In week three of my Basic Obedience Workshop we talk about focus and reliability. Something I often talk about but don’t always see used by my students is teaching your dog to look at you when you say their name.
Linking a behavior to your dogs name is like a little life hack for training your dog. If you have your dogs focus before you give them the command they are much more likely to actually follow the command.
HOW TO TRAIN IT
To pair your dogs name with the behavior to look at you is simple repetition, repetition.
Say your dogs name; if they don’t look at you right away that’s okay. You can use their favorite treat to lure from their nose up to your eyes.
Give a reward when they look to your face.
Give a *Jackpot Reward* when they make eye contact.
Give an extra *Special Jackpot Reward* if they make eye contact or even look to your face without a lure.
HOW TO SHAPE IT
Shaping = praising your dog when they naturally perform the behavior you desire. You can then fine-tune it by withholding the treat for “more” from the behavior (dogs usually start guessing or adding in some flair to try to figure out what you want that will get the reward), and then rewarding them when they show a behavior that is or is closer to the behavior you desire.
You can naturally shape the behavior to look at you when you’re walking or playing with your dog and they naturally just look at you. Instantly praise “YES”. You can even start pairing it with their name “Yes, Fido!”. Even if you’re not trying to pair the behavior with their name (although I highly recommenced it) just rewarding for “checking in” with you will build good habits for off-leash work later on.
JACKPOT!
If you’re not sure what a “Jackpot Reward” is; it is when you give several small rewards in a row that your dog will count as a really big reward. Jackpot rewards are usually reserved for when your dog does something really well. Maybe something you’ve even been trying to get them to do for a while, or something they’ve been struggling to understand.
To a dog, several small treats in a row is a way bigger reward than the same amount of treats given in one pile. So make sure you’re giving those jackpot rewards one after another and not all at once.
You can also reserve very special rewards as jackpot rewards; this way you’re using less treats but they still hold higher value. Something very smelly and tasty that your dog loves.
REAL WORLD IMPLEMENTATION
The most common problem I see is dogs who don’t come when they’re called. Teach your dog to look to you out of habit every time you say their name and you can shout their name first before giving the recall command. That way your dog is much more likely to actually follow through and come when called because you got their attention first. They’re listening and it is the opportunity to call them once. “FIDO!” – dog looks to you – “COME!”. If your dog doesn’t listen, then it’s time to focus on recall drills and exercises.
Don’t over-use it: train and drill focus with their name and lots of jackpot rewards before you ever use it in a real-life scenario. You want it to become a second-nature habit before you ever actually need to use it.
Well, October sure crept up on us quickly, didn’t it? I took the summer off from group classes and only did a couple 1:1 sessions. I spent most of my summer focusing on my kids, the house, my weekend job, and my weekly volunteer time doing Pack in the Park. Shannon helped me with hosting this summer and it’s been so great having her part of the Pack in the Park team! She hosts most Sundays at 11am (check the Fort St. James Dog Owners Facebook Group for current dates) and I spend those mornings happy at work knowing you’re in good hands with Shannon!
My weekly Pack in the Park date had to move around a bit with changes in my childcare, but currently they are held most Mondays at 11am (please note this is subject to cancellation due to poor weather).
I’ve been slowly editing my Dog Guides (I have yet to come up with a better name for them than this) and have early released a mini guide titled “Dogs and Children“. This mini guide is a portion of Guide 1: Safety, Bylaws and Care. Safety between dogs and kids is important to me, which is why I created such an in-depth section about them in Guide 1. As part of this mini guide’s early release in my shop, I’ve been posting some facts and information about dog and children safety on my Facebook Page.
Bite prevention is so important to me that I added Bite Prevention Educator to my list of certificates and this spring April and I brought the Be a Tree program (with FSJDT flair) Girl Guides and Nak’albun Elementary kindergarten students. We are reopening these presentations for the new school year! Educators and program directors can get in touch to book a presentation with us. I am currently seeking sponsorship for this program, so if your company is interested or you know of a company that may be interested in sponsoring this type of program please do get in touch.
I decided to run another Basic Obedience workshop this fall, to test the waters on how receptive they would be for this time of year. It was a struggle and I still did not manage to fill the class 100% and offered drop-in. There were no drop-ins during this time, just one person who signed up late. This class was both fun and challenging with mostly puppies/young dogs with a bit of reactivity.
I’ve had a lot of interest in these group classes but unfortunately, not enough commitment. Due to this fact, I will not be offering group classes again until next year. Winter is a busy time for us with our kids, we have two birthdays and Christmas all one after the other, so I’d like to take the next couple of months to focus on those special events and make memories with my family.
I am always available for over-the-phone or email consultation. If you need help with your dog this winter while I am not offering 1:1 or group classes, then a consultation is the next best option.
I took a bit of a break this summer. Consistent childcare, access to a vehicle, and finding the right training space are all challenges that make 1:1 training difficult. On top of that, after running five group obedience classes back-to-back in the spring, I was feeling pretty burnt out. Taking the summer off gave me the chance to recharge and enjoy more time at home with my kids.
While I was home, a few realizations stood out:
Group classes are definitely in demand here.
Without reliable childcare, a car, and a consistent training space, 1:1 clients are nearly impossible to schedule.
It’s okay to ask for help.
GROUP CLASSES ARE COMING BACK
As I shared in my last post, group classes were a huge hit this spring, and I’ll absolutely be bringing them back this fall. If you’d like to join, make sure you’re on the waitlist — I’ll email you as soon as the dates are finalized.
PRESSING PAUSE ON 1:1 TRAINING
As much as I love working with 1:1 clients — it’s where my training techniques really shine — I’ve decided to temporarily suspend private sessions. This includes:
Puppy Training Sessions
Obedience Training Sessions
Problem Behavior Sessions
Trick Training Sessions
The 1:1 option of the Boundary Training Workshop
If you’re already a 1:1 client or have upcoming sessions booked, nothing changes. I’ll honor all current appointments and contracts. Starting today, though, I won’t be accepting new 1:1 clients until my schedule is more flexible.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO SHANNON
I have to give a huge shout-out to my friend and fellow certified dog trainer, Shannon Joe, who stepped up to help with Pack in the Park. She’s been an absolute delight — showing up consistently, creating her own event pages, and even taking and sharing photos in the Dog Owners Group afterward.
Because of Shannon, Pack in the Park continues to run weekly. She usually hosts Sundays and often covers weekday events if I can’t make it. I honestly couldn’t keep it going without her. Thank you, Shannon!
TRICK TRAINING: A PERSONAL PASSION
Shannon and I have also been tossing around the idea of starting a Trick Training Club in FSJ. While I’m not sure I have the time to commit to a full club, I will be adding a trick training class this fall — so keep an eye out for announcements!
Trick training has been one of my favorite things since I was a kid. Between ages 11 and 16, I taught my dogs an impressive number of tricks — all without formal knowledge. I learned by breaking behaviors down step by step. My dogs could grab drinks from the fridge, vault off my back to catch a Frisbee, balance on my feet — you name it. While other 13-year-olds were exploring makeup and hanging out with friends, I was at home teaching my dog to perform circus acts.
These days, I’m working toward earning my dog Zelda’s Novice Trick Dog Title. We already have enough tricks to qualify, but I’m polishing them up before submitting. Once Zelda earns her title, I plan to launch a trick training class designed to help owners do the same. By the end of the course, you’ll have enough tricks to submit to Do More With Your Dog for your own Novice Trick Dog Title!
Designing the class and all the supporting material will take some time, but I promise it will be worth the wait.
WHAT’S NEXT
Before trick training begins, I’ll be running more Group Obedience Classes — as many rounds as there’s demand for. Right now, I’m updating the class material. Once that’s ready, I’ll confirm dates with the United Church.
I know this post is a lot of “what’s coming soon,” and I wish I had exact dates for you already. My best guess is that group classes will start rolling out in late September or early October.
Thanks so much for your patience and continued support — I can’t wait to get back into training with you and your dogs!
This was my first year holding successful group classes and you guys exceeded my expectations. Last year I tried to do a group class and only had one person sign up. This year I thought, “what the heck, throw it out there one more time…” and the response I got was overwhelming. Not only was I able to put on a group class but I was able to put on FIVE of them!
Each class had 4 dogs with their handlers and was held at the United Church. I’m so grateful to the United Church for giving me the chance to hold my classes there. They’ve been accommodating and forgiving (especially of the spring-time dog hair shed about the room). I worked hard to clean the room after each class to help lessen my lease and to show respect towards the Church. All of my students were also very respectful of the space. It turned out to be a great place to run a small class. However, I certainly wouldn’t want more than 4 dogs (and my Zelda) in there. To hold a bigger class comfortably, I would need a bigger space.
Throughout these 5 classes I’ve fine-tuned my methods and curriculum to the point I feel quite confident that the Basic Obedience Workshop is exactly what the average dog owner wants. It’s really more than just a basic obedience class; it’s an “everything you need to know to comfortably live with your dog” class. It covers all of the foundations you need to build strong, reliable obedience.
WEEK ONE: FOUNDATIONS
The class kicks off in week one with Foundations. It starts with a main focus on two of the 5 basic obedience commands: sit and down. Most dogs already know at least one of these by the time they come to my class, but not always.
Other topics covered in this first class are:
leashes and collars terminology and tips off vs down a note on consistency
It’s a lot covered in the first lesson, but all the other classes are built off this first one. As the weeks go on there are less subjects covered in each class because with each subsequent class we are reviewing everything from the previous class, every week. Week One Foundations is definitely a class you don’t want to miss.
WEEK TWO: IMPULSE CONTROL
Impulse control in dogs refers to their ability to resist the urge to act on a desire or instinct and instead choose a more appropriate or desired behavior. For example, stay instead of chase a squirrel. It’s essentially teaching a dog to pause, think and make a more deliberate choice rather than reacting automatically. It’s a skill that is crucial for safety, preventing accidents and enhancing overall training. All dogs could use impulse control training to teach them to think before they act. Heck, most people could use it too. Week two gets right to the nitty gritty of impulse control with a heavy focus on the basic obedience command stay.
Also taught in this class are:
stay circle jackpot rewards distractions and challenges
Newly added to this class is also impulse control games! Games you can play with your dog at home that will help them hone their impulse control skills.
WEEK THREE: FOCUS AND RELIABILITY
Week three takes the skills we’ve learned in the first half of the workshop and builds off of them to step it up with one of the most important basic obedience commands that all owners want their dog to learn: come (recall). In this class we teach our dogs to focus on us and what the key is to more reliable obedience.
Also covered in week three’s class:
watch command automatic sit
WEEK FOUR: REAL WORLD OBEDIENCE
The fourth and final week of this workshop teaches you how to apply all of the skills you learned into the real world and your every-day life. The basic obedience command we focus on last is heel, with an optional “loose-leash walking” for those who don’t really care if their dog walks right beside them, but want them to learn not to pull on the leash. Heel is a great command for learning to navigate the world with your dog as your partner at your side.
Also covered in the last class:
phasing out treats the key to reliable obedience
JOIN THE WAIT LIST
If you missed out on the fun this spring and would like to be a part of my next obedience class, you can join the wait list and I will contact you once I have a date set for the next class.
I wanted to end this post with a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who helped make these 5 group classes a success. My family for putting up with my insane work schedule during that time, and of course, to my clients and their wonderful dogs. Thank you to every person who filled these classes. You all taught me as much as I taught you. I truly enjoyed every moment; every challenge, every celebration, every moment of comradery as we were all in it together. You all made this experience extremely special to me. Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my beautiful demo dog Zelda. I couldn’t have done this without her by my side every class.
When you preference test your dog, you learn what type of rewards they prefer. By knowing what your dog prefers you can help better motivate and reward them. They’re going to associate you with their favorite things and feel more compelled to listen because you give up the good stuff. It also helps you bond with your dog, by getting to know them better.
You can find out your dogs preferences by presenting two or more of similar items and see which they prefer, which they seem more excited about and which they tend to move towards and grab faster and/or more often.
You may find they vacillate between two items; they don’t always seem to prefer one over the other. If this happens, you know that both items have pretty equal value to your dog.
You’re going to find variations in what your dog likes based on what type of items it is and again within that sub-group of items. For example, you could present your dog with a toy or a treat, if they like treats better you can then test different kinds of treats against each other and see what kind your dog likes most.
You will be able to see which your dog prefers of… – food – toys – locations – people – tactile stimulation
Repeat the same test at least 3 times to determine their preference. Whichever they go to most and seem most excited about will be their preference.
Pay attention to details. You may want to learn more about the subtle body language that dogs use first, before commencing preference tests. That way, you can be sure to look out for those signs your dog is giving you.
Some of these signs may be… – snatching – eyes popping (getting larger, showing the whites of the eyes) – which one they go for first, and which they go for most often – if it’s a toy, which toy they play with longer – pulling harder, if they are on leash
When testing your dogs food preferences, you’re going to want to keep a few things in mind and understand that not all types of food can be compared equally.
Dogs understand the difference between large and small. You can’t compare a large piece of food to a small piece of food. You need to make sure that the pieces of food you are comparing are the same size.
There are a lot of different types of toys on the market for dogs, and your dog may prefer a type of toy over another. Pay attention to which toys they grab most often, which they hold in their mouth for longer, which they try to initiate play with you more, and whether they prefer a toy they can cash, catch, hold or chew.
There may be variations in… – size – texture – purpose
A dog may prefer a plush toy over a rubber chew. Or maybe your dog loves to play tug o’ war and prefer a good rope toy. Maybe they love to chase balls but prefer a felted tennis ball over a rubber ball.
All of these variations leave for a lot of possibilities that could be your dogs favorite! Test many different toys against each other and see how your dog responds to determine which is their favorites.
Where does your dog like to go to relax, to sleep, or to hang out with the family? To know these preferences you will need to pay attention and take notice of your dogs favorite resting place.
The variations around your dogs favorite locations may be… – warm seeking – cool seeking – quiet location – central pathway – inside – outside
Some northern breeds of dogs and large dogs with thick coats of fur actually prefer to be outside in the winter. If you look at a thermal image of one of these dogs you’ll actually see how much their coats keep heat in. In comparison, you can see how much a heat a short-haired dog would loose. I’ve known of thick coated northern dogs who have full access to an indoor heated home but they choose to sleep in the snow.
It’s no secret that dogs often prefer one person over another. It is commonly the person that feeds, walks, plays, and trains the dog the most. You can understand your dogs people preferences by observing how they interact with each person in their family. Who do they seem most excited about when they return home? When your family is hanging out for a movie night, who does your dog choose to snuggle up with (if anyone)?
Understanding how to ask for consent from your dog can also help you determine who your dog enjoys spending time with, playing with or being pet by the most. You may even find that your dog prefers different people for each of these activities.
To ask your dog for consent when interacting, simply offer yourself to the dog. You can talk to them, clap your hands, offer your hands to smell and for pets, and see how your dog responds. If your dog seems excited, pushes into you, sits at your feet and leans into you, or otherwise shows any signs that they enjoy being pet by you and want to be close to you then it’s pretty safe to say that your dog is saying YES to this interaction. However, if your dog comes in for pets and then turns and leaves, looks away, stays just outside of your reach or maybe even lays down a little ways away from you these are all indications that your dog is saying no thanks, they’re not interested in that interaction. Test out consent with your dog and each person in your family to see who they enjoy interacting with the most.
Remember that dogs moods can change and they may not always prefer the same people all the time. Do the consent test several times and to determine which people your dog prefers most often.
If the results aren’t what you would like, you can make changes in how you interact with your dog to shape a more desirable outcome. Spend more time doing the things your dog likes and prefers and your dog will suddenly think you’re the greatest person in the family! You always have the best treats, the best toys and take the time to understand and respect their preferences.
Tactile preferences is the type of touch your dog prefers. Again, it is helpful if you have a basic understanding of canine communication when doing a tactile preference test. Understanding the subtle cues your dog gives you will help you know which type of touch your dog prefers.
Do one type of touch with one hand and another type of touch with another hand. Observe your dogs body position and which type of pressure your dog leans into.
You can try different variables of touch, such as… – heavy pressure vs light pressure – stroking vs. scratching – close hugs and petting vs at arms length
Most dogs don’t enjoy hugs and kisses. Those dogs which do seem to enjoy this type of interaction have usually been conditioned to enjoy it. Some dogs may enjoy hugs and kisses from their owner but feel extremely uncomfortable if a stranger or lesser-known person tries to interact with them in this way.
Dogs often don’t like to be pet on the top of their head because there is a blind spot there. They may be conditioned to accept and even enjoy it from their favorite people, but when it comes to strangers they should never pet a dog on top of the head.
Imagine if your partner always bought your flowers but what you actually liked was chocolates. Imagine you had no efficient way to communicate this with them so they just kept buying you flowers. Yeah, you may appreciate the gesture, but what would really get you happy, excited and appreciative is if they knew what your favorite thing was.
Now that you understand your dogs preferences, you can use this information to better motivate and encourage them which will give you better success in your training as well as a deeper bond with your dog.
As the end of the year gradually races towards us, I find myself reflecting on the past year and considering the year ahead. Last year, dog training was a whirlwind of client after client. This year was a slow business year. I think a part of it is that this is a small town and eventually clientele will slow down no matter what, but also I think a lot of it has to do with my own time management.
We started FSJ ACTS in February/March this year and we hit the ground running. I could probably write an entire blog on just this year with ACT. I am constantly feeling pulled between my family, my jobs and my volunteer hours. I love all of it, but I don’t really have time for all of it. I’m so exhausted all the time that I don’t push myself as hard I could to make my dog training career more successful. I keep telling myself it will come with time as my kids get older.
That being said, when I look back on this year and everything I’ve done and learned I realize it’s been a pretty big year too. Just in more subtle ways. I did my first group class in June, which flopped as a group class but I met one wonderful person and her spunky hound dog pup and we still connect and stay in touch. My ideal client is one who shows up on time, does the work with their dog and stays in touch to let me know how it goes in the long-run. I don’t want to ever have a client tell me their training didn’t work out (or worse, hear it from someone else) when I could have been there to help guide them in a different direction. Dog training is kind of a mix between science and art, it isn’t always so black and white. Some things will work with some dogs but not others. Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to find what does work.
2024 also taught me how important Pack in the Park is, and it breaks my heart that I haven’t been able to host one in months. I’m currently putting together a new Host training program, so if you’re local to Fort St. James and would like to try to host a Pack in the Park let, me know! I wish I could be there myself, but I just can’t at this time in my life. So I’m hoping to find one or two more individuals who’d like to host it.
I took on a foster puppy for the first time since I was involved with the humane society in 2008-2012. It was extremely challenging. I underestimated how chaotic our house would feel with one more young being in it. Boss was such a great foster pup, the best I could have asked for. So chill, calm, and happy to please. But even with all those wonderful traits it made my house feel more chaotic. I’ve learned that if I do take on a foster dog it has to be limited to the summer when I can utilize my outdoor kennel more. I don’t know if my family will even be ready for another foster dog by next summer, though. Saying goodbye to Boss was really hard. Luckily, he is with a really wonderful family and I still get to see him on occasion when he comes for play dates with Zelda. Boss taught me it’s possible and completely okay to love a dog that isn’t part of your family.
I helped spearhead the Art for Animals Gallery Fundraiser and we learned so much from that. It wasn’t just about the money, it turned into this amazing opportunity to connect with the public about what ACT does. We reached a lot of people and taught them who we are and what we do. We had students come through the gallery and learn about art and our cause. For the amount of work and time it took, it wasn’t exactly the most profitable fundraiser but it turned out to be so much more than a fundraiser. I’m really proud of this one.
Last Sunday we had the first Annual Santa Photos fundraiser; which was so much more than just Santa Photos! We also had a little Christmas pet shop, nail trims by Katie, Dog Training Consultations by me and live music by Natile, as well as a few cool door prizes! We raised $790 and had a total blast meeting everyone and their furry family members. I think with more time to plan it next year we will bring it back next December, even better!
At our last ACT meeting we established the roles we would all like to play. I am now the Humane Education Coordinator. I joined Doggone Safe and am currently enrolled in a course so that I can be certified to teach dog bite prevention. I’m about halfway through it, as I write this, and I’ve learned so much already. It’s a very thorough course and I highly recommend it to any dog enthusiasts or anyone who works with dogs. I have plans to upgrade my education with more than just bite prevention as well. With these upgrades, I can’t wait to bring more humane education programs to Fort St. James in 2025.
I will be closed from December 19, 2024 until January 7, 2025. Happy Holidays!
FSJ ACTS will be closed from December 21, 2024 until January 2, 2025.
Boundary training is the process of training your dog to stay within a defined space. This may be your unfenced yard or to not bolt through open gates or doors.
DISCLAIMER: Boundary training is not for dogs with behavior problems such as aggression (towards dogs or people), high prey drive or for females in heat. Boundary training is also not a way to contain your dog and should only be implemented under supervision.
WHY BOUNDARY TRAIN YOUR DOG?
– keep your dog from bolting through open doors or gates – lessens the chances of your dog slipping out and escaping – teaches your dog self-control around distractions such as people or other dogs walking by – your dog can learn to wait their turn to go through a doorway or gate – you can work in your yard with peace of mind – you can eat your meals in peace (includes a bonus piece about teaching your dog to stay out of a room) – strengthens your bond with your dog
I recognize that people (and dogs!) don’t all learn new things the same way. Some people learn best by reading, some learn best by watching and listening and some learn best by doing. It’s with this understanding that I’m offering three ways to learn about boundary training; a 10 page PDF document, a 15:39 minute long video or a one-hour in-person training session. Both video file and training session come with the 10 page document. When it comes to boundary training, it’s best if the training is done in your home which makes a group training workshop impossible. However, I think with the combination of PDF document, video and in-person training anyone can learn to boundary train their dogs themselves.
Select which part of the workshop you’d like:
PDF document
15 minute video + PDF document
1 hour in person + PDF document
A NOTE ON THE IN-PERSON TRAINING SESSION:
My current availability to come to your house for a training session is Tuesdays between 10am and 2pm. I understand that this is not ideal for a lot of people, and I apologize for the inconvenience. It is just my current circumstances.
In-person training sessions are only available in Fort St. James.
I’m going to quit promising any kind of posting schedule or content because it’s clear I can’t keep up on it long-term. I will post when I can or when I have anything worth posting about.
Dog training has been slow for me, but not because there aren’t dogs who need training. I have myself invested in a lot of places. I have two kids (7 and 2) and since school just started back up we’ve had back to back sicknesses. We’ve just started potty training the two year old and that’s a whole new level of challenge. I am on the board of directors of the Fort St. James Animal Care Team Society (FSJ ACTS) and the animals of FSJ keep us very busy. I just started working weekends at The View Hotel, which means I no longer have availability on the weekends for dog training. My husband drives logging truck and his hours are long and all over the place which also makes scheduling difficult. As a side project, I’m also helping put together an art show for FSJ ACTS and (separately) I have put my crochet critters at So Divine Artisan Boutique. Not to mention, the kids activities, taking care of our home, and dealing with my injured foot for going on 16 months now.
I don’t normally air my personal life on here, but the reason I am explaining all of this is to ask you to please be patient with me. Scheduling is difficult right now, but I hope that by next summer I will find a new rhythm that will fit dog training into my life more. One of the things I really wanted to do was to check in with past clients. It’s been a year of dog training (already!) and I haven’t heard from most of you which I hope is a good thing. I would love to reach out to every single one of you. If you are a past client reading this, please feel free to get in touch with me and let me know how you and your dog are doing. I really love hearing updates. I love the good updates and I want to hear the bad updates so that I can help support you further.
FSJ Animal Care Team Society and Pope Mountain Arts are teaming up together to put on a group art show that will benefit the animals in the care of FSJ ACTS.
It’s open to all artists and all mediums. There is no theme, but an animal them or inspiration is encouraged. There’s no limit on the number of pieces to submit, but do keep in mind that this is a group art show and there is limited space.
For more information you can download our Information Package or email fsj.act@gmail.com
Once again, I’m slightly restructuring how I offer my services. There will be no price changes though, if anything, I am expanding my services. Since it’s become quite difficult for me to schedule training sessions and my space to train in for the winter is not ideal, I’ll be focusing on offering training consultations over the phone, Facebook messenger or e-mail.
Not to be confused with my previous consultations offered to help structure your training session to meet you and your dogs unique needs. To avoid confusion, the Over-The-Phone Consultation will now be known as a Phone Evaluation and the Online Consultation will be known as an Online Evaluation. The price of the training session will still be broken up between the Evaluation and the training session and will remain at the same price.
So what will be involved in a consultation that makes it different from an evaluation?
The evaluation is there to help make the most effective training session I can offer by evaluating your dog and your goals and values. With this information I will create a hands-on training session that will benefit you the most.
The consultation will include the evaluation but will also focus on advice I can give right away and a back and forth conversation that will help me determine the best advice I can offer over the phone or online. There is no broken down price because there is no hands-on training session. I may advise a training session for a later date, but the consultation will involve planning and create a training plan that is just for you that you can start right away on our own at home with your dog. The price for a consultation is $50 and includes a phone call or online based conversation that will cover the evaluation and then continue on with advice I can give right then and there. A follow up e-mail will be sent to you with a breakdown of what we discussed and any files or links to resources you may find helpful. If you require additional help then another consultation may be scheduled or you may schedule an in-person training session, if both parties agree that it is necessary.
I hope that with this new service I will be able to help more people shape desired behaviors in their dog and build healthy, long lasting relationships built on trust and respect.
Apparently, after promising to at least commit to the monthly updates I completely skipped June. I really didn’t have a whole lot going on in June, to be honest. My group class (that only had one person) ended in the beginning of June and then I just focused my time on my family for a little while.
Dog training picked up in July and I’ve been semi-consistently busy this month. LOTS of puppies! Which is always fun, I love working with puppies (I mean, who doesn’t?).
FAVORITE NAME FOR JULY
I feel like I should say my favorite name for July is Nova, since that is my youngest daughters name, but I sorry Nova, I think I have to go with Mungo for my favorite dog name of July. It’s honestly just so fun to say. I’m not sure if it has any sort of meaning behind it, I really should have asked the owner. But it doesn’t even have to have any sort of meaning, it’s just fun to say.
Mungo is one of the puppies that our Animal Care Team took in. In our care, his name was Dusky. He was a foster fail, and his new family just adores him and gave him the name Mungo. Which I think really suits him.
I didn’t get any photos of Mungo during our training session, but I did get the above photo of Mungo and his owner working beautifully together during Puppies in the Park.
FSJ ACTS UPDATE
FSJ ACTS officially has Society status now, which is so exciting. It means we will have access to a lot more funding. Unfortunately, we are still not a registered non-profit and can’t issue receipts for tax purposes, but with society status we will be able to help the animals just a bit more.
On July 7th I picked up my foster puppy Boss. FSJ ACTS has lots of puppies looking for homes that are currently in foster care. We have an awesome team of volunteers to help with kennel duty, but we wanted to give our volunteers a break and give our puppies a chance to learn how to live life in a family and home environment.
Boss has fit in really nicely. Zelda wasn’t too sure about him at first but he slowly grew on her and now they are Besties. He’s great with my two girls (7 and 2 years old) and is learning not to steal snacks or toys. He’s learning a lot of things in our house and I’ve given him a slow adjustment to house life. To make this easier for him to learn the rules (especially for house training) I have kept him on leash in the house a lot of the time. He gets leashed to either myself or a study piece of furniture so that I can keep him within eye sight at all times. He’s also been introduced to the cats. My older cat Jarroko has been extremely patient and the best cat to teach him the ropes about cats. My poor younger cat Alice is terrified of him and has been living behind the hot tub for the last couple weeks.
Boss knows how to sit, down and “go kennel”. He’s learning to sit at doorways and gates (this is very tough for him), he sits for his meals and he sits to be leashed. He is a very sweet boy who loves people and wants to please. This makes him quite trainable. He has the sweetest disposition and loves catching a nap in a good sun patch. Boss is also really great on leash and responds well to loose-leash training.
If you’re interested in adopting Boss, please let me know if you’d like to arrange to meet him!
FSJ ACTS FUNDRAISERS
For the month of July the Fort St. James Bottle Depot collected donations for FSJ ACTS. The total raised in the month was $1,000. Thank you SO much for your generosity. This money will go towards our vet bills.
There is a fundraiser through As You Wish Custom Designs (based in Prince George) where $2 for every purchase goes to FSJ ACTS. FOLLOW THE LINK to order yours! Here are some handsome pooches with their stylish custom tags…
PUPPIES IN THE PARK
On July 20th I hosted the first Puppies in the Park; a spin on our classic “Pack in the Park” but it was for puppies up to 10 months old (who have been vaccinated). There’s a lot of fear about Parvo (and for good reason) so I had a lot of interest but a lot of puppies who aren’t vaccinated enough yet to attend public dog events like this. I had a couple of people attend and it was a blast of course, puppies always are, but there is a definite need to do this again next month once more puppies have had their shots.
I’ve had tons of people ask me about when I’ll do another Pack in the Park and I decided to create a texting list for those who want to be notified when the next Pack in the Park is happening. If you’d like to join this list, please let me know.
I promised this long list of upcoming articles and then completely fell off the face of the Earth. I thought if I had a schedule of articles to stick to it would help me post consistently, but it did not help at all. Spring hit and I’ve struggled to even open my laptop ever since. After some self-reflection, I’ve decided that the only blog posts I’m going to commit to posting is the monthly updates. I may throw in other posts here and there, depending on my time and mood. However, I think for the summer it would be best to cut back on my post commitments.
BASIC OBEDIENCE WORKSHOP
May was a bit of a slow month for me, when it comes to training. I had one private lesson and launched my group class which, unfortunately, only had one person sign up. I’m struggling to get commitment from Fort St. James dog owners and I’m wondering if it’s the same Spring time struggles I’m facing with committing to anything consistently myself, right now. Whatever the reasons, I’m still going through with the class. I designed the price so that if this happened I wouldn’t be losing money and it still felt somewhat worth going. My one client in this group class has the most amazing soft, floppy hound pup so that definitely makes it worth-while.
The United Church has been awesome to rent, though. I’ve rented the space in the past for the K9 First Aid Course and it’s very affordable (especially if you provide clean up afterwards, which I totally don’t mind doing) and they allow dogs. When I started phoning around looking for a space to do a group class in, the United Church wasn’t my first pick, simply because it’s not the biggest space and wouldn’t allow for very many people and their dogs. However, I ran into issues with many places not wanting dogs in them and/or issues with insurance. The United Church is very accommodating and laid back to deal with; they’ve been fantastic.
Since I was unable to fill the class up, I do have a few spaces available and am opening it up to Drop-Ins.
Drop-ins can attend any of the following classes, and do not need to commit to the whole course. It is $40 to drop in, and I take cash or debit.
Saturday, June 1st
10am-11am
Stay
Stay Circle
Jackpot Rewards
Distractions and Challenges
Saturday, June 8th
10am – 11am
Watch Command
Automatic Sit
Come (recall)
Saturday, June 8th
10am – 11am
Heel
Phasing Out Treats
FAVORITE NAME FOR APRIL & MAY: ZERO
I actually didn’t really have a favorite name from my clients dogs (sorry!). I only had a few clients and all of their dogs had pretty normal names that could even pass for people names. I like quirky or weird names on animals… We have a Zelda, Jarroko and Alice (named from Alice in Wonderland by my daughter) in our household. So, while I thought those dogs all totally suited their names and they are great on them! There aren’t any that stand out as a favorite…
Except Zero, whom is a dog I met but did not work with. I love the name Zero on a dog because I have always adored The Nightmare Before Christmas and the ghostly dog Zero. My sister used to have a dog named Zero that I adored, a well. I did not get a picture of the Zero I recently met though, I wish I had as he was a beautiful dog. Here’s a photo of my sister’s Zero dog with my two (who have since passed a long time ago). Left to right: Coal, Linkin Bark and Zero.
FORT ST. JAMES ANIMAL CARE TEAM SOCIETY
The FSJ ACT is becoming FSJ ACTS! We are getting our society status. We still won’t be able to write receipts for donations as we won’t be a non-profit, but as a society we are eligible for more funding that we desperately need.
FSJ ACTS took on a one-time difficult case with a dog named Meeko who needed some medical care and we decided to take on the challenge to help. He is a very special dog and worth the care and effort. A great big THANK YOU to our team members Shannon, Katie and April for taking care of Meeko. Shannon has fostered him and cared for him and Katie has helped with his daily bandage changes and medical care. April helped bring Meeko to the vet every week, which is a couple hours from our community. We really need help with his overwhelming vet bills. Please read more of his story HERE and if you can contribute anything (even $5) to help with his medical costs we would greatly appreciate it.
We’ve also been working hard at fundraising, spay and neuter trips, vaccine clinics and general animal emergency help. To be honest, I could very easily write a whole separate blog about the Animal Care Team and what we’ve been up to. The animals are keeping us busy!
Every single one of our Care Team members is so valuable and every single person who helps volunteer and connect us to the resources we need are the blood pumping through our team’s collective veins. The individuals on our team bring so much skills, knowledge, heart and determination and the community helps support us in reaching our goals. It’s been amazing to be a part of and watch what people are capable of when we put a little effort and cooperation in.
TRICK OF THE MONTH: CENTER
Definition: the dog approaches from behind you, goes between your legs and stands shoulder to knee between your legs
Use: a great way to keep your dog very close to you. It can be helpful in crowded or small spaces (ie; an elevator)
How to teach “Center”
Teaching your dog requires a lure (I use a bit of a tasty treat) and you need to start from the end result and work backwards. First you will stand right in front of your dog (facing away) and lure/call them between your legs.
Once your dog is understanding that you want them to stand between your legs and stay there, you can start to add in distance and different angles to approach from so that you can call your dog to the trick from anywhere.
Instead of standing (with your back to the dog) directly in front of them, start a little ways away from them and start to creep to the side a bit. Keep adding more distance and different angles until you can call your dog to the center position from anywhere (with them in front of you too). It just takes adding that distance (and angles) very slowly and gradually over time.
You will also need to gradually increase the amount of time your dog spends staying in this position. Once rewarded, dogs often consider their job over. Remind them that you would like them to stay in this position until released. If they break too early (whether you rewarded them or not) get them back into position and try again. Give your dog the release command and then toss a jackpot reward a little ways away from you, so that your dog knows it’s time to leave the position. When you reward your dog for staying in position you can slip little tidbits down to them so that they don’t need to move to get their reward. After several repetitions of this, your dog will learn the difference and learn to stay in position until a release command is given.
I’ve done a brief video to demonstrate how to train this trick. I hope it helps! It was my first time doing a video like this and it came with it’s own unexpected challenges. Hopefully next month I can come up with something a little better. Please let me know if you have issues playing it due to Instagram, and if so, next time I’ll load it to YouTube to embed it better.
Shara Walsh 