When It All Goes Wrong

It was one of those days when it came to training today. I'm sure you know what I mean. Those days when you ask "Do I know anything about training? Haven't I taught my dog anything?" It came on the heels of a great agility training session, and then we decided to do some obedience. It all went down hill from there.

I took Lyric to D&B to work on socialization and focus with distractions. She fell apart. In truth, I think I fell apart worse. So, on the way home, I bought us a deal of french fries to share (Junk food I know! Bad owner....) gave her a kiss, and thought about our time together in the positive light of trying to figure out a lesson from our experience.

Turns out, I really do have a lesson to learn from it. In fact, it's a great lesson to learn and so I see our outing as a wonderful success. All of these things that I know came together, and now it's time to see where I didn't apply them so that next time I can!

I heard Susan Garrett say that one of the biggest mistakes we make as positive trainers is that we don't allow our dogs to fail enough. And I do think she hit it on the nail on that one. I'd like to add that as trainers, we don't like to let our dogs fail because WE don't want to fail. As heartfelt as it would be if we simply didn't like to see our dogs fail, I don't think that's our only motive for not letting them fail. What they do is a reflection of us, or so we seem to think. When in reality, our dogs failures aren't always ours to claim. This drive to keep Lyric from failing caused me to stumble big time today, and poor dog she wouldn't have been failing if I hadn't been failing first!

My plan going to D&B was to have a wonderful success of socializing and training, but what I failed to realize was that I shoved Lyric into attempting a huge success without understanding that she had some little things to work out. By having these huge goals, I lost sight of the fact that dog training is made up of small victories, not big ones.

The moment we walked towards the doors I had a hesitation that I should have acted on. Going towards the doors I felt a discomfort, like neither of us were quite ready. I excused the notion because I did have focus I reasoned. She was looking at me some as we went to the door. But what I settled for wasn't my criteria. When I go into a place like that, I want total focus. Even if that means working the front doors for 75% of our time there. I did not have the 100% focus that I needed outside before facing the numerous distractions inside.

Lesson - Fix the problem of Focus when it starts rather than playing 'patch it up' all through the session.

All the other problems built themselves upon this shaky foundation to our outing. Without that total focus, I started feeling stressed. and where does that stress go? Right down the leash to my dog. The look in her eyes told me she wasn't comfortable. We weren't in our optimal working zone - we'd already gone beyond that. So what did I do? Get frustrated that she wasn't trying as hard as I was to patch up the focus. Instead of going back outside to fix the problem, or finding space away from as many of the distractions as possible, I kept trying unsuccessfully.

Lesson - When you and the dog are stressed, don't try to keep regaining that focus without changing the amount of stimulation. First find a way for both of you to calm down into work mode, then regain the focus before attempting those distractions again.

I kept thinking I was gaining some attention, only to loose it just as quickly.  I would achieve getting her eyes on me but then she'd go back to sniffing. I ignored the displacement behaviors which caused her even more stress. She also was not tugging well, which is one of her favorite games. That's a red flag if there ever were one. Whether it was from the stress, or a sore mouth from playing with Rusty earlier, if she wasn't tugging she was distressed.

Lesson - If you can't achieve your criteria (like focus and tug drive) and your dog is distracting themselves on purpose, then they are too stressed and you are no longer working together - you are surviving apart because there is no connection.

 So, rather than pushing ourselves to achieve focus and awesome behavior even during that stress, I should have reduced the amount of stimulation in order to regain focus and infuse us with confidence. It was a battle that we could not win, and even if we did we would have been sacrificing Lyric's love of working and focus and drive. That's just not worth loosing for one session.

I'm honestly glad we failed because it brought everything back into focus for me. Sometimes we trainers need to have failures, just like our dogs, because when it all goes wrong, the lessons we learn might just make it all go right.

Ball Patrol - Lyric's choice!

My topic for today has to do with 'choices'. This concept is the idea that by allowing the dog to make choices, but controlling the access to the reward, we can teach our dogs to understand what behaviors are acceptable, and which ones aren't.

Lyric has an obsession with balls. This is not a behavior that I like. Previously, I've tried to control the dog - telling her to leave it, calling her away - or by managing the behavior - putting all the balls away. These options have not been working, and there are definite reasons why. I hope that this new approach of getting Lyric to choose will help relieve these problems.

The main complaint with controlling the dog is that it is exhausting. I do not want to continually have to tell Lyric no. It also creates a dog who must be told, rather than thinking for themselves. Long term, controlling Lyric just isn't an option. The issue with managing the behavior is that balls will get left out be someone. There will constantly be error. It also does not teach her self control, and I do not want her obsession to grow.

Now to control the access to the reward. Controlling the balls is not about putting them away but controlling her access to them. So, I have decided to create an "off limits" place for balls, that way neither of us are confused on when balls are okay to play with and when they aren't. I have a basket of toys that are out, but not open for playtime. The requirement for Lyric is that when the balls are in that basket, she is not allowed any access to them. In order for her to learn this, I've been setting firm boundaries, and giving no second chances.

It is a reward for them to be down on her level. So long as she doesn't mess with them, they are left down low.

But what if she starts sniffing the basket and touching the toys? I do not want any gray area about what is expected. She is allowed NO access. The basket is put up if she sits and stares at them or touches them. The last thing I want is a dog who sits by the basket day in and day out. It may seem harmless at first until that obsession grows. It all depends on her focus. Is she really paying attention to them, or did she just walk on by with one sniff because it's an object on the floor?

If she grabs the ball, I simply do not allow her to play with it. Instead of commanding her otherwise (remember the goal is to not have to control the dog) I simply grab her collar, preventing any play to take place. She gets board and drops the ball, and I calmly go put it away.

The big thing with this is that it's her choice. She gets to decide what she's going to do. I'm not going to get after her, or tell her 'uh uh' when she starts towards the basket. Even if I could stop her from going to it, I don't want to. It's her job to make the right choice. I simply control the outcome. By not trying to make her decisions right, she's going to learn a lot faster what the rules of the basket are.

The next step is earning a ball. I only want to give her a ball when she has accepted ignoring them. If she engages me in something else, totally ignoring the ball, then I might tell her to "take it!" as a reward. But that is only when she has completely forgotten about the ball.

Day 1 of ball patrol has started...so far so good. I had to take away the ball only twice after setting the basket down the first time. It has been put up a few more times than that. And for the first time in quite a while, she's laying down taking a nap.

Dancing the Duo

Dancing with La Bamba has always been fun, but dancing the duo, Lyric and Rusty, well that's just a blast.

It's been a while since I last had time to post. With my two crazy herding dogs, I've been trying to really enjoy my time with them. What a special pair they are.

Rusty is still my number one Aussie. He continues to make me laugh at his antics and I never grow weary of the fact that he's excited that I'm home. Whether I've been gone to work for many hours, or simply out to the garage for ten, he'll greet me with a wiggle that just begs to boogie.

Lyric has stolen my heart in a way I never knew she could. Her sweet disposition can melt my heart any time she pleases. The mix of her sweetness and her fire heart drive. Well to say the least, it keeps me hopping! When doing agility she's yelling at me and spinning out, but all snuggled up, she's giving me those eyes...

It's been a challenge having a new addition to the family. It's not because of dynamics. Rikki and Rusty are the perfect pair. The hard part is that I have trained Rusty to do so many things, and quite frankly, Lyric is behind. I know for a fact that she could do much more than she does. But a new lesson I have learned with her, that I need to do with Rusty, is that relationship is more important than any training I could ever do.

I see all these students walking through my door. Their dogs will do anything for a cookie. And that's great, they need a motivator. But so many of them are lacking the connection with their dogs. They hardly know how to engage their dog without a treat. But instead of working on this relationship, I have to spout off what's next to learn...with a treat. So many times I wish I could just stop in my tracks and tell them that the reason they're having trouble is because they only want a robot dog who does everything well, instead of a friendship with their dog that conquers all problems. So I try to help and explain the concept of how to get the dog to want YOU not the treat. And I go home exhausted and come face to face with my dogs and my reality.

My dogs - they're border line robots. They're the dogs I'm trying to save at work. And I'm the owner who has no clue. My little duo, the ones who greet me with wiggling bottoms and wagging tails, they want that friendship. And so do I. And so, I open my mind and heart to the possibility that it's ok that I'm not fixing everything they do. I'm realizing that it's ok that lyric is clueless to what amazing tricks Rusty does. And that gives me the fuel I need...

Now I'm ready to get out the treats and train. The strange thing is, that when you come face to face with the reality that friendship is what you really need, all pressure in training is relieved because all you are ultimately working on is friendship.

You can completely fail during your session. You can completely train the wrong behavior. And guess what's left? Time with your dog. Time building that relationship. Working together.

Take the time with your dog to build that relationship, and you just might find that they become one of the smartest dogs you will ever meet.

The Jumping Dog - when turning away doesn't work

        Jumping and leash pulling are two of the major concerns for pet parents. Every time the dog meets someone new, the dog displays behaviors of dragging their owner and jumping on the new friend. Even my own dogs love to jump.
        Positive trainers often suggest turning away from the dog, and sometimes this method works, but there are flaws with this way of training. The more excited the dog, the more they fail. And the more they fail, the more engrained the habit becomes. Here are some of the major flaws that limit my students' success.
         One of the main reasons for failure is that with this method as with any other, it must be consistent. Consistency is something we all fight with day in and day out, and I honestly believe that whatever method you choose, there must be consistency. Now here is the catch...it's not just you who has to be consistent, but every single person who meets the dog. The likely hood of this is pretty grim. Many of my students have learned to tell each person they meet to turn around when the dog jumps. Wonderful work guys! However, almost every one of the students, who stick to the criteria like an army Sargent, come back saying that it isn't working. The visitor will nod and agree that yes, they will turn away as soon as the dog jumps. Never having any practice with this method, the plan soon goes awry. And who can expect any different when these people with kind intentions give your dog attention!
           Ignoring the dog is not only hard to maintain with other visitors, but it is also very frustrating for both the dog and any human involved. It is not rewarding. Whoever and whenever I train, I want to give both dog and human (even myself!) as much success as I possibly can. This method has way too much room for error on both the dog's and human's side! You're leaving the option of jumping and being ignored way too open. Ignoring the dog should happen when my new method goes awry and you don't want to reward the bad. Not as the main way of training the behavior!!!
          The next problem is that these trainers only reward the dog in a sitting position. The first problem with this is that in the sitting position, the dog's hind legs are poised just right to act like a spring toward the greeter's face. Just like a rabbit looks like it's sitting before it springs, we are positioning our dogs in the same manner! The next problem is that if you only reward sitting, you've left an "open to interpretation" position for the dog. When they are standing, they have only been rewarded for jumping, not for keeping all four feet on the floor. Chances are, if you're in a store, or walking down a side walk, your dog will encounter people while he is in a standing position. Walking through a crowded area now becomes a nightmare as people randomly reach out to pet your dog on the way by.
           Teaching the dog not to jump by ignoring the jumping behavior, and requiring a sit, are not bad things!  In fact, with the method I am about to explain to you, you should be using these criteria. Some dogs will learn just fine with only these methods, but others need a little bit more clarity.

            The very first thing I do is work with the dog on moving without jumping. I want to give the dog success at this. With the dog facing you, shift back and forth, when the dog takes even one step, click and drop the treat on the floor. Using the floor delivery will help encourage the dog to stay on the floor. The goal is to click and treat before the dog has a chance to jump. Also, I reward dogs that pay attention, so sniffing along the floor ignoring you does not count. As the dog starts to understand the game of moving and getting treats, you can ask for more. Step a little farther to the side and pause before you click and treat to get longer times of feet on the floor before reward. Once the dog can move with you without jumping, it's time to desensitize the dog to exciting movement.
         Click and treat for small movements first, gradually make them bigger. For example, raise your hands away from your body, click and treat. Do bigger motions till you can throw your hands in the air, and the dog will not jump. Next do sounds, first make high pitch sounds of "hi Fido!" very quietly. Then gradually, with more excitement, be louder and louder. Then add the hand motion and the sound, but remember when you put these together to make them small together and gradually work your way back up.

       The next thing I teach is a "rest" command. I teach the dog to rest it's head in my hand as I offer treats, that way a visitor can pet the dog's back. I will also use this to teach my dog to rest her head on a bed in hopes that we will be able to visit at a nursing home or hospital. With the rest behavior, you want the dogs jaw to rest in your palm without grabbing their face. Do not hold on. Offer your palm and lure the dog forward till their head is above your hand, lower the treat so that the weight of the dog's head is rested in your palm. Reward multiple times in order to lengthen the time they rest. Once the dog offers the resting behavior, simply add time between treats until they stay there until you release them.

      Remember, not jumping is like teaching any other command and behavior, such as sitting or heeling, so train it with success. They do not know what you are asking, so remain patient. The more success you give your dog, the more fun you and your dog will have.

As we say in agility : "one of you better be having fun, and it better be the dog!"

Bathing Tips - New Puppy or Dramatic Resident Dog?

           Hello there, maybe you're like me - you've had many bathing experiences. Some you might want to repeat, and others, well - we've all had the ones we'd rather forget about. Or maybe you're new to this? A new puppy or rescue dog, you're checking prices at local dog salons. There must be a reason that many people, if not most, take their dogs to someone else to have them groomed. The good news is, whoever you might be, and whatever category you place yourself in, you're not alone. I don't blame you for looking for a salon, because let's face it, bathing at home can be a disaster and it's a guaranteed mess. But with a few tips, you might find it's not so bad. My goal is to have a trauma free, minimal mess bath - and these are the things that help me achieve that with my five month old Border Collie and five year old Aussie.

The best recipe, I always say, to avoid disaster is to be completely prepared. The times that have been a horrible mess have been the times I was dashing to find a towel, trying to find dog soap while holding a dog in the bath, or trying to wrangle the dog to stay in the tub while I get the last of the soap out! Compared to that, being prepared is bliss. So here's a list of tips, many in the order I would go about doing them. Many of these you can also apply to grooming at the "do it yourself" dog grooming stores. I happen to love those, because who couldn't say that they'd like to leave the mess?!?

1. Prepare all the necessities before you get the dog.
             ~ Dog Soap - Don't use human soap, it will not be good for the dog's skin...Also, having conditioner is a wonderful way to lessen the trauma of brushing afterwards!
             ~ Towels - lots of 'em. One for your lap to dry your hands on as well as to use as a shield when the dog shakes with shampoo flying!
             ~ Treats - reward often. Praise the dog too. If you have a helper, and the pup tends to use her teeth too hard on your skin, put the treat in a shallow Tupperware. This works well with children who want to help.
             ~ Leash to tie the dog into the tub
             ~ Large cup or dish to dump water onto the dog - or one of those bathing attachments.  (I'm searching ebay for one of those!!!)

2. Plan where family members and other pets will be. When you finish bathing the dog, they will be very excited. Some puppies will run around, acting spazzy. If you have young children, have them sit on a couch so that the dog can not jump up on them or bite them. This is not time for chase. With other pets, it's important to make sure that they can escape the excited wet dog. It's best, if the other dog does not like excitement, to put him in another room with the door closed, as well as the bathroom door closed, just in case one of the dogs get out of the room, there's still a door between them. It's not a pleasant way for a resident dog to get use to the new puppy when the pup is jumping on them or biting them.

3. Why tie the dog into the tub instead of holding the leash or having a helper hold the leash? I like to tie them in for a few reasons. The first is this: Holding a dog into the tub when they don't want to be there is difficult, and the frustration you feel will travel right through your hands, through the leash, down to the dog. Face it, they already don't want to be there, and your frustrated emotions are not going to impress a good feeling upon the dog. The second reason: If you hold the leash, you will not be able to keep it completely still. Every time the dog pulls, they will feel the give in the leash. This will encourage the dog to keep fighting in the hopes of getting free - it's very rewarding. They will give up more quickly if it's tied. I just tied my leash to the facet short enough that the dog couldn't jump out.

4. Check the water before pouring it on the dog. Do not try to fill a tub full and have them lay down in it. This is even more threatening. If they thrash around, there's a chance they will go under, terrifying them even more!

5. Don't use too much soap - the more soap the longer the dog must stay in the tub. If you're worried they won't handle it well, soap up only one part of the dog, so that you can rinse that area quickly if you need to get them out.

6. Use messaging and calm quiet words to keep the dog nice and calm.

7. After you finish the bath, take the dog on leash to go outside. With all the stress of the bath, they may not realize they need to go potty, especially if they get "a high" from being wet. Keeping them on leash is important. Most dogs will go roll in dirt or sand, rub against bushes or trees, or even roll in the grass after a bath. If they are that excited they may not listen to you when you call which could be disastrous if they get out of a fenced area.

8. Take your dog's collar off until they are completely dry. Hotspots can occur when moisture is held close to their skin.

I hope these tips help you out, whether your a long time dog owner, or brand new to all this fun. Keeping all these things in mind has certainly increased the amount of good experiences for me and my two loving fuzzballs.

Peace or World War 3? Dogs and cats - keeping the peace.

Dogs add so much fun and pleasure to our lives. Cats keep us guessing, and entertain us with their individual personalities. When we put them together, they can combine all these wonderful qualities, or they can become a headache or even world war three! So how do we make sure that we get the best of both worlds, and maintain a peaceful home?

Bringing a new dog into the home can cause friction, and when it comes to cats, they hate change.  Even if the change has already occurred, these tips may be what you need to create a home of peace.

The very first step is to teach your dog a few helpful behaviors. My favorite is the positive interrupter.

The positive interrupter is a sound that you condition your dog to respond to, no matter the circumstance. I use kissing lips and a whistle. Choose one sound, you can add another later if you find it's important for a new situation. I personally use kissing in the house, and whistle out in the field where my dogs need a louder sound. I do not use my dogs' names, as they hear it far too often, and also because you must reward every time you make the sound.

After choosing the sound, make it and reward the dog. I enjoy using a marker in my classes, and teach my students to make the sound, click as soon as the dog turns its' head toward them, and encourage the dog to run towards them for the treat. By clicking the instant the dog turns its' head, the dog will turn more quickly each time. Having the dog run towards you for the treat is very important! Do this in low distraction areas, gradually using it in more difficult situations. The harder the situation, the better your treats must be in order to maintain the same energy.

The energy in running towards you will be crucial in recalling the dog when near the cat. Use this to keep intense focus when working near the cat.

Having a perfected leave it is also helpful. Teach leave it in a completely positive manner. If your dog does not want to leave it, then chasing the cat will be more rewarding than listening to you. You must be more rewarding than any interaction with your cat. Also remember to take the time to perfect your leave it command with distractions and distance before attempting off leash work with your dog and cat together.  

As with any situation, you must control it well from the start and not allow the dog and cat to practice undesirable interactions! This will only make matters worse. A few tips for keeping the situation under control :

1. Keep the dog on leash, and do not be in a hurry to do off leash work. When you do want to take the dog off leash, do so gradually. Let the dog drag a long line first, then a 6 foot leash. Remember to use a harness when connected to a long line for safety purposes!
2. Give the cat space. Use a baby gate to keep the dog from entering the cat's space for a time, or close doors to prevent the dog access.
3. Put the cat's litter box, food, and water in a place they feel safe. Do not expect the cat and dog to share a water bowl. Many cats will refuse to drink where the dog can get to them, they are vulnerable. And the dog may not appreciate the cat near the water. Also, you do not want your dog to have the habit of eating cat food. Being high in protein, cat food is one of the ultimate junk foods to pack on the pounds for your dog.
4. Do not force any interactions. Dogs do not need to actually be in contact with something to work on socialization, they simply need to be within hearing or seeing range of the object or animal. Let the dog and cat get very comfortable at a distance. (cat eating treats on couch while dog chews on bone across the room ect.) - make sure it's a very pleasurable time for all involved! The more positively they can associate time together, the more quickly they will learn to tolerate and even enjoy one another!
5. It does not matter if the dog is on leash or not, always provide many escape routes for the cat! The last thing you want is for either of your pets to feel at all trapped. If your dog happens to be scared of the cat, make sure that the dog can escape! With this situation, do not hold the dog, or keep it still with the leash. If he wants to run, let him...work at a comfortable distance.

As always, remember that basic obedience can help keep the peace. Not only will your dog know behaviors to help control him, but your dog's energy will be more controlled. The more calm and relaxed the better. So use both physical exercise and mental exercise to help your dog manage his energy.

A Class Success!

Hello World,
I'm back with La Bamba to share more adventures! As one of the most loyal and helpful dogs, he's assisting me, whether it's helping in classes with reactive dogs like he did last night, or relaxing at my feet to keep me company like he's doing now. I'd like to share what we did last night in the hopes that it will encourage someone, and give new training ideas.

Let me give you a good picture of the class first. The class room is a small room with stools along the walls. There were three dogs last night. Leela - Border Collie mix who barks and lunges at the end of her leash. Ellie - Weimaraner who is working on focus. Lucy - Yorkie who is terrified of dogs, especially big ones.

I took Rusty to work with me, forgetting which class I was having. It was Rusty's first night back, and he had a stuffed bone to chew on, so I consider leaving him in the kennels during class. However, I decided to just try bringing him in. Before he broke his foot, he came to work with me as my demo dog on a regular basis. He was always a bit whiny and made it harder to teach. But he could also be very helpful. He would wait in his room until I needed to show my students how to do a behavior, and return there when he was done. I was slowly getting him use to the idea of me working and treating other dogs. That's certainly not his favorite part!

With a room full of dogs with different issues, I'm not sure what made me certain that bringing him into the room would be a good idea. A 6th sense? Whatever the case, Rusty joined me in class. Right away, Leela started barking, Ellie started to fixate, and Lucy was under the chair. I've been working with my students on "leave it" and the power of a positive interrupter. I immediately started reminding them of what they already knew, and they set to work.

Through all this Rusty was being a perfect gentleman. He had a gentle leader on, which I think calms him because of the pressure points on the nose. He's always a bit more relaxed when it's on. I had him in front of me, his back to the students. I kept rewarding with small bits as he stayed focused on me and quiet! I hardly had to pay attention to him, he maintained the position perfectly.

My goal was to keep the situation as calm as possible, giving these dogs every chance to succeed. With Rusty turned away and laying down, there was nothing threatening about him. The dogs began to relax and pay attention. I calmly had Rusty scoot backwards while in a down. (Those freestyling moves come in handy!!!) It caused them to react a bit, but everyone regained their composure quickly.

 At this point, Lucy started coming within a foot of Rusty from behind. She has not approached a dog in the many many weeks I have worked with this team. They previously went through this same class, so I have worked with them at least 8-10 weeks. Rusty was wonderful, not turning and looking at her. I was making sure that he focused only on me, not making eye contact with any of the dogs.

The dogs were doing wonderfully, working on loose leashes, and redirecting well to their owners when they got distracted by Rusty. I kept talking to them, watching their body posture and tones to make sure they were relaxed. With this intensity of work, the last thing you should do is just listen to the answers your students give you. You must evaluate them, because the dog will be evaluating them by posture and tone. These observations are more likely true than brave words.

I began to move Rusty in small movements at the front of the room, and was pleasantly surprised by the level of focus maintained. The key to success is not to change anything too quickly. So we started with just having Rusty standing, then moving a few steps and standing some more. By the time we gradually made this transition, Rusty and I could walk across the front of the room with everyone maintaining good, focused behavior.

Moving slowly around my students, I continued to have Rusty back up wherever he went. This kept his eyes on me, and I could move him any which way I liked side to side. Whenever I saw any tension, all I had to do was tell Rusty to rotate towards one side or the other to provide more space. By moving around slowly, and creating more space I was able to give each dog breaks from the intense training by moving on towards the next dog. It was my goal to not push any dog too far or too long. Don't push them to breaking point.

Now for successes! I was able to back Rusty up towards Lucy who was sitting on her owner's lap. Lucy, of her own accord got up and sniffed Rusty! What a good girl! Wonderful break through for her. Leela was able to stand within reach of Rusty, on a loose leash while focusing completely on her owner. Ellie was able to focus on her owner within reach of Rusty, and quit doing the yo - yo effect on the leash!

All this took was
1. keeping Rusty completely engaged on me so he didn't look at the other dogs.
2. moving him backwards in the least threatening manner.
3. working up from the least exciting behavior (down) to higher intensity behaviors (moving among the students)
4. watching both dog and student language to make sure that no one is being pushed too far too fast.
5. Using lots of reassuring, calm speech as well as praising the students for their work as you see the little victories. ("there, now she's relaxing!" - Leela the instant I saw her body relax and she gave more attention. "She's checking him out! Way to go" - Lucy when she was looking more inquisitively with a forward body posture. "That's it, that was a quicker response and turn around" - Ellie turning quickly to listen to the positive interrupter rather than hitting the end of her lead.) (praising the students for their timing and calm verbal.)
6.Always encourage the owner, and help them see the victories!

 I was very happy with the progress we made, and Rusty was such a star for me! What set Rusty up for success? Lots of exercise before we went, calm rewards, and my relaxed posture and voice. We went to the river and played for a while before class, and exercise takes the edge off of reactive dogs. I couldn't have asked him to do any better!

The biggest thing that made this a success - and something to always remember.

Work with the dogs and students, not against them.