Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training

Place command, sit on the dog, structured decompression, tether time, duration down - so many names for the same basic concept - #patternthechill Edie here is working on her place command. We started inside, we started on leash, we started with no distractions. We’ve held her accountable to relax and stay on this bed no matter what tempts her to get up. Did she mess up? Yup! Is that okay? Sure! It means we can show her exactly what place means, by calmly putting her back on h...er bed. Her ‘mess ups’ are just her trying to figure out exactly where (and how) place ends. Place work helps your dog relax, think of it as meditation time. Want your pup to stay calm when guests come over (post covid of course), start place work now. Want your pup to stay neutral around other dogs, teach place work now. Place work acts as a bridge to help your dog relax in new places, with new people, under pressure, and when they’re unsure. Give them something they understand, for those times when they aren’t sure what to do, you can offer them an easy command that means relaxation no matter where you are. Want to practice? Check out your online video library, B2 tune up clinics, or ask your instructor next week. #opbarks

"Tough dogs", the dogs that are barking, lunging, growling, spinning out at any little trigger, aren't REALLY so tough. These peacocking, over the top displays, are (usually) a frantic attempt to create more space between themselves and the trigger. Let's back up a bit - when dogs are nervous, stressed, anxious, or unsure, they look to secure resources to make themselves feel better. Resources include many things - food, toys, bones, people, other dogs, and most commonly, spa...ce. This securing of resources is a bit like a security blanket and becomes a well practiced (and then perfected) routine. So those reactive dogs who are generally carrying on while walking down the street, they (probably) aren't aggressive. They're probably insecure or frustrated & have learned that they can "make" their triggers go away, by putting on this display. Whether from embarrassment, or nerves, or just trying to help our dogs calm down, we as owners get our dog's out of dodge in the middle of these outbursts - which in their minds, means that they should continue carrying on to make the "big bad thing" go away. Which unfortunately, reinforces that this behavior works. Breaking this cycle can be tough - and is best done with a multifaceted approach. 1- Build our dogs confidence around triggers and be able to gently guide their movement 2- Give them a job (heeling) to concentrate on and take comfort from while on walks 3- Teach our dogs what is and is NOT allowed on leash 4- Remove them from the situation when (and ONLY when) they are in a more relaxed state of mind This isn't about avoiding triggers, it's not about walking your dog at 5am to avoid other people/dogs. It's about helping them feel confident and have appropriate skills to cope with stress when it inevitably effects them on & off leash. #opbarks

It's not just Covid, please don't touch my dog On-leash greetings create problems - yes puppies are cute, yes ‘Socializing’ is important, but on leash greetings are NOT the way to go. Teaching our pups that everyone on the street is a potential new friend, encourages them to forget about you, pull you towards everyone, & reinforces over excitement. This pattern turns into choking on leash, jumping on people/dogs, & reactivity down the road - Oooph! ... We’d much rather see you practice advocating for your dog and saying "no, we're in training" to every dog zombie trying to pet your cute puppy on the street. This shows your dog that you've got the situation handled, you’re more valuable than the other people and that seeing people on walks isn’t something to get in a tizzy about. Make yourself the gate keeper to new humans and dogs and you’ll build your dogs understanding to look to your for guidance in other situations as well. What's more important: strangers loving your dog or your dog prioritizing you when out and about? #opbarks

Limiting your dogs choices in a given situation will help them succeed. We all want to give our dogs the best life possible and we usually think of this as giving them all the freedom, toys, affection, & ‘things’ they could ever want. BUT dogs don’t always know what’s best for them. Sometimes limiting their options in the short term - can mean a better long term quality of life.... If your dog was calmer around other dogs, you’d probably take her around other dogs more often. If your dog was great on leash, you’d probably walk her more often. If your dog was comfortable with new people in your home, you’d probably have more people over. Sometimes, we have to take freedom away, to help our dogs earn larger freedoms in the future. Choice fatigue is a real thing (with people and dogs). Having too many options to choose from can cause stress, anxiety, and be confusing - again, for both species. Be consistent with what you allow and your dog will be able to find the right answer faster & therefore minimize their confusion & concern moving forward. #opbarks

Puppies are NOT blank slates. We have breeds of dogs, who are genetically different & have been specifically bred (sometimes for hundreds of years) for a particular purpose. Not all dogs are created equal, they each excel at different things, which shapes their personalities, behaviors, & motivations. Great Pyrenees have been bred to protect livestock Australian shepherds & border collies to herd Huskies & malamutes to pull ... Terriers & hounds to hunt And Dobermans, mastiffs, & Rottweilers to guard their humans A puppies genetics make it predisposed to not only look a certain way, but to act a certain way as well. Sometimes, training is working at a deficit with these predispositions. Working to keep your terriers focus around a squirrel can be infinitely harder than with an Australian Shepherd who’s been bred to work closely with humans to do their job. Socializing your Doberman or Pyr may only get you so far, their aloof genetics may override your training attempts at some point. This doesn’t mean that any dog is a lost cause, but being aware of their heritage can be helpful. That’s why we want to encourage you to research your dogs genetics to the best of your ability (mutts have genetic predispositions too!) and embrace these traits, channel them into biologically appropriate outlets and be realistic about who your dog is and who you expect them to be. #opbarks

How long does your pup typically hold a position before standing up or doing something else? Teaching a skill is a great first step, but teaching duration of a skill is key. Having a verbal END cue is helpful in teaching your dog when they are done with a task which means they will AUTOMATICALLY hold the position until told otherwise. We like okay or break to signal they’re all done. Duration downs = relaxing at a cafe ... Duration eye contact = focus on you Duration waits = patience around doorways Think of holding a position as your pup more fully committing to what you’ve asked of them. When your pup sits for .2 seconds, then jumps up to grab the treat, they aren’t mentally committing to what you’ve asked them to do, their brain is already on to the next thing, not focused on you. So once we have the basic obedience cues, let’s work the duration to make sure we have the mental state we’re really looking for. #opbarks