You are building a puzzle. You do not have all the puzzle pieces when you begin. The puzzle cannot be completed without the slow process, taking over a year’s time, as development gives you more pieces to continue building the puzzle. Trying to train a puppy as if it were an adult dog is like […]

I have been a passionate dog sports person for 36 years. I started in Schutzhund and have started a half dozen clubs across the nation as it evolved into its present state. Clubs are a relaxed environment that allow for a lot of observation of the dog/handler team across different disciplines (Tracking, Obedience, and Protection). […]

It has only been three days with the new puppy “Trip” but here are some things that might not be second nature to everyone- Patience is my greatest ally- I have 10 to 14 months to bring out the best in this pup. I haven’t put a leash on him yet. I want independence, not […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="2020"] April Training Plans and Development Overview How Training Frequency Impacts Learning Lemonade March Starting with an 8 week old pup January The Play Ideas Video [/accordion_panel] [/accordion] [accordion] [accordion_panel title="2019"] December Assessment versus training Play is Pay!!! October Putting it all together August Content versus Context Raising Criteria in Odor Recognition Stuff […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="2020"] March More on play January The Play Ideas video [/accordion_panel] [/accordion] [accordion] [accordion_panel title="2019"] December Play is pay!!! May More on play Do you know how to play with a dog? [/accordion_panel] [/accordion]

The chart above shows a guide for developing training plans. There are seven categories of exercises, listed on the left: Environmental Stability, Socialization, Reward Object Engagement, Olfactory Acuity, Search, Physical Exercise, and Play. The arrows in the center describe the relative emphasis of each category throughout the dog’s development. Environmental Stability gets heavy emphasis** during […]

Scott loves to say, “don’t confuse process with progress.” But what does that mean?? Today I read an interesting study that illustrates this point perfectly. Here’s their conclusion: “For dogs learning a given skill, weekly training results in better learning performance than training five times a week, when performance is measured in the number of […]

I have been a passionate dog sports person for 36 years. I started in Schutzhund and have started a half dozen clubs across the nation as it evolved into its present state. Clubs are a relaxed environment that allow for a lot of observation of the dog/handler team across different disciplines (Tracking, Obedience, and Protection). […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="2020"] April What is a working dog? [/accordion_panel] [/accordion] [accordion] [accordion_panel title="2019"] October Putting it all together June Ten easy steps for program participants March The Problem with Training Plans Your goals and your dog's goals January Simple terms [/accordion_panel] [/accordion] [accordion] [accordion_panel title="2018"] December The developmental attributes of a detection dog [/accordion_panel] […]

For as long as I have been training animals, I have always found people want it to be simple and formulaic. IT ISN’T! Animal training is a dynamic process. With a developing puppy, it is even more dynamic. To build communication and trust, you must adapt to the individual needs of the dogs in front […]