Sundog Academy
Training your dog should be a positive experience for both you, and your dog. A well trained, happy dog, is much easier to live with than one that hasn't been trained or that is scared. At Sundog, we endevour to help dog parents deal with their little furry kids with a patient, positive attitude.
Puppies require training early, so that everyone gets into the habit of making an intelligent, understanding adult dog. Gone are the days when we think that we need to wait before a puppy needs to be trained. Besides socialization, when the puppy is between 6 and 18 weeks old, basic training at this time is quick and the puppy is a sponge at this point.
it's easier to teach a puppy the right thing when they're young, than it is to undo already learned behaviours when they're older. Make sure you socialize your puppy when they're young and give them the start they need in life.
We are happy to help puppy parents with their needs. Besides encouraging puppy parents to take group puppy classes, we offer the chance to solidify puppy training. If puppy classes aren't possible, we also suggest puppy socialization with numerous different, but similar aged puppies when possible.
For those that are having "teenage" issues, we are happy to help out as well. These are dogs that don't have serious behaviour issues, but just need that start that they might not have gotten when they were younger. Or, perhaps, you have been brave and loving enough to adopt an older pup in need. Sometimes these dogs know many things, but it might take some time for it to come out of the woodwork and they might need a refresher course so that the two of you are on the same page.
Occasionally dogs have bigger issues. Positive reinforcement and counter-conditioning is often a good way to help most dogs overcome problems. Sometimes this might take time, but in the end the dog will be happier and more well adjusted than some quick fixes involving coercion, force or harsh equipment.
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Training Hint
Whenever you teach a new activity or skill make sure you introduce distractions carefully and slowly enough for your pooch to understand that what you're asking means the same thing everywhere. Don't be affraid to start over at the beginning when you're teaching new things in new places.
Training Hint
Rapid early reinforment keeps your pooch interested in
a new activity and helps both of you feel a sense of
accomplisment. Positive reinforcement like this
gives a stronger, healtheir bond than other forms of
training.
Training Tips
Rewards do not alwways have to be food based. Learn what motivates your pooch. Dogs that love playing ball should learn to sit or do other tasks before they get to chase. Dogs that love toys should do the same. Life rewards to a dog that is trained are a great way to keep the polish on training..