Dog Training: Keep Your Dog Out From Under Foot

Do you find yourself tripping over your dog on a regular basis? Do they get in your way when you turn around? Are you constantly walking around them so as not to disturb them? If you answered "yes" to any of these, your dog is probably under foot too often. 

When dogs get under our feet, it's not only hazardous and inconvenient, but it sends them the message that we do not require spatial respect from them. Without this element of respect, our dogs will assume the right to our space uninvited, and this can be even less convenient and very unhealthy for the relationship. 

Dogs want to look to us for leadership. They seek guidance and rules. The clearer we are with them as to the boundaries, and the more consistently we enforce them, the more respectful they will be of those limitations. Boundaries are to dogs what schedules are to people. By not enforcing and reinforcing rules that set our dogs up for success, we are actually confusing them and sending them mixed messages. 

You can teach your dog this fabulous command: get out. Either by starting to teach them the "back" or "backup" command, and tossing them a treat, or by simply signaling to them with your body language that they need to get out of your space, you can teach them this command very quickly. Think of the space around you as a bubble. When you say, "get out", what you mean is, "get out of my bubble". Once they're out, an affirming, "good job" is enough to help them differentiate that they did the right thing. 

Sooner or later, someone will set the boundaries in your household. I would encourage you to make it sooner, and make the rules your rules. I believe that you will have a happier and healthier household and relationship with your dog when they recognize that you are in charge. They truly like following someone else's rules way better than they like setting their own. Practice keeping your dog out of your path by encouraging them to move with the "get out" command and see the positive results from it! 

Photography: A Story Of Service

Sequoia is a beautiful service dog in training who was raised an initially trained by the one and only Rachel Denton. His focused energy amazes me, but after watching him and Rachel together, I gathered that Rachel is so focused on maneuvering through crowds of excited people while maintaining the task at hand, and that is truly where Sequoia gets his focus from. 

Service dogs go through a long process of being raised by volunteer puppy raisers, trained the basics by a volunteer puppy raiser, advanced training and further socialization, and are paired with a disabled person only when their training is complete. While Rachel is a volunteer puppy raiser, the work she puts in to preparing the dogs she raises for service is far above and beyond the basics.

I have had the privilege of watching Sequoia transform from puppy into his advanced training stages and I am so very excited for the companion he will be for a lucky person one day! I had the honor of capturing some of his process while Rachel walked him through initial training and when she first handed his leash over for his advanced training and socialization period. What a beautiful team! 

Sequoia, you have a beautiful and bright future! Keep up the amazing work, Rachel!

Breed Of The Week: Beagle

The Beagle is originally from England and was bred to be a hunting dog. They were most frequently used for hunting small game such as rabbits and quail, and would work either in a group, in pairs or individually. Because of their history and background in hunting and working well in both a group or individually, they make fabulous companions but can often be independent and distracted. 

Sweet and compliant in nature, Beagles need much more physical and mental exercise than they are often given. Their background in hunting requires that they have a high prey drive and sprints of focus and energy, though their mental and physical stamina lasts longer than many other breeds. This is why I highly recommend that you seriously consider your own exercise regimen before taking on a Beagle dog, as you may or may not be a good fit for the exercise they need. 

Most frequently used as scent dogs for police sectors, Beagles truly are a dog who needs a job. A great activity to practice with your Beagle on a daily basis (after your daily walk or run) would be a fun scent tracking game in the back yard or nearby park where you can reward your beagle for finding something specific. This utilizes their truly incredible sense of smell and gives them a job at the same time. 

Beagles make wonderful friends, though they can often be distracted in any environment and they have a hard time sticking to task to please their master, since they are accustomed to hunting at a distance from their owner. Keep in mind that this breed needs a great amount of incentive to positively reinforce the good and best behaviors, and a clear consequence to discourage bad behaviors. Once they have clarity on which is which, I find that they can listen much easier and grow in their desire to please their owner.