k9listener

[k9listener]

Thanksgiving Tips

Thanksgiving can be a very busy holiday. We might be traveling or having guests over to the home for the festivities. Unless your dog(s) is being boarded or watched by others, here are a few tips to help Turkey Day go more smoothly. 1)Please remind everyone that turkey skin is very harmful to dogs and can be toxic, and remind people of any allergies or sensitivities your dog may have. A well meaning friend or family member might be slipping your dog some treats, so make sure everyone knows what your rules are.

2) Dogs still need exercise on holidays. Get out for some good walks before they’re expected to listen to you or take in a lot of sensory input! A shorter walk can be made more mentally tiring for your dog by asking them to heel at your side, and do circles, random stops, sits, downs, stays, zig zags, weaves and figure-eights around obstacles, changes of pace from slow to fast, going on and off curbs, etc. Reward their hard work with multiple breaks to allow them to sniff, eliminate, etc. This type of structured walk helps drain real energy rather than allowing them to be excited, and will help release anxiety as well. Any type of obedience training right before guests arrive can help make your dog more responsive to you—the more familiar their commands are when the guests arrive the better they will perform and the more confidence they will have. After the meal, a short walk is good for our digestion and our dogs! See if some of the family wants to join you for a little outing around the neighborhood. :) If you choose to play games with your dog, ask for eye contact on YOU versus the toy, and ask them to perform challenging obedience commands before they get the toy thrown. Requiring that they be CALM before the excitement of the toy will drain 100x more energy than allowing pure excitement and fixation on the toy.

3) if they are coming with you to someone else’s home, bring them in on leash and lead them to areas of the home while leashed rather than allowing them to explore immediately on their own. This will discourage them from claiming the house and possibly doing destructive behavior or marking areas. If there are other dogs present and you are concerned about them getting along, ask the owner to walk them with yours before entering the house, pick up any toys and food. Fights happen most around the humans, so make sure that people know to limit physical affection to the dogs to avoid conflicts, and try not to allow one dog to block the other or push another out of the way.

4) if your dog is nervous of guests, teach them a touch command if possible (YouTube has many different videos on this and I’ve posted one here before as well). Take them outside frequently to help their minds decompress, and it’s absolutely ok to remove them if you feel the situation is not setting them up for success. Ask that guests ignore your dog if he/she is fearful or nervous. Resist petting your dog if they are in a nervous state, as this will reinforce the fear. Instead, remain quiet, and project a level and relaxed voice tone to your dog while showing your dog you are confident and not worried about them (even if you are). A quiet, calm, and even voice tone and a confident demeanor works much better to calm your dog rather than catering to their fear by attempting to sooth them. Instead, give instructions and directions. They will do much better if you are showing them that you know what to do. If they can, have them perform known and familiar obedience commands for super high value treats to build their confidence in these unfamiliar situations. If you remove your dog to give them a break (as well as yourself), that’s fine—just try to perform the above exercises first so you are ending the situation in control rather than removing them at a low point. You can also repeat this exercise a few times when you have free moments or when the festivities have calmed down a bit. When they are doing well, praise them quietly instead of excitedly so you can maintain the most equanimity possible for them.

Remember that dogs need to be shown their alternatives to being defensive or shut down, and many times that’s as simple as showing them they’re not penned in. Move them around frequently if they’re on leash with you, give them safe quiet places to be in if they’re stressed, and if they’re not on leash with you, praise their good behaviors from a distance whenever possible so they’re more aware of the room they have around them. This way they’re less likely to feel confined or relegated to defensive behaviors when they’re hearing your voice from a distance.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday. I am so thankful for you all and especially for the dogs in this world that teach me new lessons each and every day.

[k9listener]

Fourth of July Help

Fourth of July is coming up!  Or as animals might call it, “The End of the World Day”.  Some dogs are fine with it, some are terrified, and all levels in between. Remember if you go out, shut windows and leave pets inside.   Here are a few tips that can help make that evening less frightening. Try to tire your dog throughly before the main activities with a long draining walk. For the mildly scared dog, as soon as the fireworks start happening, try to show your dog you didn’t notice or care. Dogs look to us for a reaction and can sense/smell our confidence (or worry). Don’t look at your dog directly right after (that would be you expecting a reaction and saying to your dog “did you hear that too?). Instead, slack your posture, settle back, and make every effort to show you are unconcerned. If your dog starts pacing, call your dog calmly to a spot and tell them calmly but firmly to lie down and stay. Restricting movement that way helps them from making themselves more anxious. It also builds confidence in them to know you are in control because you are telling them to do something you normally would. The voice tone should be quiet, flat, and even, just like a parent calmly giving instruction to a child. Resist giving constant physical affection if they are scared, as that can be a nervous behavior from you, and in essence it means you are “trying” to reassure them rather than being in control. Try not to say “it’s ok” unless your voice is perfectly calm and even, because that phrase tends to bring with it a fearful intonation and connotation. If they are just mildly nervous and get comfort from being next to you, a small amount of affection is fine, just don’t overdo it–that makes the situation a big deal and rewards their anxiety. If they need a distraction, have a yummy bone handy, but if they’re very scared they might not accept it. If they’re terrified, give them a safe spot like a crate or bedroom, close all windows, and put on the TV or some relaxing music, something that helps drown out a little of the outside noise. Some people sedate their dogs, some try the thunder vest (varying results), and that may help depending on the level of anxiety. I prefer a natural calming agent such as cbd treats/oil if I recommend anything, as sedatives can have the opposite of the desired effect depending on the dog. Above all, stay as calm and relaxed as possible. It is completely fine if you ARE worried, mainly focus on what the body language of calm LOOKS like….relaxed shoulders, even breathing, focusing on something other than your dog, as if it was a normal day or evening. Let your dog know that no matter how scared he is, you’re not bothered, worried, or anxious. Be STRONG for your dog. Be their COACH rather than their teammate in these moments. Let them know YOU are brave and not concerned (even if you are).  They wouldn’t know you’re worried about them, they will think you’re worried because of the noise, which means you are no longer their protector. How YOU feel and act makes all the difference to them. As hard as it might be to stay calm, the best way you can comfort them is being their calm stalwart leader. Have a safe and happy weekend!

Extra articles that can help:

Calming Touch

Be Braver Than Your Dog

[k9listener]

Thanksgiving Tips

Thanksgiving can be a very busy holiday. We might be traveling or having guests over to the home for the festivities. Unless your dog(s) is being boarded or watched by others, here are a few tips to help Turkey Day go more smoothly. 1)Please remind everyone that turkey skin is very harmful to dogs and can be toxic, and remind people of any allergies or sensitivities your dog may have. A well meaning friend or family member might be slipping your dog some treats, so make sure everyone knows what your rules are.

2) Dogs still need exercise on holidays. Get out for some good walks before they’re expected to listen to you or take in a lot of sensory input! A shorter walk can be made more mentally tiring for your dog by asking them to heel at your side, and do circles, random stops, sits, downs, stays, zig zags, weaves and figure-eights around obstacles, changes of pace from slow to fast, going on and off curbs, etc. Reward their hard work with multiple breaks to allow them to sniff, eliminate, etc. This type of structured walk helps drain real energy rather than allowing them to be excited, and will help release anxiety as well. Any type of obedience training right before guests arrive can help make your dog more responsive to you—the more familiar their commands are when the guests arrive the better they will perform and the more confidence they will have. After the meal, a short walk is good for our digestion and our dogs! See if some of the family wants to join you for a little outing around the neighborhood. :) If you choose to play games with your dog, ask for eye contact on YOU versus the toy, and ask them to perform challenging obedience commands before they get the toy thrown. Requiring that they be CALM before the excitement of the toy will drain 100x more energy than allowing pure excitement and fixation on the toy.

3) if they are coming with you to someone else’s home, bring them in on leash and lead them to areas of the home while leashed rather than allowing them to explore immediately on their own. This will discourage them from claiming the house and possibly doing destructive behavior or marking areas. If there are other dogs present and you are concerned about them getting along, ask the owner to walk them with yours before entering the house, pick up any toys and food. Fights happen most around the humans, so make sure that people know to limit physical affection to the dogs and don’t allow one dog to block the other or push the other out of the way.

4) if your dog is nervous of guests, teach them a touch command if possible (YouTube has many different videos on this and I’ve posted one here before as well). Keep structure by having them remain with you on leash rather than immediately removing them and isolating them from the situation. Having them follow you around on leash gives them a job to do and helps work them through their nervousness rather than letting them run and hide. Take them outside frequently to help their minds decompress, and it’s absolutely ok to remove them if you feel the situation is not setting them up for success. Ask that guests ignore your dog if he/she is fearful or nervous. Resist petting your dog if they are in a nervous state, as this will reinforce the fear. Instead, remain quiet, and project a level and relaxed voice tone to your dog while showing your dog you are confident and not worried about them (even if you are). A quiet, calm, and even voice tone and a confident demeanor works much better to calm your dog rather than catering to their fear by attempting to sooth them. If they can, have them perform known and familiar obedience commands for super high value treats to build their confidence in these unfamiliar situations. If you remove your dog to give them a break (as well as yourself), that’s fine, try to perform the above exercises first so you are not simply avoiding the problem. You can also repeat this exercise a few times when you have free moments or when the festivities have calmed down a bit. When they are doing well, praise them quietly instead of excitedly so you can maintain the most equanimity possible for them.

Remember that dogs need to be shown their alternatives to being defensive or shut down, and many times that’s as simple as showing them they’re not penned in. Move them around frequently if they’re on leash with you, give them safe quiet places to be in if they’re stressed, and if they’re not on leash with you, praise their good behaviors from a distance whenever possible so they’re more aware of the room they have around them. This way they’re less likely to feel confined or relegated to defensive behaviors when they’re hearing your voice from a distance.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday. I am so thankful for you all and especially for the dogs in this world that teach me new lessons each and every day.

[k9listener]

Warning Tones and Questions

I have written a few different articles on voice tone (see below for titles), but this subtopic is a very important one that I’m far overdue in writing: Warning tones and questions.

That’s the “staaaaaay” or “leaaave ittt”, and the ones with that slight lift of a question, or even the words “Can you ____?”

Why don’t I like them? It puts off the air that you not only don’t expect the behavior that you want, but when you use warning tones it also sounds that you expect something bad to happen. Ultimately you don’t trust your leadership.

🐾

Remember, it’s not about the random moments where you warn or ask, it’s about how you handle real conflict. If you are conditioned to sounding like something bad is going to happen when you warn “leave it” or “stay”, imagine how you’ll instinctively react when something tense actually happens. Separately from the conflict situation, if you are consistently asking questions of your dog in your tone, you are always suggesting to yourself and the dog that you do not expect anything the first time. That creates a ripple effect of overly repeating yourself and then your dog very quickly learns to tune you out.

🐾

Most of my work is teaching the owners how to achieve leadership and teamwork with their dogs. That requires breaking your own habits and working on canceling out your physiological responses to stress. The articles I have written are centered around that. So when we are consistently asking questions of our dogs when giving commands, we are not only contradicting ourselves with our tone (and your body language WILL reflect that, regardless of how subtly), but the desired outcome will never be what you want in the moments that really matter.

🐾

It’s all learned habits.

If you question your dog to “Sit?”, and warn your dog to “staaaay”, then you are consistently “trying” instead of “doing”. When moments happen that are truly tense, your instinct will not be to step in and confidently tell your dog how to handle the situation. Instead it’s all too easy to get loud, high pitched or have inflection, and that just ends up intensifying the situation rather than deescalating it. You will then lose leadership points in an important situation that could have proven to your dog that you can handle pressure. Long long lasting effects can come from that.

🐾

My mother would look at me and tell me “Put those cookies back.” Emphasis with a PERIOD at the end. She didn’t warn, or question; she made statements. This has NOTHING to do with being loud; in fact many of you are familiar with how I preach “Confidence is quiet, insecurities are loud”. This has to do with expecting the good behavior and then planning on following through. You’ve got to sound like you know what you’re doing if you ever hope to believe in yourself, let alone have your dog trust that you have everything together and are the infallible leader you hope them to believe that you are.

🐾

Our dogs CANNOT control a human world without feeling extreme pressure. That’s why REAL service dogs are so incredible (another rant for another day). So if we expect good behavior from them, if we don’t want them stepping in and trying to use dog rules in a human world, and we expect them to trust us and respect us in moments that really carry with it a great deal of importance— we have to have established habits within ourselves AND in their behavior that expect the desired outcome.

🐾

It starts with your tone. Posture is vital, but it is difficult to maintain the correct body language without the tone. My other articles go over different types of voice tone, and I’ll list them below. What I want you to take away from this particular article is to resist lifting your voice at the end of your commands. Make statements—visualize a period at the end of your words. Warning tones suggest something bad is about to happen which can lead you down a very negative path that creates more problems than it prevents. So don’t warn anything—TELL your dog what to do. That does not mean sound harsh or get loud and mad—that’s not leadership. As stated in previous articles, a level and quiet voice tone suggests you expect good behavior and that you trust your leadership.

🐾 I do have a couple small exceptions. I ask a question when teaching a dog to go potty outside and I mark their body language when they show interest. I elongate my word “Slow” when teaching the change of pace because I find it works better to help the dog slow it down. That’s about it.

🐾

When things don’t go as planned, as they often do, it’s still important to always act like you expect responsiveness the first time. Following through can be done in a variety of ways, but you will never be able to do so if you sound like you don’t expect it to work! You will also LOOK better and respond more calmly and effectively in that moment if you have conditioned yourself to believe it with your words and tone.

🐾

We fail ourselves and our dogs by looking too much into the past and future and losing track of the moment. If you want the past to be erased and the future to have potential, expect it in your voice tone and everything becomes easier.

🐾

Articles that can help you with this are as follows:

Habits to Break

Tip of the Day (two of them)

Failsafes and Verbal Language

How and When To Use Voice Tone

Be Braver Than Your Dog

Levels of Praise

Power of Instinctual Reaction

Stays

I hope this helps you in your journey with your animals. This can have some powerful effects in all areas of our lives, not just in our animal world. We’ve got to expect great things from ourselves if we expect the same from our dogs. 🐾❤️🐾

[k9listener]

Fourth of July Help

Fourth of July is coming up!  Or as animals might call it, “The End of the World Day”.  Some dogs are fine with it, some are terrified, and all levels in between. Remember if you go out, shut windows and leave pets inside.   Here are a few tips that can help make that evening less frightening. Try to tire your dog throughly before the main activities with a long draining walk. For the mildly scared dog, as soon as the fireworks start happening, try to show your dog you didn’t notice or care. Dogs look to us for a reaction and can sense/smell our confidence (or worry). Don’t look at your dog directly right after (that would be you expecting a reaction and saying to your dog “did you hear that too?). Instead, slack your posture, settle back, and make every effort to show you are unconcerned. If your dog starts pacing, call your dog calmly to a spot and tell them calmly but firmly to lie down and stay. Restricting movement that way helps them from making themselves more anxious. It also builds confidence in them to know you are in control because you are telling them to do something you normally would. The voice tone should be quiet, flat, and even, just like a parent calmly giving instruction to a child. Resist giving constant physical affection if they are scared, as that can be a nervous behavior from you, and in essence it means you are “trying” to reassure them rather than being in control. Try not to say “it’s ok” unless your voice is perfectly calm and even, because that phrase tends to bring with it a fearful intonation and connotation. If they are just mildly nervous and get comfort from being next to you, a small amount of affection is fine, just don’t overdo it–that makes the situation a big deal and rewards their anxiety. If they need a distraction, have a yummy bone handy, but if they’re very scared they might not accept it. If they’re terrified, give them a safe spot like a crate or bedroom, close all windows, and put on the TV or some relaxing music, something that helps drown out a little of the outside noise. Some people sedate their dogs, some try the thunder vest (varying results), and that may help depending on the level of anxiety. I prefer a natural calming agent such as cbd treats/oil if I recommend anything, as sedatives can have the opposite of the desired effect depending on the dog. Above all, stay as calm and relaxed as possible. It is completely fine if you ARE worried, mainly focus on what the body language of calm LOOKS like….relaxed shoulders, even breathing, focusing on something other than your dog, as if it was a normal day or evening. Let your dog know that no matter how scared he is, you’re not bothered, worried, or anxious. Be STRONG for your dog. Be their COACH rather than their teammate in these moments. Let them know YOU are brave and not concerned (even if you are).  They wouldn’t know you’re worried about them, they will think you’re worried because of the noise, which means you are no longer their protector. How YOU feel and act makes all the difference to them. As hard as it might be to stay calm, the best way you can comfort them is being their calm stalwart leader. Have a safe and happy weekend!

Extra articles that can help:

Calming Touch

Be Braver Than Your Dog

[k9listener]

This is one of my clients and her hard work as a mom and a fur mom is exemplary and inspiring. I see this picture as not only adorable but a great reminder of how important teamwork is. Looking at building up what our dogs do best, establishing as much structure as possible to prevent mistakes, looking at fulfilling their needs in order to fulfill our expectations and goals, and especially keeping this concept at the forefront: is this working? And if not, what can I do to change it?

I know I might seem like a broken record on these phrases but they are the tenets that form the backbone of my techniques and principles. When we are always ready to change the game plan, we are less disappointed, have greater successes, and most importantly: our bond with our dogs is strengthened the most when they see how we handle conflict. When they fall apart and you don’t, that’s where you are truly a leader. 🐾❤️🐾

•

•

•

#emilythedoglistener #dogtraining #puppytrainer #dogsofinstagram #puppiesofinstagram

[k9listener]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WgK84_Cq8MOKYAapahqDD4NKnF4vZiKZ/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wb70vD-loWhmezhditvlPQxSqWyGU3ow/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DYyoeX1UoxPOmgMK4p33hhLDm2rmF7Vl/view?usp=drivesdk

3 videos to help with separation anxiety as asked for by a rescue organization. These are basic tips and there are many ways to treat and prevent this common problem.

[k9listener]

Warning Tones and Questions:

I have written a few different articles on voice tone (see below for titles), but this subtopic is a very important one that I’m far overdue in writing: Warning tones and questions.

That’s the “staaaaaay” or “leaaave ittt”, and the ones with that slight lift of a question, or even the words “Can you ____?”

Why don’t I like them? It puts off the air that you not only don’t expect the behavior that you want, but when you use warning tones it also sounds that you expect something bad to happen. Ultimately you don’t trust your leadership.

🐾

Remember, it’s not about the random moments where you warn or ask, it’s about how you handle real conflict. If you are conditioned to sounding like something bad is going to happen when you warn “leave it” or “stay”, imagine how you’ll instinctively react when something tense actually happens. Separately from the conflict situation, if you are consistently asking questions of your dog in your tone, you are always suggesting to yourself and the dog that you do not expect anything the first time. That creates a ripple effect of overly repeating yourself and then your dog very quickly learns to tune you out.

🐾

Most of my work is teaching the owners how to achieve leadership and teamwork with their dogs. That requires breaking your own habits and working on canceling out your physiological responses to stress. The articles I have written are centered around that. So when we are consistently asking questions of our dogs when giving commands, we are not only contradicting ourselves with our tone (and your body language WILL reflect that, regardless of how subtly), but the desired outcome will never be what you want in the moments that really matter.

🐾

It’s all learned habits.

If you question your dog to “Sit?”, and warn your dog to “staaaay”, then you are consistently “trying” instead of “doing”. When moments happen that are truly tense, your instinct will not be to step in and confidently tell your dog how to handle the situation. Instead it’s all too easy to get loud, high pitched or have inflection, and that just ends up intensifying the situation rather than deescalating it. You will then lose leadership points in an important situation that could have proven to your dog that you can handle pressure. Long long lasting effects can come from that.

🐾

My mother would look at me and tell me “Put those cookies back.” Emphasis with a PERIOD at the end. She didn’t warn, or question; she made statements. This has NOTHING to do with being loud; in fact many of you are familiar with how I preach “Confidence is quiet, insecurities are loud”. This has to do with expecting the good behavior and then planning on following through. You’ve got to sound like you know what you’re doing if you ever hope to believe in yourself, let alone have your dog trust that you have everything together and are the infallible leader you hope them to believe that you are.

🐾

Our dogs CANNOT control a human world without feeling extreme pressure. That’s why REAL service dogs are so incredible (another rant for another day). So if we expect good behavior from them, if we don’t want them stepping in and trying to use dog rules in a human world, and we expect them to trust us and respect us in moments that really carry with it a great deal of importance— we have to have established habits within ourselves AND in their behavior that expect the desired outcome.

🐾

It starts with your tone. Posture is vital, but it is difficult to maintain the correct body language without the tone. My other articles go over different types of voice tone, and I’ll list them below. What I want you to take away from this particular article is to resist lifting your voice at the end of your commands. Make statements—visualize a period at the end of your words. Warning tones suggest something bad is about to happen which can lead you down a very negative path that creates more problems than it prevents. So don’t warn anything—TELL your dog what to do. That does not mean sound harsh or get loud and mad—that’s not leadership. As stated in previous articles, a level and quiet voice tone suggests you expect good behavior and that you trust your leadership.

🐾 I do have a couple small exceptions. I ask a question when teaching a dog to go potty outside and I mark their body language when they show interest. I elongate my word “Slow” when teaching the change of pace because I find it works better to help the dog slow it down. That’s about it.

🐾

When things don’t go as planned, as they often do, it’s still important to always act like you expect responsiveness the first time. Following through can be done in a variety of ways, but you will never be able to do so if you sound like you don’t expect it to work! You will also LOOK better and respond more calmly and effectively in that moment if you have conditioned yourself to believe it with your words and tone.

🐾

We fail ourselves and our dogs by looking too much into the past and future and losing track of the moment. If you want the past to be erased and the future to have potential, expect it in your voice tone and everything becomes easier.

🐾

Articles that can help you with this are as follows:

Habits to Break

Tip of the Day (two of them)

Failsafes and Verbal Language

How and When To Use Voice Tone

Be Braver Than Your Dog

Levels of Praise

Power of Instinctual Reaction

Stays

I hope this helps you in your journey with your animals. This can have some powerful effects in all areas of our lives, not just in our animal world. We’ve got to expect great things from ourselves if we expect the same from our dogs. 🐾❤️🐾

[k9listener]

Fourth of July Help

Fourth of July is coming up!  Or as animals might call it, “The End of the World Day”.  Some dogs are fine with it, some are terrified, and all levels in between. Remember if you go out, shut windows and leave pets inside.   Here are a few tips that can help make that evening less frightening. Try to tire your dog throughly before the main activities with a long draining walk. For the mildly scared dog, as soon as the fireworks start happening, try to show your dog you didn’t notice or care. Dogs look to us for a reaction and can sense/smell our confidence (or worry). Don’t look at your dog directly right after (that would be you expecting a reaction and saying to your dog “did you hear that too?). Instead, slack your posture, settle back, and make every effort to show you are unconcerned. If your dog starts pacing, call your dog calmly to a spot and tell them calmly but firmly to lie down and stay. Restricting movement that way helps them from making themselves more anxious. It also builds confidence in them to know you are in control because you are telling them to do something you normally would. The voice tone should be quiet, flat, and even, just like a parent calmly giving instruction to a child. Resist giving constant physical affection if they are scared, as that can be a nervous behavior from you, and in essence it means you are “trying” to reassure them rather than being in control. Try not to say “it’s ok” unless your voice is perfectly calm and even, because that phrase tends to bring with it a fearful intonation and connotation. If they are just mildly nervous and get comfort from being next to you, a small amount of affection is fine, just don’t overdo it–that makes the situation a big deal and rewards their anxiety. If they need a distraction, have a yummy bone handy, but if they’re very scared they might not accept it. If they’re terrified, give them a safe spot like a crate or bedroom, close all windows, and put on the TV or some relaxing music, something that helps drown out a little of the outside noise. Some people sedate their dogs, some try the thunder vest (varying results), and that may help depending on the level of anxiety. I prefer a natural calming agent such as cbd treats/oil if I recommend anything, as sedatives can have the opposite of the desired effect depending on the dog. Above all, stay as calm and relaxed as possible. It is completely fine if you ARE worried, mainly focus on what the body language of calm LOOKS like….relaxed shoulders, even breathing, focusing on something other than your dog, as if it was a normal day or evening. Let your dog know that no matter how scared he is, you’re not bothered, worried, or anxious. Be STRONG for your dog. Be their COACH rather than their teammate in these moments. Let them know YOU are brave and not concerned (even if you are).  They wouldn’t know you’re worried about them, they will think you’re worried because of the noise, which means you are no longer their protector. How YOU feel and act makes all the difference to them. As hard as it might be to stay calm, the best way you can comfort them is being their calm stalwart leader. Have a safe and happy weekend!

Extra articles that can help:

Calming Touch

Be Braver Than Your Dog

[k9listener]

Training Moments

The “special toy”:

~

I’ve written articles on “training moments” before (see “Big and Little Moments of Leadership on my Tumblr blog site (soon to be directly on my website as well)) but wanted to expound a bit. Sometimes we don’t have as long as we want to walk or exercise our dogs. Knowing how important a structured walk is, but only having a few minutes sometimes, we need to really capitalize on the moments we DO have. Now that could be in the house or around the block, in a shopping center or any type of new location (always way better than a familiar spot)....whatever time you have, make it count!! It doesn’t just tire your dog out or hold them over; it also gives you serious kudos points for leadership!

~

There are many ways to exemplify leadership while also draining energy, advancing obedience skills or using a game to my advantage. Random stops, slow to fast, sits, downs, stays, on and off curbs, zig zags, changes of direction, hide and seek, find the toy, etc. I incorporate challenge with motivation whether it be my voice, leash cues, food, affection, or toys.

~

But this specific example involves using one very special toy to my advantage. I LOVE tug games. I incorporate impulse control whenever possible by teaching a good drop/out (see my video Teaching Drop), and asking for obedience positions before resuming the game. It’s a great biting/chewing outlet and if you stop the game randomly and challenge your dog you are teaching vital impulse control.

~

Today I had 10 minutes in between sessions. I took this special toy that only comes out for these moments, and did tug up and down the street, stopping to have her drop and work for it. When we’re back inside the toy is hidden. (She loves seeking this toy out by smell as well when I have her search for it). It’s such a great way to build her toy drive as well as having a fun but important structured game when we only have a little bit of time. Make sure your “training moments” don’t get your dog TOO excited if you are working on leaving them alone—if that’s a work in progress, settle for the mental work activities I described in the first paragraph instead. She has so much fun with this 🐾❤️

[k9listener]

Reblogging for you all for tomorrow and the weekend! Wishing you all a great holiday! 

Thanksgiving Tips

Thanksgiving can be a very busy holiday. We might be traveling or having guests over to the home for the festivities. Unless your dog(s) is being boarded or watched by others, here are a few tips to help Turkey Day go more smoothly. 1)Please remind everyone that turkey skin is very harmful to dogs and can be toxic, and remind people of any allergies or sensitivities your dog may have. A well meaning friend or family member might be slipping your dog some treats, so make sure everyone knows what your rules are. 2) Dogs still need exercise on holidays. A shorter walk can be made more mentally tiring for your dog by asking them to heel at your side, and do circles, random stops, sits, downs, stays, zig zags, weaves and figure-eights around obstacles, changes of pace from slow to fast, going on and off curbs, etc. Reward their hard work with multiple breaks to allow them to sniff, eliminate, etc. This type of structured walk helps drain real energy rather than allowing them to be excited, and will help release anxiety as well. After the meal, a short walk is good for our digestion and our dogs! See if some of the family wants to join you for a little outing around the neighborhood. :) If you choose to play games with your dog, ask for eye contact on YOU versus the toy, and ask them to perform challenging obedience commands before they get the toy thrown. Requiring that they be CALM before the excitement of the toy will drain 100x more energy than allowing pure excitement and fixation on the toy.

3) if they are coming with you to someone else’s home, bring them in on leash and lead them to areas of the home while leashed rather than allowing them to explore immediately on their own. This will discourage them from claiming the house and possibly doing destructive behavior or marking areas. If there are other dogs present and you are concerned about them getting along, ask the owner to walk them with yours before entering the house, pick up any toys and food. Fights happen most around the humans, so make sure that people know to limit physical affection to the dogs and don’t allow one dog to block the other or push the other out of the way.

4) if your dog is nervous of guests, ask them to remain with you on leash rather than immediately removing them and isolating them from the situation. Having them follow you around on leash gives them a job to do and helps work them through their nervousness rather than letting them run and hide. The more space a dog has, the more their bad behavior increases, ie running around, jumping, hiding, etc. So limit their space with a leash and ask them to follow you. Ask that guests ignore your dog if he/she is fearful or nervous. Resist petting your dog if they are in a nervous state, as this will reinforce the fear. Instead, remain calm, and project a quiet and relaxed voice tone to your dog while showing your dog you are confident and not worried about them (even if you are). A quiet, calm, and even voice tone and a confident demeanor works much better to calm your dog rather than catering to their fear by attempting to sooth them. Bringing out strong scent to wave in front of their nose always helps bring out their “learning portal” as I call it—my article on the Treat Command can really make a big difference as well (see http://k9listener.tumblr.com and type in Treat Command at the search bar)

If you must remove your dog to give them a break (as well as yourself), that’s fine, but perform the above exercise first so you are not simply avoiding the problem. You can also repeat this exercise a few times when you have free moments or when the festivities have calmed down a bit.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday. I am so thankful for you all and especially for the dogs in this world that teach me new lessons each and every day.

[k9listener]

Tip of the day: Both of these are imperative concepts in behavioral modification and training in general. The biggest hurdles I see people face, are both continuing to live in yesterday, and also worrying about the initial discomfort their dog goes through when you have taken on a real leadership role all of a sudden. For the first concept, I call it “going human”—when people are faced with a tough moment and their minds go to what used to happen or what could happen. We have got to be better than that. We must believe that change is possible or it will never happen. We have got to be braver than our dogs so they don’t have to take those challenges for us and for themselves. My article “Power of Visualization” goes over how truly influential our thought processes can be to help change our behaviors and make us look braver than we might feel in that moment. “Be Braver Than Your Dog” is also another one that can help remind you how important it is to step in for your dog so they don’t have to. When it comes to change, many dogs instantly appreciate the role reversal, but just as many struggle against it because that human has yet to prove it to them that they are in control. It’s one of your biggest tests—to prove it to that dog over and over that you can handle that responsibility. They are not suffering because of the change—they are concerned because you have taken away the outerlying sources of their insecurity, and all that is left is the original problem—fear and insecurity. Once you show them on a daily basis that you are unfazed and remain consistent, they can truly relax and grow with your leadership. Great things never came from comfort zones! So in every moment possible with your dog, focus on what is happening right then and only that. Focus on what you want from your dog despite what is going on around you. I say this a lot but it always is truth for me: there is no greater trainer for your dog than you. #emilythedoglistener #dogtraining #puppytraining #tipoftheday #ocdogs #dogsofsandiego #dogsoforangecounty #sandiegodogs #californiadogs #doglife #behavioralrehabilitation #dogbehavior #dogpsychology #lifewithdogs #thursdaymotivation https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp7hbxUnK3c/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=zii4070xlx6y

[k9listener]

Always ask yourself “Is this working?” If the answer is yes, never get complacent. Don’t lose track of what you did to get that success and be prepared to go back to that. If the answer is no, what can you do to change it? Never hesitate to think outside the box. You will always be by far your dog’s best trainer. #emilythedoglistener #dogtraining #puppytraining #dogobedience #dogrehabilitation #dogsofinstagram #mondayquotes #dogtrainer #dogbehavior #dogpsychology #dogcare #doglife https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo-PD9DnBJM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lmt8d2o5jns0

[k9listener]

Tip Of The Day: Many people I meet at sessions already play a lot with their dog, but don’t know how to teach valuable concepts during that play. It’s a really powerful opportunity to ask your dog to think—that drains mental energy, fulfills their need for a job, and increases your leadership. Mental energy includes anxiety, fear, hyperactivity, impulse control issues, aggression, etc, so definitely things we want gone from the head. When you stop play randomly to ask for eye contact, you’re putting the focus on you and your leadership, helping your dog effectively remain in a clear and present state of mind. How many times has your dog been in a situation that is too overwhelming and they forget everything you have taught them? If during play you can pause the game and get your dog to focus on you and advance to asking for obedience positions before resuming the game or asking them to hold that eye contact for longer moments, you can effectively condition their mind to come down from an excited state more easily when you need it the most. You also will condition more responsiveness, and you are effectively reminding them you are a part of their world in what matters to them, not just a simple game. Use their drive to your advantage—if not toys, just getting them excited with you and then “freezing” the game to ask for eye contact. Work them on some obedience positions before resuming the game. Excited voice for play to resume, quiet voice for play to stop, and you can also teach yourself how to get in the habit of a quiet voice when there are tense excited moments. Too often we feed off of our dogs’ excited or negative energy and have a loud and fast voice when asking them to calm down, so this game makes it a great way to practice your voice tone switch. 5 minutes on a timer can be done with the busiest of schedules, and you’ll really challenge your dog’s mind for the better as well as teaching both of you long lasting habits. #emilythedoglistener #dogtraining #tipoftheday #leadership #dogplay #playwithyourdog #dogdays #doglife #bestfriends #doggyparent #buzzfeedanimals

[k9listener]

This rang true for me since I was a child, although I prefer “quiet” instead of silent. From my work with horses, dogs, wolves, big cats, and reptiles, to my journey in martial arts—we demonstrate true strength and leadership with a quieter voice than a louder one. We can effectively mask our anger and frustration while still expressing ourselves this way, and you will learn how to control your emotions over time in so many areas of your life. The ripple effects of this transcend the external effect—how it affects us internally is the greatest benefit. #emilythedoglistener #tipoftheday #dogtraining #dogsofig

[k9listener]

My thoughts on meeting dogs on leash

[k9listener]

3 Important Habits to Break—1) lifting your shoulder and arm to control your dog on leash 2) Using your head to turn and look at distractions instead of using your eyes more 3) Overly repeating commands. 
1) You’ll see it everywhere. A lifted arm held tight to steer and control a dog. All it does is create battles of strength and constant tension. When you tell your dog the language of communication is physical strength, that’s what they give back to you. Move your hand down farther on the leash instead. Get your collar as high as possible. Keep your shoulders up and back but your arm fully relaxed—relax your wrist always! My leashwork doesn’t involve any physical strength—Or I wouldn’t be good at handling any powerful animal, let alone dogs. Timing of my leash cues, quick and light repetition of my fingers, and setting clear boundaries makes for success. 
2) Read my articles on handling distractions. We have great peripheral vision as predators. Practice it! It makes you look hypervigilant to use your head to look at oncoming distractions or things behind you. Use your eyes so your dog doesn’t think you’re scared of those distractions. Perfect it on a daily basis by seeing what you can see around you without using your head. Use your eyes (and ears). It is one of my most absolute powerful techniques in showing a dog to trust my ability to handle situations. 
3) Say commands ONCE! Yes, you don’t want your dog conditioned to responding on the 5th time, but the biggest reason is you’re reminding yourself daily that you don’t expect your dog to listen nor do you trust your leadership. Creating true change means convincing your own mind before you believe it. Say something ONCE, then follow through with action, or give your dog time to comply before you repeat yourself. This helps them think more anyways-draining energy and cementing the concept. Count a few seconds before repeating yourself. Get closer and quieter when you do repeat the command. Keep your word CLEAR and your voice steady. Repeating “sit, sit” turns into a panicked “stay, stay, stay” and your dog thinks something is wrong, or just makes his own decision. Saying commands ONCE will eventually make you believe in YOURSELF, and your dog will follow!