Those three little words we love to hear... Such Good Dogs uses positive reinforcement dog training techniques, combined with energy balance.
The cost for this class is $150 CASH. (Discounts will be given to multiple dogs). Please bring your payment with you the first day of class, along with your pet's vet records. I do not need to keep any vet records, but I DO need to see them. Your pet should be up to date on all shots including Parvo, Distemper, and Rabies (if your pet is from outside of Hawaii). These vaccinations are required prior to beginning training. Bordatella vaccination, or Kennel Cough, is recommended but not required.
Basic Manners Level 2...
Loose Leash Walking:
Stay:
Sit, Down, & Stand:
For this private lesson, Jess was asked to go over the Leave-It command with Melissa and her dog Lucky. Melissa has been training with Such Good Dogs with her two dogs Lucky and Hazel. In this lesson we focused on just Lucky. Since Hazel has come into the picture (about a year ago), some of Lucky's bad behaviors have gotten worse. One thing we have been working on is Lucky's aggression towards men. With the addition of the new dog came a power struggle in the house. Although Melissa is doing amazingly better about being a good pack leader, there are still things to work on. One helpful command to practice is the Leave-It. When properly taught, this command can be used to tell your dog to leave anything alone, from people to other dogs, or even small animals and random trash. Properly teaching a good Leave-It command can help keep yourself, your pet, and everyone else safe. 
Finally Jess is asked to observe the client perform the Leave-It command she just demonstrated. While watching the client, it is important for Jess to notice what she does right, but also where she could use improvement. Jess was correct to remind the client to only repeat the command one time. This is important for any cue or command you are teaching. Say it ONE TIME, and ONE TIME ONLY. Repeating a command only teaches a dog that maybe the 5th or 10th time I say it means do it. Say your command one time only. If the dog does not comply, wait 30 seconds, then give your "Uh-oh" (No Reward Marker), move positions (this helps re-set the training in the dog's mind), then try again.
In this picture, Jess works with Hazel (Melissa's other dog). Hazel is young and very high-energy. One of the issues Melissa has with Hazel is her need to want to chase after things when out on a walk. She enjoys picking up anything from leaves and branches, to random trash and dead animals. We will again use the Leave-it command to practice getting Hazel to leave things as they pass. Jess assists by walking by Melissa and Hazel and dropping random plant objects.
Finally, Jess is asked to teach several basic manners commands. In this first picture, Jess demonstrates to a client how to do a proper Look. Here you can see the dog looking directly at Jess. This is exactly what we want. At this point, Jess will give her Reward Marker, "Good!" then treat.
Although Jessica successfully performed and taught all commands, I will not show all of them here. Instead I will end with one of the most important things you can teach your dog, a reliable Come When Called. This is something every owner should strive for. After discussing the 3 Rules and 3 Steps to teaching a dog Come when Called, Jessica demonstrates with a game called Puppy Ping Pong. For this game, you need 2 people and one dog. Each person will take turns practicing calling the dog over. After the dog successfully has performed the Come cue, the person will practice one or two other commands. These can include: look, sit, down, up, and any tricks your dog may know. The point of this game is to reinforce the Come when Called, but it is also an easy and helpful way to add an auto-sit after a come when called. First practice and reward the dog for performing the Come command, then immediately ask the dog to sit every time. After several repetitions, the dog will automatically start to sit after they come to you. 
These first few pictures are the first day Jess worked with her dog in class. Remember, your body language when training a dog is very important. You can see in these pictures that Jess is not only back too far from the dog, but is also arching her back outwards and away. In the dog world, this makes you a weak energy. To correct this problem, she should step in and stand straight up. In this first picture, you will also notice the leash is tight. You want your leash short but loose when working with your dog.
One of the most important things students learn in Basic Manners Dog Training is Loose Leash Walking (LLW). This basically means the dog is walking nicely on a leash, not pulling, and not all over the place. (Also visit our Trainer Tips for more help). To train a dog how to Loose Leash Walk, you basically have two options. When the dog pulls you 1) stop and wait for the dog to move in a way that releases the tension on the leash, or 2) say "Let's go!" and walk off in the opposite direction. Here you can see Jess demonstrating the stop and wait technique for LLW. If you are consistent in teaching LLW to your dog, you will have a dog that is a pleasure to walk with in a short amount of time. But remember to be consistent! Letting your dog just pull every now and then sets back your training. 
This next picture is Jess working with her mom and Kaiko. Part of being consistent is making sure that everyone in the household has all the same rules, all the same cue words, all the time. Not being consistent with your dog confuses her, and sets back training. I highly encourage families to have all member present during training. It is important that everyone is on the same page when it comes to training. If you have a large family, it may be helpful to keep a list of rules, cue words, and commands you use for everyone to see. Practice training together. Help each other. Remember not to get frustrated. Stay calm and make it fun.
