Initial Instructions

Logistics

If I will be more than 15 minutes early, I will call ahead to make sure that’s ok.  If I hit traffic/construction and am running late, I will do my best to call or text you, but I can’t always do this while driving.  I promise, I am on the way.  I use an app to help me get around traffic, so this is rarely an issue.

Safety

Dogs with a bite history towards humans, or who have displayed any fear of strangers, should be left in a separate room with the door closed when I arrive.  Have a pet gate or baby gate ready and I will instruct you when to bring the dog out on leash.  We will start introductions with you holding the dog’s leash behind a barrier.  It’s important that introductions be done in a structured and safe way, stressing your dog as little as possible.

Practicing

We cover 2-3 parts of various exercises at each session with most of them taking more than one session to complete.  The three most important factors that determine how your dog progresses are:

1. if you practice regularly and make time to apply what you are learning
2. the pace that your individual dog learns, some exercises will be easier than others for him or her
3. if you communicate with me between sessions so we don’t have to do a lot of time talking about how the previous week went (this is as simple as sending me an email 24 hours before your next appointment outlining how things are going)

Ideally, you will spend 5-15 minutes practicing each day, 3-5 times per day and make time to apply the concepts in “real life” scenarios.  The exercises build on each other so if you don’t practice, we get stuck and can’t move forward.

Homework

Please review the website ispeakdog.org.  It’s a great free resource covering dog communication that I ask all clients to review.  You can skip sections that don’t apply to you, and I don’t expect you to get through it all at once.  Try to spend a few minutes each day until you’ve completed the portions most relevant to your dog’s behaviors.  If you would like to go more in-depth, this is a great webinar for a small fee: https://iaabcfoundation.org/courses/canine-body-language/

Everyone who will be training with the dog will need a training pouch or their own pouch belt strap that they can adjust to their size.  Included is the link to the brand I recommend.  Pockets will not work.  Don’t worry if you don’t have this yet by our first in-person session, but please have them ready as soon as possible.  Whenever clients purchase a different brand of pouch, they never like them, this really is a good option

Doggone Good Clicker Company:
Rapid Rewards Pouch
Belt Strap

You will need lots of small, very soft, and stinky food items to use as training rewards.  Most dog owners do not choose treats that work and tend to spend more than they need to on commercial treats.  If they are not smooshy like a cut up hot dog, they are too hard.

These are what I recommend:

• cut up cheese and/or hot dogs – if the dog’s stomach is not sensitive
• cooked chicken – if the dog’s stomach is sensitive
• Happy Howie’s meat rolls
• Freshpet Vital – nuggets that come in a bag, not the logs

Check the ingredients and do not use training rewards that contain ingredients your dog is allergic to.  Be sure to introduce new foods slowly, a little at a time, so your dog doesn’t get an upset stomach.

When training indoors where there are minimal distractions, a lot of training can be done using your dog’s meals as a reward.  When you move outdoors or there is something more distracting than usual in your home, and during consultations, you will need the extra good treats.  Track how much food you use for training and decrease the size of the dog’s dinner proportionally.  It’s ok to use all of the dog’s meals for training and enrichment, versus feeding them for free out of a bowl.  Most dogs actually prefer this to eating out of a bowl as it mimics their natural scavenging behaviors.