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What to Look for in a Dog Trainer
What to Look for in a Dog Trainer

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What to Look for in a Dog Trainer

Tips to Finding a Professional Dog Trainer There are no legal certifications or education requirements for dog trainers. That means that anyone can say they are a dog trainer, even if they have no actual experience, education or training. This can make it difficult to know if you are hiring a true professional or not. If you find yourself looking for a dog trainer but cannot decide who to choose, there are a few tips that can help you find a qualified trainer. Find a Trainer Who is Trained and Certified A true professional dog trainer should have some type or formal education and should have experience training dogs other than their own. There a few reputable dog training groups that can help you find a good trainer. Certified Professional Dog Trainer (Knowledge Assessed or Knowledge and Skills Assessed)- these trainers have a required number of hours they must complete before they take a standardized test. To renew the certification, the trainer must get 36 continued education units within three years. (This means they must continue their education all of the time!) Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner- these trainers take a 6-month course that involves hand on skills as [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2023-03-23T08:53:49-07:00March 22nd, 2023|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Should I Brush My Dog’s Teeth?
Should I Brush My Dog’s Teeth?

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Should I Brush My Dog’s Teeth?

For most people, we brush our teeth twice a day for good dental health. However, we don’t consider our dogs teeth, yet we often complain about them having “dog breath”. If we want our dogs to have “fresh breath”, we need to take care of their teeth like we take care of our own. Teach Your Dog to Have His Teeth Brushed The best dental health for our dogs is to brush their teeth daily. To teach your dog to have his teeth brushed, you need to go slow and be patient. Here are the steps to take to teach your dog to tolerate their teeth being brushed. Items needed: Peanut butter (if needed) Pet toothpaste (any flavor they may like) Finger toothbrush Soft child toothbrush How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth Steps: If your dog is at all unsure of you handling his mouth, put a small amount of toothpaste on your finger and rub onto teeth and gums. If you dog is VERY unsure, spend a few sessions just having him lick the peanut butter off your finger, then move to rubbing it on his gums. Once your dog is comfortable with you rubbing his teeth and gums, [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2023-03-22T12:59:45-07:00February 14th, 2023|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Dog Stress Levels
Dog Stress Levels

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Dog Stress Levels

When a dog has gone over threshold, attempting to train them at that moment will be useless. A dog that is over threshold is in “survival mode.” Her sympathetic nervous system is activated, which controls her body’s response to the perceived threat. Adrenaline increases, heart rate increases, muscles contract and pupils dilate as her body reacts as if it were facing a life-or-death event. In these situations, it is better to just get the dog out of the fearful situation or to try to minimize its impact in these instances. If a trainer fails to look at the dog as an individual who is fearful and views the dog’s failure to obey as a dominance issue, the trainer may start punishing a fearful dog for misbehaving when the dog is actually scared. This is especially true if the trainer ignores the fact that some dogs’ “zone of tolerance” is larger than others. Therefore, some dogs will take far less stress before going “over threshold.” Punishing fear only compounds the fear. The dog may then intensify its attempts to run away, or even go into fight mode and attack the handler. But if flight or fight do not work, and the [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2023-02-15T11:22:32-08:00January 16th, 2023|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

When Emotions Affect Behavior
When Emotions Affect Behavior

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When Emotions Affect Behavior

When Emotions Affect a Dog's Behavior Some behaviors are the result of anxiety, fear, or excitement. As I have mentioned before, if a learner is too stressed, learning cannot occur. If the anxiety or fear is mild, you can help your dog with some homeopathic therapies. Some of these therapies can also help if you have a high-energy puppy or dog because they calm them down enough so they can learn the behaviors you are trying to teach. Homeopathic Therapies for Dogs ThunderShirt: This is a dog shirt that fits tightly on the dog’s body. It comes from the same reasoning that we use when we swaddle a baby. The tightness can help calm the nervous system and allow the dog to be present when learning. The ThunderShirt can also be used during fireworks and thunderstorms. Adaptil Pheromones: These pheromones come in collars, diffusers, and sprays. In some cases, these pheromones help reduce fear and anxiety so the dog can learn with less stress. Through A Dog’s Ear (and other classical music created to calm dogs): This music was specifically created to calm dogs. You can use this when training; however, it is more beneficial to use when [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2022-12-15T09:18:16-08:00December 14th, 2022|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

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