Unleashed Unlimited
THE Dog Training Blog

At Unleashed Unlimited, socialization is very much a part of our training program. When working with dogs that lack the correct social skills, it is important to have a level of control and also have the dog around the right types of dogs whom are able to help with teaching a more sophisticated level of communication.

It is actually quite amazing to watch how quickly they learn and no longer feel like they need to be on the defense.  Many of the dogs we work with who have had limited social experiences become more relaxed in an initial greeting and social setting when they previously would resort to growling, lunging and stiffness in body posture.   It is also rewarding to see that the owners of these dogs have more confidence when dealing with dog to dog interaction.

We host a trail class for our clients in various locations. During the trail classes we focus on keeping the dogs moving in a group.  This constant moving past other dogs, bikes, and people doesn’t allow the dog to focus on what they are uneasy about; the focus is to keep moving.  This type of setting is very useful in the social process and it is the real world. You can not always control the environment or another dogs reactive behavior but you can have the skills to control your own dog and the outcome.

If you would need to get your dog more socialized and overcome fear and shyness, contact Unleashed Unlimited.

A few weeks ago, an Unleashed Unlimited client told us about a great product.  After noticing that one of our client’s dog had a smooth and shiney coat, we asked what kind of products they had used on her.  They told us about The FURminator, and we immediately went out and bought one.

The FURminator is a deshedding tool that does a great job at removing dead undercoat on your pet, it is the best dog grooming product we have seen in a very long time.  This thing is great, it not only did a great job on our dogs with long and medium length coats, but also helped a lot with our short haired dog.

If you go to their website, you can see a bunch of pictures that show freshly FURminated dogs along side of all of the hair that was removed.  This is a great product, be sure to check it out!

We always are left with a great feeling when our clients realize how far they have come with their dogs.   The journey of training your dog always has its ups and downs; but at the end, it is rewarding to see all of your hard work pay off.  All of a sudden you realized that your dog behaves the way that we all knew they could.  Below is an email from one of our clients that we wanted to share with everyone.

“Just wanted to let you both know how much I appreciate everything you have shown me.  When I was leaving the park today (June did great, off her leash the whole time!) I couldn’t believe the transformation that had taken place in such a short amount of time.  When I first got June I had envisioned what I wanted life to be like with her….calmly meeting people, sitting at the door, going to her place, walking beside me in public with no leash, coming when I called….I found out that doesn’t come naturally!  But thanks to all your help I now have that dog I have always wanted and it seems to me that we are both a lot happier.  :)  And my husband is a lot happier too, not getting jumped up on every evening when he comes home!”

Not only does Unleashed Unlimited teach obedience, but we also give our clients the confidence they need in order to be able to take their dogs out and have fun with them.  If you would like to have more fun with YOUR dog, please contact us so we can show you how.

As we all know, consistency is very important in life, relationships and careers.  The same definitely applies to dog training.  Dogs are learning all of the time, not just when we are “formally” training them.    Regardless of the method of training, you have to be consistent and fair to your dog.

When we teach our dogs a new command, or are trying to reshape unwanted behaviors, repetition, consistency, and success rate all play a roll into shaping the final desired behavior.  If we keep changing our approach and lacking follow thru it will take forever to teach them the simplest thing.  This is where frustration on our part can sometimes lead to abandoning hope and giving up all together; it usually leaves us thinking our dog is probably not the brightest bulb, but I promise you, this is not the case. When starting a new training program or a new skill you have to be patient, go at their pace and BE CONSISTENT!

One of the most important things that we need to teach our customers is that working obedience and behavior modification into our daily routines goes a long way.  Formal training sessions are huge, but you still need your dog to behave and act a certain way the rest of the time.  Teaching your dog does not end as soon as your training class wraps up for the night.  This goes back to the statement we made earlier : dogs are learning all of the time, it is up to us to make sure they are learning the right things.

Think of it this way, would you let your dog pull you from the car to a training class and then expect them not to pull you around once you are in the training class?  Think about what you just taught them.   Also, a lot of people leave their dogs in a fenced in backyard while they are at work all day.  This is a terrific time for dogs to make their own decisions (usually the wrong ones) and unwanted behaviors are practiced all day long.  Eating dinner, watching tv, answering the door bell, and interacting with them in the back yard are all necessary opportunities to teach your dog how to behave.  If you put the work in now, you can enjoy a well behaved dog for the rest of their lives.  Consistency and fairness and reinforcing the right behavior will accelerate the learning process and leave you with a feeling of accomplishment.

Because dogs do not learn overnight and true behavior modification takes time, Unleashed Unlimited Dog Training offers lifetime training in most of it’s training programs.  We work at a pace that you and your dog are comfortable with, and you aren’t left with a half finished dog when most training programs expire.  Lifetime training means you can come to our training classes as often as you want, for the life of your dog!  Even after graduation, if your dog needs polishing up or if new problems may arise, bring your dog back for a refresher class!  More importantly, we teach owners and dogs how to interact when our trainers are not present.  This way you can work with your dog and implement the right things into your daily interactions, and keep consistency present at all times.

Austin is such a great place to live and work; more importantly, it is a great place to play.  Austin offers all types of outdoor activities like swimming, biking, running, hiking, camping, and boating.  The Austin Park system is composed of about 150 parks, and 12 of them are designated off-leash areas for your dog!  In addition to Austin’s dog parks, several surrounding towns like Round Rock and Georgetown have added their own community dog parks.  This means you can bring your dog along for a hike or a jog and let them be dogs and run.

Out of the 14 dog parks in the Austin area, only 3 are completely fenced in.  Does this mean you cant have fun at all of the other off-leash areas?  We think not, but strongly suggest taking the right precautions.

A lot of times we have been asked, “If you could teach your dog only one command, what would it be?”  Our answer is always the same - COME.  Regardless of whether there is a fence or not, it is very important to have control over your dog; constant monitoring of your dog at a dog park and around your neighborhood is crucial.  In addition to saving your dog from being hit by a car or running off and getting lost, lots of unwanted social dog behaviors can be avoided simply by telling your dog to COME.  Behaviors like humping, tackling, constant pestering and rushing the gate can all be avoided this way.

I know what you may be thinking, “My dog doesn’t listen to me at the dog park, there are too many things distracting her.”  A lot of dogs are not trained in these types of environments and don’t know how to behave, and this is typical.  Many dog trainers will try to sell you an in-home training package; their justification is that your dog spends most of their time in your home and this is where they need to behave.  In certain cases, they are correct.  But what if you want to be able to take your dog hiking or go to the dog park knowing that you can use obedience commands to control and prevent common dog park problems; how does in-home dog training help you?  Training a dog in a sterile environment or only at the home doesn’t prepare you or your dog to behave at a dog park or any other public setting.

In addition to offering in-home training, most of the training packages offered by Unleashed Unlimited Dog Training cater to people who are looking for more then the “typical” dog training.  Our training programs are designed to offer the control needed to be able to do these types of things and more with your dog.  Most of the fun things you can do with your dog happen when the leash is off and your dog can run and just be a dog, and of course off-leash control is needed.  Unleashed Unlimited offers exactly what you need.

We train our clients’ dogs in public.  Out at dog parks we have to compete with squirrels, people, other dogs, birds, children and all kinds of smells and sights; these are all real world distractions.  We cannot control the smells, we cant always count on other dog owners to have control over their dogs, and we can’t tell the squirrels to stop what they are doing; the only thing we can control are our dogs.  When your dog can behave and listen at a dog park, going for a walk around the block or welcoming a friend into your house without having your dog jump all over them are easy things to manage.

You may be reading this and thinking that we make it sound so easy, and your dog will never behave out in public.  We just want to say that all of these things are extremely possible for the average dog owner to accomplish; we see it happen every day, this is what we do.  If you are an active dog owner who is looking to enjoy time spent with your dog out in the Austin dog parks, contact Unleashed Unlimited.  We would be happy to show you exactly what you can expect from working with us.