Obedience

 Basic & Advanced Obedience

(Facility Board & Train)
Both Diane & I want to assure you that your pet will be cared for as if it was our own. We have 10 plus acres and a 2500 (+) square foot climate-controlled facility with both indoor and outdoor runs. We offer basic and advanced obedience programs at the facility on-site at our home. All K9’s must go through an evaluation prior to entering into our basic obedience program. K9’s that have passed through the basic program can proceed into our advanced program without being re-evaluated. Your pet will learn all of the commands listed below as well as any additional behavioral issues that may need training. Your pet will be introduced to socializing with other dogs and they will have interaction with us several times throughout the day and evening. Your pet will receive some playtime in addition to the training sessions they will receive throughout the day. Our program is very successful due to amount of time we spend with your pet which includes working with distractions. Owner participation is a must in order for this to be successful for you, me and your pet.

In some cases, we will use the best dogs in our program to demo with other clients or to show proper commands once they have been learned.

(Personal One on One Training Sessions)
While we are training your dog, positive praise is their reward. We praise them every time they do the correct thing, even if you had to force the correct thing to happen. The more they hear “good boy!” or “good girl!” the more they will try to do the correct thing so they can hear even more praise. Your approval and praise are what your pet lives for!


Phase 1- Basic Obedience Training
The goal is to build a foundation of firm obedience from which the advanced training can be built upon. Within the first four weeks of the program, your pet will be taught five commands (on leash): sit, down, here, heel, and place. We will use a variety of distractions to test these commands to ensure that your pet can be obedient under challenging circumstances.

• Heel
Heeling is when your dog walks calmly on your left or right (or both if requested) with their head next to your heel / knee. Once trained, the dog will be at your heel whether you are walking, running or standing still. The dog will not be trying to run ahead or off to the side, and will not be pulling or yanking you along on the leash.

• Sit (Sit means Stay)
We will begin each heeling session with the dog in a sitting position, and we will tell the dog to sit every time we stop. "Heel" said outside of going for a walk actually means for the dog to immediately come sit next to your left heel.

Even a puppy as young as five or six weeks old will learn to sit after only a day or two of training. Putting the puppy into a sitting position while saying sit and giving praise each time. At Green Timber Training and Kennels, “Sit means Stay”. We do not put an extra word into the dog’s vocabulary. We reinforce the “Sit” command to encompass that the command sit also means not to move from the spot where the command was given. We use a controlled area in the basic program to control an extended sit for 5, 10 and even 15 minutes if needed.

• Down
Down is used for your dog to lay down right where they are when the command is given - immediately. 

Note: Down is not to be used when he is jumping up on you - that is “NO” (which we will get to later). 

• Here
This is a fun one, and possibly the most important command you can teach your dog. "Here!" means to come immediately and sit or stand at heel. 

After the command is learned and perfected, the dog should be able to come directly to you immediately at a heel position no matter what the dog is doing or how far away the dog is.

Note: All of the basic obedience commands are taught on a loose leash format with a training collar and lead. Advance obedience training cannot be started until all commands are achieved and taught at the basic level with distractions in place and 100% approval from the trainer.

• Free
“Free” is used when you allow the dog to go ahead of you on leash and be allowed to smell or eliminate in a certain area. 

We train the dog on a gentle leader type of leash that reaches out to 25 feet. The dog is taught to return to the heel position if the dog pulls when reaching the end of the leash. This teaches the dog that if the dog pulls on the leash, the dog will have to return in order to be allowed “Free” again. Eventually the dog will learn not to pull when reaching the end and this allows for more free time. 

• No
“No” is used in a low tone as a verbal correction, ONLY after the dog understands the command that has been given. When the dog understands the command and refuses after the second time, we reinforce the command with a “No” in front of the command. Such as “No, Sit!”, “No, Heel!” and even “No, here!”. All of these commands will be tested throughout the training process by the dog as they are still trying to establish dominance in the pack. Once they understand their position behind the “Pack Leader” there will be less refusal of the commands. 

Note: All of the basic obedience commands are taught on a loose leash format with a training collar and lead. Advance obedience training cannot be started until all commands are achieved and taught at the basic level with distractions in place and 100% approval from the trainer.


Phase 2- Advanced Obedience Training
Once your dog has completed the basic obedience training, the dog will move into the next phase of the training program. This objective is to teach your dog all of the basic commands at an advanced level without the leash. This is what is called “Off Leash Training”.

• Place
This is a location or an area that we want the dog to go to and stay. This is used when you want the dog to go to a certain spot in the car, boat or any area that you choose. This is taught by using a 24” x 24” board called the “Place” area. Once we have established this area we move to different areas with different heights and shapes and have the dog “Place” in those locations. The dog soon learns that whatever area you choose and says the command “Place” is where the dog will go and stay.

Note: Off leash commands are initially taught in a controlled environment, no distractions. In order for the dog(s) to attain off leash control with distractions, the dog(s) must first attain on leash control with distractions. 

 Behavioral Issues  

At Green Timber Training and Kennels…We have the ability to deal with a variety of dog behavioral issues. 

Think of it this way -- you've just been placed in a foreign land -- you don't speak the language, you don't understand what's expected and a lot of new -- sometimes frightening, sometimes exciting -- experiences are ahead of you. That's a taste of what it might feel like to a dog -- be it puppy or adult -- that has just become a member of your family.
There are bound to be a few problems along the way. The thing to remember is that most problem behaviors can be rectified with patience and love. The first step is usually trying to see the world as your dog and then together you both can start to speak the same language.

• Aggression: Fear and Anxiety
• Aggression: General Aggression
• Aggression: Predatory Aggression
• Aggression: Toy Aggression
• Aggression: Dominance
• Barking or Whining
• Biting
• Body Language
• Chewing
• Dominance in Dogs
• Jumping
• Leadership
• Nipping
• Pulls on leash
• Puppy Training and Socialization
• Reactivity
• Separation Anxiety
• Socialization
• Spay/Neuter and Behavior
• Travel

Feel free to reach out to us with any issues you may be having with your dog. If I haven’t seen it or dealt with it first hand, I can help you find the right person that has the experience to deal with your particular problem or behavioral issues. 

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