Recall (Train Your Dog to Come when Called)

Family Dog Manners & Obedience – Class starts in January

November 30, 2016 by sharon Leave a Comment

Psst, Mom, jot this down! I need training. (Photo copyright Barbara Handelman. Used with permission.)

Do you have a newly adopted dog who needs to learn how to behave in your home?

An adolescent pup who has forgotten how to listen?

An older dog you just never had time to train?

Now is the time to get better behavior: Take your pet to class! School is in session for your dog starting next week.

Enroll your dog in Family Dog Manners & Obedience class. Classes meet Thursdays at 5:30 PM at Orange Innovation Center (the former mattress factory) at 131 West Main Street, Orange, MA. Class is scheduled to begin January 5, but will run once it fills. Register now to hold your dog’s place.

This six-week course gets your dog started on all the basics for good manners. Here’s a peek at what we cover:

Week 1: People-only Orientation

What is good training? How associative learning and learning by consequences combine. SMART (See, Mark, And Reward Training). Games to practice timing and mechanics. Practice on the guest Demo Dog.

Week 2

Concept: Consequences matter more than words

Behaviors: Mannerly mat (settle on a mat), Sit, Attention (respond to name), Down, Loose leash (polite leash walking), Wait at the door

Week 3

Concept: High rate of reinforcement

Behaviors: Settle on mat, Sit 2, Down 2, Attention 2, Loose leash walking 2, Touch (nose targeting), Wait

Week 4

Concept: The 3 Ds of Difficulty — Distraction, Duration, and Distance

Behaviors: Sit for greeting (polite greeting), Down 3, Touch 2, Loose leash walking 3, Leave it

Red and white short-coated Border Collie running across a field. — Coming when called is a critical skill in an emergency.

Week 5

Concept: Build Powerful Cues!

Behaviors: Sit for greeting (polite greeting) 2, Down 3, Touch to build Recall, Recall (coming when called), Loose leash walking with distraction, Leave it

Week 6

Concept: Bringing training into real life

Behaviors: Stay — Sit-stay, Down-stay, Recall — collar grabs for recall, come-and-sit-on-arrival, Leave it, Training Fun and Games, Raffle drawing

Orange Innovation Center sign with orange, blue, green sign in front of large industrial cement building

Classes are fun, informative, helpful, and local! See what previous students have said:

“We’re very happy to have found you & are really enjoying the class.” -Deb & Jake Smith

“It’s a great class! We are loving it. The best part of class for me is… Working around other dogs. Seeing his confidence build.” -S.L. of Greenfield

“I’m so happy with all we are learning. The best part of class for me is… Just learning all the steps to teaching my dog correctly. A great class I have learned a lot and will continue to work with my dog.” -T.E. of Shutesbury

Update: Upcoming Classes – Manners & Obedience and Service Dog Foundations

September 16, 2016 by sharon Leave a Comment

You don't have to tie yourself in knots to find a training class! (Photo copyright Barbara Handelman. Used with permission.) — **You don’t have to tie yourself in knots to find a training class!** *(Photo copyright Barbara Handelman. Used with permission.)*

At Your Service is offering three classes this month in Orange. Each class is six-weeks long. Spaces is limited, so register right away to reserve your dog’s place. NOTE: If you’re looking for a class, and there’s no time that works for you, get in touch and let us know what you need.

Our Current Roster of Classes

Family Dog Manners & Obedience: Saturday, September 17 at 11:30 AM.

UPDATE: This class is FULL. Please register for one of our next classes. Learn the basics of sit, down, come, polite leash walking, polite greetings, wait, settle, and more. ONE SPACE LEFT. One of the teams has had to drop out due to illness. If you would like to join us, contact us right away to get your dog registered.

Service Dog Foundations: Saturday, September 24 at 10 AM

For dogs being trained to assist their disabled handler. Dogs must already have taken Family Dog Manners & Obedience or equivalent. Training on settle, handler focus, working dog walking, and foundations for working in public. 1 SPACE LEFT. Register or learn more about service dog training.

Family Dog Manners & Obedience: Tuesday, September 27 at 6 PM

Learn the basics of sit, down, come, polite leash walking, polite greetings, wait, settle, and more. 3 SPACES LEFT. Learn more about our classes. Register your dog for class.

Looking for a class that’s not offered here? Drop us a line. We may be able to add it.

Looking for helpful training tips or want to be first to sign up for a class in the future? Like us on Facebook or subscribe to our blog for the latest information on pet and service dog training.

Fall Into Better Behavior from Your Dog! (Plus Come-when-Called tips)

August 31, 2016 by sharon Leave a Comment

Goldendoodle wearing a dress shirt and pink tie — Toby is dressed for back-to-school! (Toby is a Goldendoodle service-dog-in-training owned by Donya Platt. Photo used with permission)

Autumn is here, kids are going back to school, and we are all ready for better behavior from our dogs. This September, we’re offering two 6-week classes in Orange to help your dog with all the basics — sit, down, stay, polite greetings, mannerly leash walking, and more! Your dog will get started on the three Rs: Recall (come when called), Recline (settle when asked), and Recognize Your Name (pay attention) — among other things.

To get you in a “back to school” mode, we’ve included some great RECALL (come when called) tips for training your dog. See the purple tips at the bottom of the post.

What makes At Your Service classes unique?

Convenient: Serving the North Quabbin region — located off of Route 2 in Orange, at the Orange Innovation Center in a very spacious first-floor room with its own entrance
Positive: Taught with marker-based, positive reinforcement — learn to get great behavior from your dog without force or pain!
Helpful: Taught with fun, humor, and positivity for people, too! Using TAGteaching, games, and always responsive to our students’ feedback, we try to make class a good experience for ALL participants
Informative: Once you enroll, you get lifetime access to our Client Portal and a library of over 70 training handouts, homework sheets, and helpful tips
Affordable: A six-week class is only $128, a significant savings on in-home training and more bang for your buck than shorter classes that cost more

Which class is right for your dog?

There are two classes being offered right now: Family Dog Manners & Obedience, and Service Dog Foundations. Find out the details below.

Family Dog Manners & Obedience

Meets Saturdays at 11:30 AM
Begins September 17
Your dog learns Sit, Down (lay down), Come, Let’s Go! (polite leash walking), Touch (nose targeting), Settle (relax on a mat), Leave It, polite greetings, and more!
Register your dog for Family Dog Manners (4 spaces left)
More details about our classes

Min Pin sitting on the back of a Leonberger who is lying down. — “You said, ‘Sit’! So I did!” Photo copyright Barbara Handelman, used with permission.

Family Dog Manners & Obedience is ideal for…

Newly adopted dogs
Family pets that could use better manners
Adolescent dogs (5 months to 2 years) that have forgotten how to behave with the onset of “youth”
Dogs that respond to cues (sit, down, stay, come, etc.) at home but not when distracted
Future service dogs taking their first class

What do our past students say about Family Dog Manners & Obedience?

I’m so happy with all we are learning.

It’s a great class! We are loving it.

A great class I have learned a lot

See what else our students say about our classes or register your dog.

Service Dog Foundations

Meets Saturdays at 10 AM
Begins September 24
Focuses on eye contact, leave it, settle, working dog walk, and more (see below)
Prerequisite of Family Dog Manners & Obedience or equivalent
Register your dog for Service Dog Foundations (Only 3 spaces left!)
More details about our classes

In Service Dog Foundations…

You will learn: Advanced training skills, including shaping, capturing, reading dog body language, release cues, and targeting, as well as a protocol for responding to strangers when you’re doing public access work
Your dog will learn: Improved fluency in behaviors such as… go to a mat and relax, eye contact/handler focus, handler-focused leash walking, leave it, wait, and working and training around distractions, including strange people and dogs

Service Dog Foundations is ideal for…

Dogs being trained to assist their disabled handler as a service dog
Dogs that have already taken a basic manners class taught with positive methods
Dogs that can respond to cues in some situations but not around other dogs or people
Dogs that need increased attention on their handler

Ready to sign up? Register your dog for class. Have questions? Get in touch.

Recall Training Tip: Hide & Seek!
A great game to play on a cold, rainy, or snowy day is hide and seek. Put your dog in a sit-stay or down-stay and hide elsewhere in the house. Then call him to come find you. When he does, give him praise, love, and a treat. Then repeat! A great way to train a “stay” and “come.” (If your dog is not yet solid on his stay, have someone else hold him while you hide.)

Recall Training Tip: Bonanza!
If your dog is wild about meal times, use a special emergency-recall cue (such as “BONANZA!” just before you put the food bowl down. Over time, the dog will have a strong emotional response to hearing “BONANZA!” If you ever need to call your dog in an emergency, it could be a life-saver.

Recall Training Tip: Kids Can Train, too!
The “Come Game” is a great family game, including for kids. Give everyone some tasty treats, and call the dog between you. Every time the dog comes, she gets a treat! Start out very close together in a low-distraction area inside your house. Make sure she knows how to do this well before you increase distance or take it outside. If she nips the kids’ fingers when she takes treats, have them drop her treat between their feet.

Ready to get your dog on the path to better behavior? Register for class, learn more about our classes, or get in touch.

Positive Pet and Service Dog Group Classes come to Orange

May 18, 2016 by sharon Leave a Comment

UPDATE: Family Dog Manners & Obedience will begin Sunday, June 26 at 1 PM. See our Group Classes page for details.

We’re excited to announce that positive reinforcement dog training classes have come to the North Quabbin! We have secured space for our first set of classes in Orange:

Photo of an orange

No, we mean Orange, Mass., of course! Classes will be held in June, at the Orange Innovation Center, 131 West Main St., Orange, MA 01364.

We’ll be running the following classes:

Family Dog Manners & Obedience
Service Dog Foundations I
Puppy Kindergarten
Service Dog Foundations II

Find out more about each class below.

Instructor

portrait_house_sm Classes are taught with enthusiasm and humor by Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, Sharon Wachsler. Sharon is experienced with pet, puppy, and service dog training, uses positive methods (with dogs and people!), and has taught classes for Dakin Humane Society. All classes are kept small for lots of individual attention for you and your dog. Dogs, like people, have good days and bad days. Sharon will help your dog get to the next level, no matter which kind of day you’re having. After all, every dog has its day!

Location

Classes are indoors at OIC, held rain or shine. OIC is conveniently located right off of Route 2 and accessible by Orange-Athol community transit and FRTA. The location is wheelchair accessible.

Family Dog Manners & Obedience

Want a mannerly mutt? A polite Papillon? An obedient Old English Sheepdog?

Do you want a dog who pays attention, does what you ask, greets politely, and comes when called? This is the class for you!

This beginner family dog training class teaches your dog basic skills to make your dog a pleasure to live with. It is appropriate for dogs of any age, from elderly to adolescent. Your dog will learn…

Sit
Down
Attention
Leave it
Polite greetings
Coming when called
Polite leash walking
Wait

Family Dog Manners & Obedience is perfect for…

Newly adopted dogs who need some help understanding the new rules
Young and adolescent dogs that have hit that “difficult” phase
Older dogs who could use some reminders about good manners
Any age dog or owner who enjoys training and wants to take their teamwork to the next level

Requirements, Fees, and Schedule:

Health: Dog must be vaccinated and generally healthy
Behavior: Dog must be able to work around other dogs and people
Prerequisites: None
Course length: 6 weeks
Fee: $128
Starting date: Sunday, June 12 at 1 PM. (Can’t make this time? Contact us to request days and times that work for you. We’ll do our best to accommodate you in future class cycles.)
Register: HERE

Service Dog Foundations I

Are you taking your dog to the next level and beyond? Service Dog Foundations is for dogs that have graduated from basic manners and are ready to focus on the foundation behaviors needed for an assistance dog career. Service Dog Foundations is built around handler focus — your service-dog-in-training (SDiT) focusing on you and offering eye contact, relaxed behavior, and eager working attention.

Are you training your dog as a mobility, psychiatric, medical alert, or other assistance dog? This is the class for you!

This class is designed with the needs of the owner-training service dog handler in mind. Your service-dog-in-training (SDiT) will learn to alternate between active working and active relaxation. As the course progresses, dogs will learn to maintain focus, working around increasing distractions. During “settle” periods, students will participate in discussions about common SDiT handler issues, such as how to handler questions from strangers, gear and equipment questions, and more. This class is appropriate for dogs of any age, from elderly to adolescent. Your dog will learn…

Eye contact and handler focus
Conditioned relaxation (chill out in any environment)
Working Dog Walk (advanced/focused leash walking)
Leave it
Touch (nose targeting)
Stay
Around (avoiding obstacles and increasing team communication)
Public access training foundations
BONUS: Q&A on service dog joys and challenges

Service Dog Foundations I is perfect for…

SDiTs that can perform cued behaviors reliably at home but not as well in other spaces
SDiTs that have some, but not all, the foundation behaviors they need
SDiT teams that want to build their confidence and teamwork together
SDiT handlers that want the information and support of a service dog group class

Requirements, Fees, and Schedule:

Health: Dog must be vaccinated and generally healthy
Behavior: Dog must be able to work around other dogs and people
Prerequisites: Family Dog Manners & Obedience or equivalent*.
Course length: 6 weeks
Fee: $128**
Starting date: Date and time to be determined. Contact us to request days and times that work for you. We’ll do our best to accommodate those we hear from first.
Register: HERE

*Equivalent means that your dog can reliably perform most of the behaviors taught in Family Dog Manners & Obedience in a group class environment. If your dog has had previous private or group lessons, please contact us to discuss which class is most appropriate for your dog. We may ask to speak with your previous trainer, send us video, or do a consultation.

**We offer discounts to service-dog handlers who are low income and disabled. Please contact us for information.

Stay Tuned….

We will eventually also be offering

Puppy Kindergarten (for pups 8-16 weeks old)
Service Dog Foundations II
Canine Good Citizen class

Interested in one of these courses, or another course you don’t see listed? Contact us!

Does My Dog Need an Emergency Recall? (Take our quiz and find out)

October 15, 2015 by sharon Leave a Comment

What is an emergency recall?

It’s a way of calling your dog when something unexpected occurs and you need your dog to come to you instantly and without hesitation: your dog jumps the fence and runs toward the skunk, OR the leash breaks and he heads toward the highway, OR she slips her lead and bolts to your neighbor’s aggressive 90-pound dog. It is not for everyday use or for regular obedience training. It is something you use to save your dog’s life. (It can be particularly helpful for reactive dogs.)

Does my dog need an emergency recall?

I think an emergency recall is a terrific trick to have when you really need a miracle. I don’t know you (or your dog), so I don’t know if you need an emergency recall. Maybe your current recall is so fantastic that it functions as well as an emergency recall. To decide whether you need to train a separate emergency recall, take this quick quiz.

1. When I call my dog now, he…
a) runs to me instantly
b) meanders to me eventually
c) pretends we’ve never met

2. My dog comes when called
a) 95 to 100 percent of the time
b) 60 to 80 percent of the time
c) When the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars

3. I am confident my dog will come EVEN if
a) he is in mid-chase with a squirrel/bunny/duck/deer/rattlesnake/bear
b) he has found some good poop and is deciding whether to eat it OR roll in it (decisions, decisions!)
c) I am covered in bacon, hot dogs, and cheddar cheese and yelling, “DINNER”

4. I never let my dog off leash. I am also certain he will never run out the door, escape the fence, or slip his lead.
a) True
b) False
c) Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Add Up Your Score

If you had all “a”s — Your current recall is fantastic, and you are really on top of management and training. Your current recall might work as well as an emergency recall. On the other hand, isn’t it better to train one extra trick to save your dog’s life? You’re a great trainer, and your dog is well-educated, so you’ll probably get it trained in no time.

If you had all “b”s — You have put some work into your dog’s recall, but it’s not reliable in an emergency. Your dog is the ideal candidate for an emergency recall!

If you had all “c”s — You definitely need an emergency recall. You also need an every day recall. May we suggest our previous post on the Golden Rules of Recall?

How to Train an Emergency Recall

Phase One: Create a Positive Association with your Emergency Recall Cue

Pick a word or phrase that you don’t normally use near your dog, which will be easy for you to remember. You can use “Lottery!” “Porcupine!” “Dinosaur alert!” Make it memorable.

For two weeks create a strong positive association with your new cue by pairing it with extremely high-value treats your dog never gets otherwise. Use several pieces of smelly, moist, delicious food, e.g., spray-cheese, steak, stinky cheese, or hot dogs. No commercial dog treats!

Every day, three times a day, go right to your dog, say your emergency cue, then feed several of these extra-special treats. Then do something else. Don’t make it part of a training session. Make it a wonderful surprise. Do it in different rooms and times of day.
The ORDER that you do this is important: say then cue first, THEN give the treats.
Do NOT use your emergency cue to call your dog! This cue is for emergencies only. If you need to call your dog, use their regular come cue.
Sometimes say it quietly, sometimes loudly. Sometimes say it in a panicked way.
If your dog loves meals, use mealtimes. Right before you put down your dog’s food bowl, say the emergency cue. It doesn’t matter if she’s already standing in front of you. You’re not training the usual way where she has to earn her reward. This is classical conditioning – connecting the cue with a joyous, unthinking response.

Phase Two: Test Your Emergency Cue

After two weeks, sneak to a different room with several special treats. Say your emergency cue. If he comes running, praise and give the treats. If he doesn’t come, it’s important that you go to him right away and feed the treats. Repeat Phase One another week and then test again.

Phase Three: Keep the Cue Fresh

Twice a week, when you’re POSITIVE your dog will come (do NOT test the cue if he’s barking out the window or chasing bunnies), say your cue, then feed lavishly. This keeps the cue fresh.

Using the Cue in a Real Emergency

If you ever need to use the cue, try to say it the way you practiced. When your dog turns toward you, praise lavishly and RUN in the opposite direction, calling and praising. Once you’re safe, rewards for all!