The best dog training class instructor will teach humans and dogs alike using science based, force-free, fear-free training.
I have been offering fun and rewarding training classes in the northern Westchester, Putnam, and western Connecticut area for almost twenty-five years.
“Evidence supports the use of reward-based methods for all canine training. AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence. Based on these factors, reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare.”
The best dog training class instructor will teach you and your dog to do more than sit, down, stay, wait and the basic commands.
I teach handlers how to communicate with their dogs to help their dogs do the right thing and be the best, happiest dog they can be.
Fun and rewards allowed this team to build a perfect and happy focus!
Teaching handlers how to read their dog teaches them how to understand and communicate with their dog.
To help you learn how to communicate with your dog, I will teach you how to read your dog’s body language. Knowing what your dog is signaling will help you teach them and keep them happy and calm. This book by Turid Ruggas is the primer on your dog’s body language, “On Talking Terms with Dogs, Calming Signals.“
We all learn better when we are having fun! Dog training classes should be fun and make everyone happy. There should never be force or fear used to teach.
Sit/Stay with dots and toys.
The best dog training class instructor will understand that it is so much more fun to proof sit/stay when playing the dots-and-gizmos game.
This dog training supply list includes your dog’s wearable equipment.
Many dog training tools are specific to training class but most of them will be useful in classes, at home, on walks, and more.
Your dog may disagree about what is and is not a training tool. But you will hold firm on no TP.
Collars, harnesses, and leashes.
For most of our dogs, it is good to use the same equipment for walks, hikes, or classes. Occasionally we will use a longer or shorter leash for different activities.
Collars
Flat collar – these are the basic collar everyone thinks of when they think of a collar.
Martingale collar – this collar allows the collar to close just enough to prevent the dog from squiggling out. This is my preferred collar.
I happen to be a fan of the Lupine collars linked above. They are well made (US), guaranteed (even if chewed), and they have loads of nice patterns 😊
Harnesses
Understanding the difference between a back-clip harness and a front-clip harness is critical.
If your dog’s harness has the leash clipping to a d-ring on the dog’s back, this is a back-clip harness. In most cases, this will increase pulling as it engages your dog’s oppositional reflex and they will push their chest against the front of the harness reflexively (they just can’t help it).
A Front-clip harness will have a d-ring on the dog’s chest where the leash will attach.
This is a front-clip harness. Notice the leash is attached to the harness on the front of the dog’s chest.
This will reduce the pressure against the dog’s chest and decrease or eliminate the oppositional reflex. This will stop or reduce greatly the pulling battle that often goes on during dog walks.
Here are three well made and reasonably priced front clip harnesses.
Freedom No-pull harness. This fits the best and has a secondary back clip if you want to switch between back and front clipping.
The Easy Walk Harness. This can take some tinkering to get it to fit right. But if it fits your dog, it is a good front-clip harness.
The Sensation harness. This was the first of its kind and still well made and secure.
There are many other front-clip harnesses. I find the ones that have what looks like a breast-plate in the front move side-to-side too much to be effective. The Whole Dog Journal has a nice article outlining many different front-clip harnesses.
Leashes…
There are far too many types, styles, textures, and lengths of dog leashes to list them in this training supply list.
I prefer leather or biothane leases for my own dogs. These materials sit more comfortably in my hand than cotton or nylon. For either, I like three-quarters or five-eights width. For most women, an inch width will not allow the hand to fully close around it. So, the three-quarters or half inch will allow for a more secure hold.
The length of leash will vary. For an average walk in the park, four or six feet is fine. Six will allow you the most flexibility to allow your dog to move away to eliminate. But four is easiest if your dog is playing with other dogs on leash. For hiking or playing in an unfenced area, a longer ten to twenty foot leash will allow for maximum flexibility.
Leather is the softest and sturdiest leash I have found. But it is not waterproof.
Biothane leashes are waterproof and as easy on your hands as leather (they don’t slip or burn). They come in a variety of colors, lengths, and widths.
A subset of these is the multi-leash. This is a leash that has multiple connection points to allow it to transform from a six-foot leash, to a three-foot leash, to a wrap-leash, or even a tie-out.
Odin’s family took time before their new baby came home to learn how to and what to train Odin to do to keep their family happy and safe together.
Odin’s family wanted their dog to be ready for their first baby.
Odin settled near his new baby girl’s automated swing.
Odin the dog prepares for his family’s new baby by doing a settle command while the baby swing goes back and forth.
This allowed Odin to learn how to be calm around baby gizmos like this. He also prepares by learning that these items are not scary things.
It is important to see how our dogs behave around new baby gizmos before baby arrives because:
There won’t be a lot of time when baby comes home
If we wait until baby is actually in the swing or vibrating Pack-n-Play or other moving and/or sound making device, we won’t know if our dog is reacting uncomfortably because of the gizmo or the baby
And, if we know ahead of time that our dog is not as comfortable with the baby gizmos, we can desensitize
For more details on desensitizing your dog to baby gizmos see the Excerpt chapter one – ‘The Ruff Wait for Baby’ from Please Don’t Bite the Baby here.
Odin’s family took time before their new baby came home to learn how to and what to train Odin to do to keep their family happy and safe together.
For more details on how to keep your baby and dog(s) safe and happy together, see more exerpts here.
A family adopted a six-month-old puppy who was anxious and afraid. When she was introduced to the family’s young cousins (four-years and eleven-months — TODDLERS) she seemed curious. But then barked and lunged at them when they made sudden movements. They had expected their toddlers and dogs to be safe together.
The family tried to ‘firmly correct’ their dog’s behavior, but it didn’t work.
Correcting the dog will NOT teach the dog the right thing to do. Nor will it teach the dog to love the child, it will probably do the opposite.
It is not uncommon for a rescue dog to have no positive experiences with small children. Even dogs who have had good experiences with kids, will still be triggered by the movements of a toddler.
Regardless of new-rescue-dog or dog you’ve had for years, all toddlers and dogs need to be supervised and taught how to be safe around each other. For some dogs this is a quick lesson but for others with fears and anxiety, this can move at a slower pace.
Slow and steady made Pinball safe around Indy
This process will include desensitization and counterconditioning when a dog already has some anxiety around children. Or good socialization when a dog is simply unfamiliar with small children.
What is it about toddlers that gets to so many dogs? This question should be asked more often. But because many people feel their good dog can or should withstand anything their child has to throw at her (literally and figuratively), the question is not asked, and without questions there can be no help in the form of answers.
I knew even before having a toddler that they are bundles of energy with quick, unsteady bursts of movement. The literature about toddlers is filled with buzzwords that should scare the dick- ens out of anyone approaching this milestone: defiance, pitching fits, tantrums, and getting into everything. From the dog’s perspective many, if not all, of those can be difficult to process.
Quick, unsteady movements are triggers for your dog’s predatory or flight instincts.
Dogs have been honed by nature to react to quick movements for survival. Such movements signal that their dinner awaits. Your dog may not be looking at your toddler as a prey animal, but they are still programmed to chase anything that moves quickly and erratically. Think squirrels, bunnies, and even darting deer, and then ask if your toddler’s play movements resemble any of these animals. In this stage your toddler is triggering a very primal instinct in your dog. Some dogs learn not to chase the child, but they are in the minority. Most homes with toddlers and dogs report multiple nippings of ankles, pants legs, and hands as children move through the house.
So, what can you do?
Brody learning his little boy L is fun and not dangerous
Teach your dog to love your child.
While you are training, keep them separated by baby gates to prevent mistakes. Give your dog Super High Value Treats when they are watching your child. You can set your dog up with great toys, or durable chews they like. All of these will help your dog make the association that when the child appears, they will have great fun!
Don’t let you child grab at or run towards the dog. This can scare your dog and they will then have to choose how to respond to that fear. Fight is one of the first choices a dog can make when afraid.
Train your dog to know an escape route so you can quickly and easily send them out of the way of the toddler.
Teach your dog how to settle near your child and PAY your dog WELL for all the little zany things your child might do.
Pinball settling on the other side of a baby gate while my son behaves like a traditional toddler doing zany things. Note that Pinball is unconcerned and gets treats for his troubles.
If you take your time and do this right, your dog and baby can grow old together safely.
Brody is safe and content with his little boy L – and L even has a stuffed version of his favorite dog!!
Please Don’t Bite the Baby, and Please Don’t Chase the Dog has more suggestions than I can fit a blog.
For more helpful tips, on keeping baby safe around dogs, pick up a copy here or…
I offer both Remote or In-person behavior consultations.
For either remote or in-person sessions:
You will fill out a behavioral questionnaire prior to any scheduled appointment.
In our dog behavior consultation we work together to change your dog’s behavior for the better. We employ data driven force-free behavior modification protocols. And our processes will scaffold exercises that support the long-term welfare of your dog and the dog-human relationship.
You can find more details on current research and protocols for behavior modification on the following websites.
Both Remote and In-person Sessions offer great instruction and sometimes one is more effective than the other.
There are times when a remote session is a necessary alternative to an in-person meeting. If your dog has stranger phobias/aggression, resource guarding, or other issues that could make an initial in-person session very stressful for them, we would begin remotely. This jump starts training by allowing me to get more details, view videos, and set up protocols without stressing your dog. We then have a strategy before we continue in-person.
I will also need some video which usually shows me what I might not be able to see in person because your dog is in their natural setting without a stranger looming.
If a situation is dangerous, I don’t need unsafe video. I just need to see your dog in action vis-a-vis family, other dogs, and etc. – safely.
Here is a video that demonstrates how sometimes when we observe in real time, we miss a lot of signals that can help us help our dogs.
In-person sessions allow me to physically interact and demonstrate with your dog and if necessary work with you and your dog in an environment specific to your dog’s issues.
Regardless of remote or in-person sessions, I send notes to help you follow the stratagies we go over in our session. And our ultimate goal is to make your life with your dog happier and safer.
Toilet paper hooliganDrunken dogHead ChefLibrarian
While we might not be able to turn your dog from a holligan to a librarian, we can make everyone happier and more at ease.
To set up a private session or get more information, email me.
To help your dog avoid being sprayed by skunks, have a handful of distance commands to keep your dog from getting into skunk trouble.
I recently received a question about a dog who keeps getting sprayed by skunks in Montana.
Our dog keeps getting sprayed by skunks. She’s a terrier mix and loves looking in culvert pipes and exploring. We live in the country in Montana and there is so much a curious dog can get into trouble with. She used to not come when we called her. But we’ve been training her with treats and she’s gotten much better at coming when we call. We hate to have to keep her on a leash when we go for walks. Can you make any suggestions?
Thank you, Jennifer
If you enjoy walking your dogs off leash, it’s important to have a handful of distance commands.
The recall or “come” command is at the top of this list. It is the most common in terms of getting your dog back to you and out of harms way.
A “leave-it” at a distance is almost as important. Start by teaching “leave-it” close enough to you so you can reinforce it with praise and rewards. The command is solid when your dog turns away from whatever they have found to get their reward from you.
All of the commands listed here will have to be rewarded with food in the learning stages, and then intermittently forever depending on the dog and the surroundings.
“Sit” or “down” at a distance will allow you to freeze your dog in place for a second or two while you figure things out, or the danger (i.e. skunk, etc.) passes. These could be used anywhere or anytime you need to simply put your dog into a holding position. You will need to be able to reliably request these commands when your dog is close to you. Then you can start to request them at distances farther away from you until you can lock your dog down matter how far away they are.
Some dogs do better with a “stop” command at a distance rather than “sit” or “down.” If they can “stop” their action, but can’t follow other commands in the heat of the moment, that’s fine. Essentially the “stop” command like the “sit” and “down” halt all actions until you tell your dog to do something else.
“Sit,” “down,” and “stop” all have to be trained when you are near your dog so you can easily reward them. Then you can start using a long leash, ten feet, fifteen feet, etc. With this, you can begin to increase the distance you ask your dog to preform these commands. Once your dog is reliable at longer distances, they are ready for off leash work.
Hopefully these ideas will allow you to help your dog avoid getting sprayed by skunks in or out of Montana.
As for Dante – well…
He loved skunks!
Hope that helps and remember, there is just something that dogs LOVE about skunks so keep that skunk wash handy.
