Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Beginner Dog Training Classes in Milton Starting in March


Smart Dog Basics group class will help teach you how to start to gain control of your canine companion under distraction with all of the basics of obedience - come, stay, sit, down, heel. We also save time for question and answer including topics like house training, crate training and other "typical doggy issues". This is A MUST for all dogs, the most important class that you need to take! This is a one size fits all class, all ages, all breeds and all sizes welcome!

Class runs for 7 weeks, one hour once a week, cost is $200 plus HST. Puppies & dogs are required to have all shots.

Thursday evenings starting March 20th, 7-8pm (2 spots left)

Saturday mornings starting March 29th, 10-11am (4 spots left)

Please contact us to sign up dogtraining101@hotmail.com or visit the website for details www.smartdogsk9.com

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Dog Training and Relationship Building - Milton Dog Trainer

I adore working with Brandy. Do we make mistakes? Of course, no dog or person is perfect (her come to fronts leave something to be desired) ... but if you enjoy your time together, work on the mistakes and learn from them, you build your relationship to a much higher level. This is just a little fun we had together working on Heel, Give and Centre, and she loves every minute of it, even at 11 years old.



Sunday, February 23, 2014

Congratulations Canadian Athletes!!!!!!!!!!!!!



We just want to extend a heart felt congratulations to all of the Canadian athletes that participated in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. You make us proud!!!!!!!!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Creating Calm - Dog Training Milton


Small tip of the day - one of the best ways to create calm in your dog (and yes, some dogs need to be told to calm down, others do it on their own) is to teach, proof and reinforce the down/stay. It is a position that can be held for extended periods of time, and can be extremely useful when you want your dog out with you, but not being a nuisance. Teach a good, solid down/stay and you're on your way to creating calm with your dog.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Heeling A Dog - Is It Necessary For An Entire Walk? Dog Training in Milton


 It is a question that is often asked, "Should I been heeling my dog for it's entire walk?". This is a complicated question because, in my opinion, it depends on the temperament of the dog, the reactivity level, and the amount of control that one needs on their dog in order to make the walk as "stress-less" as possible.

Any dog, regardless of size or temperament, will benefit from learning the heel position and the boundaries of it.  It is an extremely useful command to have on your dog, particularly when passing distractions out on a walk. It brings the dog back to your side, under control, and with attention on the handler. I must emphasize that this should be done with a loose leash. This isn't tightening up on your dogs leash, wrapping it multiple times around your hand, and reeling them in like a fish., This is, instead, after they have learned what the command means and entails, they can get to that position without a lot of physical prompting and no pulling back or tension the owners part.

For some dogs, it is an absolute necessity, every single time they go out, to heel them for an entire walk, for if given an inch, there are those canines out there that will take three miles, regardless of how much training that you have put in. These might be hyper sensitive dogs, or reactive dogs that have a tendency to display aggressive or fearful behaviours when in the vicinity of other dogs or even people. These types of temperaments benefit from more control, the owner giving them guidance, showing them that there is nothing to fear or react to by giving them a strict set of rules that shows that the owner is in charge, and the dog needn't worry. Sometimes these dogs are just the more dominant type, with no severe issues other than being pushy, and not listening when needed. This type of temperament benefits as well from a more controlled heel rather than a loose, casual walk.
 
For other dogs, the nice, casual, loose leash walk works instead, but those dogs need to learn ahead of time that no pressure can be applied to the leash/collar. This means that the dog is taught the boundaries of the leash, and doesn't go beyond these boundaries with pulling or tension. These are typically the happy-go-lucky guys or the dogs who don't care too much about what's going on around them.

Regardless of how dogs are walked, they should not be allowed to pee on every rock, plant, lamp post or blade of grass, and they shouldn't be allowed to wander all over the place, between legs, tangling leashes or otherwise being a nuisance. All dogs need to be taught to respect the leash, their owners and the boundaries of their training. If you do this, it makes the walks more enjoyable, less stressful and makes for an easy to handle dog that can be controlled with little effort.

If you need help with training your dog to walk nicely on leash, heel or give you more attention while on a walk, email us to find out how we can help: dogtraining101@hotmail.com

Beginner Dog Obedience Class in Milton

 
A couple spots left in our Friday evening Feb 28th Basic Obedience class (7-8pm). Super results from this class!!! Build a better bond and communication with your dog. Contact us today to sign up dogtraining101@hotmail.com or visit the website for details www.smartdogsk9.com

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Friday Night Group Obedience Class in Milton

 

Smart Dogs Basic Obedience Class starts Friday February 28th, 7-8pm.

This is a 7 week course that teaches you and your dog all of the basics of obedience (sit, down, stay, come and heeling) and gets the dogs working with and focusing on the owners under distraction. A must have, essential course for dogs/puppies 20 weeks and up. A perfect class for those looking to gain more control and response from their dogs.

We specialize in family dog training, and make learning easy and enjoyable for both owner and dogs.

Classes take place in Hall #1 at the Fairgrounds, downtown Milton.

Cost for this results oriented course is $200 plus HST.

Classes are kept small, 6 maximum, for optimal individual attention in a group environment where needed.

Please contact us to sign up dogtraining101@hotmail.com or the website, www.smartdogsk9.com to sign up or if you have any questions. Space is limited.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Prong Collar Loose Leash Walking - Dog Training in Milton

A good video from Leerburg, who by the way, highly promotes marker training/positive reinforcement training, in regards to loose leash walking with a prong collar.
Any tool can be mis-used/abused, it's not about the tools, it's about the techniques, and the person in control of the tools.
Harnesses, head halters, choke chains, prong collars and even flat collars, can all be dangerous in the wrong hands.
 

Monday, February 3, 2014

Are your expectations too high for your puppy? Milton Dog Training


I find that quite a few owners out there expect way too much from very young puppies. I'm not talking 5 months plus here, I'm talking the babies, at 8-16 weeks old. I want to share some things that I do with my puppies in the hopes that it helps alleviate pressure/expectations on both the puppies and the owners.


I like to start all my puppies on easy, positive style training when they are new. I like to keep them happy about learning at a young age, so they will be more receptive as they get older. I keep any training session short, fun, and upbeat to keep their attention and desire for more. I do enforce rules, but in a fair, easy to understand way, so that they catch on quickly. I play with my puppies, as play is important for growth and development. I don't give my puppies endless amounts of freedom; supervision is the key to preventing most typical puppy issues. I handle my puppies, all over, and teach them to enjoy it so that they will be more receptive to handling as they age. I socialize my puppies, but I don't over do it , I follow my own rules on this one. I don't expect too much from young puppies, it's unfair and it will disappoint you if you do. Over all, I enjoy my puppies at this age ... it doesn't last long, so take advantage of it while it lasts.

Yes puppies can start to learn the rules and boundaries as soon as they come home, but don't expect them to remember them every day, every hour or even every 5 minutes ... they are babies. Yes you can start to train them on some of the basics and manners, but don't expect them to be proficient at them all day every day or even every 5 minutes ... they are babies. Yes you can start on house training right away, but don't expect no accidents ... they are babies. Yes puppies can be frustrating, irritating, annoying, and demanding ... but, they are babies.

If you need help training your young puppy, or are looking for guidance and direction, please don't hesitate to contact us at dogtraining101@hotmail.com and visit the website for details: