Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Schedule Change!

To even out our weeks off a little bit since we have the Mountain View Veterinary Health Fair coming up Saturday April 30th and will be unable to hold classes that day, we will not be having classes this Saturday April 2nd, but we will be having classes Saturday April 9th.  This is reflected on our schedule page.  Please call or email us if you have any questions!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Class Time Struggles

Dogs act bored when the rate of reinforcment is too low.  Some of our Level 1 students have been having a hard time keeping their dog's attention during class, remember to keep your rate of reinforcement high, especially in the beginning of training a new behavior and especially in the distracting dog and people filled environment of class.

Don't get frustrated or upset, training needs to be fun for you and for your dog in order to be the most successful.  If you or your dog is struggling think about what you can do to change that, or if there is something that I as the instructor can do please let me know.  Remember to have fun!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Leashes

I've noticed a lot in classes lately that people are relying pretty heavily on their leashes to control their dogs.  Try to remember that in class your leash is your safety net, and if you're using it to drag your dog into place, he's probably not learning what you want him to.  Remember that we need to be interesting to our dogs, a challenge in the class environment, but certainly not impossible.  If your dog is having a hard time paying attention to you in class move him farther away from the other dogs and people in the room, and increase your rate of reinforcement (this may mean you have to lower your criteria to start), or increase the value of your reinforcer. 

It's your job to teach your dog what to do and to set him up for success!  It may be more difficult for some dogs to stay focused during class time than it is at home, lower your expectations and reward your dog accordingly until your training makes up for the difference.  If you find yourself dragging your dog around the classroom set yourself and your dog up for success by tethering him or tying the leash around your waist or bring a partner and ask them to hold the leash while you train.  We don't want you or your dog to become dependent on the leash, work on building your relationship with your dog instead of relying on the leash to do your work for you.

Classes 3/19/2011

Last Saturday in Level 1 we worked on:

Down
Relax for Veterinary Exams

In Level 2 we worked on:

Paw Touch
Increased Distractions (Loud Noises and Handler Movement) for Sit and Down

Next week we'll be working on Nose Touch, Recall, and Walking on Leash in Level 1, and Give, Drop, and Fetch in Level 2.  Don't forget to bring a toy and a mat/bed/rug for your dog to Level 2 classes!

Thanks to everyone for participating and doing such a great job during classes!

We need to start getting pictures up on the blog so have that in mind this Saturday.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Health Fair / No Classes This Week

Last week in Level 1 we worked on Leave It, Polite Greetings, and Focus.

In Level 2 we had a practice week on sit and down with distractions.

Remember there are no classes this Saturday, March 5th!

We had 2 Level 1 Graduates last week so congratulations to them!

Anyone who has completed Level 1 is welcome to participate in our Health Fair Dog Show.  The Mountain View Veterinary Health Fair will be held Saturday April 30th in the afternoon at our Providence location (please feel free to stop by even if you don't want to participate in the show with your dog).  We will be holding practices every Monday night at 7pm at our Providence location until them, please contact Alyson if you would like to participate.