Please please please, do not put your dogs into bad situations. Helping dogs with reactivity is one of the most boring to watch 'training' things ever, because it's all calm and under threshold when done correctly.

Believe it or not, the dog in the image is working on reactivity. The trigger is out of frame, but she is looking at it. Notice the mouth and face and eyes are all relaxed. Also helping her is feeling of her platform is safe. She is able to disengage with the trigger on her own (stops looking at it, looks at me and even can easily perform tricks and respond to cues). She is not restrained in any way, and has the option to opt out at any time. Choice is extremely important for any training activity!

#forcefree #reactivity #dogtraining #cpdt #cpdtka #positivereinforcement #safespace #choice #freedom

Edraith is completely unbothered by “normal” decorations but a moving polar bear was weird. She gave it a look but as soon as I said “Its okay; its just a polar bear” she was all “oh ok nbd lets get on with our jaunty stroll!”

Genetics plays such a huge role in how dogs respond to things; it is not “all in how you train”. However, ability to bounce back from startles can then be further helped (or hurt) by your relationship and the trust you have built together.

#cpdt #dogtrainer #dogtraining

I know I cannot post long videos on here, but I did upload a new video to YouTube today of me and my pup Edraith. She turned 9 years old recently, and still as crazy and young at heart as ever! Enjoy some of our adventures, antics, and fancy tricks :) https://youtu.be/0y8WsO9t9iY

#trickdog #cpdt #dogtrainer #edraith #aussie #australianshepherd #dogsofmastodon #animalacting #workingdogs

So I do like #centipedes, but seeing a HUGE one scurrying across the carpet and my dog heading towards it is a nope! A calm "Kennel Up" cue and she went right to her crate and stayed there while I took care of it. I love it when #training pays off. No fuss, just calm cues and since there is high payoff for doing what I've trained her to do, no questions. Never had to close the crate door or anything, since we train a stay until released. We of course released from crate once centipede was gone and had a long fun game of tug then :) #dogtraining #cpdt #naturalist