Always Learning

Just a little explanation to why I didn't have a new post on my blog last week; I attended my first IACP Dog Conference held in Alexandria, Virginia. The IACP or the International Association of Canine Professionals which I am a member holds an annual conference. You can go to the website http://www.canineprofessionals.com/ to find out more details but in a nutshell....

The IACP is dedicated to the education, development and support of dog training professionals worldwide. The IACP provides a community where experienced dog trainers mentor, guide, and cultivate members to their full potential.

And Boy, did I learn! The 5 day conference kicked off with a dinner and keynote speaker: Brother Christopher of the Monks of New Skete. Then each day was filled with presentations from top professionals in their fields. We heard about Marketing your business, tips on grooming for trainers, Chiropractic and Acupuncture for dogs, self development, Motivating dogs, Freestyle dancing with your dog and Canine Nutrition. I am sure these topics will come up in future blogs.

Not only did I get to hear excellent speakers, I got to meet "face to face" with dog trainers I had only known through social media. These trainers came from all over the US, Canada and as far as Iceland, Ireland, and Singapore!

I have returned with rejuvenation and knowledge to share with my dog owners and their dogs. And not even a bum hand (which happened on Monday) will hold me back from doing what I love and helping others.

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

The 3 P's

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Not only is Daisy a good Scout she is a quite a trooper. And Yes! Daisy is really is holding the whistle in her mouth. Having her able to do all these Blog photo shoots is the result of Years of the 3 P's= Plan, Prepare and Practice. And believe me, we do a lot of all Three!

So you may be thinking you don't need a dog that can hold a whistle in her mouth but you do need a dog that will come when you call. Rolling over, Playing Dead Dog and Sit Pretty are all fun tricks; They aren't necessary to be a Good Dog but it sure doesn't hurt because the bottom line is Cooperation = Your dog willing to do things with you and for you. Honestly, all that is really necessary to be a Good Dog is a dog that will Walk nicely, Come back to you and Stay put.

Another thing I want to point out is not biting off more than you can chew. Think of what the goal will be then back track it to a starting point. If you want to be able to walk your dog through a crowd you need to begin with Baby Steps and have your dog walk nicely past a neighbor. If you are expecting your dog to have calm behavior when visiting your Mother-n-Law's house you better have calm behavior before you get there. And if you are not "there" yet don't put yourself or your dog in a situation that will fail.

Your dog doesn't have to be perfect at the beginning but you should achieve success as you go and reach each set goal. At first, don't set the bar too high. Dogs that go Ballistic over some "Challenging Distraction" means you are over your head and need to step back.  Training a dog takes lots of time! No Magic Wand here. And all dogs learn differently. So remember the 3 P's: Plan, Prepare and Practice. Then Small Victories will add up to a Huge Win.

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Can You Read Me Now?

Do you want to teach your dog HOW to Read? Then teach your dog Hand Signals. Every Hand Signal I teach means a "Word". It is always talked about how good dogs are at reading body language. And that is definitely true. Dogs pay attention to what we say silently with our facial expressions and body gestures. You can teach a dog a Hand Signal after each command because dogs will associate the hand movement with the verbal command; Especially if you do it every time.

One little hitch about dogs is, they will need lots of practice to really be fluent in understanding what we are saying to be able to Read us. Just because your dog can sit two feet away from you, does not mean he will know how to sit when you are 10 feet away.

Here is how I move Daisy through the positions of Sit, Stand and Down.


This is a great way to spend time with your dog and it is tons of fun! You will have to PRACTICE! with your dog; change the distance and location. Then you can be amazed and impress others with your dog's intelligence and fluency of whatever language you Speak!

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

When Socialization isn't Working.

You know it's coming because it happens every time you walk past the trash can, fire hydrant or near the storm drain. Your dog Freaks Out!! Or does this "Wig Out" your dog; that strange thing flapping around that turns out to be just a grocery bag caught in the bushes?!! 

To us, these situations are no big deal but to a timid or cautious dog, it's terrifying!  That's why it is critical to get your puppies out early in life to see the World. Great! So people take their pups out and about but still end up with Spooked dogs. 

This is because the problem just doesn't fix itself without completely getting your dog comfortable around the "Scary" event. Now you have an emotional problem that goes unresolved because people go through the motions, literally, by moving past quickly, thinking it's over....until the next time. Not overcoming fear can be problematic, meaning an unsafe dog. 

What does Socialization really mean? Everyone has different opinions, here's mine: Socialization is not just meeting and being petted by 300 people and kids. Socialization is exposing your dog to something or an event that may be scary at first but then the pup overcomes their fear by making a conscious effort to cope, accept and tolerate the experience. 

Help your dog learn to have coping skills. You can do this with food or play in those Scary moments. I call it the "Mind Shift". You are not rewarding being afraid, you are helping your dog think about something else. And remember every dog is different so it may take a while to help them.

Be prepared on your next outing or even in your home. Tell your dog or puppy what is scaring them. Let them look at it or check it out. Redirect your dog to focus on you; Use food  or a Toy. Turn being scared into a rewarding, positive, feeling. Doing this will make the World a little less Scary.

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Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

 dog want to "Hightail it Out of Dodge"? 

Big Dogs:Mighty Challenge

Yup! You did all the research and you understood how big your puppy was going to get but she got bigger before you knew it! Then you realized you had a problem. You tell me....."I can't get my dog into the car." 

And you want to know what that problem was? Not that your puppy grew up to be as enormous as a continent but that You never taught your puppy how to climb! You now have this extremely large dog that weighs a ton, takes up a huge amount of space but doesn't know how to lift her back legs because from puppyhood you did the lifting for her. Every time you wanted to go into the car, you picked your puppy up to put her in. So now you have......

It's important to go back to the drawing board and teach your 100 to 200lb dog how to climb. Maybe your dog can climb the stairs but that is different than climbing on the seat or getting into an SUV. It just isn't high enough for your dog to learn how to lift her legs. You may have to get creative and find large sturdy items for your dog to practice climbing. The whole process will be built on trust so help your dog not be afraid and use encouragement to motivate her. Food and praise will help but also not letting your dog quit; Backing out will be the biggest obstacle. 

If you have just gotten a large breed puppy get climbing now. If you missed that opportunity, it's not too late. Start helping your dog learn to step up and that they can do it themselves.

Out of the DogHouse lLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Does the Crate = Jail?

Now a days, it goes without saying that most dog owners are using crates to train their dogs. The crate is highly instrumental for all house training purposes and keeps both the puppy and your possessions safe from harm and destruction.

But one problem a lot of folks have is the thought that the crate means punishment. I hear this often " I don't want to put my puppy in the crate after being bad because I don't want my puppy to think they are being punished".  Well, help your puppy not be Bad, by You, being vigilant in watching your puppy and helping your puppy be Good.

Want a dog that loves their crate in the future? Then follow instructions: Crate your puppy at least 3 times a day while you are home. This way you can witness and address their behavior and help them be good in their crate.

Sure the puppy will moan and groan and I know you feel guilty; You just took away their playtime and freedom. But it is most critical for your puppy to learn to calm themselves so You can have peace of mind knowing all is safe and well; especially while you are away from home. Busy toys such as hard bones, and treat stuffed kongs may help but after the novelty wears off your puppy may still be discontent until they learn to accept their time in the crate.

So it comes down to how You really feel about the crate. Perspective is key here. If You think the crate means putting your puppy behind bars then Yes your puppy may not like going in. If you see the crate as part of managing your puppy's behavior then the crate is not mean or bad nor is it jail.

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Car Sick or Something Else?

I always feel bad for both my dog owners and their pups when their dog arrives with a drool dripping or the people have to ask for a plastic bag and paper towel to clean up dog vomit. This is not fun for anyone! Some of you know the feeling of dread even when thinking about taking your dog in the car. You also find you are sad that you don't take your dog with you because the experience is so awful!

Maybe accompanied with drool or vomit is shaking and panting? Or let's back this up...Does your dog run and hide from you when you say "Wanna go for a Car ride?" Could this be something else? What if your dog doesn't have motion sickness but a fear of the car?  The symptoms can be identical. And if you have tried motion sickness medicine with no success perhaps the car ride problem is emotional.

How did this fear happen? Think about this....an 8 week old puppy's first car ride can occur during the fear imprinting period. This is not to say something bad happened, just that your puppy left what it knew for something different. Also the next car ride is usually to the Vet's for shots. Not happy occasions for the puppy.

Ruling out motion sickness leaves treatment for fear. This is no easy fix. But I have had a few dog owners' pups overcome this problem because they continued to get into the car. The people who had success did so knowing their dog may throw up, drool and pant but worked through it; never giving up.

So if fear is the problem you can start by being prepared for the worst.

• Lay down a thick towel or couple of layers of towels. 
• Let your pup ride in the front passenger seat; keep your dog tethered.
• Plan a car ride EVERYDAY for two weeks.

Go to places that result in fun such as the park or a round trip back to home. With Hope and Practice, during this period of time, your dog will overcome their fear. 

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070