You think your dog’s barking or jumping is a phase, but it only seems to get worse as they get older.
Now you think it’s too late to correct the problem. But that’s not the case. Apparently the old adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is a myth. At least that’s what No Monkey Business Dog Training owner Helen St. Pierre told us. And as someone who has worked with dogs of all ages, she has seen success stories in 10-week-old puppies all the way up to 12-year-old rescue dogs.
“The first 16 weeks of a dog’s life are the most important,” St. Pierre said. “But there’s no age that you can’t work with. Every dog is capable of learning.”
But how do you get started? Of course, St. Pierre would like you to give her a call to set up a consultation, but really any dog trainer you feel comfortable with will work. It’s all about finding the right fit for your four-legged friend.
“As soon as you get a dog, you should seek out training,” St. Pierre said. “Even if all you do is call and check in with a trainer, that’s good.”
The No. 1 thing is be ready to work. Not only will your dog be trained, but St. Pierre is also in the business of training people – although you must have a dog to work with her. It’s kind of a big part of the deal.
“Humans on the other end of the leash that are willing to put in the work is the sweet spot for me,” St. Pierre said. “You’re really teaching two creatures to dance with each other.”
But if a dog owner isn’t willing to put in their part of the work, then the dog is never going to succeed. Since St. Pierre sees her clients at most once a week, but typically more like every other, and those sessions are only a half hour long, so she develops a plan that can be worked on at home. And she’ll know if you’re trying to pull a fast one on her when it comes to the homework. Trust us, she’ll know and you can’t use the old ‘my dog ate my homework’ line.
Some of her work centers around basic obedience, like sit, lay down and stay – which is for older dogs that never had any training or those cute little puppies that will terrorize your house without any ground rules.
“You have to make sure the dog’s environment is set up to succeed,” St. Pierre said.
She works to familiarize dogs with other dogs and humans, to help with fear and anxiety by self soothing, and how to handle situations that may arise out in public. She’s kind of a jack of all trades when it comes to getting your pooch to act in the best way for everyone involved.
Just like we enjoy a little reward for our hard work (we accept thank yous, good jobs and baked goods), dogs need to know that when they respond to your commands that you appreciate what they’ve done. And what better way to show your pooch some love then with a little food.
“We go to work and get paid and the dogs need to be paid for the work they’re doing,” St. Pierre said.
You can use people food like pepperoni and meat loaf, or there’s a whole host of great treats on the market made specifically for dogs. All you want is a little something to let them know you care.
“It’s all relationship building,” she said.
Once all the basic work is done, you can move into the more advanced world of dog training that can one day lead to those cool agility courses and tricks.
“It’s going to take a lot of patience and a lot of time,” St. Pierre said.
For more info on No Monkey Business, visit nomonkeybusinessdogtraining.com or facebook.com/No-Monkey-Business-Dog-Training.
