Pawsitive K9 Training

Pawsitive K9 Training Specializing in behaviour modification through obedience training by using positive reinforcement and reward based models for all levels of training.

06/08/2022

Meet Lucy!
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When her owner and I first had our phone consultation, she was at her wit's end - Lucy wasn't sleeping through the night, was crying every time she was a few feet away from her owner, was having accidents in the house and was displaying the beginning signs of separation anxiety. Her owner was not sleeping properly, emotional, at a loss and was considering sending Lucy back to the breeder.
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She joined a 12-week program and has seen some incredible progress! Lucy now willingly settles on her mat, offers to go to her crate, walks well on a leash, loves her enrichment games, has a wonderful recall, is no longer having accidents and is comfortable being left alone for periods of time while her Mom runs errands!
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Here she is learning how to advance 'Leave It', which will be further advanced as the program moves forward!
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I am incredibly proud of all their hard work and commitment!!

Meet Biscuit, one of PK9's graduates!🐾When I first met Biscuit's owner, I was amazed to discover that his behaviour was ...
01/27/2022

Meet Biscuit, one of PK9's graduates!
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When I first met Biscuit's owner, I was amazed to discover that his behaviour was primarily fear and flight driven (very similar to that of rescue horses that are flighty). Biscuit was the runt of the litter and had many ailments that were afflicting his health, physical movement and manifesting into these fear driven behaviours, all before the age of one.
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Dogs that experience phobias tend to rely on eyesight and sound, rarely using their sense of smell to stimulate their mind and gain information about the environment that can help them feel more comfortable.
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When working with dogs like Biscuit, it is crucial to introduce scent work and games that encourage the dog to use their sense of smell and reinforce the positive association made with scent work while on walks in new environments. This kind of work builds trust between the dog and the handler in new environments while allowing us to use commands the dog knows well to redirect the fear into actions that build confidence and ultimately create a relationship based on trust.
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Jenn and her family have been diligently working on introducing Biscuit to new environments in a positive way and the progress blows me away!

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01/27/2022

Puzzle toys are a fantastic activity to do with our dogs when it's too cold for long walks outside.

Some of the benefits of puzzle toys are:
✅ Simple yet fun form of mental stimulation
✅ Different levels of difficulty available
✅ Enriches your dog's sense of smell
✅ Leads to overall happiness and well-being

What kind of puzzle activities do you do with your dog?

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01/25/2022

Trick training is a great way to keep our dogs mentally stimulated, happy and balanced.
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Keelan is learning to weave in and out of my legs and is doing really well with this new trick! This is something I like to do on days when it's too cold to go for long walks in order to help get some of his energy out.
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What tricks does your dog know?

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01/25/2022

Trick training is a fantastic way to mentally stimulate your dog, create short training and focus sessions and also keep training fun!
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Keelan is learning how to weave in and out of my legs as a new trick. We've only been working on it for a couple weeks but he's starting to really get it!
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What are some tricks your dog knows? Comment below!👇

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Meet Walnut, a 4.5 year old Pomeranian and Titan's brother!🐾Walnut was originally described as being extremely energetic...
01/24/2022

Meet Walnut, a 4.5 year old Pomeranian and Titan's brother!
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Walnut was originally described as being extremely energetic, dominant and stubborn. He was also marking his territory in the house. By working with Walnut and Titan simultaneously on the same commands and creating the same routine, Walnut has officially surprised everyone with the progress he has made! He absolutely loves his crate, has mastered every one of his commands quickly and willingly and has stopped marking his territory inside! Way to go Walnut!

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01/23/2022

Meet Titan! He is a 5 month old English Mastiff puppy currently in one of PK9's programs!
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Here he is showing us how to calmly and quietly enter and exit the crate like a pro! This is really important for puppies because it helps establish the kind of energy you want to instill in the house. This method can also be used as a quick reset when puppies can be quite excitable but most importantly, this method helps create an extremely positive association with the crate, which also helps the puppy actually enjoy being in his crate/safe space.
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Titan and his parents have been working extremely hard and are progressing really well through the program!

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Sniffing is an incredibly important function of mental stimulation and enrichment for our dogs considering that dogs hav...
01/22/2022

Sniffing is an incredibly important function of mental stimulation and enrichment for our dogs considering that dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses compared to roughly 6 million in humans, making their sense of smell extremely heightened. Sniffing is a crucial part of our dog’s everyday lives as they use it for understanding, communicating, evaluating and exploring their environment.
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Enrichment activities such as puzzle toys or snuffle mats can be an inexpensive and fun way to offer more diversified mental stimulation into your dog’s daily routine and help tire them out. Hiding treats throughout the house can also be a great way to keep your dog entertained on days when it’s too cold to be outside for long periods of time or for dogs that are less mobile. These activities help build confidence and positive associations with play time.
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A 2019 study published in the Applied Animal Behaviour Science Journal found that allowing dogs to sniff allows them to be more autonomous and express a natural behaviour, which increases optimism in our dogs and contributes to overall welfare (Duranton and Horowitz).
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In the simplest of terms: sniffing is crucial to your dog’s overall happiness, confidence and well-being. If you love them, let them sniff!

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The most memorable times of my life have been with a dog by my side. Ashlyn (pictured) had a way of putting the biggest ...
01/21/2022

The most memorable times of my life have been with a dog by my side. Ashlyn (pictured) had a way of putting the biggest smile on my face from the very first moment we met him. As a puppy, he was naturally super smart and intuitive. As a teenager, he was rambunctious and excitable. As an adult, he was an amazing therapy dog, emotional support dog, demo dog, farm dog and best friend. He taught me the most about how to raise a balanced, happy, healthy and well-behaved companion. He showed me that an old dog really can learn new tricks and that if we learn how to listen to their energy, we can understand more than we initially thought we could in terms of canine behaviour.
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Ash taught me that each and every dog has an individual personality that needs to be acknowledged and nurtured in order for true happiness and balance to happen. Simply, he taught me that the dog's happiness matters. In having a dog, I aim to be the person my dog thinks I am each and every day.
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Here is Ash doing an advanced long distance stay with leave it for a professional photo shoot.

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New environments are exceptionally important for our dogs considering that they spend the majority of their lives enclos...
01/20/2022

New environments are exceptionally important for our dogs considering that they spend the majority of their lives enclosed in a house, a crate or a room just waiting for us to get home. Exposing our dogs to new environments allows them to use their natural senses and gain more information from the world around them while also mentally stimulating them.
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On days when it's too cold or too hot to go for long walks, I like to take Keelan to various pet stores and let him sniff around, meet new dogs and pick out a toy. We try to go on a new adventure at least once a week so that he doesn't get bored because boredom can lead to unwanted behaviours. As I tell my clients, "A tired dog is a good dog!"
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What adventures do you go on in the Toronto area? Let us know below!👇

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Meet Bingo, one of PK9's graduates! 🐾Bingo's owner first approached me at the dog park with concerns surrounding resourc...
01/19/2022

Meet Bingo, one of PK9's graduates!
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Bingo's owner first approached me at the dog park with concerns surrounding resource guarding that seemed to be getting more intense in nature. At the dog park, he would take the ball, play keep away, hover over it if you tried to take it and refuse to drop it or give it back.
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Part of the program focused on how to do an effective and safe drop it in order to work on Bingo's resource guarding without antagonizing him, redirecting his inclination to resource guard by trading him for something he wanted more and changing his established association of the need to resource guard through positive reinforcement and reward based training.
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With a concern such as resource guarding, my goal is to break down the behaviour and teach a behaviour that is more positive and more acceptable rather than challenge the dog directly through dominance procedures such as alpha rolling or pinning. The reasoning is simple: the client is already scared of this behaviour getting worse and potentially getting bitten so challenging the dog directly without teaching an effective drop it command can lead to a more dangerous situation for both the dog and the owner.
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Fast forward a few months and Bingo has one of THE best advanced drop it commands I've yet to see! He offers a drop it for toys willingly without even being asked and has shown a significant regression to his (almost inexistent) resource guarding! Congratulations Susan & Bingo! You've made PK9 proud!!

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Markham, ON
L3T6S1

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Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 8pm

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