Imagine this: you stroll through a meadow while your dog romps in the sunshine. A rabbit bolts and your dog
starts after it. You give a one-word command and he wheels around, bounding cheerfully back to sit expectantly at your feet.
Another command from you and your dog heels sedately at your left side. You stop. He sits attentively. You
tell him to lie down and stay and you walk off to investigate something. You give the release command and he frolics off to
continue your companionable outing together. No leash. No shock collar. No food bribes. No panic. You have full confidence
that your dog is under control.
At Scotch Pines Dog Training we believe that true obedience
must extend beyond the six foot leash. Because gates get left open and leashes slip. Because real life, even in your backyard,
is off leash. Our goal is to instill off-leash reliability whether your dog is walking with you along a mountain trail or
a city street, whether there are other dogs or children about, or even whether a cat zips by.
Our group
classes provide the training your dog needs to earn such confidence and freedom.
Dog
training is fun, rewarding and exciting! It can also be a lot of hard work and frustration. You have hired us to guide you
through the steps of training your dog. Our goal is well trained dogs and happy owners!
Our training is a
foundational method, we begin at the most basic and gradually add on more obedience, more commands, more complex training
until the dogs reach off leash obedience and hand signal command reliability!
The class summary by week is as follows:
Week 1: Getting your dog's attention focused
on you (the side effect of this is *drumroll please* no more pulling on the leash!) Correcting jumping up. Addressing barking
Week2: Beginning the command
and position for heel (left side walking on loose leash). Introducing the automatic sit and the command down. Addressing chewing/destructive
behaviors
Week
3: Perfecting the heeling, expecting automatic sit when owner stops. Heeling is now with leash tossed loosely over
the shoulder, no hands on leash. Continuing down placement. Introducing command stay! Addressing counter surfing and dumpster
diving
Week 4: Dogs are now proficient
in sit stay up to 18 feet distance with distractions! Down command is now expected without placement. Heeling is almost flawless
at this week. The best command of all starts this night: COME!!
Week 5: Introduction to coming when called with distractions (guinea
pigs/bunnies/etc). Long distance sit stays and down stays of 2 and 5 minutes. Dogs are almost ready to begin off leash week!
Week 6: First night of off
leash! The dogs now meet "The Goat" and walk the first time off leash around the goat with a safety line (just in
case..) and 5 solid weeks of training to keep them right in place. Off leash "come" is first covered this night.
Week 7: Off leash heeling,
staying and coming when called is practiced and reviewed. Down from a distance begins this week. Dogs are now coming and going
into the heel position without guidance!
Week 8: The safety line starts getting shortened this week. Dogs are now on hand signals
completely for heel, stay, down and are learning the hand signal only command for come.
Week 9: Dogs are never going to be robots and
that isn't what we want but by graduation our dogs are now trained!!
Dogs learn by repetition, consistency, praise, patience and correction. In class we will teach the balance of
these components and the value of each. Please come to class with a strong understanding of patience, kindness and perseverance!
Training collars are
used in class. Electrical shock collars ("e-collars/sensation collars") are NOT allowed
in our classes. Abuse of any animal is not tolerated and you will be asked to leave immediately with no refund given.
We do not teach treat training for the same reason we don't recommend paying
your child to be obedient. Treats are great for parlor tricks (roll over, play dead, etc) so please leave your treats at home
for non essential tricks.
Commands your dog will learn both on and off leash:
- Heel- to walk calmly at your
left side, pacing himself to your speed, enjoying the scenery, but paying attention to you.
- Automatic
sit- to sit automatically at heel when you stop walking.
- Sit- to sit instantly on one
command.
- Down- to lie down instantly on one command.
- Stay-to stay in a sitting,
lying or standing position.
- Come- to come instantly on one command.
- Front-
to sit facing you after coming.
- Finish- to circle around into the heel position.
- Stand
for exam- to stand motionless while being examined (your vet will love you!)
To
gain reliabilty, your dog will face the following distractions in class:
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- Other dogs and their handlers
- Plates of raw hamburger
- Billy goats
- Rabbits
- Bouncing balls
- Female dogs
in heat
- Cans of canned cat food
Behaviour
problems are also addressed:
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- Biting
- Chewing
- Jumping up
- Fighting
- Separation anxiety
- Digging
- Barking
- Counter surfing
- Many more...
