

If your puppy is now an adolescent (anywhere from 6 months to 2 years of age) and you are struggling with: 

-leash biting

-nipping strangers

-greeting your houseguests calmly (without jumping up, nipping, growling, or guarding you) 

-pulling on the leash

-crate training 

-separation anxiety

-obsessions with balls, reflections, or other objects 

schedule your free call here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

There are so many advantages to in-home training that you won’t get in puppy school. 

-greeting guests at your own front door

-walking past the distractions in your own neighbourhood (the neighbour’s barking dogs, the tasty apple tree, cats, bunnies, and squirrels) 

-how to stop biting your table legs, couch cushions, and children’s clothing/toys/toes

-how to get along with your other pets 

Schedule your assessment (Your Dog Would Choose This One) here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

In an hour and a half, you’ll learn the things that matter most to YOU. 

This week, we’ve helped clients with young puppies learn: 

-how to engage your puppy, so she stops demand barking at you

-how to crate train your puppy (so that you have fun doing it — and so does your puppy) 

-how to get your puppy to stop biting your children’s clothes, your children, your toes, your arms….you get the idea 

-how to turn potty breaks into little leash training sessions that are fun and encourage zero leash pulling

-how to teach your puppy how to be calm around his food bowl

-how to correctly introduce your puppy to the bathtub for his first bath 

-how to teach a mouthy puppy from biting your houseguests 

Whether your goal is calmness at the groomer and veterinarian’s office, or politely greeting strangers, we are here to help you (Photo: a calm Pomeranian being groomed)

It’s so important to get on top of your training as soon as you meet your puppy. Don’t wait until a bunch of loud, pointy, pully behaviours develop to begin undoing the damage. It’s way harder (especially if you’ve never owned your own dog before) to train a puppy to stop doing behaviours that you’ve allowed for months and months than it is to train them to do what you like in the first place. 

Let’s get you set up for success. 

Looking forward to helping you and your puppy develop a wonderful relationship. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Nicole Romero @billyynai_ (three wrinkly puppies napping in a row,) Gary Ellis

@garyellisphoto (A woman leading her black dog on a park trail,) Upsplash image Weimaraner puppy gnawing on the corner of a couch,) Upsplash image (puppy lying on its back grabbing and biting its collar,) Upsplash image (woman on a hiking trail jumping for joy,) Upsplash image (a calm Pomeranian being groomed,)

Three Fun Ways to Beat the Heat

Time to beat that summer heat (Photo: Golden Retriever puppy on a surfboard in a swimming pool)

Southwestern Ontario is in the middle of a heat wave. The humidex has been above 40 degrees Celsius for what feels like forever. 

You don’t need to press pause on your training, you just need to be smart about it to keep your dog (and yourself) from overheating. Here are three fun ways to stay cool during a heat wave. 

1. WORK FOR FOOD: If you have access to shade and grass, you can do some of your obedience work and tricks outdoors. Keep the sessions short and calm. Teach your dog something new, or improve something that’s rusty (like recall, stay, or drop it.)

BEST TIME OF DAY TO PRACTICE THIS: early in the morning after your structured walk; lunchtime (if you have a young puppy who eats three times a day); dinnertime 

ALTERNATE LOCATION: Inside your home with air conditioning or fans (or both!) 

You can practice sit, down, come, stay and more inside in the air conditioning to stay cool (Photo: Jack Russell Terrier puppy sitting on a hardwood floor)

2.    SWIMMING: This is one of the most fun ways to cool off with your best friend. If your dog loves fetch, you can play fetch. If they prefer a nice game of catch, do that instead. 

BEST TIME OF DAY TO PRACTICE THIS: In the morning before the sun scorches the earth LOL! Afternoons are great too. If you have a glow-in-the-dark ball and/or backyard lighting, you can play in the evening too — just watch out for the mosquitoes. 

ALTERNATE LOCATION: If you don’t have a pool, try a lake, river, or the ocean. If you have an indoor swimming pool and air conditioning, that would be a lovely option and I would like your address. Ha! 

Beat the heat in a lake, swimming pool, or with a trip to the beach (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler playing fetch in a lake wearing a red life jacket)

3.   PLACEWORK (INDOORS): If you’re new to the place command, read this post: 

Place is the answer to your dog’s question: “Stop barking/stealing the kid’s socks/and jumping on guests and do WHAT?” You can practice placework indoors where it’s nice and cool. 

BEST TIME OF DAY TO PRACTICE THIS: early in the morning after your structured walk and “work for food” session; while you’re cooking; while you’re eating your meals; after your dog has eaten her dinner. If you’re new to placework, practice very short sessions (under 4 minutes) as many times a day as you can fit in. The more you practice, the faster you’ll see results (a calm pup who knows how to relax instead of bark out the windows.) 

ALTERNATE LOCATION: Outside on your walks. I like to use boulders, tree stumps, logs, and benches for outdoor placework. You can even bring your place cot outside (Kuranda makes specific cots for indoors and outdoors.) 

Place is a great way to provide your dog with a safe, calm space (Photo: pitbull puppy in the place command on top of a brown and white dog bed)

Stay cool, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Mia Anderson @miaanderson (Golden Retriever puppy on a surfboard in a swimming pool,) Margo Brodowicz @margobr (Jack Russell Terrier puppy sitting on a hardwood floor,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler playing fetch in a lake wearing a red life jacket,) Upsplash Image (pitbull puppy in the place command on top of a brown and white dog bed.)