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)

Mia

MEET MIA

Everyone Meet Mia! This smiley girl is a 1.5 year old Rotti/Shepherd X.

Mia is an extremely excitable girl, and although it is great in some situations... it can also be distracting, undesirable and intimidating to other dogs and people. Not to mention that she has no idea that she is a big dog ;) We think, she thinks she is a little cuddly lap dog....

Mia is the type of pooch who gets highly distracted and only listens when she wants too... YES that is right! She is like most of the population of pooches out there;) She likes to do things on her terms. But don't all ladies think that way? lol

Mia's mommy would like us to work on: 'un-zoning' from intense and exciting situations and recalling when called, manners with other dogs (sometimes her play intimidates other pooches),  manners around humans, fine tuning obedience and ...oh did we mention recalls? lol 

This beautiful girl is so so smart, and just LOVES doing a good job! So we are going to show her the ropes!

Session 1 of 3

Thursday, February. 27th 2014

Today we went to Mia's house to pick her up and chat with her mommy about the things we wanted to work on.

When we arrived at the house, Mia came running straight for us... but then about 5 feet away she threw on the brakes and stopped. It seems that she is not as confident as we once thought. She likes to pretend that she is a big tough Rotti x...but really she is a sweet sensitive girl.

Once we got to the dog park, you could tell that she was fairly excited...but also was not sure what was going on. (Why the heck was she with the trainer lady??) The first few dogs that she met... she ran straight up to the them and was a little toooooo verbal. So this was the first thing that we decided to work on! It didn't take long before she was taking verbal queues, and starting to 'un-zone' when we called her. WHAT A GOOD GIRL!

By the end of the session Miss Mia was turning into the Superstar that we knew she could be! She was recalling back when distracted, getting MUCH better at her meet and greets, doing her confidence boosting drills with TONS of excitement. (Just look at that SMILE)

We can't wait to see what we can teach this keen, smart beauty! 

Check out her video progress below.

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

Session 2 of 3

Thursday, March. 13th 2014

Oh what a FUN FUN DAY!! Miss Mia had TONS of friends out today to help socialize her, help with distractions (and there was TONS) and up her confidence.

The dog park was still super sloppy and soaking wet, and beyond icy in the tree's so we decided to keep all these crazy's safe and in the main part of the park. We had discovered some new fun things to do today though... so we showed every one about our super fun discovery. MORE PLACES FOR CONFIDENCE BOOSTING DRILLS! YAY!!! Not only did the pooches have fun! Their mommies and daddies did too!!! this helped a ton with Mia's confidence... you could tell she was so excited!

Some moments that made us soooo proud today... where Mia's long distance recalls with high distractions (check out the video below), her "stand" command (also in the video) and her eagerness to jump up on things compared to last week. ❤️ SMARTS AND BEAUTY!!!

Check out her video progress below!!!

(A VERY big thank you to Ricki with Little, Carmin with Cabella, Heather with Bane & Luna,   Tammy with Hank & Nelly and Yoko for their puppy support.) WOW!! That is a lot of support today ;)

Session 3 of 3

Wednesday, March. 26th 2014

Oh sensitive Mia... A lot happened to you in one whole week. We could tell that she was still a bit off. But today Mia had TONS of puppy support!!! 8 whole furry friends to be exact!

Mia did wonderfully today, even know she seemed a tad off. We really had to convince her to do the confidence boosting drills in the beginning... she seemed like she was almost a little un-motivated. No worries though! We are great at being exciting and working through stuff like this ;) It didn't take long before Mia settled in nicely and was running with all of her pals! 

It was a GREAT day for obedience and recalls out of play! She did beautifully! She has come leaps and bounds in 3 short session... from that excitable puppy who didn't know her own body... to a much more respectable/aware pooch!!! 💖  who is easily persuaded to come when called even when incised with something as exciting as pooches running full steam in front of her.

It will be important for Mia's mommy to keep an eye out for other dogs 'signals' making it very obvious when they are not sure, uncomfortable or miserable... this will be when Mia still might need a little bit of assistance...by recalling her and rewarding her when she 'un-zones'. Some other things that will help Mia out a ton... are LOTS AND LOTS of confidence boosting drills! We know Mia's mommy is going to have another baby soon.. so we have been working on doing those distance confidence boosting drills... so hopefully she can just point at an obstacle and give the 'word'....and not have to do the obstacle herself ;)

Mia is such a sweet loving and sensitive girl, so as long as we focus her energy on something positive, exciting and rewarding... she will continue to grow into the beautiful soul that we know she will become. We are so proud of this beauty!! and can NOT wait to get lots and lots of updates ;) **Pom Pom's waving in the air cheering her name** YAY!!!

(A VERY big thank you to Tiffany with Luna, Ricki with Little, Jacob with Che, Greg with Stella, Janice with Chloe & Lenny, Raechel with Ty and Chloe & Eric with Toby for their puppy support) ***whew that is a loaded thank you list** 💞

Diesel

Meet Diesel

Everyone meet Diesel. This handsome fella came through The Ruff Life Training, but his mommy thought that he needed a little extra one on one time with Monique. Diesel has some pretty big confidence issues. He feels that offence is his best defence. Diesel has been known to be stand offish with both people and dogs. He may even go so far as to bare his teeth, growl and snap at both dogs and people. He likes others to see him as a tough guy, when really he is just a big sensitive suck. We know this handsome guy has a heart of gold, it's just a matter of showing him that the way he is going about things is all wrong. Human & Doggy friends can be a lot of fun!

Session 1 of 3

(Wednesday, January. 29th 2014)

Today we went to pick Diesel up from his home, and to chat with his mom about the things we wanted to work on. When we arrived Diesel was behind a baby gate, and came across as excited to see us. However when the baby gate disappeared, and it was the 3 of us standing in the front entrance way... Diesel made it very clear that he was uncomfortable. He gave us his paw to hold, but then growled and bared his teeth at us. So we asked his mommy to hand us the leash so he could see that his mom 'approved' of us... and we were on our way.

Once out of the house, Diesels behaviour totally changed. He was no longer growly and owly! you could tell he was uncertain of what was going on... but jumped up into the truck with no problems.

Once we got to the dog park Diesel was on high alert. He didn't want any dogs near him at all, but he seemed to be just fine with people. It was a good day to be at the park, as we had lots of people and doggy friends to help teach Diesel that friends are a good thing ;) and that he had lots of them. He just had to let them in.

We decided to keep the session fairly simple! As we didn't want to overwhelm him. So we worked on TONS of confidence boosting drills, a tiny bit of obedience, fun recalls, and desensitizing him to people and dogs. (and we played in the snow of course!) 

By the end of the class Diesel was spending most of his time at the end of the 20ft leash. His recalls and obedience were great! He was also weaving through the dogs and people like it wasn't such a big deal! 

What a good boy! We can not wait to see this man show his true colours! He know he has so much potential... we just need to help him see what we see. 

Looking forward to working with this handsome guy again next week! Keep checking back for more updates on the adventures of Diesel!

(A Big THANKS to Vanessa with Roxy, Danby with Kimber & Tikka, Heather with Bane & Luna, Ricki with Little and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Session 2 of 3

(Wednesday, February. 5th 2014)

Oh Diesel, or should we call you Super Deeee! You did fantastic! you are like a TOTALLY different dog. We still have a few things to clean up for sure...but you were a super hero today! Not only where you mingling and trying to play with other dogs, but you were letting random people pet you. YAY! We are so happy with your progress! We even have had people come up to us at the dog park and say he has improved immensely!

We still need to work on a few things with Mr. D ... like showing is teeth to a few dogs when there is food around him... but with a little verbal guidance... he changes his tone. We hope that next week we can get Diesel off of his training collar, and perhaps even his leash for part of the class. ;)

Here is a fun little video (something a little different then our typical videos) of Diesel in action... literally. ;)

(A Big THANKS to Ricki with Little and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Session 3 of 3

(Tuesday, February. 18th 2014)

Super D! You were such a super star today! 

This handsome man LOVED LOVED LOVED doing his confidence boosting drills! We were even able to get tons of distance! Such a smart boy!

Diesel has gone from a reactive boy around other dogs and some people to a happy smiling pooch that runs along side of other dogs, tries to incise them to play with a stick, and continually looks to us for what we will get him to do next. ;)

It is going to be really important for Diesel's mommy to constantly challenge his mind and give him a job to do so she can keep his confidence up! He needs different things to do, so he can concentrate on those instead of focusing on the negative things in life. (We can all be guilty of that sometimes)

Some other things that they will need to work on, is praising D in uncomfortable situations (and when he is being good of course) and giving him an "out" if he needs it! 

After doing the mini session with Diesel and his mommy... we know they will do great... as long as they put them selves in situations where they can excel. 

Check out how far this boy has come in 3 short sessions!! We can NOT wait to get updated on his progress.

(A Big THANKS to Carmin with Cabella and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Jasper

Meet Jasper

Everyone meet Jasper. This pretty Jack Russell is Bandits older sister. (Bandit came through the 'Excel your dogs training' program)

We all know Jack Russell's to have a confident social temperament, but this little girl is quite the opposite. Jasper is a sensitive girl with some pretty huge confidence issues. Her sensitivities get the best of her on a regular basis, and she has learned that offence is her best defence. 

Jasper is known to be very anti-social towards other dogs, she greets any dog that comes up to her with a snap, and she is protective over her mommy and sisters. 

This beautiful girl has a ton of potential, we just need to show her that the world isn't such a scary place... 

Session 1 of 3

Tuesday, February. 11th, 2014

Today when we went to Jaspers house to pick her up, her and her 2 other sisters came to greet us at the door. Jasper seemed fairly social, but then when we tried to leave with her... she was defiantly unsure and sensitive about the situation. We actually had to pick her up to get her to come with us. This can be fairly normal for a dog with sensitivities.

When we got Jasper into the truck, she was quite content to take some treats and was VERY happy to get some pets and love. But you could still tell she was a little unsure what was going on.

Once we got to the dog park, we saw her behaviour change again. She went from being sensitive and unsure... to trying to 'shut down' and trying to run back to the truck. Of course we couldn't let this happen without trying to change her thought process. We had yummy treats, super awesome dogs and their people, and Monique with her energy and excitement. YAY! lol We were set to make her session the best it could possibly be!

It took about half of the class, but once we started to do some confidence boosting drills with Jasper her attitude totally changed. Her tail went from a very low tucked position to having it up and wagging. She was sooo happy to have a job to do, and she loved the attention. BONUS! 

On the way back out of the trees.. you could see Jasper totally transform. She was standing with more confidence, and she even went up to check out a few dogs! What a good girl! 

Looking at the session on a whole, Jasper did amazing. She only snapped at a dog 3 times. (which is a huge improvement) We can not wait to see this girls confidence and personality blossom. We know she has it in her! 

Check out her video below!! and the picture of her and her heart. <3

(A Big THANKS to Greg with Stella, Hope with Gemma, Vince with Ripley and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support

Session 2 of 3

Tuesday, February. 18th, 2014

Sweet Sweet Jasper... You started to really come out of your shell today! What a good girl!

Today we really just wanted to focus on upping Jasper's confidence, with games and drills! So we decided that we were going to teach her: "up" "off" "walk" and "over". She did sooo good, and you could see her go from a quiet meek temperament to being so excited. It was really great to see! It melted our hearts. You can tell this girl just wants to do a good job, and to get praise and love from whom ever she is around. She is such a suck! Once she did a confidence boosting drill... she came running over to give US KISSES!!! lol... What a cutie! I don't think she knows that she is the one that is supposed to be rewarded, not us. But we love the love too! 💜

We didn't focus on setting her up around to many dogs today. She was with a few dogs that just did their own thing today... which was really good for her. She learned to just be "around" dogs and not have to stress. She even went in and gave Yoko a kiss!! 

We must say... we are pretty impressed with this beauty! and we can not wait until next week!

Check out the changes in her demeanour with this video!

(A Big THANKS to Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Session 3 of 3

Tuesday, February. 25th, 2014

Today we decided to take Jasper and her little sister Bandit. (Bandit just finished the Excel program not that long ago) We thought that little Bandit would give her sister some confidence and show her that life is soooooo super exciting ;0) 

Jasper did great during her session with her confidence boosting drills, and was a "A+" student at her obedience and recalls! She even hung around tons of dogs today, and when she was uncomfortable.. she just removed herself from the situation instead of snapping!  ❤️ This girl is brains and beauty!

But, it turn's out that having Bandit around during Jaspers session actually made her be a little bit more reserved, and she hid in her sisters shadow. Of course this was not what we wanted to see in Jaspers behaviour, but it is something that we obviously have to work on with her. 

Jasper is a sweet sensitive soul, and has come a long way in a few short weeks. BUT she still has a ways to go to be a confident happy dog. It will take lots of confidence boosting drills/tricks, one on one time with just Jasper and praise in uncomfortable situations to help her be the best that she can be. We know her mommies will do a great job with her and keep up the progress! 

Check out how well Jasper did today! Her video is below!

(A Big THANKS to Michelle with Diesel, Ricki with Little, Sarah with Roman, Greg with Stella, Carmin with Cabella and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support...Oh and we can't forget Bandit)

Zoe

Meet Zoe

Everyone meet Zoe! This cheerful, loving and funny girl LOVES life and it shows! She continually has a smile on her face... and is making people around her laugh and smile. She is just infectious. 

Zoe's mom put her in the Excel your dogs training program because she wanted us to help her out with some of her training. Some things that we want to work on with this pretty girl are: Recalls- especially when Zoe is distracted with another dog, cleaning up and advancing her obedience, and perhaps even some tracking. (This girl loves to use her nose!)

Session 1 of 3

(Thursday, January. 30th 2014)

Today we picked up Zoe from her home. She was so excited to see us! When she saw Kona & Yoko she was freaking out with excitement. She just loves having visitors! ;) We got her to contain her excitement until we got to the dog park where they could play.

When we got to the dog park Zoe was HAPPY to see everyone and everything! Getting her attention was pretty difficult for the first couple minutes... it was like this pretty girl had a little A.D.D going on. But once we got moving she started to focus on us and the new pack. Zoe is SO social and a pleaser. So keeping her excitement is easy...it is just a matter of keeping her focused and teaching her to 'un-zone' when she is greeting, chasing & playing with other dogs. 

The next thing we wanted to work on... and our main focus was Zoe's recalls. This is the area that Miss Social needs the most 'work' on.  So we did tons of them... and made sure that each time was different so she didn't get bored. Whether she was running back with the pack, for a different type of treat, playing hide and seek or just to be with us and our craziness ;) 

We found that is we challenged Zoe's mind, she was MORE then happy to stay with us. So we did tons of games, confidence boosting drills and obedience in-between play time.

We can't wait to spend more time with this beauty! Check out her video below, and check back next week for more of Zoe's adventures!

(A Big THANKS to Ricki with Little, Sarah with Roman, Greg with Stella and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Session 2 of 3

(Thursday, February.6th 2014)

Sweet sweet Zoe! This beauty just loves life...and it shows! Our goal today was to grasp her mind with confidence boosting drills, games and fun recalls. Which was not only a ton for us, but it was a blast for her as well.

Zoe is magnetic.. she attracts dogs and people alike. Everyone wants to love her... which can be hard, because getting her attention in these scenarios is challenging. However, she did sooo good! She learned very quickly that it is super fun to come back to us and our pack... We turned it into a game, and she wanted to play!  ;)

She especially loves doing 'over' and 'through', the smile on her face is just infectious.

With Zoe its fairly simple... grasp her mind... and her body will follow ;) lol

(A Big THANKS to Carmin with Cabella, Ricki with Little, Greg with Stella and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)

Session 3 of 3

(Thursday, February.13th 2014)

Miss Zoe!! You are just so beautiful! On the outside...and the inside. Your spirit and soul makes everything light up! 

Zoe is doing amazing at her confidence boosting drills, recalls out of play, and her obedience. She really really really loves to please! She just wants to be the very best that she can be. ;) 

Last session we noticed that Zoe loved people so much that she was jumping up on them, and she might have even jumped up on the vehicle once... so this was something that we defiantly worked with. We want her to be the best that she can be, and make sure that she knows its not acceptable to jump up into peoples faces... no matter how bad she wants to give them a big wet kiss ;0) lol

Its going to be very important for Zoe's family to give her lots of jobs! It doesn't take a ton of work... it just means making her work for everything she wants, needs and loves. This will give her family SEVERAL opportunities in a day to challenge her mind. NOOOOOO its not mean... this is what she wants, needs and desires... just ask her lol. OR you can just look at the HUGE smile on her face when she does  a good job.

We are so in love with this beauty...and of course we are so proud of her as well! 

We can't wait to met with Zoe's parents to show off her amazing skills!

Check out her video progress below!

(A Big THANKS to Ricki with Little, Greg with Stella, Sarah & Jason with Roman and Kona & Yoko for their puppy support)