One of the exercises on the first week of class is to sit and observe your dog for 3 minutes. The point is to be more aware that of what behaviors your dog is doing at any given moment. As trainers, we refer to this as “splitting” behaviors as opposed to “lumping” them together.
Sean, a sixth grader this year, has Autism and is extremely smart, but lacks focus. The calm way he approaches and confidently practices sits and downs with Brooke is 180 degrees different than it was last year. Six months ago, he would barely participate in training. When he did he would be waving his hands […]
You might be surprised at what a great asset a dog can be in a school classroom: I’ve been working with Brooke, Mrs. Russell and Classroom 203 for nearly a year now. I hope you will enjoy this introduction to Brooke and look forward to hearing more about her progress!
Welcome to the Pawsitive Steps Dog Training blog! I am Gayle Ballinger, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer in Seattle and my puppy is Dancer, a 12 week old Golden Retriever. I hope you enjoy being a part of the fun activities, training exercises and adventures we have!
I was asked the other day if I loved working with dogs and if I loved my career choice. My immediate response was an enthusiastic “YES!” Later that evening, I really began thinking about that question.
