The K9 Scientist - Dog Training

06/29/2022

Today Herbie is working on his heeling again - this time adding in an auto-sit when we stop.

Herbie is likely (at least some percentage - peep those double hind dew claws 🙈) a Pyrenees mix and would generously be described by his family as “uncooperative”, so I wanted to point out a little moment in this clip that I thought was interesting. There’s a point in the beginning of this clip where I come to a stop and need to help Herbie sit with more leash pressure because his mind is off paying attention to something else. He was expecting to be rewarded for having sat eventually, but I increased my criteria for rewarding him in that moment. Now that he knew what I was expecting him to do through lots of repetition, I’d only reward him when he did his auto-sit without any help from me. So instead of rewarding, I told him to heel again. He was pretty surprised that he didn’t receive a reward for sitting that time, so he then paid attention and tried really hard to ace his next auto-sit, and the rest thereafter, so that he earned that reward. Sometimes [enter a million caveats here], withholding a reward can actually be motivational to your dog and encourage them to try harder the next time you ask them to do something instead of it only being a punishment.

Great job, Herbie! 👍

06/29/2022

Welcome, Herbie!! Herbie and his owner have done some lessons with me previously, and now he’s staying with us this week for a board and train! Herbie is a certified good boy that needs a little more help with pulling on the leash and reacting to other dogs on walks. Excited to get to work with this one! 😃

06/26/2022

FYI stay safe!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Please be advised there has been a report of dogs getting terminally ill and dying after visiting Jordan Lake near the Farrington Boat launch yesterday. We have been in contact with the NC Department of Environmental Quality and NC Department of Health and Human Services, who are investigating potential causes.

See the graphic below on ways to keep your pet safe in the water this summer.

06/02/2022

A little bit of a ‘before & after’ video for Fraser, although we’re still working hard together for a few more days! When Fraser arrived, he was very worried about walking on the road and any cars that might drive by. He basically saw the leash as a torture device being used to keep him from bolting back towards the house when he was afraid or decided he was done. Now, he’s learned that being close to me is actually the safest option and will follow me around on the road without any leash pressure at all. Fraser’s self-confidence continues to grow each day and will allow him to live a less stressful and more fulfilled life! 😀

05/31/2022

05/23/2022

Welcome Fraser! 😍 Fraser is an absolutely adorable 9 month old Corgi here for a 2-week stay and train program! Fraser’s mom has already given him an excellent positive reinforcement foundation, but now he’s at the age where he is starting to decide when he wants to listen or not (aka when there’s no treats involved or something of higher value around him). While he’s here, we’ll be introducing some negative reinforcement into his obedience and doing lots of proofing in different environments. We’re also going to work on Ecollar conditioning so this young man can be off leash with a reliable recall! Can’t wait to start working with him in the coming days!

05/19/2022

A chance to participate in canine research with your dog! 🤓

04/18/2022

This weekend Nikki attended a Canine Kinesthetics/ Movement Markers workshop with Maryna Ozuna learning all about how to analyze a dog’s movement, how to mitigate and identify potential injuries, and how issues in the body can affect behavior.

04/14/2022

6 month old Miles’ first Ecollar lesson! These are the beginning steps of building up off-leash recall reliability for this brave and adventurous pup! 😃

03/17/2022

When my dogs go in the car with me, they ride in crates. It is the best I can do to ensure their safety. There are just too many things that can go wrong if they aren’t confined.

Being in the crate means they are much safer and can’t fly forward if we happened to be in an accident. It also ensures that they can’t impulsively jump out of an open window into potential harms way.

Being in the crate means they can’t distract me while I’m driving. They can’t crawl into my lap or hover over my shoulder. Seeing a dog sitting in someone’s lap as they drive down the street is a pet peeve of mine. No one expects to be in an accident, but if it happens, having the dog between you and the steering wheel is a recipe for serious injury. Why would anyone take that chance?

Crating my dogs for car rides also means I have a way to keep them out of the way if I need to pull over to deal with a car problem. Which is exactly what happened recently when I was driving back home from Florida. I was able to deal with the situation without having to worry about what my dogs were doing.

I was returning from some vacation time, just me and the dogs. My vehicle is a 2021, so of course I let my AAA membership expire figuring I wouldn't need it anytime soon. 🤦‍♀
I'm driving along, singing to Fleetwood Mac's Rumor album, when the warning bells and icons started going off. I was rapidly losing tire pressure so I took the next exit and got off the interstate.

Fortunately, I do know how to change a tire. It just took a bit to figure out where the jack was stored and how to get the spare out from under the car.

Knowing the dogs were safe and sound was a huge relief. I could focus on what needed doing at the moment.

There are so many reasons to crate train your dog. Start from the very moment you bring a puppy home and continue throughout the dogs life. You will never regret having a crate trained dog.

And you will never regret transporting your dog in a crate. There is no better sigh of relief than knowing your pet is safe when the unexpected happens.

02/13/2022

Meet our February board and train, Whiskey! 😍 Whiskey is a little over a year old now and is here for off-leash training and brushing up his leash walking, basic obedience, and handling skills. I love working with this sweet goofball and am super excited to see how far he progresses over the next two weeks!

02/09/2022

How do you choose a good dog to bring into your home? This flow chart from is a great resource as you prepare to interview adoptable dogs! A few things to be thinking about in order to find a safe dog for your family include their affinity for people, touch sensitivity, reaction and recovery to a loud scary noise, and whether they guard valuable items from you. Check out the rest of the article that includes videos of body language you should be looking for at the link below.

If you’re unsure when looking for a dog, contact a trainer! Most trainers will be so happy to help you choose the right dog upfront, rather than trying to fix problems or give you the harsh reality later on.

https://rescuedogsresponsibly.com/adopt-a-good-dog.html?fbclid=IwAR1JwnvIgLH4Qsrr95LRzbPU2UMaU-NZBhW9c-4KQjl86dD4vgtl8lLXErw