As a professional dog trainer, I get asked questions every day from potential clients, friends and colleagues. Here are a few common questions that I get asked on a regular basis.
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“Is my dog ready for training?”
EVERY dog is ready for training no matter what age or breed. The question is do we bring FIDO to group classes or are they more suited for in-home private sessions or virtual lessons. Send us a message or give us a call so that we can come up with a game plan for your companion. Every dog is different and Fearless Fido offers several training options that can be tailored to suit your dogs needs.
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“What is positive reinforcement dog training?”
Positive reinforcement (R+) dog training focuses on rewarding desired behaviour to encourage it to happen more often. When a dog does something you want, like sitting or coming when called, you can mark the behaviour with a clicker or a verbal marker “YES!”, then immediately offer a yummy treat, praise, scent or playtime as a reward. Over time, your dog will learn that these behaviours lead to something positive, making them more likely to repeat and become habit. This method avoids pain, fear, stress or coersion and focuses on teaching dogs what to do rather than what not to do.
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“Can I bring more than one dog to class?”
Yes! We would love to see all of your dogs in class. As long as there is one handler for each dog, there should be no issue with registering more than one dog in our classes. In fact, we have had whole families, friends and neighbours come in together as a group to do fun classes together!
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“What kind of training equipment will I be asked to use in class?”
These are the tools that we use in group classes:
- Clicker to mark/capture the desired behaviour.
- Low, mid and high value food/treats for rewarding desired behaviour.
- Treat pouch so that we can train without treats in our hands
- Comfortable body harnesses can help to create a calming effect on your dog so they are able to focus and learn with the least amount of stress possible.
- Durable 6-10ft nylon/biothane/leather leash for group work at your station.
- Durable 30ft nylon/biothane/leather leash for work that requires distance between you and your dog. This is a wonderful bridge between on leash and off leash training.
- Non Squeaky toy for play breaks to prevent frustration.
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“What books do you recommend?”
There are many great training books available and here are a few of our favorites:
- Don’t Shoot the Dog – Karen Pryor
- Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog – John Paul Scott & John L. Fuller
- Inside of a Dog – Alexandra Horowitz
- The Year of the Puppy – Alexandra Horowitz
- The Forever Dog Book – Dr. Karen Becker & Rodney Habib
- Culture Clash – Jean Donaldson
- Successful Dog Adoption – Sue Sternberg
- Before & After getting your Puppy – Dr. Ian Dunbar
- The Thinking Dog, Crossover to Clicker – Gail Fisher
- Canine Body Language: a Photographic Guide Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog – Brenda Aloff
- How Dogs Learn – Mary Burch
- Reaching the Animal Mind – Karen Pryor
- Oh Behave! – Jean Donaldson
- The Other End of the Leash – Patricia B. McConnell PH.D
- Gamify Your Dog Training: Training Goes for Group Training – Terry Ryan
- People Training Skills for Pet Professionals – Niki J Tudge
- Doggie Language: A Dog Lovers Guide to Understanding your Best Friend – Lili Chin
- Dog is Love – Clive D. L Wynne PhD
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"Should my puppy wait until they are fully vaccinated before starting puppy classes?"
While we would definitely NOT recommend taking your new puppy to dog parks or high traffic pet supplies shops before receiving all of their vaccinations, our puppy classes are held in a sanitized room with a small group of vaccinated puppies. This is a much safer environment. As long as your puppy has received their first round of vaccines and they have had a chance to take effect, we would love for you to join us!
Please email me for some excellent information on this.