Infinite K9

We had such a great time at Shop the Streets in Old Monroe today. Lots of awesome vendors, crafts, coffee, snacks, and more.

Thank you to everyone who stopped to talk to us. Riggs and Echo certainly enjoyed all of the attention too.

☀️Sunny day park adventures

Here’s Babe generalizing the climb, and possibly judging someone in the parking lot afterward. 🙃

☀️Making sure we soak up the good weather.

👋🏼This is Babe, our newest student. Babe loves untying shoe laces, stuffed animals, and belly rubs.

She’s here for our 4 week day training program!

‼️Being able to manage your dog(s) before bringing a baby home makes a huge difference‼️

Don’t wait until the baby comes home, prepare your dog(s) while you have more time to focus on them.

Here’s Athena on a field trip to Quail Ridge, and Jupie working on his homemade enrichment exercise.

What happens when you get used to something being there? What happens when that thing disappears? Loss, anxiety, fear, uncertainty.

Here’s what so many owners don’t realize: by trying to “love” their dogs, and by trying to fulfill their own needs, they end up creating massive contrasts, toxic ones in fact.

In the dog training world these toxic contrasts get the label of “separation anxiety”.

But it might be easier (and more helpful) for owners to see how these unhealthy states are created, rather than simply attaching a term that almost implies something that came to be without human help.

When a dog gets used to constantly being touched, talked to, close to you, or laying on your lap, sleeping with you, following you everywhere at every moment...you’re creating a very clear expectation...

That all of the above will be a constant and can be depended on. You’re literally programming the dog to expect all of the above, and to rely on it being there.

But what happens when after all that programming of expectations, something changes? What if you suddenly have a life change? A new job, a new partner, a new child?

Or what if that change is simply the dog’s dependency deepening? What if all was fine, until it wasn’t? What if the dog who used to be able to tolerate your quick run to the store, dinner, or errands suddenly hits the breaking point?

What happens is that you get a toxic contrast. An enormous contrast between what your dog was taught to expect, and what reality is now delivering. And what you typically see, is a dog fall apart.

You might see destruction, crate breaking, soiling, self-mutilation, constant barking or whining, but most clearly, you’ll see a dog who has been made so dependent on you, it can no longer comfortably exist.

It’s really not complicated. If you teach a dog to expect your presence and interactions constantly, you have to expect your dog to fall apart once you break the toxic deal you’ve made.

Or, you can ensure both you and your dog are healthily independent, while still enjoying all the beautiful benefits of the human/dog partnership.

*From my book Love Them By Leading Them Volume 2 available in deluxe paperback, kindle, audiobook from Amazon/Audible

One of our newest recruits, Jupiter a.k.a. “Jupie” working on his climb. Jupie has some eye troubles, and can see very little, if anything at all. This sweet boy is as fun to work with as he is cute!

Also pictured is Jupie’s roommate, Kevin. Kevin plays the wind chimes for fun.

I see SO MANY “service dogs” that are untrained, disruptive pets in a vest, simply because the owner does not want to leave the dog at home.

Not only are those owners being unethical and dishonest, they could potentially disrupt the work of an actual task-trained service dog, or even cause that dog to lose thousands of dollars and months or years or training with a bad interaction.

***************

Service Dogs are more than just any dog wearing a vest purchased online.

If your dog has not been specifically obedience and task trained and you do not have an ADA qualifying disability, then your dog does NOT fall under the protection of ADA law.

ESA (Emotional Support Animals) are NOT Service Dogs and fall under the guidance of the Fair Housing and Air Carrier acts and are welcome in your home with proper documentation and authorization.

Pets are NOT Service Dogs.

Puppies are NOT Service Dogs.

Dogs riding in grocery carts are NOT Service Dogs.

Buying an online "certificate" that your dog is a Service Dog, does NOT make it a Service Dog.

Dogs off leash and out of the control of their owner, are NOT Service Dogs.

Dogs trained for protection are NOT Service Dogs

Representing your dog to a business as a Service Dog and LYING, is FRAUD.

Educate yourself, do it well and do it right if you need a legitimate Service Dog!

Reference: https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

(shared from Raden Dog Obedience)

‼️ For anyone who may not have read this original post….
📣Remote collars are for your dog’s freedom and yours.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY….for your dog’s safety and, in some ways, your safety.

When your dog runs into the middle of a busy street chasing a cat, show me “only positive” training that can bring your dog back. No treat, bone, kibble, or squeaky toy will snap your dog out of the instinct to chase prey. This has happened to me, and my dog’s life was saved because of the training and communication that I have worked so hard on with my dogs.

Remote collars allow us to communicate with our dogs at a distance. Good trainers do not want to hurt any animal, or be the cause of any animal being hurt.

My dogs chased after a fawn…

They were right on top of it as it was crying in fear for its life.

I had just stepped out onto my back porch as I heard all of the commotion going on.

The fawn had somehow managed to get into my yard through a hole in my fence.

My dogs where in the back of my yard, over 200 yards away from where I was standing.

My dogs were about to rip the little fawn to pieces in front of my very eyes.

I recalled my dogs, as they both have a trained recall, they pulled off of the deer for a few seconds but the temptation of live prey that was in a vulnerable state was too much for my two powerful predators and they reengaged.

There was nothing I could do to save the poor thing from a brutal ending to its short lived life…

Except for the fact that I had my dogs on an E-collar…

I dialed it up to the highest setting and pressed down on the button.

My dogs immedialty knew that their failure to comply with my obedience command resulted in the immediate consequence.

They came shooting back to me without any hesitation or second thoughts about going after the fawn.

I placed them into a down so that I could go and check on the fawn.

To my relief the fawn had not been injured, although it was frightened out of its mind.

I was able to safely guide the fawn back into the woods from where it had come.

I share this story with you today because I have recently seen an influx of individuals who seek to make the use of E-collars illegal in the United States.

They make a wide variety of claims about how E-collars are harmful and abusive tools that shut a dog down.

They also make claims about how training using positive reinforcement is all you need to get a dog to listen to you.

My dogs are very well trained, better than most I would imagine.

But no matter how much training and positive reinforcement I use I cannot override the genetics of the dog to chase after and kill prey animals.

But I was able to control their genetic urges for a short time by using an E-collar in conjunction with trained obedience commands.

And at a distance of 200 yards…

And not just stopping a dog from chasing after a prey animal by bribing it with treats before it even begins to start the predatory sequence.

I was able to stop my dogs at their climax, when they had the prey animal right in their grasp.

The E-collar is a very powerful tool.

It is a life saving tool.

It is a tool that allows me to give my dogs a life where they can run free and be a dog.

But it is also a tool that allows me to control them in the moments where they need it the most.

People say that this tool is harmful and should be banned.

I think the fawn would disagree with those people.

🐕 Want to make a difference with the relationship you share with your dog?

✅ Join the free 11-day dog relationship challenge by clicking the link below.

💻 https://rodencanineacademy.teachable.com/p/11daychallenge

Clarence the shop dog had a great training day!

Here’s just a few of the adventures and moments from 2022. We had such a great year packed with fun and making new friends.

🙏🏼Thank you to all of our clients, friends, and family for the continued support.

2023 will be our biggest and best year yet!

‼️ Stay tuned for updated programs! We’re making some big changes, and will be offering more programs and options as far as training, day training, enrichment days, and pack walks!

Shiba’s working on his climb command. He’s so smart and is learning so fast!

This boy has A LOT of energy, and he’s learning that sometimes it’s ok to chill and decompress.

🐾Here’s Teeter working on her confidence in public around new people, sounds, smells etc.
She was able to watch a big group of kids that were singing, dancing, playing, and also she met a new friend.

🎾 And “little” Millie working on her sit. This giant puppy is so smart and sweet.

Thank you to everybody who came out to enjoy this beautiful weather with us!

Today was the perfect day and we love to make new friends!

📸 Here’s some recent photos of training.

When you love what you do, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the work and forget to stop for a picture!

☎️Call/text 314-435-5023 for more training info, or questions.

🐾We want to help train you AND your dog to have the best relationship possible!

🎾 Teeter is on her second round of training!

🦮She’s working on obedience, confidence, and service work.
🐾This little girl is so smart and so fun to work with! And her humans are great too!

☎️ Call/text 314-435-6023 for info and consultation.

We’re here to help you have a great relationship with your dog by teaching your dog, and you too!

💥This week we welcome Meek to our private lesson program! He’s working on basic obedience, and also working towards off-leash!

🎾Meek’s sister, Missy is also starting training, and she’s working on the same goals, and also confidence building. Maybe we can get her to pose for us next week 🐩

Private lessons are perfect for owners who want to be involved in their dog’s training every step of the way!

☎️ Call or text to talk to our certified training specialist!

314-435-6023