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Eek – My first training session!
I have my first official/unofficial private session this coming weekend. It’s with a 10 week old puppy. The owner wants help specifically with nipping and other basic puppy training. I’ll probably also focus on socialization, housebreaking, safeguarding against potential resource guarding, being comfortable with touch, and any other basic obedience stuff they want help with. I’m nervous/excited! What types of food treats do you like to use with puppies?
I’d also be interested to hear what your first training sessions were like and and how you’ve grown since then? I’d love to hear your stories and any tips are welcome!
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41 Replies
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How exciting, @Marcybel Amy! – Oh man, I remember my very first in-home private lesson – it was for 2 4month old St. Bernard puppies. It’s kind of a long story, so I’ll save it for another time.
I’ll say the thing I learned in those early days (and after coaching many trainers through theirs) that the 2 most important things are:
1. Answer the client’s request. If they are asking for solutions about puppy nipping, be sure to bring them. (My favorite is to let them know that it’s NORMAL and to substitute with a permissible toy.)
2. Keep it short. Cognitive overload is real. You will want to tell them everything you know about puppies. They simply can’t handle that much information in the first session. And they won’t have you back if they feel overwhelmed.
When you get there, evaluate the puppy. Outline a list of top priorities and show them the list, then let them pick what to focus on and tell them how many lessons it will take.
If they need a complete puppy primer package, you can book them for a minimum of 5 lessons. Any less and you simply aren’t going to be able to cover all the topics they need. Don’t undersell yourself!
Let us know how it goes – and Congratulations on your first client!
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These are really great tips – thank you! I’ll keep you posted on how it goes 🙂
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???? Yes please do!
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Great topic @Marcybel – you must be very excited! I’m very happy for you.
Similar to what Catherine suggested, many times I would start my first session by asking my clients to list 3 things that are presently bothering them, and then to rate those issues in order of importance to address. This helped give me a clear guide for curriculum planning, and made the first session productive and left the clients feeling happy as we started to immediately tackle their biggest concerns.
I would love to hear how your first session goes – please be sure to update us!
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Amy how did the training go? I may have a private lesson coming up. Keeping an eye on this to see what I can learn from you. I am learning about the breed to help me do a better assessment and then when she spoke to me she has already given me info what she want me to work or teach them. The dog wees in his cage. The dig is a 5 month puppy. But the owner is 30 something years old who has had 3 heart surgeries and has just come home after the 4 open heart. My question is why did he get a dog? Corsa dog as well. (Spelling???). Why???
So Amy I would love to know what to look out for. Thanks
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Hi Louise, thanks for asking! The training went really well. I met with the parents on Saturday and the session lasted for about 50 minutes or so. They have a 10 week old goldendoodle. I knew the breed and age going in to the session and that they wanted help with nipping and other basic puppy training issues.
This is the first time I’ve really tried to think about a curriculum for a private session. So, I went in to the session with a plan to get the nipping under control since I knew that to be their main priority right now. First, I let them know my qualifications and how I train (positive reinforcement) to make sure they were on board with that. They are very proactive puppy parents and have already done a lot of their own research. This is mom’s first dog and dad has grown up with dogs. They have 3 children under the age of 10. I asked them how house training in going and they’re doing a really fantastic job with that. Someone is always home with the dog and they’re taking her out almost every 30 minutes. So, I just offered a couple extra pointers that might help.
I also came up with a loose outline of things I think are important to focus on at this stage in the puppies life; things they might not have thought of. I went over the importance of socialization and let them know they are getting started at the perfect time since their puppy is still in that critical period and referred them to a local puppy drop off play class (I explained how play with other puppies could help with the nipping as well). We talked about some basic training exercises that could be done to prevent potential behaviors from becoming a problem in the future. Lastly, I asked them any questions they might have and where they might want to go from here.
I gave them some exercises to work on over the next week. They’ll be working on socializing, the nipping plan, getting to know their dog (making a list of motivators), and working on show and treat and touch and treat exercises to get their pup comfortable with handling for future vet and grooming appointments.
For the next session, I think we’ll work on sit, rewarding behavior they like, getting focus through the “name game”, maybe talk about resource guarding and exercises to help prevent that, and start to talk about recall. I like to have too much to talk about and then that way I can pare it down as needed during the session. They also mentioned how their dog is not comfortable wearing a leash. So, I came up with some ideas to help tackle that. They were hoping to teach their dog some tricks as well, like ringing a bell to go outside or catching a ball mid air lol. But, I think I’m just going to set them up with a really great foundation so they can work on teaching those tricks once our training is done. Otherwise, I think it could go on for 20 sessions haha.
Sorry so lengthy. That is a lot for someone with a heart condition to be taking on. Is that a cane corso dog that she has? Is she taking the dog out frequently enough and rewarding the dog for going in the right place? Maybe the owner could try to change the way the dog views his crate so that he’s seeing it more as his living space and not a place where he goes to the bathroom. She could do that by removing any absorbent material and start feeding the dog right from the floor of the crate (no bowl). This could help raise the value of the crate in the dog’s eyes, so he’s seeing it more as his source of food rather than a place to wee.
Hope this was helpful and please let us know how it goes!!! 🙂
And, thanks again to the trainers for your valuable tips!
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@Marcybel Amy, thanks for letting us know how that first lesson went! It sounds like you did a great job. And, it’s totally okay to sell them 20 lessons, if that’s what they want! ???? But, I agree – it’s good to start with some concrete goals so you can attain them and show that you can help them be successful. You sound like you are well on your way.
@Louise It sounds like you are facing a challenging case. A mature Cane Corso is a whole lot of dog. In this case, I would be sure to help the pet parent meet the needs of the puppy while keeping an eye on the goal of sociability and a trusting relationship. This puppy will need a ton of positive-reinforcement, fear-free handling and learning to trust people. I would ask why the puppy is spending so much time in his crate? If the owner can’t physically handle this puppy, perhaps they can consider a pet sitter or dog day care to meet the puppy’s physical needs. A tether or a large playpen with wee pads may be a better option than crate confinement, if there are no other options. But yes, I think managing the pet parent’s expectations in this case will be very important. While we want to refrain from judgement, it is good to inquire about their reasons for getting a dog and what their goals for this particular puppy might be, as an adult. Please do let us know how this goes. And bring any questions to this group – we are here for you!
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Thanks Catherine and Amy. Very good and helpful information. I don’t know much details yet just what I have voiced here. The adult man with heart issues is the one with the dog. Maybe is thought a big dog would be able to help him defend himself in a pickle situation seeing Thst he may not be able with his health issues. (Just my thought at this stage). The lady is the mother who now is taking care of the dog and her child. She has a high profile job with high is very demanding. So I can see the reason for the cage. I gave her my contact details and my friend That knows her contacted her again with in few days to remind her to contact me for an appointment. So the ball is in her court now. So you think that is a right attitude to have Thst the ball is in her court? Or should I try and follow up in a weeks time? I don’t want to be too pushy but That dog needs help! (And so will I. Thanks for being their for me.)
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Hi Amy – it sounds like you hit it out of the park – especially in a private lesson setting.
Louise – for the first lesson with an actual defined problem and a Cane Corso (?) which is a dog that is going to be very large and very strong, you are probably going to be assessing and offering training, with a strong focus on leash walking, manners and impulse control. IMO, that is a 1.5 hour session.
I would suggest that to the client with the simple explanation that an hour isn’t enough time for them, the dog, or you to get a handle on the situation, be productive and start to develop a management strategy and training program.
As an aside, Cane (ka-nay) Corsos are big, powerful dogs, and in my experience, they are one of those breeds that – sadly – can be acquired for misguided or just plain bad reasons. If your gut tells you that the dog was acquired to be something besides a big, lunky, slobbering pet, then maybe something may be “off” and you may consider that in your future decisions. Just saying.
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Thanks Christopher. I am sitting here now making a list of things mentioned to Amy and me and putting a plan of action together. Thanks for that info in 11/2 hours.
A thought that you out in my mind Christopher is, what do I do if they say this dog is just to much for us to handle? How do I handle that.
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@Louise I’ll tag @Chris so he see’s your question, and I’ll toss out a few thoughts as well.
You are raising a good topic here, that likely should have its very own thread, but let’s jump in a bit since we’re here. The question really is: “How do I know when I should refer out to another expert?” And that is something that causes every professional to pause.
We have to be humble and realize what we don’t know. There’s a cognitive bias that is well documented, called the Dunning-Krueger effect. Have you heard of it? Wikipedia says, “The Dunning–Kruger effect is a hypothetical cognitive bias stating that people with low ability at a task overestimate their own ability, and that people with high ability at a task underestimate their own ability.”
In other words, the less we know, the more we think we know. And the more we actually know, the less we believe we know everything.
I’ve been in training and behavior professionally for more than 3 decades. When I was a young trainer, I was so certain of so many things. And then I met a little cattle dog who forever changed me (and literally scarred my arms.) I discovered I was not, in fact, “good with dogs” when dogs were not good with people. I learned that there was a whole lot about aggression I didn’t know. I learned that a 25lb, 4 month old puppy could be violently, mentally ill. And I learned it the hard way. Now, I realize that there’s still a whole lot I have to learn about dogs and behavior. I am, after 30-odd years, still a very dedicated student.
I encourage all trainers now to honestly assess yourselves, and to really take stock of your skill set. What areas are you vastly experienced in; what areas are you still developing? We are, all of us, constantly learning, so long as we have an open mind and heart to discover what the dogs and their people have to teach us.
That’s a very long and nebulous answer to your question – And another question is: what kind of dogs and people do you really want to work with, and what are your resources for getting mentored in the direction of your goals? Does this client look like the people you want to serve? There are plenty of dogs and people out there – you can choose your client base.
Finally, there’s the whole question of whether this dog is fit for their household… and that’s an entirely different topic. I generally begin with asking, “Why did you get a dog?” and “If I could wave a magic wand, and turn this dog into the perfect companion, what would that look like? What would he do? How would you live your lives? And if the answers are incongruent with the dog’s potential due to size, breed or personality, then I gently move them toward observing their current dog and what hurdles they may have to attain the goals.
It may be that they have the right dog at the wrong time. It may be they have the wrong dog. Or it may be that they need to adjust their expectations. By speaking kindly and gently, by refraining from judgement, we can work toward a mutually beneficial outcome which shows compassion for both ends of the leash.
But all of that begins with us assessing our own strengths and knowing when we proficient enough to function as the “lead” on a case, or when we should move to a “shadow” while we watch another expert work.
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Thanks so much for those insightful info. Once I have made a good assessment of owners, dog, environment and my sills and feelings toward the situation I will let you guys know and give an update. Thanks again.
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This is long and I apologize. Catherine – your comments are very insightful. I would be very interested to hear more about the incident you refer to and about mental illness in pet dogs. Probably another thread or workshop but it would be very helpful. By learning about the hard lessons others have learned, we can avoid discovering things on our own. If you tell me the stove is hot I can avoid burning myself.
The biggest single thing that has helped me is having trainer contacts that know more than I do. I have three really solid resources that I can go to without any fuss if I need help. One is my Catch master class mentor, another is a fellow Catch student who jumped into training full-time (or full-time + to be more accurate) as soon as she graduated from Catch, and another is a friend (and also a Catch mentor) who is a certified trainer and behaviorist. The key is knowing when you need help. And as Catherine mentioned, it’s not always the dog that needs the most help.
How do you get a support network? Mine is made up of people I have volunteered with at animal shelters over the years. If you can work with a reputable shelter you will likely come in contact with good dog people, and good dog people typically know other good dog people.
My Catch mentor and the behaviorist I mentioned were both volunteer human and dog trainers at one shelter, and my Catch colleague was someone I worked with at another shelter. In all cases, I asked if I could work with them – assist in training drills, be another handler with another dog if needed, helping them with carrying equipment, taking training videos of them, etc. Whatever. I made them all an offer that was hard to refuse – call me anytime you need an extra pair of hands, I will keep quiet and do whatever you direct me to do – and I’ll work for coffee. I logged so many quality training hours by just making myself available.Referring a client “up” is easy for me, but I think it’s part my age and part experience. I’m 30+ years into my “day job” profession, and I learned many, many years ago that identifying deficits in my own skillset is absolutely necessary to do a quality job. I answer a lot of questions from less experienced people in that position, but I don’t hesitate to ask questions when I need to.
Develop that as a skill of its own – I don’t know, but I will ask questions, get answers, or find someone who has them.
With dog training, get comfortable with not having all the answers, and asking for advice when you need it.I probably get one call a month from someone who has what they call an aggressive dog, has had a bite incident, or some other potentially serious behavioral problem. I listen, gather as much information as I can, ask a lot of clarifying questions (what, when, where, any precursors, how old is the dog, how old is the victim, etc., etc.).
If it’s something like low-level resource guarding I can work with that. If it’s a Level 2 or higher bite incident and if it’s beyond my knowledge base, then I tell the owner that. I also tell them that I want to do what’s best for them, for their family, and the dog – and that may be referring them to another trainer that has stronger skills and is better able to help them.
It can be hard to say that we don’t know, but in all honesty, I have never had anyone respond badly to that. They are usually appreciative that you’re going to point them to another trainer that can actually help them, and that you have the integrity to say, I can’t help you, and I won’t waste your time and money pretending I can.
And then I ask the trainer that I refer them to if I can observe. ???? So maybe I lose a fee, but I’ve built goodwill, I gain some more knowledge from observing or discussing the case with a more skilled trainer, and maybe a dog/family relationship is helped in the bargain. All net positives in my book.
Lastly – if I get a call about any bite incident that involves a young child I ALWAYS refer that to a behaviorist. These incidents can get downplayed by owners and trainers alike, and I’d rather overreact than under-respond. Better safe than sorry.
Sorry for going so long – if you made it this far you deserve an adult beverage.
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@Chris Please do not apologize for sharing your wisdom and insight. This is an excellent, well-written and resourceful post. This is exactly the kind of supportive content we hope Digging Dogs members will get from one another. THANK YOU!
So far as my stories… well, I’m sure will dig up (pun intended) a few more in the months to come! We have quite a lot to discover and much to share.
I’m enriched already by this community, and by the sharing that is happening. Thank you again for leading the way.
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@Catherine & @Chris : thank you both for your insight and wisdom. I agree, Catherine, that there are so many people with little knowledge who profess to know everything and Vice-versa. I know I have a lot to learn still. Both of you gave such amazing ways to refer-out to other trainers.
One thing I’d love to know is: is there some way to refer out to other CATCH trainers who may live in my area, who I don’t know, but maybe they’ve posted here? I live in the NW Chicago suburbs and would love to refer out to other positive reinforcement trainers. I find there are still many professional trainers out there who use aversive methods.
Also, where else can I find animal behaviorist to refer people to in my area? My CATCH advisor told me to ask my vet for a referral, which I did, but the people who I’ve referred to her said she is completely booked until next year. I don’t know if there are things to worry about, like in the training realm, about referring a client to a behaviorist I don’t actually know.
That said, I really appreciate everything I’m hearing on DD. I try to check it daily, read something, even if I don’t always have something to post.
I do solely private lessons, I keep them short (30 min) and book lessons a la carte, or single sessions. I used to do 45 min to hour long, but find most people cannot fit that into their busy schedules and most people zone out after 30 minutes, or the dog gets tired. Most clients end up staying with me for 3-6 months and then turn into a walking or petsitting client (as I also do both). It’s a very odd little niche I’ve created for my business. I have learned to network with other professional pet sitters and walkers, but I would love to also be able to know some trainers (especially if there are CATCH Chicago based trainers) in this area.
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Hi Paula, @Bernerlabreclectus It’s great to hear about your private lessons model and that you are taking a very professional approach for referrals. It is true that many behaviorists are super booked up at this time due to the surge in dog ownership and shelter adoptions that took place during the pandemic. As a result, some businesses like our friends at Behavior Vets are doing virtual consults for a large geographic range, outside of their home states. I would do some Google research to see who is in your immediate area but also look at Behavior Vets (NYC or Colorado) and see if their virtual session option is of interest to you for referrals.
As for CATCH trainers in your area of Chicago, the Trainers Directory on our website would be a great place to start and see whose websites look intriguing to you for referrals: https://catchdogtrainers.com/trainers/ -
ccpdt.org also has a lot of information regarding referrals and resources.
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That’s a really good question @Bernerlabreclectus – you can use the resources @David mentioned. Another good resource is the Animal Behavior Society – they have a directory of Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists, which are individuals with graduate or post-graduate degrees in animal behavior.
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Thank you, @David , @Chris and @Cait ! I checked out your links and made sure to bookmark the pages. I appreciate your response so much.
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Absolutely @Bernerlabreclectus – we’re all here to support each other!
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So I had my second session today with the golden-doodle puppy (11 weeks old now). All went well, she’s already doing sit with a verbal cue and downs with a hand gesture. However, the parents seem very frustrated that the pup’s nipping is still an issue (this was a priority issue that they wanted help with).
At last weeks session, I had given them a nipping training plan to work on this past week. The plan involved them making a loud noise like, “hey!” or “ouch!” every time the puppy bites skin or clothes and is immediately followed by withdrawal of their attention. I also let them know they could give the dog something else that she could chew on instead. I advised that it’s normal for a puppy to nip and why and that it isn’t something that would be “fixed” over night. But, that with consistency from everyone (they have 3 children), the nipping would become less and less over time. I also let them know that during socialization with other dogs, their pup would learn bite inhibition. Lastly, I encouraged non contact forms of play and keeping lots of different types of toys on hand.
Well today, dad let me know that he found a video on youtube where the lady was grabbing the dogs collar to “help” the dog to calm down. He said he’s been trying this technique the past couple days and is finally starting to see slight results and he wondered what I thought. I said that I think they should continue with the original plan (it’s only been one week) and reiterated again that they just need to be very consistent with it and celebrate the small successes. I also introduced them to the hand block method that they can use during play.
I looked up the video when I got home. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Dad wasn’t demonstrating the collar grab as forcefully as they do it in the video when he was showing me the technique.
Anyway, next week I’ll let them know that I’d worry about the potential of damage to her neck with this (she’s only 5 pounds). Not to mention the potential for creating fear and stress. Hopefully they stick to my plan.
Mom was saying that they have a lot of guests over and doesn’t know how to address being consistent with it when she’s nipping other people. I said to let the guests know that they’re working on training her not to nip and to have the guests ignore her if she is nipping. Next week, I’ll let them know, too, that they might just have to crate her when guests come over in order to manage the behavior while they’re working on training. She was also wondering if there was a word she could use to get the dog to stop the behavior. After I got home, I got to wondering if a “leave it” cue would be appropriate for this situation with guests? Or is that just over complicating a plan that will work with consistency. Any thoughts?
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Thanks for the update @Marcybel Amy. It sounds like you are doing a great job helping these pet parents understand that they do not have to threaten, coerce or force their puppy into desired behavior. You are right that doing so is very likely to cause other problems. I removed the video link as we want our members to enjoy safe, force-free, dog-friendly and people-friendly viewing.
Keep up the sharing and let’s change the world to kinder methods, one puppy at a time!
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Understood, and thank you ????
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Interesting video. I think I have always just seen reward learning. So this was a bit confusing how she disciplined the puppy and later gave him treats for something else he was doing but saying it was for the puppies good behavior.
I think you did a wonderful job in explaining your training.
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Thank you @Louise ! Yeah, it does seem confusing, and stressful to the dog. Seems like it’d be a great way to teach him to hate having his collar touched, or to be uncomfortable around his handler.
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Amy – I think you have a great handle on what to do with the dog and the handler. The “look at this great aversive technique I saw online and look at the great results I’m getting” is endlessly frustrating and more counterproductive than many owners realize.
Your explaining that behavior doesn’t change like flipping a switch is completely on-target, as is your advice to crate the dog when there is company (i.e. manage then train). I hope you’re able to get that across before the handlers confuse or shut down the dog before it has a chance to actually learn.
IMO, what you have explained and planned will work with consistency; driving that home with the owners and getting them to be confident in that process is likely your bigger obstacle right now.
Catherine – here’s another t-shirt option: Most things will work well in the absence of stupidity
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Thanks @Chris !!
I think they will be on board with it. I’m gonna make the comparison of a person who is treated well at their job for the work they do to someone who gets punished if they don’t do their work. Yes, the person that gets punished will most likely do their work, but it’s because they’re avoiding the punishment that they know will come if they don’t. This person will most likely hate their job and their boss and will do the bare minimum to get by. The person who feels appreciated, on the other hand, will enjoy coming to work and probably go above and beyond for his coworkers and boss (maybe even put in some extra hours). I know that’s the relationship these people would rather have with their dog. It’s unfortunate that these methods are still promoted when we now know there are much better, scientifically based ways, to positively get the results.
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Amy-
I just want to give you a shout out and congratulations. I’m just starting out too and its both exciting and scary but it sounds like you are really on a great trajectory. Letting the pet parents know their actions from their dog’s point of view, how it might effect both their dog’s health and the relationship they are so concerned about developing are great ways to get buy in from the client. Since they have kids they know how uncomfortable it was when their babies were teething, sometimes I make comparison that a puppy has to chew because it is loosing all its baby teeth by the time it is 6 months old! That is a lot of teeth (28 baby teeth and I think up to or about 42 adult teeth in total). That can help them see that providing appropriate chew toys as something more developmentally normal and not just a behavior issue. Good Luck and keep us posted, I’m learning a lot from all the comments!
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Hi @Abbie , thanks for the shout out! Congratulations to you too! It is definitely scary, but so exciting. I find myself thinking about them and their dog a lot and how I can attempt new angles to solve their problems. I think I’m gonna work on some impulse control exercises with them this week. That’s a great analogy with the baby teeth – having 3 children, they should definitely be able to relate to that. I’ll have to incorporate that in there!
I’m glad you’re getting a lot out of this thread and hope to hear about some of your training experiences through the DD community! ????
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I remember my first private training and I was terrified and not sure of myself. I followed a plan…I send a registration form to gather more information specific to the dog not shared originally by the owner. Once received I set up an evaluation of the dog in the home, came home wrote a plan then sent it to the owners. If the plan is agreed upon, even with changes, we become partners and moved forward. I have had one client I referred out due to my own insecurities. It was a friend and I just didn’t feel comfortable and didn’t want to mess it up. Come to find out I was right in my initial thoughts anyway, it would just take time and patience. Always trust your gut and don’t let your nerves become your guide. As a new trainer don’t take on more than you can chew and be honest with yourself, but if in doubt at least reach out to your training network and get feedback. Clients appreciate that so much. I always felt it wasn’t fair to either party to pretend to know what to do early in my career. You will find it gets easier with each dog. Just be honest with yourself and build a huge network of other trainers to reach out to.
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Thank you for your vulnerability and insight here, @MariaS Sharing this perspective is really helpful for newer trainers. It is so hard in the beginning, and it does get easier as we grow. Thanks for your encouragement and participation in this thread!
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Hi, again Amy – I was thinking more about your last line about trying to add a drop-it cue. I think you’re on the right track, and I’ve had some success with a similar but slightly different approach. The loud sound to startle the dog when they nip is a good way to go – it’s proven effective to disengage the dog from the unwanted behavior. So the dog has stopped the active nipping – but then what? Give the dog something else to do.
You may find this helpful with nipping (and jumping too with some different mechanics). After the dog disengages from the nipping (because they were startled by the loud Ouch! or other noise) immediately give them something else to do. I’ve found it helps to cue or lure the dog into another behavior that they can reliably do while they are disengaged, so they can shift behaviors more quickly.
For example, if the dog has a well-developed Sit, then cue or lure a Sit right after he disengages from nipping, mark the Sit (however you’re marking behaviors), wait 3 seconds (you know – 1 Mississippi x 3), then reward the dog. The marker tells the dog Sit is correct, and the 3-second delay in delivering the treat builds some impulse control and the dog connects the reward with Sit. I also change up the cues too so the dog doesn’t nip because nipping means Sit and Sit means reward. I do Look, Touch, Down, etc. randomly.
The timing of giving the alternate cue and then the reward is important because you don’t want the pooch to think he’s being rewarded for nipping.
This can be a little difficult to explain to clients, but if you can show them it works very well.
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@Chris -that is really cool, what you suggested with the alternate behavior. I like the 3 sec delay before rewarding and impulse control.
Puppy teeth!!! It is frustrating, but with the correct plan (good plan, @Marcybel !) the puppy has firmness, yet kindness. They grow out of it eventually. It is much worse when it is not nipped early on (pun intended) and is allowed to go into adolescence and beyond. Then it becomes harder to deal with for the people.
Weird thing: I had an adult client who was allowing the puppy to teeth on his hand and arm! I had to tell him, “No! Don’t do that ever! You are not a chew toy.” Especially hard because it was becoming an issue between the puppy and the 9 year old daughter…(what did he expect, if he allowed the 6 month old puppy to chew on his skin!) I used the same suggestion you gave, interrupt with OUCH! and an immediate swap with a chew or teething toy. It gets better, the pup starts to make the connection.
I love all the suggestions and feedback here!
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Ya’ll are making my heart sing! ???? This is exactly what we had hoped for, when creating Digging Dogs – all this great sharing and support! ????Thank you for being leaders in our community and paving the way for more collaboration, advice and camaraderie!
Ya’ll are rocking it! ????
@Marcybel @Bernerlabreclectus @Chris @MariaS @Abbie @Louise @Cait @David
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Hello Catherine,
Is there any chance we could start a thread about mental illness in dogs? When you mentioned that in a comment, not only is it just plain interesting, but I know nothing about it as a condition, although your post did make me think about times I may have seen it. If this isn’t the forum for it maybe you could recommend some lit on the subject?
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You bet, @Chris – go ahead and start a new discussion in other dog topics and I’ll jump in with some thoughts soon! Great topic.
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Letting the pet parents know their actions from their dog’s point of view, how it might affect both their dog’s health and the relationship they are so concerned about developing, are great ways to get buy in from the client
-Abbie D. -
Your explaining that behavior doesn’t change like flipping a switch is completely on-target
-Chris R. -
Just be honest with yourself and build a huge network of other trainers to reach out to
-Maria S. -
Wow! Thank you all for your comments and insights!
@Catherine @Cait @Louise @Chris @Bernerlabreclectus @Abbie @MariaS (hope I didn’t miss anyone)
I came home from a long day at work today to tons of email notifications on this thread! It is scary getting started and it’s so nice to know that there is a supportive community like this that I can turn to. Trust that I will be taking all of your suggestions in to account as I plan for my next and future lessons! Thank you, thank you, thank you! ????
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This is why we are here, @Marcybel ! Keep us posted on the little doodle’s shenanigans and how we might help you help them enjoy him more!
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