Training Blog & Videos

Need help teaching a herding dog, or other highly motivated dog, to settle in the presence of other dogs or busy situations? Check out this exercise with Fenton the Corgi and professional dog trainer Arie Ebaugh (MS, CPDT-KA). When understimulated or lacking an outlet, herding dogs often default to micromanaging their environment (as they were BRED to do). This includes controlling the behavior of others dogs or children (or even adults), excessive barking, guarding, and destructive behaviors. These behaviors signal that an outlet is needed to fulfill their desire to maximize their autonomy and control their own actions. First, be sure to give physical exercise and mentally-stimulating activities such as enrichment, scent work, skills training, off-leash work, etc. However, even with proper exercise and mental stimulation, herding dogs often still struggle to relax and disengage. This is because herding dogs often have a difficult time knowing when they are “off duty” and no longer need to exercise their natural instincts to work. The importance of teaching highly motivated dogs to RELAX cannot be understated. Many owners tend to give tons of stimulation to these dogs without also prioritizing their ability to switch to “off duty” mode and relax. This leaves the dog feeling anxious and unsure of WHAT they are supposed to be doing, often creating a cycle of undesirable behaviors or anxiety issues. A strong Down-Stay skill, initially trained with high value rewards, is an effective way to help a dog switch to “off duty” mode and actually relax. Fenton has an EXCELLENT Down-Stay skill. This skill can be a practical outlet for teaching him that he doesn’t need to corral the other dogs or otherwise manage their behaviors. A positively trained Down-Stay is helpful in desensitizing a dog to stressors, easing the stress of transitions, and otherwise going “off the clock.” Need personalized help with “off duty” relaxation or other training goals? Visit Arie's website to schedule a training session today: www.PupsUnleashed.com

**Not dog-related,** but wanted to share! Arie gives a quick video tour, showing the current growth in the jungle bioactive terrarium. Watch for some planty information, a few mentions of the tank's new arachnid resident, and an appearance of Dara--the interruptig Corgi.

Need help teaching a herding dog, or other highly motivated dog, to settle in the presence of other dogs or busy situations? Check out this exercise with Fenton the Corgi and professional dog trainer Arie Ebaugh (MS, CPDT-KA). When understimulated or lacking an outlet, herding dogs often default to micromanaging their environment (as they were BRED to do). This includes controlling the behavior of others dogs or children (or even adults), excessive barking, guarding, and destructive behaviors. These behaviors signal that an outlet is needed to fulfill their desire to maximize their autonomy and control their own actions. First, be sure to give physical exercise and mentally-stimulating activities such as enrichment, scent work, skills training, off-leash work, etc. However, even with proper exercise and mental stimulation, herding dogs often still struggle to relax and disengage. This is because herding dogs often have a difficult time knowing when they are “off duty” and no longer need to exercise their natural instincts to work. The importance of teaching highly motivated dogs to RELAX cannot be understated. Many owners tend to give tons of stimulation to these dogs without also prioritizing their ability to switch to “off duty” mode and relax. This leaves the dog feeling anxious and unsure of WHAT they are supposed to be doing, often creating a cycle of undesirable behaviors or anxiety issues. A strong Down-Stay skill, initially trained with high value rewards, is an effective way to help a dog switch to “off duty” mode and actually relax. Fenton has an EXCELLENT Down-Stay skill. This skill can be a practical outlet for teaching him that he doesn’t need to corral the other dogs or otherwise manage their behaviors. What’s more, a positively trained Down-Stay is also helpful in desensitizing a dog to non-harmful stressors; in this case, a lit fireplace about which Fenton has many feelings. Watch the clip for more tips in real-time with Fenton and his three other siblings! Need personalized help with “off duty” relaxation or other training goals? Visit Arie's website to schedule a training session today: www.PupsUnleashed.com

Looking to master off-leash responsiveness with your dog? Check out this useful recall and check-in pattern game with Fenton the Corgi and professional dog trainer Arie Ebaugh (MS, CPDT-KA). Teaching a dog to be responsive while off-leash in safe, responsible environments can be an EXCELLENT outlet for highly-motivated dogs. Fenton is a herding breed dog and has a high drive for work and need for autonomy. Allowing him to run free, sniff, seek, and wander to his heart’s content helps to fulfill his high mental-stimulation needs in a productive way. When understimulated or lacking an outlet, herding dogs often default to micromanaging their environment (as they were BRED to do). This includes controlling the behavior of others dogs or children (or even adults), excessive barking, guarding, and destructive behaviors. These behaviors signal that an outlet is needed to fulfill their desire to maximize their autonomy and control their own actions. Fenton LOVES off-leash time in natural environments to exercise his needs. However, off-leash time can be risky or even dangerous if the dog isn’t responsive to verbal and contextual cues with their human. Fenton has MANY off-leash skills that he uses to maintain engagement with his humans and not wander too far, even in the presence of major distractions. In this video, Fenton demonstrates utilizing the skill “Side” as an everyday recall. The skill tells him to run to the human and sit at their side until they release him to run again. When Fenton sits at Arie’s side, he receives praise or a food reward to signal that he has done the desired behavior. Releasing him with “ok!” to run freely is an additional reward that may be even MORE appealing than the food itself. After issuing the “Side!” recall word, it can be helpful for the human to either get low or move away to trigger a successful recall from the dog. By practicing as a predictable pattern, this game teaches the dog that calling them to the human doesn’t necessarily mean that they are leaving or going inside. Instead, it simply signals a check-in followed by more freedom! This helps to prevent a dog from running away or becoming evasive when it IS actually time to end the off-leash session. Watch the video for more tips in real-time! Need personalized help with off-leash skills or other training goals? Visit Arie's website to schedule a training session today: www.PupsUnleashed.com

What’s Lilah learning today? How to be calm and snuggly in a crowded public place with professional dog trainer Arie Ebaugh (MS, CPDT-KA)! Today was Lilah’s very first trip to a large shopping mall, AND it was during the holiday hustle and bustle. This environment presents a unique socialization opportunity because it immerses Lilah in a very “human” part of the world where she was the only dog in sight. Lilah LOVES people and enjoys being anywhere where there’s lots of action. This environment may be too overstimulating for many dogs, but she was right at home. Before and in between our settling/regulatory activities, Lilah was free to explore throughout the mall. She spent her time watching people, sniffing store fronts, and absorbing all the sensory stimulation that this dynamic environment has to offer. To main stimulation levels and emotional regulation, Arie and Lilah took frequent breaks from exploring the mall. This short video series shows one of these breaks. The mall is full of small, carpeted areas with chairs and couches for mallgoers to relax. These create a perfect regulatory space for training! Lilah receives rewards for watching folks calmly, for offering Downs, and for placing her head or paws on Arie’s legs. Rewarding the physical connection helps Lilah to relax in the dynamic environment, while also providing emotional grounding for Arie (the human!). For humans like Arie that get overwhelmed around lots of people or action, this task can help the human maintain emotional regulation in an otherwise overstimulating environment. This exercise is also the starting point for teaching more formal Deep Pressure Therapy, a VERY useful task for a Service Animal or pet. Lilah is showing off all her amazing skills and building impulse control, while also giving back HUGELY to Arie in this setting. The relationship between a dog and a socially-bonded human is a truly unique and magical part of life. Life with a dog should always be about cooperation, NOT control. Watch for tips on how to grow your emotional connection with your pup while building their impulse control at the same time! Need personalized help with puppy socialization, impulse control, or emotional grounding? Visit Arie's website to schedule a training session today: www.PupsUnleashed.com

What’s Lilah learning today? How to be calm and snuggly in a crowded public place with professional dog trainer Arie Ebaugh (MS, CPDT-KA)! Today was Lilah’s very first trip to a large shopping mall, AND it was during the holiday hustle and bustle. This environment presents a unique socialization opportunity because it immerses Lilah in a very “human” part of the world where she was the only dog in sight. Lilah LOVES people and enjoys being anywhere where there’s lots of action. This environment may be too overstimulating for many dogs, but she was right at home. Before and in between our settling/regulatory activities, Lilah was free to explore throughout the mall. She spent her time watching people, sniffing store fronts, and absorbing all the sensory stimulation that this dynamic environment has to offer. To main stimulation levels and emotional regulation, Arie and Lilah took frequent breaks from exploring the mall. This short video series shows one of these breaks. The mall is full of small, carpeted areas with chairs and couches for mallgoers to relax. These create a perfect regulatory space for training! Lilah receives rewards for watching folks calmly, for offering Downs, and for placing her head or paws on Arie’s legs. Rewarding the physical connection helps Lilah to relax in the dynamic environment, while also providing emotional grounding for Arie (the human!). For humans like Arie that get overwhelmed around lots of people or action, this task can help the human maintain emotional regulation in an otherwise overstimulating environment. This exercise is also the starting point for teaching more formal Deep Pressure Therapy, a VERY useful task for a Service Animal or pet. Lilah is showing off all her amazing skills and building impulse control, while also giving back HUGELY to Arie in this setting. The relationship between a dog and a socially-bonded human is a truly unique and magical part of life. Life with a dog should always be about cooperation, NOT control. Watch for tips on how to grow your emotional connection with your pup while building their impulse control at the same time! Need personalized help with puppy socialization, impulse control, or emotional grounding? Visit Arie's website to schedule a training session today: www.PupsUnleashed.com

What’s Lilah learning today? How to be calm and snuggly in a crowded public place with professional dog trainer Arie Ebaugh (MS, CPDT-KA)! Today was Lilah’s very first trip to a large shopping mall, AND it was during the holiday hustle and bustle. This environment presents a unique socialization opportunity because it immerses Lilah in a very “human” part of the world where she was the only dog in sight. Lilah LOVES people and enjoys being anywhere where there’s lots of action. This environment may be too overstimulating for many dogs, but she was right at home. Before and in between our settling/regulatory activities, Lilah was free to explore throughout the mall. She spent her time watching people, sniffing store fronts, and absorbing all the sensory stimulation that this dynamic environment has to offer. To main stimulation levels and emotional regulation, Arie and Lilah took frequent breaks from exploring the mall. This short video series shows one of these breaks. The mall is full of small, carpeted areas with chairs and couches for mallgoers to relax. These create a perfect regulatory space for training! Lilah receives rewards for watching folks calmly, for offering Downs, and for placing her head or paws on Arie’s legs. Rewarding the physical connection helps Lilah to relax in the dynamic environment, while also providing emotional grounding for Arie (the human!). For humans like Arie that get overwhelmed around lots of people or action, this task can help the human maintain emotional regulation in an otherwise overstimulating environment. This exercise is also the starting point for teaching more formal Deep Pressure Therapy, a VERY useful task for a Service Animal or pet. Lilah is showing off all her amazing skills and building impulse control, while also giving back HUGELY to Arie in this setting. The relationship between a dog and a socially-bonded human is a truly unique and magical part of life. Life with a dog should always be about cooperation, NOT control. Watch for tips on how to grow your emotional connection with your pup while building their impulse control at the same time! Need personalized help with puppy socialization, impulse control, or emotional grounding? Visit Arie's website to schedule a training session today: www.PupsUnleashed.com

What’s Lilah learning today? She is visiting a large hardware store for the very first time as a socialization experience! In this video clip, Lilah and professional dog trainer Arie Ebaugh (MS, CPDT-KA) focus on remaining relaxed while people and carts enter the store. Lilah offers her very own Down-Stay and receives rewards for remaining calm as carts pass close by to the settle-spot of her choosing. Socialization is the process of exposing a dog to new experiences in a POSITIVE, productive way, with LOTS of food and praise. Socialization during puppyhood is a critical step in raising a confident, curious, and well-adjusted dog. It is MUCH more than meeting other dogs. It is about experiencing ALL that the world has to offer–sights, sounds, smells, surfaces, and living things. The goal is for the pup to learn that NEW THINGS = GOOD THINGS. This time-frame is SHORT and cannot be reopened once it closes. Proper puppy socialization is the best way to prevent major behavioral issues such as anxiety, reactivity, and aggression when a dog reaches social maturity. A well-socialized dog can be an ambassador for their breed(s) and provide emotional anchorage for anxious humans and dogs alike. Lilah is well on her way to fulfilling this important role! Watch the video clip for tips on how to socialize in this setting, how to read dog body language, and LOTS of real-life examples! Need personalized help with puppy socialization or other goals? Visit Arie's website to schedule a training session today: www.PupsUnleashed.com

What’s Lilah learning today? She is visiting a large pet store for the very first time as a socialization experience! In this video clip, Lilah and professional dog trainer Arie Ebaugh (MS, CPDT-KA) are building positive exposure to new puppies at a distance and practicing impulse control. Socialization is the process of exposing a dog to new experiences in a POSITIVE, productive way, with LOTS of food and praise. Socialization during puppyhood is a critical step in raising a confident, curious, and well-adjusted dog. It is MUCH more than meeting other dogs. It is about experiencing ALL that the world has to offer–sights, sounds, smells, surfaces, and living things. The goal is for the pup to learn that NEW THINGS = GOOD THINGS. This time-frame is SHORT and cannot be reopened once it closes. Proper puppy socialization is the best way to prevent major behavioral issues such as anxiety, reactivity, and aggression when a dog reaches social maturity. A well-socialized dog can be an ambassador for their breed(s) and provide emotional anchorage for anxious humans and dogs alike. Lilah is well on her way to fulfilling this important role! Watch the video clip for tips on how to socialize in this setting, how to read dog body language, and LOTS of real-life examples! Need personalized help with puppy socialization or other goals? Visit Arie's website to schedule a training session today: www.PupsUnleashed.com