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How to Use Steps to Build Up to Your Ultimate Training Goals

12/28/2020

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PictureIzzie is our model for this blog.
The ability to teach dog training commands that are later on reliable and ​functional depends upon how the ability to break them up into steps and then layer onto them different environments and distractions.   This is also true when you are modifying your dog's behavior or changing your dog's perception of things that might make them defensive or scared.  Many dog owners are not aware that going slower and methodically is going to give them a much better chance of reaching their dog training or behavior modification goals with their dogs.

Dogs neither understand English nor read minds.   It is the dog owner's and trainer's job to break commands down into parts which can be taught well, and then advance the command by increasing things like the three Ds (duration, distance and distraction), which was discussed in our previous blog post.


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Patterns and Structure, How Do They Help with Dog Training and Behavior?

10/19/2020

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Patterns, as I define them in dog training and behavior modification, are manufactured predictable events.  That is they are a sequence of steps  that become predictable with repetition and consistency.  Remember, canines do not share our human language.  We can not tell them what is coming up, but our actions to create patterns and structure can place them on more predictable ground.

​As humans we take this for granted for ourselves, but if you think about it, our every day patterns and structure lend to the feeling of safety and security for human children and adults alike.   Of course we can talk to each other should an unanticipated event comes up.   Can you imagine how scary some events are to dogs who do not have that sort of heads up?  We can make everything smooth sailing (or smoother sailing anyway) by adding a little pattern and structure to certain parts of our canine's day. 


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What is your dog's bliss?  How can finding their bliss help?

10/13/2020

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Leon loved fetching as a wee young thing. We both learned about this skill together, and had a lot of fun doing it.
What do I mean by your dog's "bliss"?

  • The activity or item that eventually or immediately drives your dog to do it more or want to engage with you more.​
  • This is something the dog is going to eventually be clear about. You can experiment with to find it and start the process, but ultimately you need to pay attention to whether it is truly motivating your dog OR do you just expect it would motivate your dog.

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Engagement and Motivation

10/5/2020

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Engagement in dog training is the ability to create a relationship with your dog where you are the reward. Engagement done well will have your dog insisting on continuing the activity with their owner. In other methods of training, there are some elements of this as well, but the engagement that I am talking about is much more. Engagement in dog training is more about play with their owner or handler to create that very strong bond and work ethic. As with anything, it can have it's pluses and minuses. I really enjoy this method, because I get to play with my dog and train. The thing that motivates me in this method, is seeing my dog have fun while we are doing it. Why do I also use other methods other than Engagement and Motivational methods? One reason is this is a bit slower process than some other methods in the shorter term.   Sometimes if you really need to stop your dog from jumping on your elderly relatives, while including them in your family activities, you might want to take a faster course of action.  Of course there are ways to control what you dog does by confining them more, but I like my dogs to have certain freedoms during the day, where this perhaps might not happen if I was only using this method. It takes longer not in time per day, but the progress to build to a goal in general will take more time. There are reasons to want to spend a longer period if time in training your dog. I will go over that at a later date.


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How to work with and be realistic with the dog or puppy you have right now

9/28/2020

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Dog lovers know that a dog's physical appearance as far as size, hair length, hair color, ears shape, curly or flat coated, age, and so on.   Dog's are also individuals, and these internal characteristics do not show on their outsides.  These personality traits and temperaments can vary wildly from playful, wary, suspicious, defensive, resource guarding, driven, active, laid back, and so forth.   Add to the mix that some dogs have some training or real life experiences that may be useful as a dog owner or trainer creates a training plan.  Recently, one of our blogs went over why there are so many different methods, techniques, and tools that help a dog owner to train their dog.

A professional dog trainer will look at the dog you have right now (as best they can in the time they have) to determine the right path to start down.  A dog owner who is honest with themselves can begin to assess this too.   None of these traits determine how well a dog will be trained, but they do guide you to what ways will most likely efficiently and effectively train your dog to the best of your ability.


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Crate Training Tips

5/8/2020

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​Objectives: Using a crate is important for many reasons. House training, boarding, possible veterinarian visits where they are staying hours or overnight, safety in the house (puppies will try and chew wires and all sorts of things left to their own devices), just having a shower without worrying about what puppy is getting into, and separating out from company that may be afraid of dogs, in general. The objective is to create a peaceful place where your puppy or dog knows they are safe and comfortable to rest and relax.


Equipment: Crate, flat collar on dog (so you have some hold on him putting him in or out), toys placed in the crate already, and a lot of patience. You don't want your puppy to see you getting frustrated. This is all a learning experience for them.


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So you have a new puppy what training to start with right away-Pandemic Series Day 28 of Social Distancing

4/7/2020

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PictureSally Wally Woo as she is known here.
Puppies can do more than human babies can do, but do remember that these are babies.  Everything is new to them.   In this article, I am going to attach some basic puppy links of the things that you might not know about puppies, how they develop and how they mature.   The real purpose of this article is how you go about training a puppy the right way, and with the knowledge that these are babies.
  1. Growth Stages in Puppies (Many people consider a dog mature at 2 years, but with our breed, the Doberman, it seems like three years in when they get there)
  2. Critical Periods in Puppy Development
  3. Incomplete listing of things that are poison to your puppy
  4. House Training Tips
  5. Crate Training (be sure to scroll all the way down, they have specific instructions on this article)
  6. A listing of all sorts of link in regards to puppies
  7. Socialization strategies
  8. Tips about your new puppy


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    Author, Robin Rubin

    ​Owner and Head Dog Trainer in Maine, Robin Katherine Rubin, started her Maine dog training business in September 2004.  Our dog training facility is located in Southern Maine in York Beach and we help families enjoy their dogs more, making sure they listen reliably and resolving unwanted behaviors.

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