Dogs and Babies

Do you see what I see? Look closer. This poodle is uncomfortable. (poodle laying on the floor with a baby)

Congratulations! You’re about to grow your family with a baby — the human kind. 

There’s so much to do to prepare yourself and your home for this exciting new addition, that we often forget to prepare our dogs. 

Here’s why you should take the time to prepare your pooch for living with a baby BEFORE you bring your baby home. 

1. Future you is tired and sore. If your dog currently invades your space, just think of how irritating it will be when you’re trying to change a diaper on the floor and your dog will not leave you alone. They may step in poop and track it all over the house for you to clean up later. Even worse: they might step on the baby. Teach your dog to give you space now, so that they understand what you mean when you ask for space for your baby.

2. Future you pushes a stroller. If your dog currently barks and lunges at people and dogs who pass by, this will endanger you and your baby. If you’ll be pushing that stroller through winter on black ice this is exponentially more dangerous. The time to teach your dog a beautiful loose leash walk is now.

Teach your dog to walk beside you with a nice loose leash before adding in the stroller (Photo: two strollers in the snow)

3. Future you now holds a baby when opening your front door to houseguests (and there will be droves of them.) If you currently rely on pulling your dog’s collar back to open your door to prevent jumping up, nipping, mouthing, humping, etc, it’s time teach your dog what to do when the doorbell rings. The answer is: go to their place and wait calmly until you release them.

4. Future you is going to talk baby talk and snuggle with a little baby. If your dog currently loses his mind with jealousy when you pick up your friend’s baby or your niece, it’s time to prepare him to share you. If your dog sees you as his resource (guards you, growls at people who approach you, sits on your feet, leans on your legs, won’t “let you” pet other dogs or your cat, sleeps in your bed, etc) seek professional help immediately. Balance your dog before you add a baby to the mix.

If this drives your pup into a frenzy of jumping and whining with your nieces and nephews, it’s worth training now before adding in your own bundle of joy (Photo: woman snuggling a baby)

5. Future you is up to her eyeballs in laundry, rocking a crying baby, nursing the baby, and hoping for naps that never come. Teach your dog all of the commands that can save her life to make daily life with her and tired-you a breeze — come, leave it, drop it, stay, place, crate. Future you doesn’t want to drive to the vet at 3 AM because “come” didn’t work and your dog’s face is full of porcupine quills or “leave it” didn’t work and she ate a dirty diaper and three hair scrunchies. Future you wants to be stress-free when guests come over, not driving your grandmother to the ER for stitches after your dog bites her. Teach your dog the place command now, so that you and your dog can enjoy calmness when guests come to visit.

Prevent sleepless nights and the stress that comes with worrying about your dog’s behaviour around houseguests, your baby, and strangers on the street. The time to train is right now. (Photo: person covering their face and lying in bed #stress)

Dogs are designed to follow calm and confident leadership. Tired people tend to raise their voices when their dog doesn’t listen the first time they say: Come. Yelling your command won’t make your dog listen. Screaming it because you see a skunk in your yard ten feet away from your dog also won’t help. Do you really want to be buying Skunk-Off shampoo at 10 PM on a Tuesday? It’s time to teach your dog a rock-solid recall command. 

It’s time to prepare your dog for all things baby. Think of it as preparing for game day. Your dog needs to practice all of these things without distractions so he has a chance to get really, really good at them. Then, we add in a doll, the sounds of a crying baby, the babies’ funny-looking furniture (unless you think a dog should just know what a jolly jumper is…) 

We teach your dog to walk on a loose leash with no pulling, and then we add the stroller so he has time to get used to it. 

A loose leash heel takes time. Give yourself time to learn this with your dog before adding in the stroller and before adding a baby to the stroller (Photo: people walking with a stroller while people behind them walk another dog - both dogs are heeling)

We teach your dog the place command so he learns how awesome it is and then we add people knocking on your door as a distraction. 

We practice before the real baby arrives, so that you’re not stressed out, tired, and worried. 

We practice before the real baby arrives because it is the kindest thing to do for your dog. 

When to begin: 

-the moment you begin planning to grow your family

-the day you find out you are pregnant

-or today, because you didn’t realize how difficult this would be for you and your dog to navigate on game day 

What to work on: 

-place

-loose leash walking

-threshold training

-crate training

-come

-leave it

-drop it

-stay 

Schedule your free call today. I can’t wait to get started! 

Schedule your free call here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action or click the TAKE ACTION button below.

Happy training, Dog Leaders!

Alyssa 

Photos by: Picsea @picsea (poodle laying on the floor with a baby,) Charlotte Karlsen

@charlottemsk (two strollers in the snow,) Austin Wade

@austin_wade (woman snuggling a baby,) Anthony Tran

@anthonytran (person covering their face and lying in bed #stress,) Upsplash Image (people walking with a stroller while people behind them walk another dog - both dogs are heeling,)

Your Relationship Inside Your Home

Are you rewarding this inside your home? (Photo: two dogs wrestling on the grass,)

Your relationship with your dog begins inside your home. A dog who does not listen to your direction inside your home will not listen to your direction outside your home. It really is that simple. 

If your dog lunges, growls at, tries to nip, and/or barks at your houseguests, how could we be surprised when they behave this way on walks as well? It’s all connected to your relationship. 

Ask yourself how often you reward your dog for being excited inside your home each day? 

Do you encourage the zoomies (even when your dog flies across the couch overtop of your children’s legs and steps on your cats - ouch!)? 

Do you reward your dog with praise and affection when she’s invading your personal space, whining, leaning on you, or nudging your hand (demanding affection)? 

Do you toss toys for her when she’s barking at you? 

Are you rewarding your dog for barking at you during fetch? (Photo: dog barking in the water)

Do you talk in a baby voice and pet her when she greets you with excitement when you come home? 

Do you feed her when she’s excited? 

Now, ask yourself: How many times a day do I reward her for being calm and relaxed inside the home? 

For many people, that number is much lower than the excitement number. Oftentimes we don’t ever reward our dog for calmness at all. You don’t know to do it until you know — and now you know. 

If all you practice is excitement, your dog doesn’t get a chance to practice being calm. If he never practices calmness inside your home, how can you expect him to practice it on the walk? 

The walk begins inside your home. If you leash up a hyper dog and he pulls you outside, you have already signed the contract of being his follower. Following an excited dog and pulling back on the leash leads to all sorts of bad behaviours and is also damaging to your dog’s trachea. 

Flat collars and even some harnesses can damage your dog’s trachea if the dog is allowed to constantly pull (Photo: large brown dog lunging on the leash wearing a flat collar)

Many people believe that the harness will change this relationship and make the walk better. I have seen harnesses:

-ride up and put pressure on the trachea causing all of the same trachea damage as a flat collar

-putting pressure on puppies’ necks and causing them to vomit

-ruin the gait of the dog (think shoulder injuries from constantly walking in this “pull sideways away from my human” way that you’ve seen or are living with)

Harnesses were designed for pulling. (Photo: sled dogs pulling a sled on the snow)

Often when we walk our dog on a harness we are not relevant. Meaning, if we dropped the leash, our dog would not care. They would just toddle off toward whatever distraction they were originally pulling you toward without even glancing back at you. This is a relationship problem. No matter what tool you walk your dog on, you should be relevant on the walk.

All dogs have opposition reflex and will pull away from whatever is trying to hold them back (Photo: pug wearing a harness pulling away from its human handler)

I’ve helped lots of owners who have hit a plateau with their reactive dog to overcome leash reactivity. Almost all of them have come to me with a harness and a habit of using a lot of high-value treats, neither of which were helping them to reach their walking goals.

If you’re struggling with leash reactivity and you’ve been working on this for months and the issue isn’t resolved — schedule a free call with us and find out if we’re the right fit. We love helping owners learn how to enjoy calm walks with their dogs.

Feeling overwhelmed? Wondering where to begin? 

-Placework in the home: start small and build up to longer durations, distances, and distractions

Placework is all about providing your dog with a job (calmness) so that they can retire from window barking and counter surfing (Photo: Retriever laying calmly on a dog bed,)

-Positive mindset: Yoga, meditation, positive self-speak. Breathe and believe. You can do this. Calmer you — calmer dog. 

-Heeling (teaching your dog to walk beside or even slightly behind you on walks on a nice loose leash): begin teaching this inside your home 

-Thresholds: calm dogs are allowed to go through doorways (front door, back door, stairs, car door, crate door, elevator door, etc.) Excited dogs need to wait until they are calm before being given the reward (the walk is the reward.) 

It’s never too late to change your relationship with your dog. He’s waiting patiently for you to take the leadership role. He doesn’t want it anyway. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: David Taffet @invisibleman_photography (two dogs wrestling on the grass,) Angelo CARNIATO

@angelocarniato (dog barking in the water,) Upsplash Image (large brown dog lunging on the leash wearing a flat collar,) Sandra Seitamaa

@seitamaaphotography (sled dogs pulling a sled on the snow,) yang miao

@yangmiao (pug wearing a harness pulling away from its human handler,) Upsplash Image (Retriever laying calmly on a dog bed,)

Posted November 2021. Updated March 24, 2022.

Guest Greetings

This is not how you greet guests at your front door (unless you want them to get bitten.) (Photo: Person wearing army fatigues holds/pulls back on a German Shepherd’s collar)

If you’re already worried about how your dog greets your houseguests and you’re freaking out about hosting Christmas dinner, it’s time to start preparing your pup now. 

It’s not just pandemic puppies (who are now reaching adulthood) who don’t know how to politely greet guests at our front doors: it’s pretty much all dogs. Why? Because we humans often feel: 

1. excited to greet our guests

2. badly about taking our time to calm our dog down BEFORE opening our front door to our guests

We also think that six weeks of puppy classes should somehow prepare our dog for real life. It doesn’t. 

Puppy class doesn’t prepare you for this (Photo: little boy entering a home through a front door)

Or this! (Photo: two boys having a pillow fight on a bed - feathers everywhere!)

We must practice polite door greetings many times in order for our dog to become good at them. Think about it: you didn’t just attend soccer GAMES, you had practices all week in order to prepare for game day. We must begin to take this mentality when training our dogs. We are putting in the necessary repetitions to prepare our dogs (and ourselves) for game day. 

If you don’t like that analogy because you’re not an athlete, compare it to dance, piano, or becoming a dentist. 

A lot of work goes in before game day. Practice, practice, practice. (Photo: stadium full of people watching a soccer game)

One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make is to hold their dog back. Please read this blog post to understand that holding your dog back makes other people a target. Just like police dogs. https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/who-is-protecting-whom

The other missing piece of the puzzle is direction. What do you want your dog to do when you open the door? 

Most people say: I want him not to jump up. I want him to stop barking and trying to nip people. I want him to be calm. 

If you want your dog to be calm, you have to be calm. Raising your voice and pulling his collar aren’t helping. 

You have to decide what you want your dog to do. Here is a list for you, so that you can choose something that will work: 

-I want my dog to go to her place (elevated dog bed) and practice calmness

-I want my dog to be on leash beside/slightly behind me and calm

You must provide clear direction (a job) for your dog so they know what TO do (Photo: brown and white puppy sitting on a dog bed)

Where to begin? 

Practice door greetings often. Practice with family members and friends who are capable of being calm around your dog. 

As you practice, remind yourself: 

-I can do this

-My dog may need a few repetitions even with a family member, but that’s part of the process. 

-I have to be calm to teach calm

Question: I have a huge family event coming up and I won’t have time to teach my dog placework with large distractions (because this event is only one week away.) What do I do? 

Answer: You can teach your dog to love his crate in a week. Practice at every mealtime. Start with very short sessions and build up the time gradually. If your dog is really stressed greeting guests in your home, the kindest thing you can do for him is to teach him to love his crate. He can relax in his crate during your event if you fulfill his mental and physical needs before the event begins. 

When taught correctly, crates represent a wonderful, safe space that dogs enjoy resting in. They are den animals. (Photo: Border Collie lies calmly in a dog crate)

If you’re worried about hosting holiday parties, dinners, and Christmas day festivities, schedule your free call today. You still have plenty of time to teach your dog how to politely greet visitors at your front door. 

If you’re feeling worried about hosting events because of your dog’s behaviour, I’m only a free phone call away (Photo: a young woman sitting on the floor, shoulders hunched, leaning against her couch - worrying)

If you are struggling with crate training, how to teach your dog to be calm, or how to be calm yourself, I’m only a free phone call away. Find out if we’re the right fit for each other. 

Are you thinking about placework training but don’t know where to begin? Call me. Place is amazingly easy for dog owners to teach when they have a great coach. 

Looking forward to helping you and your pup succeed with guest greetings, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa

Photos by: Upsplash (Person wearing army fatigues holds/pulls back on a German Shepherd’s collar,) Peter Idowu @peteridowu (little boy entering a home through a front door,) Allen Taylor

@allentaylorjr (two boys having a pillow fight on a bed - feathers everywhere!) Mitch Rosen

@focusmitch (stadium full of people watching a soccer game,) Upsplash Image (brown and white puppy sitting on a dog bed,) Ayla Verschueren

@moob (Border Collie lies calmly in a dog crate,)

Joice Kelly@joicekelly (a young woman sitting on the floor, shoulders hunched, leaning against her couch - worrying,)

Winter is Coming

A Dire wolf would have been too on the nose ;) (Photo: black dog covered in snow)

Your dog is reactive to other dogs on the leash. She pulls so hard that you can barely walk her. She’s pulled you off your feet multiple times (your have the scars to prove it) and last time she pulled you into traffic. 

This situation seems like it can’t get any worse, but it can. Just add ice. 

I have helped clients who have suffered brutal injuries from being pulled to the ground in the summertime. When you add ice, the risk of injury is that much worse. 

Schedule your free call today and get started on a path to better dog walks with your dog. No more pulling. No more broken promises (such as “Get a no-pull harness. It will fix everything.”) 

Harnesses were designed for pulling. (Photo: Siberian Huskies pulling a sled beneath a sky filled with beautiful Northern Lights)

Imagine you and your dog walking in harmony with no pulling. You can do it. Let us help you…before you get a concussion on the ice. 

If you’ll be pushing a stroller this winter, but your dog currently: 

-lunges at dogs

-tries to bite strangers

-yanks you toward cars

-pulls you toward every bush, tree, hydrant, and pole

We still have appointments available in November. Schedule your appointment now to prepare your dog to walk calmly beside you and your stroller. 

Here is a tip that will get you started before you work with me one-on-one: 

Your leash-up routine matters. If your dog currently jumps all over you, bites the leash/harness as you’re trying to put it on, or plays tug of war with the leash try this simple tip. 

Your puppy is ALWAYS learning. What are you teaching in this moment? (Photo: puppy biting his collar)

Go to the place you keep your leash. Pick it up. If your dog comes running and acting very excited (which is the mindset that leads to jumping up, mouthing, biting the leash behaviours) simply set the leash down and walk away. Dogs are extremely smart. Before you know it your dog will learn to associate your picking up the leash with calmness. It is way easier to walk a calm dog than an overly excited one. 

Give it a try and let us know how it goes in the comments below. 

It’s time to change your walks for the better. 

I can’t wait to get started! How about you? 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Yuki Dog @adventure_yuki (black dog covered in snow,) Thomas Lipke

@t_lipke (Siberian Huskies pulling a sled beneath a sky filled with beautiful Northern Lights,) Nat Chen

@nat0408 (puppy biting his collar,)

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)