Instincts and Drive in Dogs. I was on week 2 of a private training session. I thought things were going very well. The owners were responding, and even having fun. Their Abby, an eight month old boarder collie, was responding well. I could see the joy returning to her eyes. In the initial intake the owners expressed pride that they had a working bloodline dog. They described in length how Abby’s mom herded sheep around…   Continue

  Reactivity isn’t a training thing. It isn’t a ‘bad dog thing’ It isn’t a ‘bad training’ thing It isn’t a complicated thing. Recipe for a Reactive Dog Lack of socializing and mental stimulation 2 – 12 weeks. Being taught to fear walking/people/dogs 8 – 20 weeks. Bad Genetics Bad Food Pain Environment   The problem with a reactive dog is that many dog trainers have tunnel vision. They look at only one aspect of…   Continue

Puppy biting and Hyper Behavior is a problem for many puppy owners. Dr Ian Dunbar, one of the foremost canine behavior experts in the world, does not find the term aggression helpful in diagnosing and correcting the problem. Part of the problem is that people believe that any dog that bites, growls, or backs away (stress/fear) is aggressive, or going to be aggressive. Without understanding this is normal dog communication. The second part of the problem…   Continue

Winter Weather – please text the number at the top of this page to make sure we are not closed due to weather. Monday 6pm – Canine Parkour, Core Training, Dance 6pm – Competition Rally (area 2) 7pm – Urban Heeling and Obedience Tuesday  6pm – Heeling and Rally ‘learn the moves’ 7pm – Reactive Dog Socialization Wednesday 6pm – Functional Puppy Life Skills – Open to older dogs in second area who want to…   Continue

Puppy Socializing 8 – 20 Weeks You have been exposing your puppy to new environments, new smells, new challenges. Each one should have been age appropriate. None should have frightened or stressed your puppy. Each ‘adventure’ should have been a happy one, ending in a good nap (latent learning). Puppies habituate to things very quickly, so the third or fourth exposure is no longer socializing. Don’t worry if your puppy is Wary. This is normal….   Continue

Puppy Socializing 10 – 16 Weeks – Calm Most new puppy owners do not realizing that Socializing happens from when a puppy wakes up, until it goes to sleep. It is important to give the puppies new things to explore all day, inside and outside. It is important to set up games for the puppy, and puzzles to solve. But it is also important to teach the puppy to be calm. You cannot force a…   Continue

This article focuses on socialization. What is puppy socialization? And, what it is not. There are three development stages. Each one requires different skills and tasks taught the puppy. Socializing 8 – 12 Weeks – Comfort The most important things to consider when socializing is that: a) A puppy should never be forced to encounter everything or everyone – especially in your home. b) A puppy should be allowed to investigate ‘everything’ it wants to….   Continue

Puppies are not born able to control their emotions. They are not born knowing how to communicate. They have no learning skills, or stress coping skills. In fact, puppies are born ‘clean slates.’ All they know is how to eat, sleep, and fear.  These are the skills Mother Nature endows them with so that they can survive. When a puppy is born their first imprint is from their mother. If she is calm, it will…   Continue

Author Mickey Stillwell Do you know that the reason your dog listens probably isn’t because he is stubborn, or dominant. It is because your dog really doesn’t understand what you want. Or, what you think you are saying, isn’t what the dog is hearing. 1- you don’t train often enough Sometimes once our dog has engagement and knows a behaviour we are asking we allow our dogs to go on auto pilot. So then sometimes…   Continue

I asked Mickey Stillwell what errors she made in the ring, or what she saw. The focus was on mistakes that cost owners points. These may not be in the books, or on the cheat sheets. They may be things you haven’t even thought of, but judges will NA or remove points. Bowing when giving a command Improper hand position Body language for the finish (dipping shoulders, head tilt) Head movement Moving fingers on the…   Continue