Melissa | Prof. Dog Trainer

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Polite Paws: Stop your Dog from Jumping on People

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"Meet Your Dog Where They Are"

Make your training simple enough the dog in front of you can understand. The behavior may seem simple to you, but your dog is looking at it from a different perspective. Meet them where they are for success.

#dogs

What to do when it's not working

If a behavior isn't happening, ask:
Is it clear? Is it easy enough? Is reinforcement strong enough?

If the behavior isn't happening, our dog doesn't understand or isn't motivated enough. What can you do to make that better? Meet them where where they are.

#dogs

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Polite Paws: Stop your Dog from Jumping on People

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"It Depends"

Every trainer has used this phrase. The reason it is so frequently used is because every dog and every situation is different, so we have to have a full spectrum of what is happening before we can approach a training plan. It means we need more information.

#dogs

Train the dog in front of you

Every dog is different, so be ready to pivot when training. You may find your dog learns a bit differently.

#dogs

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From Cautious to Confident: Helping a Dog Feel at Home

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"Behavior is behavior"

Dogs do what works for them. They don't view the world through a human lens, so if the behavior isn't working for us (aka, it's "bad"), that is information we can use, if we listen.

#dogs

Train in multiple settings.

Dogs don't generalize well, so it is essential to train all behaviors in multiple settings.

#dogs

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From Cautious to Confident: Helping a Dog Feel at Home

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"Manage the behavior"

In other words, this means prevent your dog from practicing whatever behavior is problematic. Close, the blinds, put up a baby gate, walk at different times, etc. Management is the first step in any training plan.

#dogs

Behavior is communication

Dogs don't misbehave. They communicate unmet needs, stress, fear, or confusion.

When we listen, behavior changes faster. Take the time to study your dog's behavior and what that means. You'll find you understand your best friend much better.

#dogs

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How to Socialize an Older Dog Successfully

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"Trigger Stacking"

One stressor? Manageable. Five stressors in a day? Explosion.

Behavior often reflects everything that happened before. When a lot happens at once, it's called "trigger stacking."

#dogs

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Prepping for your Pup: Items to include in their Emergency Kit

This article includes a list of items to gather for an emergency kit, and includes a digital download pamphlet for paid subscribers.

Substack link in bio.

Timing Matters More than Treats

Your marker tells your dog exactly which behavior earned the reinforcement.

If you have late timing, you are giving unclear feedback whereas if you have clear timing your pup will learn faster. Timing is essential for clear communication.

#dogs

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How to Socialize an Older Dog Successfully

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The foundation of Training to a T is using positive reinforcement rather than fear, pain, intimidation, or harm, to train dogs. With that in mind, and because all humans deserve humanity, we are closed on Fri., January 30th in solidarity with Minnesota and everywhere where this is not taking place.

Progress isn't linear

Setbacks don't mean failure. They mean learning is happening. Behavior change looks messy before it looks better. That's normal.

#dogs

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Help! I have a reactive dog. What do I do?

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"Mark your dog's behavior"

When you "mark" your dog's behavior, you make a short staccato noise using a clicker or a verbal noise like "yes!" or "good!" Then purpose is to tell your dog they did the behavior correctly.

Don't forget to reward your pup after the mark!

#dogs

Your dog isn't being stubborn.

If a behavior isn't happening, it's not defiance. It's missing skills, unclear communication, or too much difficulty.

Dogs do what works for them. Our job is to make the right choices easier.

Ask yourself, "what can I do to make this easier for them?"

#dogs

Prepare for an Emergency

· Create a plan for your animals - Who will take care of them if you aren't able?
· Microchip & tag your animals or update your current microchip.
· Get your dog comfortable in a crate.
· Create a 72 hour kit/first aid kit for your animals.
#dogs

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Your Dog's Safety Plan: What Happens When You Can't Get Home

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"Choose your Reinforcers."

When you train your dog, you will want several types of reinforcers. Some high-value, some low-value. Most often these are treat rewards, but for many dogs, toys, scent games, & life rewards are also possibilities. Work with your trainer for help determining!

#dogs

Training isn’t about controlling your dog.

It is about communication.
It is about setting dogs up to win.
It is about meeting needs before asking for skills.

Control creates compliance.
Understanding creates reliability.

#Dogs

You will want to do reactivity training with her. I have another article coming out on Substack in the next month that will break it down, so make sure you are following so you see when it does.

Harnessing Your Dog's Sense of Scent.

Now available for free subscribers on Substack.

An excerpt: "This approach can be used for anything with a scent and studies have shown that dogs create stronger associations when scent is involved…"

To read more, visit our blog at the link in our bio.

#dogs

MYTH BUSTING

🚫 “Positive reinforcement is just bribery”

"Bribery" happens before a behavior to beg for it.
"Reinforcement" happens after a behavior to strengthen it.

One creates confusion.
The other creates learning.

You aren't bribing them, you are teaching them how to succeed in your world.

When trainers say a dog is “above threshold,” it's valuable information that the pup is too excited, stressed, or overwhelmed to learn in that moment.

Give your pup a break and try again later. Meeting them where they are is the key to success.