Jaida

Meet Jaida

Everyone meet Jaida! This smily girl has aged so gracefully! Jaida is a 7 year old Chocolate Lab! 

Jaida has been known to get her self in a little bit of trouble over the years. Especially if there is a stick or ball involved (she may be a "little" obsessed).  She also feels the need to protect her mommy when they go on walks together. 

Jaida seems like a fairly confident and stable girl, but we think she actually is secretly hiding that she can be insecure in some situations. She also has some bad manners with other dogs and feels the need to dominant and pounce them if they threaten her... which could just be a dog walking by when she has a ball in her mouth. So Jaida's mommy decided to get her a little more one on one attention to fix some of these issues.

We know this beautiful girl has a ton of potential, and we can't wait to help her discover it!

Session 1 of 3

(Friday, March. 7th, 2014)

This afternoon when we picked up Miss. Jaida, we got a chance to talk to her mommy... and go over everything that we wanted to work on with this pretty girl. Some main concerns and things we want to work on are: aggression towards dogs (this can be when she has a ball or stick, or even when she is going on a walk with her mommy), recalls, ball & stick obsession, obedience and manners and socialization. 

We defiantly have our hands full! But we are SOOO up for the challenge! When we first got Jaida into the truck, she noticed that Kona & Yoko where in the back of the truck. She was so excited! She whined and bounced around the back seat... so this was the first thing that we worked on with her. She needed to learn that vehicle time, was quite time... because a bounding, whining and excitable dog is dangerous while driving. Jaida picked this up pretty fast! She is soooo smart. Once we  got close to the dog park, Jaida started to have a slight breakdown (with excitement of course)... so we worked on the vehicle manners once again. Once the truck was parked, we tried to get Jaida out of the truck...but she proceeded to try and bowl us over.... Little did she know... this was defiantly not happening. We worked on this as well ;) Apparently she gets SUPER excited in the vehicle... 💖

Once we made it into the park, Jaida was SUPER excited to see the other dogs. She tried pulling to see each and everyone...she learned very quickly that pulling would not get her what she wanted. She had to have manners to get to visit other pooches! It didn't take long! She is such a smart cookie! (and such a good girl at heart)

Today we worked on TONS of recalls, so she learned that they were fun and exciting! There is a bit of method to our madness... we taught her that they are exciting so she had NO idea that it was a "command". *muah hahahaha! Some other things we worked on were... teaching her an "off switch" so we could 'un-zone' her, confidence boosting drills! (we want to grasp her mind), leaving sticks and large trees alone ;) and obedience.

Jaida did really well today!! and we are pretty darn impressed with how much she learned in one session! We can't wait until next week!

Check out this beautiful girls progress below! (Via video)

(A VERY big thank you to Tanya with Izzy, Ricki with Little, Sarah with Roman, Greg with Stella, Randi with Callie, Vince with Ripley, Chris with Hank & Nelly and Kona and Yoko for their puppy support!)

Session 2 of 3

(Friday, March. 14th, 2014)

Oh Miss Jaida! You are such a love! We had a ton of fun with this girl today! She just LOVES doing her confidence boosting drills. Half the time we don't even need to tell her what to do, we just start walking towards the obstacle and she jumps up on it, over it or under it! Such a pleaser!!!!! 

We are also teaching this beauty that its not okay to pick up sticks at all. (She is a little obsessive...but shhhh! don't tell her that ;) If she had it her way she would take down a small forest every time she was out and about! 💜 She seems quite okay with the idea, as she is rewarded ten fold when she "leaves it". 

Today we really focused on her manners with other dogs...Which she did GREAT!... we even came across a couple of grumpy pooches and tried to dominate her and she did wonderful! We also wanted to focus on recalling her out of intense situations (like running beside/with other dogs and watching another dog chase after a ball)... it was like we were 'tapped' in with her today... she did beautifully! 

Check out Miss Jaida's video below;) We thought it was perfect for her!

(A VERY big thank you to Tammy with Hank & Nelly, and Greg with Stella for their puppy support!)

Session 3 of 3

(Friday, March. 21st, 2014)

Oh Missy Miss! You are so super smart... and we just LOVE LOVE LOVE your huge smile!

Today it was just us and Jaida & the big ol' park with tons of other pooches and people! We decided to make sure she got a little extra one on one attention today!

This beautiful chocolate girl was doing so well, that we started to advance her confidence boosting drills (doing obstacles from a distance), advance her obedience (doing recalls/sit's and downs with tons of distance) and play different games like "where is the stick" and then teaching her that "leave it" was a game instead of a punishment. It got to the point where Jaida would run over to a stick when we asked where one was and just wait for us to tell her to leave it... such a SMART cookie ;) This only worked for so long, and then she was ignoring the sticks all together. PERFECT!!!! This is the exact behaviour that we were looking for! Our evil plan worked...muah hahahahhah!!!!

We truly believe that Jaida is just one of those pooches that was displaying undesirable behaviours because she wanted us to step up and give her new/fun/exciting jobs and games to do. She needed the praise, love, challenge and reward to be 'whole'.

It will be important for Jaida's mommy to keep her mind working, praising for good/desirable behaviours (and not just standing in awe quietly ;) *winks, to read situations before they effect her (recalling her back when someone is throwing a ball, there is a sensitive or grumpy dog, she is b-lining it to chase a dog...etc) and REWARD her with love, food and praise... because thats all this pretty girl needs to be happy!

We can not wait to hear about how wonderful Jaida is doing on her adventures! (and we know she will!)

Keep up the great work beautiful!!!!

Check out her video below!

Molly

MEET MOLLY

Everyone meet Molly! Isn't she a beauty?? This girl is not only super smart, but she is soooo funny and adorable. She defiantly has a personality... she is one of those dogs that you wish that could talk. 

Molly is one of those dogs that will brighten anyones day! She defiantly is cute puppy therapy, for anyone in need. 

Like we said... Molly is super smart... but sometimes that can make life challenging. If she isn't being stimulated...then she finds things to by herself. ;) Which is not always a desirable behaviour.

Molly's mommy wanted us to help her with solidifying her recalls (specifically when distracted), advance and fine tune obedience, work on her manners and sensitivities, and of course... to up her confidence in the right way.

Session 1 of 3

Wednesday, February. 26th 2014

Today we met Molly and her mommy in a secret undisclosed location ;) and we quickly went over a few of the things we wanted to work on. Once Molly saw Kona and Yoko in the truck, she was über excited! so it wasn't hard to get her to jump in!

Molly's excitement was over the top when she realized we were at the dog park. She tried to pull us in to see the dogs, but she had to learn that being out of control excited was not going to get her anywhere. It only took a few short minutes before she was focused on us, and walking in politely on a leash. SUCH a good girl!

Some things that we noticed right off the bat were: Molly is extremely excitable when other dogs are around (so excited in-fact that she almost seems out of her threshold and can't control herself), she seemed 'unsure' of some new people and barked at them,  and she ran STRAIGHT up to dogs... which set some of them off. (darn grumpy dogs... everyone should love a cute Molly in their face;) So these are all things that we wanted to work on right away.

By the end of the session, Molly was starting to recall out of play, greeting other dogs in a polite manner, an A+ student at her obedience, and killing her confidence boosting drills! 

We can't wait to see what Molly will come up with next week to get us laughing... until then ;)

Check out her video below, we made sure it suited her personality.

(A VERY big thank you to Heather and Nev with Bane & Luna, Dawn with Ipo, Ricki with Little and Kona and Yoko for their puppy support!)

Session 2 of 3

Wednesday, March. 12th 2014

This girl is just precious!!! Today was defiantly spring at the dog park... TONS of water and ice out in the field and a skating rink in the tree's. So we decided to keep our session with Molly out in the open areas. We didn't want any one or any pooch slipping and hurting something. ;) This made for an interesting day of exploring new spots of the dog park that we didn't even know existed. It was super fun to watch Miss Molly run from tree to tree to tree to do her obstacles! She is such a cutie pie! 

We also had a nice small group today, so Molly got some special one on one attention from the other pooches mommy!!! and we were really able to teach her confidence in new situations. 

Today Molly's recalls were immaculate ;) and her manners have come so far in 2 short sessions.... we are proud of this beauty!

Check out her pictures below to see our new found locations ;) and her video is pretty snazzy too!

(A VERY big thank you to Ricki & Little and Yoko for their puppy support!)

Session 3 of 3

Friday, March. 21st 2014

What a fun day! Molly's mommy came with us for the entire 3rd session and learned some tricks of her own ;) You could tell Molly was a little confused why I wasn't feeding her any treats... Like I was the past couple sessions. But she caught on quick and learned that it was time to just pay attention to her mommy! (So Smart!)

Molly was doing so well, that we decided to start getting her to do obstacles from a distance, and recalls out of play! We wanted to challenge this girls mind to keep her on her toes;)

It will be important for Molly's mommy to try and keep finding new things to teach her. This will keep her keen and excited ...always guessing what they are going to do next. Some other things that Molly's mommy will need to keep an eye on, is making sure that Molly doesn't stalk other dogs, reading other dogs/situations to keep her out of trouble (watching for sensitive & grumpy dogs), and manners and reminders that all four paws should stay on the ground when first greeting people. (YUP! she LOVES them) 

We can't wait to get updates from Molly's Mommy and Daddy! Keep up the great work beautiful.

(A VERY big thank you to Kristina with Chopper, Ricki with Little, Tammy with Hank, and Carmin with Cabella for their puppy support)

Unfortunately we had to many nose/tongue prints on the lens... so we had to use some of the pictures from some past classes for this video. Got to love puppy kisses!

Niko

MEET NIKO

Everyone meet Niko! this handsome Pit is sooo adorable. He is such a young sweet soul.

Niko's mommy and daddy wanted to fine tune some of Niko's behaviours, so they contacted us to help them out. 

Fine tuning obedience, recalls while distracted, manners towards other dogs and some sensitivities towards men are just some of the many things that we wanted to work on with this cutie pie! 

The world is SUCH an exciting place! Especially as a social happy boy! We just want to teach this man that not everyone is so excited about life. 

Session 1 of 3

(Friday, February.21st, 2014)

Today when we picked Niko up from his house, his mommy had him all ready to go. We parked and he was already leashed and watching us with excitement! He could barley contain himself ...

We have watched Niko grow up since he was a little lad ...so we were really excited to see what he could do.

Once we got Niko into the truck he paced back and forth... he was not sure why he was stuck in the truck and Kona & Yoko where tied in the box.. he was trying to figure out how to get to them. So this is where the training started... we wanted to teach him that when he was in the vehicle it was "quiet/calm time".

Once we got to the dog park, you could tell Niko could barley control his excitement. He just wanted to run straight up to other dogs. Although he is happy and excited...not all dogs and their people will take it this way when they are being rushed. Niko caught on really quick... and we were able to recall him before he got to a lot of dogs. What a good boy!

We also noticed that Niko doesn't pay attention to social que's from other dogs. Some dogs just don't want to play...and Niko seems to be pretty oblivious to this. We had a great group of dogs today, so we got to really work on this. Niko is such a smart man, so it didn't take to long for him to start looking to us for direction. SMART COOKIE ;)

Niko's obedience has slid a bit since he graduated from the group classes, so this is something we are trying to fine tune... his mommy and daddy will have to help with this for him to succeed. Everything should be one word one time... as "sits" "downs" "walking nicely on a leash" and "recalls" are a package deal. We want him to pay attention to us when we say something...not just when he feels like it. (We know so many owners can relate to this)

We can't wait to watch his boy grow! 

Check out his video below!

(A Big THANKS to Tiffany with Luna and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support) 

Session 2 of 3

(Friday, February.28th, 2014)

Wow! This cutie pie has changed so much in one short week! Niko is such a GOOD boy!

Today when we got to the dog park Niko was so excited, but it was MUCH easier to 'un-zone' him and get him to recall. He even thought it was a fun game, so he ran back to us each time with tons of excitement! (yay... our evil planned worked ;) Which helped us immensely with teaching him about those social ques. 💕 So So smart! 💕

There was even a HUGE change his obedience... it was much better today! (Keep up the great work Niko and Niko's mommy!)

Check out Niko's video progress below! We think you will like this one ;)

(A VERY big thank you to Tammy with Hank & Nelly for their puppy support)

Session 3 of 3

(Friday, March. 8th, 2014)

Sweet smart Niko! You made us so proud today! This man has changed so much in 3 short weeks! Niko has gone from a excitable energetic puppy with a slight case of ADHD ;) ... who didn't pick up social cues and had selective recalls to a young handsome man that LOVES doing confidence boosting drills, recalling back (even out of play), and leaving situations either with verbal cues or when a dog doesn't want to play.

Today was a fun day in the fog, and he got to make a new puppy friend that almost played identical to him! (Him and Che love each other)

It will be really important for Niko's mommy and their family to stimulate his mind, so he doesn't go off and find other exciting things to do! (Hint hint hint... he LOVES doing "over" "walk" "through"...but still needs help with "under"), read situations and call him away from dogs that may be scared, or grumpy...and to make sure they are consistent with his obedience.

We can't wait to get updates on this handsome fellow!!

Check out his video below! 💙

(A VERY big thank you to Carmin with Cabella, Ricki with Little, Lydia with Che and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Bruno

MEET BRUNO

Everyone meet Bruno. This handsome fella is just a big sucky sensitive man... Even know he likes to puff himself up really big and look and act intimidating. 

Bruno feels the need to come across like a tough guy, we think this is because he doesn't want anyone to see that he truly is a sensitive soul. Bruno is reactive, is also extremely sensitive/reactive to any input, and can go from a calm pooch on a leash to reactive very quickly...with just a little pull. (So we will be avoiding pulling him out of situation if possible) Bruno is very typical of a dog that feels the need to protect, but is not comfortable doing it. Not to mention... the world is FULL of danger... ;)

Bruno finds himself over his threshold on a regular basis, the simplest smallest things seems to set him off... So we will defiantly be working desensitizing and socializing him to these type of situations.

Putting Bruno in this program, and letting go of the anxiety that surrounds it... was a huge step for Bruno's Mommy! We can't wait to make her proud.

Session 1 of 3

Today when we picked Bruno up from his house, he was soooo excited to see us! Him and his little brother Chopper. ;) 

We talked to Bruno's mommy about all the things that we wanted to work on, and to try and figure out exactly what it is that "sets" this big sensitive man off on a tangent.

When we got Bruno into the truck, you could tell he was excited...but not really sure why the trainer lady picked him up and took him away from his house. ;)

At the dog park, Bruno cried a little in the vehicle. We waited until all the dogs where inside the gate before we took him out of the truck.  He surprised us, and was actually pretty well behaved. He pulled a little to get into the park and seemed excited...but we kept him moving and away from the pooches at first. Trying to call him instead of pulling him out of any situations.

In the beginning of the class, anytime the dogs started playing around him, it would amp him up until he was in a little fit. So we walked a tiny bit behind the group for a while, just to give him the best possible chance for success. 

Our main focus today... teaching this handsome man to 'un-zone' from intense, distracting and exciting situations.

By the end of class Bruno was walking nicely and calmly in the middle of the group with a half of his long lead. (yes that is right! A whole 10ft) EVEN WHEN the other dogs were playing around him! What a good boy!!!! 💙

We can't wait to see the changes in Bruno that we know are possible... and we can't wait to see his mommy enjoy ALL of their outings again...

Check out his video below!

(A VERY big thank you to Carmin with Cabella, Ricki with Little, Sarah with Roman, Greg with Stella and Yoko for their puppy support)

Izzy

MEET IZZY

Everyone meet sweet, sensitive, timid Izzy. This beautiful Aussie-doodle has some confidence issues, specifically when it comes to people and new situations.  Izzy has been through The Ruff Life Obedience, but she needed some extra confidence boosting... so she has started the Excel program.

Izzy is super shy of meeting people, even if they are using the yummiest treats EVER! She stretches her entire body forward...but doesnt dare to take a step in their direction. EVEN when her mommy is coaxing her as well ;) 

Some other things that her mom wants us to work on are: her recalls (apparently this pretty girl is a social butterfly with other pooches, and recalls only when she feels like it), and her manners when greeting other dogs.

Session 1 of 3

(Monday, February.24th 2014)

Today when we went to Izzy's house to pick her up for her session, we were anticipating that she would be shy with us...and may not even want to leave her house. But we were determined and mom had the YUMMIEST treats ready for our outing.... Cheese and Peanut Butter Cake Pieces ...mmmmmm. WHO could resist that?! lol We asked Izzy's mommy to walk us out of the house, and then turn around and go back inside so Izzy didnt feel like we were taking her away from her mom. We wanted to start this session off on a good note!

Izzy did wonderfully and walked with us to the truck, and allowed us to pick her up and put her inside... she only looked a little nervous. ;) This pretty girl had no idea what she was in for. (Shhh... dont tell her.... she was only going to her favourite place EVER! the dog park ;)

Once we got to the dog park Izzy was super excited to see the other dogs! this was a bonus! the other dogs were there to help us teach her what it was like to just relax and be a dog. 

It didn't take long before Izzy started to look to us for direction, and would run back to get her yummy treats! Although she was all of a sudden 'okay' with us... she refused to take treats from any of the other doggy parents that were there. But that is okay! She came up to them a few times during the class to get some quick pet's from them. 

To help Izzy see what a stable dog was like, we tied her for a short period of time to her good friend Ty. Ty was such a good boy, and showed her the ropes! Ty is a bit of a social butterfly ;) so he helped Izzy see that humans can be a good thing. 

By the end of the Session Miss Izzy was a lot more comfortable with us, and was recalling back with excitement. We know we still have a long ways to go with this beauty! But we are up for the challenge! 

We can't wait to see this girl come out of her shell.

Check out her video progress below!

(A Big THANKS to Sabrina with Teddy, Ricki with Little, Raechel with Ty, Michelle with Diesel and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Session 2 of 3

(Monday, March.3rd 2014)

Oh Miss Izzy! 💖   Today Izzy's mommy met us at the doggy park, to drop her off for class! Izzy got a fancy new hair cut today, and she looked like a totally different dog. Apparently it was a day for changes... because Izzy did so amazing! HUGE improvements in one short week! What a good girl! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!! 

When Izzy's mommy first left, it was a little difficult to keep her attention. She kept looking back at the parking lot....just hoping to spot her. But once we got far enough away, she settled in nicely! 

Izzy rarely takes treats from people, as she is VERY shy and leery of them. But today she took treats from 5 different people! and each person more then once. YAY IZZY!!! This is a HUGE improvement! She even came running back to us several times to get some pets and love. 

This girl pulls at our heart stings a little... and we are so glad that she is finally letting us in.

Izzy very much enjoys her confidence boosting drills, recalls and playing with other dogs. You can see the sparkle in her eye come out, every time she does a good job! 💕

We seriously can not wait until next week... to see how far she comes! 

Keep up the great work pretty!

Check out her video below!

(A VERY big thank you to Raechel with Ty, Laurie & Mar with Bandit & Jasper, Greg with Stella, Ricki with Little and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Buddy

Meet Buddy

Everyone meet Buddy! This love bug went through The Ruff Life training but his mommy and daddy felt that the 'Excel Program' could "clean up" some of the things that they wanted to fix/change. ;)

Buddy is a happy man, if you don't believe us... then check out his nub. YES! that is right! I said his nub. This "Tail" wag's a million miles a second... and it is the cutest thing ever!!!!

Buddy's parents really wanted us to work on his manners in the vehicle. Buddy LOVES LOVES LOVES vehicle rides, and he makes sure everyone knows it! He is a cry/whine/screamer in the vehicle... which can be VERY distracting... and we have to admit... a bit annoying. Some other things they wanted us to work on were: his recalls, cleaning up some of his obedience, manners, and running/pulling straight towards another dog. This can be quite intimidating for an onlooker.... as he is a pretty big Rotti X ;) But handsome of course!

Session 1 of 3

Friday, February. 14th, 2014

Today when we picked Buddy up from his house, his mommy and daddy were not there. He HAPPILY greeted us at the door...but you could tell he was a little unsure as to why the 'Trainer' was there to pick him up. lol It must be pretty scary! Especially for a big sucky Teddy Bear!

This handsome man did wonderfully in the vehicle, we tried a few techniques to see if we could calm him during the truck ride...and voila! it worked! ;) (Its always GREAT when that happens). 

As soon as we got to the dog park, you could see the excitement in Buddy's eyes. Once we got him out of the truck he literally tried to drag us into the park... of course that was NOT happening. The ground is SOOOO slippery this time of year with everything warming up and melting. Buddy had to learn that going 100% into a situation was not a positive thing. He needed to learn quickly that pulling us off our feet was a no go... and that the rewards were greater if he stayed near us and walked nicely. Buddy is a super smart student... so this didn't take him long.

This handsome fella did so well! he is very responsive...

A few other things that were really important for us to work on, was his manners with other dogs. Buddy does not know his own size and he gets right up in dogs space.. which can lead to a negative reaction. This was pretty easy with this guy... he listens so so well to verbal cues! 

Buddy even got to meet Teddy and Luna... both are recent 'Excel your dogs training' graduates!

We really are so proud of how far this man came in one session... and we can't wait to see what other things we will be able to teach him!

Here is a video of Buddy's Progress!!!

(A VERY big thank you to Tammy with Hank & Nelly, Sabrina with Teddy, Raechel with Ty, Tiffany with Luna, and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support.)

Session 2 of 3

Friday, February. 21st, 2014

Today when we got to Buddy's house, he was SO excited to see us. He defiantly didn't have any reservations about hopping into the truck! What a good boy!

On our truck ride we didn't even have to say anything to Buddy, he stayed calm...well... he wasn't verbal in the truck! He tried so hard to contain him self. Check out his picture below... we just had to share. Once we got closer to the dog park he sat up, lied down, sat up...he probably did this about 12 times. So funny and sweet! ❤️

At the dog park, Buddy was a bit distracted at first. Matthias was at the park... Buddy's look-a-like and a recent 'Excel your dogs training' graduate. We could not believe how much they act like each other. Once they were able to meet, they both settled down nicely.

We have to admit Buddy seemed a little "off" at the park today.. he didn't want to play that much, and when we stood around he lied down at our feet. We finally put two and two together and realized that the day before this session Buddy went to Trail Waggers... so he was exhausted. 

So we had to be extra exciting today to get him motivated ;) 

By the end of the session Buddy seemed like he was perked up a bit.. he was interested in the dogs and recalling nicely. His confidence boosting drills put a HUGE smile on his face! What a handsome fella!

We can't wait to work with this boy next week! Perhaps we will see if we can space out his Trail Waggers hike a bit too ;)

Check out Buddy's video below...

(A VERY big thank you to Sabrina & Matthias, Sarah with Roman and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support.)

Session 3 of 3

Friday, February. 28th, 2014

Buddy did great today in the vehicle...not even one whimper. Such a huge change! We are so proud of you MR.!

At the dog park it was MUCH easier to recall Buddy when he was distracted, chasing, and playing with another dog! Such a smart smart man. This will need to be practiced on a regular basis to make sure that he doesn't loose what he has learned. 💙

We learned that Buddy LOVES to chase sticks in the snow... so we rewarded his amazing improvements with several throws in the Sunshine! He is so handsome when he smiles.

It will be so important that Buddy's mom and dad keep challenging his mind with things like confidence boosting drills, obedience and fun recalls! This will help keep him out of trouble, and help him to un-zone when there is something über distracting. (Yummy treats also help ;) )

We are so proud of you Mr! Keep up the great work! We can't wait to get updates on your progress!

Check out his video below! (So so handsome)

(A VERY big thank you to Dawn with Ipo, Greg with Stella, Randi with Callie, and Kristina & Chopper)