New Hokkaido puppy is already proving herself to be just as smart and eager to please as the rest of my Hokkaido pack ❤️

Anyone else’s dog have an auto leave it?

Yoshi has a history of pica, so he’s been taught that if he finds something on the ground he must make eye contact to “ask permission” to eat it.

His marker (“good”) is his release to eat whatever he’s found, and the cue “leave it” is to let him know he is not allowed to eat it (and to expect an alternate reward for doing so).

I don’t use any training tools besides a collar and leash these days, but my dogs are taught a “too far” cue which precedes them hitting the end of their leash. Saying the cue just before this self correction gives the dog a warning, allowing them the choice to stop moving forward and therefore avoid an aversive stimulus. Moving forward, the leash is lengthened or removed until “too far” becomes a reliable stop behavior without the need of a physical correction.

Another note on conditioned aversive signals: always give the dog ample time to make a decision but not enough time that the physical aversive doesn’t seem to follow the warning signal

Image source: Don’t Shoot the Dog (Revised Edition) by Karen Pryor

A reminder that only about 1/3 of doodles are actually “hypoallergenic” and don’t shed!! If you’re interested in a doodle as a non shedding, allergy friendly dog, then you’ll likely find disappointment with those crosses.

I think I’m going to pursue an IAABC certification in feline behavior. I’ve realized that a lot of my work lately has been training cats, since training away most dog/cat interaction problems starts with maximizing the comfort level of the cat and then training the BOTH of them. Only working with the dog sets everyone up for failure. I’ve learned a lot about feline psychology and social interaction, and even though I’m not much of a cat person I am enjoying it.

Plus, if I’m certified in dogs, cats, and then some other species I can call myself a “certified animal behavior consultant.” Fancy lol 😂

Any cat behavior consultants want to chime in with some good reading material or videos?

I brought her in to work to help set a dog straight today. Very well trained service dog. Just over the top and all over the place, paying little mind to his handler. He’s technically “fully trained” by another trainer but he does not meet my standards by any means nor is he where his handler wants him.

Faith gets pretty snarky if working with a misbehaving dog, and will actually get snippy if the dog breaks a stay, starts pulling on leash, etc. Her corrections are more fair, well timed, and consistent than most humans can give. I’ve never met a dog who didn’t learn to respect her, and eventually mimic her good behavior.

If given a release cue from “work” though, she will burst into butt wiggles and bows trying to get the dog to play. We start and end our sessions with play to keep things positive and fun. A lot of dogs have learned great behavior from working side by side with Miss Monster. I’m thankful to have a dog like this in my life.

Note: she has been a neutral demo dog for behavior modification training for years, has extensive training/testing for ladder aggression, and she’s been schooled on how to do this stuff safely. She is not a reactive dog. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS TYPE OF TRAINING AT HOME.

l e g g s s s

I don’t even know how puppies function with all the awkward growth phases they go through.

PSA: Service Dog handlers, stop gatekeeping vests!

I’ve trained service dogs professionally for the last 5 years, I used to have a service dog of my own, and I’m also a behavior consultant who does a lot of work with shy, reactive, and aggressive dogs. I’m coming at this argument from all angles here.

I see a lot of service dog handlers getting angry at pet dog owners for having their dogs in labeled vests (labels like “in training” or “do not pet”— I’m not talking about people outright labeling their pet as a service dog) because “the public could confuse the dog as a service dog” and “if the dog isn’t behaving perfectly it could look bad on real service dog handlers.”

Can we just stop this mentality? Vests have a variety of uses for all dogs. They aren’t this holy grail reserved only for service dogs.

A lot of my over-excitable clients utilize an “in training” vest to let the public know they are busy training when out and about. It dissuades the public from approaching the handler and distracting the dog. It doesn’t matter that this particular dog isn’t in training for service work. Their training is just as important and the vest is a huge asset to them. However, there’s always someone who comes back saying they got backlash from people (usually online) for “impersonating a service dog” because the dog they are TRAINING is labeled exactly as such.

For safety reasons, a lot of my aggression cases are labeled as well! Usually a bold colored vest with “Do Not Pet” or “In Training” patches. Again, it simply dissuades the public from approaching this dog without having to broadcast “Aggressive Dog” (which would likely cause all sorts of fear responses and access issues to dogs who wouldn’t be out in public unless I deemed it safe). These dogs may or may not be muzzled depending on where the dog is at in their training. These are the cases that usually anger service dog handlers the most. But we need to remember that “Do Not Pet” isn’t only reserved for service dogs. It could be a shy dog, an aggressive dog, or simply a handler who doesn’t want people approaching them. “Do Not Pet” simply equals do not pet. Nothing more.

Obviously “Service Dog” should be reserved for only legitimate working service dogs, but handlers— stop giving shit to pet dog owners trying to do right by their dogs. Vests are for anyone who wishes to use one.

I’d like to take a moment to brag about this dog (and no, there’s no treat lures being used here— just many months of blood, sweat, and tears to achieve this focus around distractions).

I was told by my old boss (a certified behavior consultant in the area) plus two vets that the most humane thing to do for Yoshi would be euthanasia. “His aggression was too severe and the work involved in rehabbing him would be too much. He’d need a life of constant management and he’d likely need daily medication in order to live happily and safely.” 6 months ago I couldn’t safely walk him without my boyfriend because he was already a bad puller, but if he saw another dog or person, he could easily overpower me and attack them.

Well, I’m just as stubborn and strong willed as this dog. I quit my job training service dogs, switched to a new training facility focusing largely on behavior work, spent hours studying and learning new methods, picked up a few more certifications, and I’m happy to say Yoshi is thriving. His leash manners are great, his impulse control has improved exponentially, and he can safely be controlled without a muzzle or medication.

Never stop learning; never give up on the “impossible” cases ❤️

Kibo is the best puppy and nobody can convince me otherwise ❤️❤️