It’s Monday, that means it’s time for another video! Also, did you miss the Spooky Box from Chewy?
Check that out here:
A friend reached out asking for a donation to a local fundraiser event, so I collected some items. I’ll be doing a photo shoot of the finished box within the next few weeks.
What’s Happening
There’s been A LOT happening in the dog world recently, on top of everything going on in the regular world, and it’s been a bit much.
I’ve been thinking about switching up the format of these videos and adding on long-form videos that dissect happenings, history, and trends in the dog world.
For example, Cesar Millan is back in the news again, and it’s upsetting. But just calling out his methods as horrifying doesn’t really paint a full picture, and it can alienate folks who enjoy his work or have his books and who don’t understand the complexities of what has happened with Cesar as a face of the dog training industry. I’d like to do a deep dive in the next few months on Cesar, along with additional elements of the pet industry along the way, and I’m going to see if I can make it happen.
The Third Dog
Meet Tucker! He stayed with us for a few days while his people were out of town and I decided to include him in the shoot. I’ve worked with him tons on training, and his people have done some really neat things with him as well, so this little guy knows quite a bit.
Why I’m Doing This Series
As I’ve mentioned in previous videos, I’ve been struggling to enjoy my dogs over the past year, as I’ve noticed I’ve started to dread walks and training and spending time with them, so I wanted to find some easy, fun, affordable ways to rebuild. Over the next two months, everything will be Halloween themed, and we’ll tackle a bunch of different boxes, activities, and crafts. So far, we’ve unboxed a Bark Box, we’ve analyzed a Chewy shipment for an auction fundraiser, and with this video, we’re going to make a place for both of them.
I also get anxious about videos and photos I see online sometimes with dogs. There’s a lot that can go on behind the scenes, so I wanted to show the realities of working with dogs, and how results aren’t always easy or simple.
New Activity: Spooky “Go to Place”
For this video, I got four large pieces of felt for $6 something and I cut out some designs. It was okay. It came out okay. It wasn’t great.
I realized during the last video that I was struggling with showing them where I wanted them to be for the photos – and I also forgot to video the photo taking process that time. I knew having a solid, themed place cue for both of them will not only enhance our photo shoots visually, but help me communicate with them more effectively.
Go To Place: Send your dog to their spot, bed, or place with distractions. This chains a sniff, a down, and a stay.
Dogs should know: a marker, “sit”, “down”, “stay”, and a release word. Timing is also important.
TIP: Build duration before you build distance.
If they mess up, assume they didn’t understand, not that they did it on purpose. It’s our responsibility to explain what we expected and to break it down for them if they don’t get it.
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Want more? Follow me on social media or check out my podcast, Telltail Dog, wherever you listen to your favorites! My mission to to make dog training accessible to pet parents trying to do right by their dogs. I design all of my marketing around the questions that my clients are asking, and I humanize my work as much as possible. What are you doing to enjoy your dogs this week? Tag me in your photos and videos with #telltaildog and @telltaildog.
