Blog
Learn more about our successes, our struggles, and what we have learned from our clients at The Freckled Paw.
Dog Training: A reflection on 2019
So often this year I was the second, (third or fourth) trainer that people had seen or asked for help for their dog. That's okay, I am not the trainer for everyone, that's why there are more than one of us! Unfortunately for some of these people, the first trainer...
Teaching manners
What is one of the things that is sure to embarrass dog owners? Their dogs jumping on people. Whether it be when someone comes into the home or when saying hello to somebody on a walk, seeing those front paws fly into the air usually causes owners to turn red. Our...
K.I.S.S. Loose leash walking success!
Walking our dogs is the first thing that most people say when asked "what activities do you do with your dog?" For those who have easy to handle dogs, walking is a stroll through the neighborhood. There are dog owners, however, who dread taking their dogs out in...
I have a little secret for you!
No one wants to hear it. It can't be true. The winter holidays are right around the corner y'all! Are you are telling yourself, those pool parties were a disaster because of the crazy dog? Then the time to come up with a plan for your holiday get togethers is NOW....
Birthday Party for a 4 year old: A comparison to Dog Training
I was lucky enough to attend my favorite four year old's birthday party last weekend. This post is not about dog safety tips or parenting with dogs. These two are the best parents I have ever seen. (No unwanted parenting advice. I'll call you out.) This friend and I...
Fear and Fireworks
Fourth of July. Cookouts, campfires, family and friends. Panic inducing lights and sounds. All. Night. Long. For many of us, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, random tuesday nights with inconsiderate neighbors, mean long hours of watching your furry friend pace...
The Conflict of Expectation
In my last post, I wrote about my hobby: Dog Sports. In this post, I want to let you in on a bit of my human journey. When I was in my 20's I was very active in rescue and dog events. I could be found promoting rescues and the idea that pitbulls in shelters were not...
Dog Training as a lifestyle
I became a dog trainer because I want to help people with their dog's behavior problems. Originally, I was seeing so many doggo's being surrendered to shelters or rescue groups because of frustrating behaviors that can easily be fixed. I started trying to help these...
Communication is key!
We hear that communication is important in every aspect of our lives. With our spouse, our co-workers, our family, communicating effectively is the topic of a very large self-help section of the internet. I'll let you in on a little secret. It's the same with our...
I dropped the ball! and not while playing fetch…
Life snuck away from me and I forgot my blog posting schedule. Sorry about that. We all drop the ball sometimes, I will do my best to be a better blogger for you guys! You know what else snuck away from me? My own dog training schedule. That one I can't let slide...
When the reinforcement is not with you
We all have those "how did that happen" moments when working with our dog. Sometimes it is a negative conditioned emotional response, sometimes it's a behavior we have inadvertently reinforced enough to create a problem. Sometimes it's the environment and we have no...
May the Reinforce be with you
I think that was a title from a class I took recently. Reinforcement is a big word for a very easy concept. But one that is usually overlooked. Reinforcement in dog training simply means pay your dog. Dog does something, reinforce it. If your dog sits during a...
Practice Patience and Consistency
Today it's really cold outside. I am supposed to be working on my IAABC application, but instead I am doing some displacement sniffing. (Comment if you know what displacement sniffing is!) I have been recording my training sessions with Cargo since she was a tiny...