PRE-CLASS ORIENTATION NOTES

Welcome to Think PAWsitive! Our goal is for you to begin a positive and fun working relationship with your dog.  Here are a few tips to get you started.  

These notes apply to all of our sessions whether Puppy, Big Dog, Trick, C.L.A.S.S., CGC, Service and Therapy Dog Prep or Sport.  

Our training techniques are completely positive; we use a lot of motivational incentives including the Fab 5 - Praise, Play (toys), Food, Touch (Affection / Massage) and Access to Resources - combined with Clicker/Marker training philosophies. 

GETTING STARTED 

WHAT SHOULD I HAVE READY BEFORE OUR FIRST SESSION?
● Properly fitted collar and 4-6” flat leash.  Head collars and harnesses (including front clips) are allowed but no prongs, chokes, ecollars or Flexi leashes.
● A small mat/rug or a raised bed - yoga mats work great for this!
● A clicker if you choose to use one (recommended)
● Treat pouch and treats - something about the size of a pea - see our Recommended Training Treats page for some good ideas
● A high value tug/reward toy – keep this set aside for just training times instead of normal play


 BASIC GUIDELINES
● About 10 minutes before our session, settle and toilet your dog.  If you need to take your dog out at any point for a potty break, please do!
● Please don’t feed your dog a full meal before their session. They will be more responsive if they are a little hungry, and as they could be getting a lot of calories from their training treats, you don’t want them to gain weight!  If you are going to toy train, make sure it is a tug toy that keeps them engaged with you - especially with toy training - it is all about what THEY find reinforcing!
● Have your clicker and treat pouch ready with a variety of treats ranging from low to high value (cut to size).
● We will be using your dog’s mat or platform for them to settle down on when not actively working.
● You will receive detailed written handouts throughout the course. The cost of this is included in your course fee. Please feel free to take notes if you like, but you will get plenty of information.  It is available by email or printed.  Just let us know which you prefer!
● Feel free to have a friend or family member with you to help you if you like.  Children are always welcome to come and participate.  If they are too young to participate, please bring something to entertain them as it can be quite boring for little ones.
● If at any point you feel like we are moving too fast or you don’t understand something - please stop me and ask - the beauty of this system is it is all about what works for YOU!

ISN'T THIS BRIBING MY DOG?

First of all, there is a difference between a bribe and a reward. The bribe comes first, before the behavior; the reward comes after the behavior. It's an important distinction, because "bribing" is not an effective way to train, but rewarding/reinforcing is. If you bribe, your dog will only perform the behavior if there's a piece of food in front of him first. If you reward, then your dog will perform the behavior in hopes of earning that piece of food. And after the learning phase, when that behavior is fluent you can start to phase out the food rewards.

WILL I ALWAYS HAVE TO CARRY TREATS AROUND?

You won't always use treats - we will use them regularly while teaching the behavior and then randomly thereafter.  Don't be stingy with them in the beginning - use plenty of good, high value treats to start, then you can mix in kibble or some lower value treats or other types of reward like play/affection. This is your dog's paycheck.  We are asking them to do things that they may not want to or see a benefit in, but they do because they know there is something worthwhile coming after they do.  It is no different than us going to work everyday.

TREATS:  As far as treats are concerned, you should prepare a fairly good sized quantity of very small treats to use in class or in your training sessions. The size of the treats should depend on the size of the dog, but in general, each individual treat should be no larger than a pencil eraser. If you forget treats or need something more yummy on a given night, we have treats for sale before and after class.

If you’re still searching for that magic treat that your dog will love or you want to try something new, here are some great ideas from dog walkers, groomers, vets and trainers:

Brandi C.  Squeeze cheese!

Krissii F.  Tennis balls!

Stephanie F. Lickety Sticks!

Barbara L.  Chicken breast – she prefers the prepackaged kind – or string cheese.

Laurelin S.  Cheese (string or cream), buffalo liver or sweet potato!

Jo J. Bread and butter; dismembered natural gummy bears; tuna flakes.

Paula K.  My dogs’ favorites have turned out to be thinly sliced hotdogs microwaved until they are curly and crispy!  And for dogs not motivated by food: I had a dog in one of my classes who was not food motivated, so I asked the dog’s owner what was the dog gaga for at home and he answered “the feather duster”. I said, bring it in, and the dog worked for the chance to maul that duster ( it was pink, and the owner was a former Marine)!

True Dog  Tricky Trainers Salmon Flavor Cloud Star Treats, Buddy Biscuits Lamb flavor Treats, Bil-Jac Liver flavor, wet dog or cat food in a small dish, couple licks as a reward.

Marie N.  Freeze dried chicken. It’s like crack to her.

Judy M.  Diced Natural Balance food logs!

Deb M.  Try a fox tail tied to a 2- 2 1/2 ft length of clothesline. Stick it in your back pocket and haul out for a quick rewarding game of tug. Training your dog to be both food and toy motivated is the best!

Noelle B.  For Brewster, if anything is going to get his attention, hot dogs will. But not even that works with a really intense distraction. Other things that work most, but not all the time, are chicken, cheese, and Zuke’s Mini Naturals.

Stacy S. ‎Riddick’s Treats (bison liver treats are like crack to them)

Marge R.  I hate to say it – sausage, egg and cheese biscuit. What can I say? He gets to choose what is most reinforcing.

Laurie W.  Canine Carry Outs! Easy to find and inexpensive.

Kristel S.  Frozen meatballs, pieces of roasted chicken or salmon-flavored Zukes are Murphy’s favorites:-)

Elisabet N.  Freeze dried beef liver, and cat food.

Angelina W. Vienna sausages!

Jackie D.  Home-dried liver, smoked cheese, barbecue chicken, liver sausage…

Jennifer B.  Shady Brook cooked turkey meatballs..doggy crack!

Jenifer R. My dog who used to be HIGHLY leash reactive would turn himself inside out for Gorgonzola if he could!

Ann W.  Peanut Butter. I fill one of the little Tupperware midgies, put the lid on, and when I need to get past some other dogs on the trail, I pull the lid off and let my dog lick at it until we’re past.

Ashley C.  Deli rare roast beef and/or a squeeze tube of liver paste.

Laurie M.  Baby food meat, dehydrated mini hamburger pieces, roasted and frozen beef roast or chicken breast.

K9Capers dog day center  Blueberries and celery!

Cheryl C.  Steak – when we are going to a new event/new place I grill up steak the night before.

Jen R.  Boiled and diced beef heart does it every time for mine.

Elana B.  Diced chicken gizzards. I nuke the package for about 10 minutes and then dice them into training treat size. Way cheaper than anything from PetSmart or PetCo and not made in China!

Katie G.  Dehydrated beef lung!

Nancy B. Boiled chicken cut up into small pieces is the highest value treat. Hot dogs second.

TREAT/BAIT POUCH:  You will need a bag for your treats, and (optionally) a clicker. We have treat pouches and clickers available to purchase. If you do not have a treat pouch already, I strongly recommend you purchase one of these pouches; they are sturdy, washable, and will last for years.

TRAINING EQUIPMENT:  Please bring your dog on a plain buckle collar, head halter or harness (choke chains and pinch collars will not be permitted). Bring your dog on a 4’ or 6’ leash; a short leash or tab will also be helpful for some of the exercises.  We have tabs (very short handle leads) available for purchase as well.

WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES with low or no heels such as sneakers. You will be walking and turning quite a lot so comfort is essential. With most of the little dogs, I sit on the floor with them so if you want to sit on the floor make sure to wear comfortable clothes as well.

PHOTOGRAPHY

We will sometimes take photographs or short video clips of training in progress. These might be posted on our website, shown in training workshops or possibly used in a future book. You have the right to say you don’t want to be photographed. If you want to take your own photographs, please ask the person or the owner of the dog involved for permission.

EXPECTATIONS:  The first night of class is always a little hectic and distraction is so high that most dogs need a bit of time to settle in.  Don't be surprised if your dog has some trouble paying attention.  This is normal!  As long as you understand how to teach the behavior, you can work on it at home and usually get a better, more focused response.