Management...a cornerstone to having a well-mannered dog!

Proper management is one of the key components contributing to a well-mannered dog. Good management essentially entails understanding what are realistic expectations for your dog and how to set your dog up for success. For example, many young dogs aren’t capable of being left alone in the house all day without showing some signs of stress or boredom. Stress and boredom can often lead to destructive behavior. Therefore, many dogs are destructive in the house as a result of poor management. If your dog is alone in the house all day and chews up the couch, what is he learning when you come home and punish him? He will decide that chewing on the couch is fun and you coming home is bad! When you cannot supervise your dog, confine him to a crate or dog-proof area to prevent bad habits from developing. When you are home, supervise your dog so that you can stop misbehavior and redirect him into an appropriate activity.

How Much Training Should I do Each Day With My Dog??

This is one of the first questions we get when owners embark on a new training program, whether it be a group class or private lessons. The answer is simple...do as many short (3-5minutes) training sessions as you can. But, the most important thing to remember is to incorporate your training into your every day activities. For example, practice your wait command as you head out the door for your walk on the El Dorado Hills trails. Or, practice a quick down stay while you make a sandwich or are getting some dishes done.

If you set up one big "training session" per day, your dog will do great during that "training time" and then it all goes out the window when you need it in real life situations...

Remember, every time you interact with your dog, your dog is learning something!!! Make it count!

Congratulations on your new puppy!! Now what?!?!?

Congratulations on your new puppy!! Now what?!?!

A new puppy in the household is an exciting time for everyone. You and your family have a vision of how your puppy will grow and mature into the dog you’ve always wanted. You know your pup needs training. There are so many books out there and suddenly every friend and stranger you meet is an expert on how to train your puppy.

Raising a puppy is a lot of work, but it can be such a wonderful experience as well. Let Unleashed help you take the frustration and mystery out of it. There are four main components of getting through puppyhood successfully. They include…

1. Having realistic expectations

2. Knowing and using the appropriate management tools

3. Setting the foundation for relationship early

4. Proper socialization

Everyone agrees that it’s important to socialize your puppy. However, that is easier said than done. The experiences your pup has, specifically with other dogs, at a young age can shape their perception of other dogs for the rest of their life.

The Puppy Basics Class at Unleashed Dog Training and Behavior Center is not about just throwing your pup in with a bunch of other pups and hoping they get “socialized.” Unleashed Puppy Basics Class is specifically designed to teach your pup how much fun other dogs can be as well as teach them appropriate manners around puppies and well mannered adult dogs. And, your puppy won’t be the only one learning important skills. As your dog’s pack leader, it’s important that you understand how to set your dog up for success and create an environment that your dog feels safe in. The Puppy Basics Class will focus on the 4 main components referred to above as well as some foundation training, like coming when called and leash manners.

Classes are held in the El Dorado Hills/folsom area. Come enjoy our clean, new facility

UNLEASHED ONLINE FOR PUPPIES

The Puppy Starter Kit---Congratulations on your decision to add a puppy to your family. Puppies add a spark to your family dynamic like no other! They are funny, curious, wonderfully energetic and a lot of work! UNLEASHED ONLINE is the “go-to” resource for your needs. The Puppy Starter Kit can help in the process of choosing the right dog for your family. The way a dog looks should be only one of many considerations when choosing your new family member. UNLEASHED ONLINE advises owners on essential information like housetraining, socialization, mouthing and the foundation exercises that owners can start right away.

Unleashed Online

Wouldn’t it be great to train your dog on your own schedule and in the comfort of your own home? Unleashed Dog Training located in the Folsom/El Dorado Hills Area gives you the guidance and support necessary to teach your new dog or puppy their basic commands using positive reinforcement training techniques. Think about all the other classes and workshops you can take online. Why not dog training? Unleashed Online can send daily or weekly updates of where you and your dog should be in the training process. It’s like having your own personal dog trainer in house to answer questions and walk you through exercises. Call or email for more information. Unleashed Dog Training serves the greater Sacramento area and offers private lessons and behavior consultations for all your dog training needs.

Effective Management for You and Your Dog

Management is a key component in your goal of achieving a well-mannered dog. Management, not training, can be the difference between a chewed couch, stolen food off the counters, numerous holes in the backyard and complaints from neighbors for barking. Good management essentially means setting you and your dog up for success. That is to say, understand that your dog is not a furry person but an animal that possesses a set of instincts which guide her behaviors. In order to successfully communicate with your dog, it’s important to understand what these instincts are and how you can use them to your advantage. For example, dogs are den animals who enjoy and relax in tight, enclosed places. Being den animals, their instincts usually tell them to keep their den clean. Crate training uses the dog’s natural instincts to help you with destructive behavior as well as housetraining. Crate Training is one of four main management tools that owners need to be aware of. How many you use will be determined by your goals and lifestyle with your dog.

Unleashed Dog Training is located in El Dorado Hills and serves the greater Sacramento Area. Feel free to contact us with more questions on effective management.

Puppy Training in El Dorado, Folsom and Greater Sacramento areas

Puppystuff

Congratulations on your new puppy! Adding a puppy to the family is an exciting and trying time for everyone. The keys to success when getting a new puppy are:

Realistic Expectations
It’s important to understand that puppies are not furry little people. They come with a set of instincts that guide their behaviors. Depending on your puppy’s age, she most likely has been playing with other puppies. She doesn’t have hands so she uses her mouth for play. You will soon realize her teeth feel like little razor blades and she can overwhelm small children quickly. Puppies usually don’t get bladder control until they are about 12 weeks old. So, it’s important to take your puppy out to potty often (every 1 ½ hours). Praise her when she potties outside. Most puppies will need to potty after they eat, sleep and play.

Management

There are four management tools that are essential with a young puppy. You can use all four, or any combination of them, depending on your needs.
1. Exercise is the first and most important management tool. “A tired dog is well-behaved dog.” 2. Crate Training. Dogs are den animals and feel safe and secure in tight, enclosed places.

3. Tie Down. A tie down is a short leash attached to something immobile. A tie down should never be used if you are not home.
4. Dragging Leash. A dragging leash is a 6ft nylon puppy leash with the smallest buckle you can find. A dragging leash is ALWAYS attached to your puppy’s buckle collar when someone is home.
Relationship
A solid relationship with your dog is THE key component in achieving your dog training goals. Many owners can’t wait to get started with the training of their new puppy and while teaching them sit, down and not pulling on the leash is important, there is plenty of time to work on these commands as your puppy gets older. Spending quality time on name recognition and attention is the priority with young puppies. You want to always encourage attention from your puppy by reinforcing them with praise, play or a treat when they look at you, or follow you on or off leash. Be silly, be unpredictable with your reinforcement and most of all, be fun. This will dramatically improve your chances of achieving the ever-elusive off leash come command when your dog is older.

Socialization
Do not underestimate the importance of good socialization for a young pup. Imprint socialization phases your puppy goes through cannot be “done later.” It is important in the development of your puppy’s personality to expose them safely at an early age to life experiences. Many dog owners get mixed messages when facing the socialization question. Some professionals suggest not taking your puppy off your property until she has all of her shots, but by then she has missed some important developmental milestones that cannot be retrieved. More dogs are put to sleep for behavior issues stemming from a lack of socialization than dying from diseases like Parvo and Corona Virus every year. Yes, it is important to be smart when socializing a young pup. Keep her on leash and on pavement. Don’t let her come into contact with other feces. But, take her on walks around the neighborhood. Introduce her to small children, kids on bikes and skateboards. Take her outside of Safeway and let her watch and see the shopping carts, cars, and buses. Introduce her to well-socialized, vaccinated adult dogs. These are all experiences that we want her to see as positive. This effort will contribute greatly to well-rounded, more stable adult dog.

By following these important first steps with your puppy, you are giving yourself, your family and your puppy a head start in attaining your goals for your new companion.

Unleash Your Dog’s Potential

Contact:

Mandy Kennedy

Unleashed! Dog Training and Behavior Center

Serving Folsom, El Dorado, Foothills and Greater Sacramento areas.

http://unleasheddogtraining.blogspot.com/

What type of dog training do you need?

Puppy Training: get started off on the right paw with help in housetraining, jumping up, mouthing and socialization.

Basic obedience: Many of us don’t have time to take a group class to learn basic obedience commands. Train your dog in the comfort of your own home, on your schedule with in-home private lessons.

Behavior Consultations: Many of your dogs know their basic commands but need help with specific behavior issues. These issues can range from fear behavior, leash frustration and aggression.

Advanced Obedience: Realize you and your dog’s full potential by teaching them advanced commands like off-leash recall, commands at a distance and solid “bomb proof” stays

-----

Contact me by email, or (916) 605-9778

Unleashed Dog Training comes to El Dorado / Folsom

New Dog Trainer in Town
My name is Mandy Kennedy and I am new to the El Dorado Hills/Folsom area. I have been training dogs in Marin & Sonoma Counties for over 15 years, and now I live here and would love the opportunity to help you with your dog training needs.

I believe that clear communication and mutual trust are the keys to building and maintaining rewarding relationships between dogs and their owners. Dog training should be fun and interesting for you, your family and your dog. Therefore I use a variety of training techniques to guide you and your dog on the path to realizing your personal goals.

Contact me by email or (916) 605-9778.

Dog Training in El Dorado, Foothill and Sacramento areas

You need help with dog training. You have a new dog, whether it’s a new puppy or a recently adopted dog, you want to help this animal become a well mannered, well adjusted member of your family. Wherever you live in the greater Sacramento and Foothill Area, you will find an array of options for training your dog. Which option suits you depends on a number of factors. Dog training options are usually broken down into 3 categories. There are group classes, private lessons and board & train.

Effective dog obedience classes are a wonderful, affordable way to train your dog. Many group classes are 6-8 weeks long and are designed to teach you how to train your dog. Most group classes will cover basic obedience commands like sit, down, stay, loose leash walking, coming when called and not jumping up. If done well, group classes provide a positive, well managed environment for your family and your dog. The cost of group dog training classes can range from $90-$150 for the whole session.

Things to consider when researching options for dog obedience classes are:

• How much experience does the instructor have in teaching group classes?


• How many dogs are in each class?


• Are there assistants who help the instructor?


• Are there any restrictions on specific breeds in class?

What equipment is used on the dogs?

If you have more questions regarding group classes, feel free to contact Mandy Kennedy of Unleashed Dog Training and Behavior Center by EMAIL (just click) or call (916) 605-9778.

Private Lessons and Behavior Consultations are another option when it comes to achieving your training goals. Private lessons are perfect for an owner who wants to be very involved in the training process, wants to work at their own pace and in the comfort of their own home. They are also a great option for dogs who are not ready or able to focus in the sometimes seemingly chaotic environment of a group class. Private lessons are one on one sessions with a professional dog trainer. You can often tailor the lessons to meet your needs and your schedule. Private lessons move much quicker than group classes, since each lesson is specifically geared to your dog training goals. You can do as many or as few lessons as you like, however, many trainers will give you a discount for buying a “package of lessons.”

The down side of private lessons is two fold. Private lessons can be very expensive. Many trainers charge over a $100 per session. Although an enormous amount of material and information will be gained with a good trainer, it can still add up to be a lot of money. The other down side of lessons vs. a group dog training class is the lack of distractions. Most dogs love to learn and training is a stimulating, mentally challenging and rewarding task for dogs. However, the challenge to stay focused becomes exceedingly more difficult in a group class. For many dogs, this challenge is beneficial in helping to achieve your training goals.

Board & Train is another option for owners to consider when training their dog. Board & Train essentially consists of leaving your dog in the care of a professional trainer for a specified period of time and having them train your dog for you. There are a few Board & Train options in the Sacramento Area. This option works well for owners who don’t have the time or knowledge to train their own dogs. The intensity and consistency that an effective Board & Train Program can provide can result in a transformation of behavior in a relatively short amount of time. On the other hand, Board & Train programs are very expensive and can be frustrating for owners who may find their dogs not responding to them the way the dog responded to the trainer. The bottom line is that it’s always best to train your own dog, but short of that, it’s very important to get detailed instructions from the facility on how you will follow through with the training they’ve done.

Finally, and most importantly, do some research on the style of training you wish to pursue. There are many schools of thought out there regarding what method is best when it comes to dog training. In the last 10 years training methods have shifted to a much more positive style. Unleashed Dog Training & Behavior Center has seen and practiced both methods over the last 15 years and recognizes the incredible potential dogs have for learning. The “old school” method of compulsive training is not fun for owners or dogs, but most importantly, it’s not as effective as a positive approach either.

Check out our next blog outlining specific differences in training styles and methodology.