Keep it Real Dog Training, LLC

Keep it Real Dog Training, LLC Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Keep it Real Dog Training, LLC, Dog trainer, Washington, NJ.

Lifestyle dog trainer, providing tailored instruction to help you live life and have adventure with your family dog
Fully insured and certified, covering areas within a 20 mile driving distance of Washington, NJ

10/14/2020

Prior to the Covid shutdown back in March Leia was crated anytime we left the house, which included 4 pretty long work days each week. She entered her crate without issue and there she waited calm and relaxed each day until we returned home, we know this because we would check on her and the crew throughout the day via our security cameras. As lockdown progressed, Leia was crated less and less until eventually we weren’t crating her at all even when we left the house and she was fine, she would just lay down next to Tripp and wait, with absolutely zero displays of anxiety. She continued to be crated in the car.

Fast forward to last week, when we were away at a vacation rental. When we go away we always crate our dogs. All three of them. It’s absolutely the safest place for them to be in an unfamiliar environment. We have always used the soft crates simply because the dogs have always been good and they are much easier to pack. Leia traveled with us last year and we had no problems at all. This year we also made the last minute decision to pack our WYZE camera in order to keep an eye on things while we were out, this proved to be quite the bonus. Imagine our surprise when we heard Leia absolutely loosing her mind, barking, howling and carrying on, only to return “home” to discover that she had also escaped from the crate. At the time we thought she was in the crate howling and barking and hadn’t realized that she actually clawed her way out.

I’ll admit when I discover the escape I was angry. After taking a step back I realized i was mostly angry at myself for expecting Leia to perform in a manner that she hadn’t been expected to perform, in quite some time. Since getting angry NEVER helps a training situation I immediately put those feelings aside and put together a plan to address the situation and hopefully salvage our vacation.

Thankfully, remedying the situation really did not prove to be too big of a challenge, i believe because despite this hiccup
* Leia is fully crate trained and just needed a bit of a reset. All of the time not being crated, coupled with being in a strange new location just pushed her over the edge.
* We had the ability to check on her via the camera, had we not had the camera we really would not have had the picture of her state of mind when we left. Thank you WYZE!
* We made modifications as we went. Little things oftentimes have big impacts
* Rearranged the crates placing Leia next to Tripp
* Setting the tone by asking for the down immediately, not giving her the opportunity to get herself all worked up.

Things I talk about, but want to reiterate based on this experience, because despite knowing what to do (and not doing it), this is a perfect example of why so many trainers preach the things that they do. Fortunately for me, I immediately saw the error of my ways and knew how to go about addressing them
* Even KNOWN behavior need practice and polish
* The crate is your friend ALWAYS
* Structure is SUPER important
* NEVER train angry, it will get you nowhere
* Address the dogs state of mind and the desired behavior will follow
* Set the dog up for success
* No matter how much you love your dog, giving them time away from you is actually a good thing.
* Cameras are your friend!


09/28/2020

Spent some time Saturday working with Tucker and his mom on long line exercises to help Tucker learn how to pay attention to his handler and come when he is called and ultimately that all good things happen when you are with your people.

Tucker is a young pup at just about a year, so learning these behaviors now will help to set him up for a lifetime of success.

A key take away for Tucker’s mom is how much her tone of voice and body language impact the response (or lack there of) from Tucker.

Remember when working recall and building your relationship with your dog, keep both your tone and your body language welcoming and inviting.

Tucker did fantastic throughout the session , sticking with his handler and responding nicely to cues all while calmly and appropriately taking in his environment which included all the things you would expect to find at the park on a Saturday, plus all those sirens were quite the distraction!

Great job Tucker (and his mom)!!!



09/20/2020

For better or worse dogs feed off of each others energy so it is up to us to manage that collective energy and help our dogs learn to be calm and in control especially in the presence of triggers that cause excitement. Instilling this level of impulse control in your dogs will help in all aspects of your life together, on walks, when the mailman arrives or when guest visit.

Here are a few snippets of a longer (approx 20 minute) session of Tripp and Leia on "place" while I did some chores in the yard. While here they are truly relaxed, they sniff the air and calmly observe wildlife. At one point the neighbor's dog barks and Leia, though she notices, she quickly returns to watching birds instead of running to the fence to investigate.

Fostering a calm relaxed state mind in your dog sets everyone up for success and increases the likelihood that they will look for and respond to your guidance and leadership when it is needed most

09/15/2020

With shorter days and cooler temps upon us, hiding and finding treats is a fun interactive game you can play with your pup. This game works impulse control and increases focus on the handler, all while leveraging one of your dogs greatest assets, his nose and sense of smell, winning the game earns him your praise and a tasty food reward and earns you a well behaved mentally stimulated dog. The nice thing about this game is you can start out super easy and progress to more challenging hiding spots as your dogs skill level increases. When played regularly my pups can easily find treats hidden on different levels of the home, this provides the added bonus of running up and down the steps to hide the treats 😊. What games to you play with your dog to pass the time during the dark months of winter??


09/12/2020

A few snippets from today’s pack walk! Thanks to everyone who came out to walk with us. The weather, the dogs and the conversation were all great, a fantastic way to kick off the weekend. Stay tuned for information on our October walk, if you are interested in joining us and have questions don’t hesitate to reach out!

Happy Gotcha Day to Tripp Bean WigglesSix years ago today we brought home Tripp, and who knew that when we did he would ...
09/07/2020

Happy Gotcha Day to Tripp Bean Wiggles

Six years ago today we brought home Tripp, and who knew that when we did he would be a dog like I never had before and likely may never have again, because of Tripp the last 5 1/2 years have been spent learning all I can about dog training. As a life long dog owner and enthusiast I knew the basics on how to train a dog but when what I knew wasn’t working for me, and the purely positive approach I was using was actually working against me, I sought out the help of Anthony Schwickrath of AFT Dog Training. Anthony educated Tripp and I on the balanced approached to training, Tripp’s response was immediate and I was hooked. Where my prior trainer had failed Tripp and I, Anthony was extremely supportive and even encouraged me to get my certification and become a trainer myself, which I did because I wanted to gain the knowledge to teach and encourage owners seeking the best for their dog the way that Tripp and I were taught and encouraged.
Tripp will never be the dog that is able to be loved on by every person that comes his way, but, because he was taught how to properly navigate in the world, even a world that at at times frightens him or makes him uncomfortable, he leads a very rich and active life. All three of our dogs have extremely different personalities and all of them accompany us as many places as they possibly can, vacation, shopping where permitted, farmer’s markets, street fairs and miles and miles and miles of walking and hiking. I call myself a lifestyle dog trainer because I want every dog owner to have the ability to integrate their dog into as much of their day to day as they possibly can, and because there is nothing like getting out there and experiencing life with a well trained, well mannered dog. Thank you Tripp for being a remarkable dog. I am so glad that I convinced Gene to stop at the shelter after our bike ride and that when we went back with Gracie and Lilly, Gracie REALLY liked you.

Crate Training, another reason why. This morning after our walk we stopped to grab some breakfast, we were originally pl...
09/06/2020

Crate Training, another reason why.

This morning after our walk we stopped to grab some breakfast, we were originally planning to do take out but since it was so gorgeous out we decided to just eat there. We were able to make that choice because we knew the dogs would be just fine waiting in their crates and with the fine weather we were able to open the doors and windows of the van, while sitting nearby, so that the pups were able to check out their surroundings and smell the smellls, knowing full well that they would be completely fine with other diners on the patio and folks walking passed in the parking lot, simply because experiences like these are nothing new for them. We take them as many places as we are able and being crated is just part of the experience, as they are always crate within the van.
They were able to safely enjoy the experience and we were able to enjoy our breakfast.


09/03/2020

Stay
Roxy came to us knowing all kinds of wonderful tricks and behaviors, stay was not one of them. We recently began working on stay with the intention that this will be developed into a solid stay, until “break” at all doors and thresholds, an area where she needs the most work. Generally I use the flat palmed “Stop” motion as my hand signal associated with stay, however, to Roxy this cue meant “High 5”, so for her we are switching it up to just holding up one finger in a “just a minute motion”. Working stay on the training platform helps to add focus and context, making it easier for her to understand what is being asked. Once she understands what is being asked we will transition to the ground and begin fading the reward.


Back to basics night. Tonight we spent time running through basic obedience drills, rotating a dog on place while anothe...
09/02/2020

Back to basics night.
Tonight we spent time running through basic obedience drills, rotating a dog on place while another pup was being worked. Tripp and Leia are generally solid on basics, however, Roxy’s presence certainly changes up the dynamic and presents a great opportunity to solidify known commands in a different situation. It’s easy to let foundational skills get a little lax day to day, especially in the home, but when major disruptions occur, like bringing in a new dog areas that need some attention have a bit more light shed upon them, which is precisely what I observed with Leia and just proves that training is not one and done but a constant evolution.
Worked Roxy on Stay, of all of her amazing tricks, stay was not a known command, but she is a quick learner and did awesomely.



Happy National Dog Day from our house, where everyday is National Dog Day, to yours. In honor of this special day the cr...
08/26/2020

Happy National Dog Day from our house, where everyday is National Dog Day, to yours. In honor of this special day the crew will get two walks instead of one and spend some quality time bouncing around the backyard.

Wishing all of our four legged friends a great day!!!

How did you and your@pup enjoy the day???

08/26/2020

Happy National Dog Day from our house, where everyday is National Dog Day, to yours. In honor of this special day the crew will get two walks instead of one and spend some quality time bouncing around the backyard.

Wishing all of our four legged friends a great day!!!

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Washington, NJ
07882

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Launch Day!

Hello, I am Ginger Martel and as a life long dog owner/lover a huge part of my recreational activities have always involved my dogs. In 2014 I adopted an 11 week old pup with big plans for fun and adventure, however, by the time he was 8 months old he had developed some pretty significant issues and was displaying plenty of concerning behavior, to the point that I knew without major course correction I would never be able to have the life that I imagined with this dog. The moment I realized Tripp’s problems were too big for me to handle on my own I contacted a trainer, after several months, consisting of multiple private and group classes, without any forward progress I realized that this was not the right trainer for us and our problems. Thankfully I did not accept what I was being told and I kept searching for the help that I knew I so desperately needed, and I did find it. I can not tell you how much finding the right trainer changed my life, it dramatically changed to the point of inspiring me to become a dog trainer myself, with the ultimate goal of helping every dog owner I can have the relationship that they want with their dog, now and forever.

In December 2018 I received my Dog Trainer Certification from Catch Canine Trainers Academy, and over the past 3 years I have mentored and worked with various trainers; employing various training methodologies, participated and assisted in multiple training classes, interpreted on line courses and training, helped coach family and friends and recently added a new rescue to our pack, this complete immersion in all things dog training has helped to prepare me to help you! I fully understand that the human/dog relationship does not look the same to everyone but I am here to help you get the most out of whatever that relationship looks like to you. I do not subscribe to the one size fits all training approach offered by so many and base my training recommendations on what will be right for you and your dog.

Tripp turned 5 in July 2019, and though he will never be an every mans dog, to Tripp trust and friendship is earned not given, he is the perfect dog for us. He has traveled with us from Canada to Key West and many places in between, he goes camping, kayaking, shopping and to festivals - we enjoy the same fulfilled rich life with him as we do with Lilly our certified therapy dog, because we found the right trainer and we did the work. With the recent adoption of Leia to round out our pack we look forward to including her in all of the adventures yet to come.

If this story sounds familiar contact us today so that I can start helping you build the rich life and relationship you want with your dog.