Blog
Learn more about our successes, our struggles, and what we have learned from our clients at The Freckled Paw.
So you think you want a puppy?
Bringing home another dog changes the whole dynamic in your house. Make sure you and your dog are prepared for those changes before you decide to bring another dog home. These are our tips for helping to decide if you are ready for another dog in your life. Your...
Make a Decision!
Just do Something! One of the basic needs that your dog has, is your ability to make a decision. It really doesn't matter what the decision is, just that you make one immediately and right in the moment. It doesn't really matter if the decision is right or wrong, just...
Your Dogs Social Skills
Your Dogs Social Skills As your dog gets older their preferences for certain things will change. This is also true in humans. A 5 year old does not like the same things as an 11 year old, and by the time you get to 30 you have a whole new perspective of life. Often,...
The art of doing nothing
When you want your dog doing nothing The gap of time between giving information to your dog and them deciding on a behavior is where most of our dogs chose poorly. It's in that space of time that bad decisions happen, you get frustrated, or overwhelmed and don’t have...
Sending your dog to School: Public or Private School?
Getting the most out of your Group Class Group classes are an excellent way to learn more about training your dog from a professional. If you have never owned a dog before, or this is your first dog without your parents help, then Group classes are a great place to...
Dog Jobs: Getting Promoted
Now that you have determined what you dog knows, you have created a training plan for the things he didn’t know, and you can start to use those things to give your dog information when he needs it. Find one area where you are telling your dog “No.” First, “No” does...
Give your dog a job: First Evaluation
Give your dog a job: First Evaluation You have completed your puppy class or basic obedience class, and those skills are just not transferring to home life. What happens when your dog “knows stuff” but you are still having some behavior challenges. This is your dog's...
When “Sit” becomes a job
In the last blog we discussed why your dog needs a job and how to make sure their needs are being met. Once you are checking those boxes of enrichment, exercise, diet and communication, where do we go from here? Take a look at one area of your life with your dog that...
Give your Dog a Job: Perfect Employment
Give your Dog a Job: Perfect Employment Before we determine what your dog’s job might look like, let's look at the definition of a “job.” Google says it is a paid position of regular employment. Time to break this down! A Paid Position We all want to think our dogs do...
Delayed Reinforcement
Fun fact about me: I go to the gym at OrangeTheory a few times a week (usually). One of the things I love most about my gym is that I get a report at the end of every class with a bunch of statistics about my workout. Yesterday my heart rate monitor died right at the...
Is using treats in dog training bribery?
My favorite myth about positive reinforcement training is that using treats is bribery. I am very careful to make sure my clients are not holding the treat in front of their dogs face and asking for a behavior. Treats before behavior is bribery, treats after behavior...
The Reinforcer we forget about!
People pay therapists lots of money to discuss their relationships and how to make them better. There are more facebook groups, and web pages dedicated to understanding other people and how to improve your relationship with your friend/spouse/neighbor/parents. Most of...
Recalls: Don’t abuse them!
One of the top requests from our clients must be a dog who comes when called. We have so many requests that we teach a class on the beach that spends 3 weeks going over this one skill. As a dog trainer, how do I get a dog who comes back to me every time? Dogs are not...