Working on basic training is a great way to bond with your dog, increase their skillset, build their confidence, and improve their quality of life as well as your own. We always use positive reinforcement to teach dogs which behaviors are appropriate, and what we want to see more of. Did you know that there’s plenty more work to be done after your dog successfully knows how to perform a basic cue like “sit”? When we start teaching a new cue, we want as few distractions as possible, so the animal can focus on the task at hand. Once they’re
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Cooperative care allows your dog to be a willing participant in a necessary activity that involves handling, such as nail trims, eye drops, brushing teeth, etc. It enables them to communicate when they are stressed and need a break from handling, creates a safe environment, and makes them more comfortable with the activity. For example, when a dog is experiencing stress during a nail trim, this creates negative associations and can make nail trims more stressful and more difficult over time. Instead, we can reduce stress by giving breaks when they’re communicated and heavily rewarding with treats and praise. Giving
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Why do we use positive reinforcement when training and working with our dogs? Positive reinforcement (also known as R+) builds trust and helps strengthen our relationship with the dogs around us. We use a mark and reward system to teach the dog when they are doing something right. This helps us effectively communicate behaviors that we want to see more from our dogs and helps them build confidence too! With R+, we mark using a clicker or a friendly “yes!” and then we reward the dog with a reinforcer like a high value treat. The dog quickly learns that the
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We all know how important enrichment is for our animals. Enrichment gives them the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors and provides them with vital mental and physical stimulation. Sniffing, chewing, shredding, and licking are all ways to relieve stress. Additionally, when a dog is experiencing heightened arousal from activities like a brisk walk or playing in the yard, engaging in enrichment afterwards is a great way to bring their chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline back down to a baseline level. Getting creative with enrichment is fun and we can even step it up by offering something like multi-layer shredding
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