Dog Lovers Obedience School

Did you know that we offer remote collar training? Remote collars (also called ecollars or electronic collars) are a great tool to take your training to the next level. Here are some reasons we have them in our toolbox:

- Remote collars pair a physical cue with a command. This provides clear communication between the handler and their dog, especially in high-distraction environments.
- When conditioned properly, an ecollar acts as an “invisible leash” to reinforce commands, even from a distance.
- Remote collars can be used as a safety net to keep your dog safe off-leash. No more blowing off recalls!
- It can be used to interrupt fixation before reactions happen, and correct them when they do.

Before purchasing a remote collar, remember that all collars are not created equal, and it’s important to know what brands are the safest and most effective. It is also vital that you properly condition your dog to this tool and that your dog has some training foundations before they start.

Contact us for help with your ecollar journey today!
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We are hosting Amanda Jones October 14th! Here’s her info to get an appt for photos!

On Thursday we posted about what socialization is…but what about what it isn’t? It’s important to know what not to do, to avoid needing behavior modification down the road.

Socialization “don’ts”
- Don’t enter dog parks or enroll your pup in doggy daycare. There is not enough educated supervision in these settings, and unfortunately dogs often get hurt, get into fights, or develop reactivity or other behavioral concerns as a direct result of them. It’s not “if”, but “when”!
- Don’t allow your dogs to greet other dogs on leash. It’s not natural for dogs to greet nose to nose, and they often see this as rude or encroaching on their personal space. It can also lead to excitement reactivity on leash.
- Don’t allow your dog to greet everyone they see. Our “all about greetings” post goes over proper human greetings.

Following these guidelines will keep your pup safe!
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What is socialization in dogs?

When humans hear the word socialization, we often think about gathering with friends, but in dogs it means so much more. Socialization in dogs means preparing them for the world! This means exposing them to all kinds of sights, sounds, textures, and people. While it’s best to do this in puppyhood and adolescence, it can also be important for new rescues or underexposed adult dogs.

Some ways you can socialize your dog:
- Enroll your pup in group classes. This allows them to learn how to learn and work around other dogs.
- Getting your dog out of the house frequently to explore and train in new environments is super important. Pet-friendly stores such as Lowe’s, Michael’s, or Bass Pro Shops are great places to expose your dog to not only different sights and sounds, but also all kinds of people. Calmly people watching in the back of busy parking lots is also a good trick to get your pup used to controlled chaos. We recommend taking your dog on an outing at leash once a week. If this doesn’t work with your busy schedule, half-day drop-offs are a great chance to get your dog out into the community, we take a pet-friendly outing each half-day!
- Playing socialization playlists on your phone is a great way to expose your pup to different noises such as thunder, sirens, and traffic. These can be found on YouTube or Spotify.
- Encouraging your dog to walk over different surfaces such as metal grates, concrete, sand, wood, grass, or tile helps them feel more confident when they face this textures in their day to day.

What’s your favorite way to socialize your dog? Tell us in the comments!
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Starting October 3rd at 7:00 pm we are offering a prep class for Canine Good Citizen! The 4th class will be the the test! $155 for 4 session! email or text if you’d like to sign up!

At Dog Lovers Obedience School, we are big believers in confidence building, we don’t just focus on obedience. Why do we believe it’s so important?

⁃ Confidence building prevents behaviors like separation anxiety, reactivity, fear-aggression, or general nervousness.
⁃ A confident dog is a happy dog! This means they’ll get more out of life and their adventures. Confidence is the “you can do it” attitude for your dog.

How do you create a more confident dog?

⁃ Be their cheerleader: Use lots of encouragement, an excited tone, and tugging and loosening your leash.
⁃ Utilize pack drive: Dogs can learn from watching other dogs, and even humans completing activities. This may be as simple as a dog jumping in a car after another dog, or walking over a wooden bridge after seeing their owner do it.
⁃ Set up confidence building activities: Encourage your dog to walk over different surfaces, build your own “pool of confidence” with a box full of empty water bottles and sprinkle some kibble/treats, get creative!
⁃ Stop coddling your dog: Giving in to insecure behaviors will only make them worse. Instead of walking in the other direction of a loud noise or scary surface, try walking toward it with lots of encouragement and praise.

Group classes and half-day drop-offs are great opportunities to build your dog’s confidence! Sign up through the portal or register on our website today!
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Happy Labor Day from the DLOS team!

Did you know that there is a right way for your dog to greet new people? If not, we’re here to help!

When your dog is meeting a new person while outside or on outings…
⁃ Be picky! Do not allow your dog to greet every person they encounter, this can lead to inappropriate excitability. Make sure that the person greeting your dog is willing to follow all your rules. If you know that they “don’t mind” if your dog jumps up or if they will encourage bad behavior, it’s better not to let your dog practice this and to turn down their request to pet.
⁃ Have them sit nicely beside you, and be prepared to put them back in their sit if they break their command.
⁃ Calmly reward good behavior, so that they understand what you want from them.
⁃ If your dog is at a higher level of training, you may decide to give them their release word (i.e. “break”, “free”, etc.) to greet a person on their own, as long as you are positive that they will keep all four on the floor and maintain their manners.

When your dog is meeting someone new in the home…
⁃ The leash is your friend! Keeping your dog on a leash when new people come over will give you a means to correct or prevent bad behavior such as jumping up, lunging, or rushing the door.
⁃ If you know your dog acts inappropriately when people first enter your home, having them tethered or holding a place command can prevent them from practicing naughtiness.
⁃ Make sure that everyone coming into your home is on board with your dog’s training. You wouldn’t want them reinforcing behavior like barking or jumping on accident!

How do you go about greetings? Comment below!
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Are you accidentally rewarding your dog?

We have a saying at Dog Lovers…”You get what you pet”. This means that any time you are putting your hands on your dog, you may be telling them they’re doing a good job! This can backfire when you do things like pushing your dog off of you with your hands when they jump on you, which is why we recommend walking into your dog or correcting with a leash instead.

Other things that you may not know may be rewarding your dog:
- The baby voice
- Eye contact (yes, this is rewarding for some dogs! It’s a form of attention)
- Relaxing the leash (or following them) when they are pulling
- Letting them out of the crate when they bark
- Giving treats to stop barking
- Using words that aren’t commands to correct a behavior i.e. “please don’t do that” (if they don’t know what it means, they may think the attention is positive)
- Giving in to attention seeking behaviors (always petting your dog when they “ask” for it)

Make sure to praise and reward your dog when they offer alternatives to bad behaviors, like sitting nicely when greeted, keeping all four on the floor, staying quiet when someone comes to the door, waiting to be released from doorways, etc., so that they understand what you do want from them!
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Happy National Dog Day from the team at DLOS!

“Are group classes or private sessions a better fit for my dog? Where do I start?”

These are just some of the questions you might have floating around when you first embark on your dog’s training journey. We’re here to help!

Group classes are a great opportunity to work your dog around other pups and in an unfamiliar environment. Group classes are also a great opportunity to learn from other owners, ask general training questions, and get guidance on basic obedience. Manners are emphasized here! Puppy class in particular also aids in socialization by teaching and completing confidence building activities, and allowing supervised, appropriate play.

Private sessions on the other hand are a fantastic option for those looking to get one-on-one advice or work on household specific issues. This is ideal for dogs in need of behavioral modification for anxiety, reactivity, or aggression. If your dog is only reactive in your neighborhood or when people come to the door, private sessions let us come to you and give practical advice based on what we see. Private sessions also give our trainers a chance to evaluate where your dog is with their training and what they may benefit from going forward.

For more information on group classes and private sessions, including pricing, please visit our website at www.dogloversrva.com

Dogs look to their owners for direction, and it’s our job not to give them mixed signals! Consistency is one of the keys of dog training.

Mixed signals can look like:
- Rewarding a dog after breaking a command (I.e. giving them a treat to get back on place after getting up)
- Making them wait at some doors, but not others
- Letting them jump on the couch without permission, then getting frustrated when they do it when guests are over
- Repeating commands over and over without following the command sequence, then wondering why your dog doesn’t ever listen the first time
- Family members following different rules with your dog
- Playing “good cop, bad cop”

It’s important that we’re consistent with our dogs, so that they’re consistent with us! If you give your dog mixed signals, their behavior is going to reflect that. Remember…every interaction you have with your dog is an interaction that your dog is learning from, you may be reinforcing behavior you don’t want!

What’s one way you can be more consistent in your dog’s training?

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What are half-day drop-offs? Why are they beneficial?

Half-day drop-offs are a great option for dogs who need extra confidence building, socialization, or obedience work. Dogs are dropped off with our trainers at 9 am and picked up at 2 pm. In those 5 hours, dogs will be worked with on obedience and commands, be conditioned to their training tools, get playtime, complete confidence building exercises, and go on pet-friendly outings to practice their skills in the real world. At pick-up, your dog will receive a report card and we will go over how they did, what we worked on, as well as outline their homework and give other suggestions.

Half-day drop offs are ideal for dogs in busy families who may need extra help with particular skills outside of group classes or private sessions. They are also ideal for dogs who need one-on-one time with trainers, while also learning how to work around dogs and other distractions that may not present themselves in group or private settings.

You can sign up for half-day drop-offs on the thryv portal. Packages may be purchased for multiple half-day drop-offs.

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Attention: After September we will no longer be accepting boarding clients and will be shifting our focus toward board and trains only.

*All currently scheduled boarding clients will remain booked*

Board and trains are a great option for busy families looking for their dogs to get a touch-up on their skills, families going on vacation who would like their dog to keep up with or improve their skills while they’re gone, or for dogs who need more intensive behavior modification.

For more information or to inquire about board and trains, please visit our website.

https://dogloversrva.com/board-and-trains

We recommend adding structure into the routine of every dog that comes through our school. But what is it?

Structure is how we provide dogs with direction on a day to day basis. This looks like using both “yes” and “no”, having them wait for a release word before eating meals or going through doorways, utilizing tethering and crating (even when you’re home), practicing the place command, integrating commands into structured walks, and more!

Why is this necessary? Using both “yes” and “no” with your pup teaches them what is and is not appropriate behavior, and structure provides the leadership that dogs need to thrive. If you want your dog to enjoy freedom when they’re older, they have to first learn what is expected of them in and outside of the household…and they learn that through their owners maintaining structure!

What is one way you add structure into your dog’s life? Tell us in the comments!

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Business profile was done on Emily Bracken the owner of Dog Lovers! Thanks

Happy National Mutt Day! We love our mutts!

Happy Birthday Daniel! Enjoy your vacay at the beach!🤩🥳

We talk about your dog weight not to be rude but to help your dog. It’s not fair to them, or healthy.

We are hiring! Experience Dog Trainer!

Are you an experienced dog trainer looking for an exciting opportunity to showcase your skills? Join our team at a highly reputable and successful dog training business of 10 years. We are located in suburbs of western part of Richmond, Virginia.

We are seeking an intermediate to advanced level dog trainer to meet the demands of our clients and help us maintain our exceptional standards.

Key Responsibilities:

- Utilize your expert knowledge of canine behavior to design and implement balanced training techniques that promote positive outcomes for dogs and their families.

- Conduct private training sessions in clients' homes within a 20-mile radius, ensuring the utmost professionalism and personalized service.

- Collaborate with our clients to address their specific needs and goals for their beloved canine companions.

Requirements:

- Demonstrated passion and genuine love for dogs, evident in your approach to training and interaction with them.

- Comprehensive understanding of canine behavior, allowing you to develop effective training strategies tailored to individual dogs and their families.

- Reliability and strong work ethic, ensuring consistent and punctual attendance for training sessions and consultations.

- Possession of reliable transportation to travel to clients' homes within a 20-mile radius.

- A minimum of 3 years of professional dog training experience, showcasing your expertise in working with a diverse range of dogs and their owners.

- Must be comfortable using, remote collars, prongs, gentle leaders, martingales, slip leashes, transitional leash etc

- Comfortable handling group classes with 5-7 at a time 10-12 hours a week. Ok with speaking with clients one on ones or in front of group of people.

-Be able to stand for longer periods of time, and able to lift 50+ lbs.

At our dog training business, we value a family-oriented and balanced approach, putting the needs and well-being of dogs and their families at the forefront of everything we do.

Join our esteemed team, where you will have the opportunity to build relationships with our clients and provide exceptional training services.

Email : [email protected] please do not contact via website.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $19.00 - $27.00 per hour

Benefits:
Flexible schedule
Paid time off
Relocation assistance
Schedule:
Evening shift
Monday to Friday/Saturdays
Supplemental pay types:
Bonus pay
Commission pay

Ability to commute/relocate:

Henrico, VA 23238: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
Experience: 2-3 Years in dog training industry

Dog training (Preferred)
Work Location: In person

Happy 4th of July!

PSA: Just cause your dog is chipped or has tags it won’t save them from getting hit by a car.

We have seen lots of lost dogs lately! Keep your dogs safe tonight, bring them in before it gets dark.
Also if you are having a gathering with lots of food, keep a close eye on your dog.

If you just wanna enjoy your company and not worry about babysitting your dog just crate them. The crate keeps dogs out of trouble and safe!

Have fun and be safe!🇺🇸

Why?

Dog Parks:
- Do not require vaccination records for entry which make it a breeding ground for diseases such as parvovirus.
- Dogs must be watched 100% of the time during play. People are distracted, on their phones, talking to others, and not watching their dogs.
- Scuffles and inappropriate play can be written off as friendly interactions which
affect the safety and future behavior of your dog.
- All it takes is ONE bad incident to ruin your dog's confidence for the rest of their life.
- Dogs can get seriously injured or die at dog parks.

Doggy Daycares:
- Lead to overstimulation and exhaustion which can cause injuries and conflicts with other dogs.
- Risk of illness such as kennel cough, fleas, or parasites due to the large number of dogs in one place.
- Dogs learn new bad behaviors through interactions with other dogs.
- Most daycares do not correct unwanted behaviors.

On Leash Greetings:
- Nose to nose greetings are not a natural way for dogs to meet. It does not allow them to display adequate body language.
- Dogs cannot move away from each other to create space which triggers a fight or flight response. Flight is not an option, so the dog's only option is fight.
- Teaches your dog to value other dogs over you on your walks.

Happy Friday! Jed has been found!!!

𝗝𝗘𝗗, who went missing from a veterinary clinic 𝟭𝟭 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 ago in 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼, 𝗩𝗔 has finally been reunited‼️

When Jed’s family received the dreaded call 📞 saying he has escaped they didn’t waste any time making moves to bring him home ASAP. They reached out to Professional Pet Trackers 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟭 and already had the one and only Kelly on 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗝𝗘𝗗 - putting all the resources they could into play to bring their boy home.

No time was wasted on getting boots 🥾 on the ground … paired with some pretty amazing K9’s. Linda, K9 Lily & K9 Bayou headed down on 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟮 to help team Jed. She was able to quickly determine an area that Jed was traveling and the action plan fell into place.

Over the next 𝟵 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 Jed was a pretty popular boy throughout the Richmond area with many searching on foot as well as driving various areas in hopes to catch a glimpse of Henrico’s most wanted. As some may know, this is rarely recommended while working lost dog cases so many many pleas went out on the 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 page asking people to please not search… simply call or text if they spotted him.

Early this morning all of 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗝𝗘𝗗'𝘀 hard work paid off. Jed was successfully trapped in someone’s fenced in backyard .. 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮‼️

A 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 welcome home to Jed & 𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗭𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗝𝗘𝗗‼️

This past week Emily attended a workshop with Robin Macfarlane ( expert in remote collars ) and learned more effective ways use the remote collar.

Emily is offering previous/current clients that are already use remote collar discounted private session ( 30-50 min session). Those who want to learn the new effective way please email/text/DM us.
Private sessions will be held at dog school. If you’d like to introduce remote collar to your dog our package is $225 for two sessions ( does not include remote collar).

If you have any questions about remote collar use please DM us we will be happy to educate.

Benefits of remote collar training:
✅Off leash freedom
✅Clearer communication
✅Confidence builder
✅Solid recalls where ever you go

We are now using Dogtra 280 C $249.10 ( sales tax included). If you already have a mini educator that is fine!

Place doesn’t always have to be a bed or a cot or always at home! Today’s challenge is find different surfaces, or items for your dog to do place on. Tag us and we will share pictures on our story! Happy Friday!

Zena in Indianapolis practicing place on different things!

Emily wrote an article about family dog training in the

Beautiful day for picture day at Dog Lovers! Look at our Intermediate students posing by the roses 🌹🌷

Half Day Training are now back on Wednesday! Please use portal to sign up! Outings, socializing, and training! We also have them on Tuesdays and Fridays, we prefer check, zelle, or cash for payments. We also have packages that include multiple half day sessions.

Hi all, I know many dog owners feel that dog parks are great for socializing dogs, but there are many factors to consider.

When talking with one of my students that is a local Emergency Room Veterinarian about dog parks she told me about how many cases she gets on a regular bases caused at dog parks. I asked her for a quote to share to help educate more dog owners to the realities of taking your dog to a dog park.

🩺 Here is Stephanie Silberstang, DVM, Emergency Medicine full quote;

📍"The majority of dog bite injuries that I see in the emergency room occur at the dog park. Large groups of dogs, of varying sizes and play styles, in small spaces is a recipe for disaster. I have treated anything from a nick on the ear to loss of life after a fight at the dog park. In addition to bite wounds, I have also treated kennel cough, gastrointestinal infections, heat stroke, foreign body ingestions, and injuries after escape from the dog park. Generally speaking, dog parks are unsafe."

📍 Please understand to properly socialize dogs we must advocate for all the dogs, and create a environment that is safe for them. In NYC most dog parks are so small it does not give many dogs the option to get away from uncomfortable situations, and most owners are not learned how to see dogs' stress, avoidance and appeasement signals, which puts dogs past their threshold, that lead to many fights.

📍 Many dog parks do not have large and small sections to separate dogs to allow appropriate sized dogs to play and when they do many owners do not abide by them leading to smaller dogs being in very dangerous situations.

📍Owners bring their dogs to the dog parks before they've formed a relationship with them, have formed a common language through training, and have learned to understand their dog's triggers, which can lead to dangerous situations.

📍There is so much unknown about the other dogs at dog parks, including their health, and vaccinations so it causes many dogs to get sick after visiting them.

📍I understand there are dog parks that have great members that do a better job at abiding by the rules but we must be cautious and set our dogs up for success. if you feel you want to take your dog, please take the time to get to know your dog better after adoption. Let your puppy mature and go to a controlled puppy socialization class, teach your dog to have at least basic obedience and a solid recall. Research the dog park and how the attendees monitor their dogs, every time before entering.

Trivia Saturday! Best answer/explanation will win a Benebone!

Explain why playing bad cop vs good cop is problematic with your dogs?!

Go!


Zoe and Bentley learning leash manners

Puppies are fun! But a lot of work!

Remember the first 18 months with a puppy is going to be a rollercoaster. They go through 18 years of life in 18 months, all the fun stages. Put in the hard work the first year so you can enjoy your dog and keep them safe.

This is Sadie she is 12 weeks old doing puppy starter program with Emily for two months. Sadie’s owners wanted to set her up for success. Sadie will have lots of positive exposure to the world, but also will be learning her manners.

Happy Easter 🌸🐇🐰

WINNER TO YESTERDAY TRIVIA IS George Pristas!! email us to let us know when you can pick up your prize!

Obedience is when a dog can listen to commands, sit, come, heel, down etc

Behavior is more like how does it behave when it’s not given a command. Does your dog make good choices, when just hanging around the house. Examples: reactivity, separation anxiety, bratty, fearful behaviors are what we usually see.

We have seen dogs that are amazing with their commands but are reactive or have separation anxiety.

Behavior and Obedience are both important!

TRIVIA TIME:

What is the difference between obedience and behavior?
Even better if you can give an example!

We will do a drawing for the best answers! Winner announced this evening!

Go!!



10 week old Sadie (Goldendoodle)

At DLOS we do educate our clients about basic health and wellness. We love sending our clients to RedRidge Pet Market to get educated on food, and get special treats!

Your dogs’ health effect their behavior! Keep that in mind!

We aren’t pushing raw diet, just a healthy balanced diet is important !

Feeding raw can help your pet’s skin and coat. Just look at the before and after photo of Deliah's neck! Their skin is their largest organ and the only one we can easily see. When your dog is getting the nutrients they need you will be able to tell by how shiny their coat is! Now just imagine, if it’s making that much of a difference on the outside what amazing changes are happening on the inside that we can’t see?

Our half day trainees showing off their St Patrick’s day bow tie 🍀☘️

WOW! I am blown away with all the amazing answers from today's trivia! "You get what you pet" (DM, to pick up your free dog toy) you won! We did a drawing for names, due to the amount of answers that were correct! We see this so often when we are out and about! People are petting their dog for barking, jumping, nipping… Pet your dog for the behavior you want, not the behavior you don’t want. Think about it this weekend. What could you accidentally be reinforcing while interacting with your dog? Each interaction with your dog is training. :) Have great weekend! More trivia coming soon!