dogs

Small Dog Training is Possible!

October 10, 2023 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Training a small dog is possible!

Our Miniature Pinscher Board & Train, Gus, is officially home with his owners after a month full of training! Here is what his owners had to say:

“It’s day 4 since Gus came home and we have already noticed big differences!

Before going to UPK9 and working with Coach Sara, Gus was very much out of control (not his fault 100 percent ours). He would constantly jump on anyone or anything that moved. Just jumped and barked when anyone came in and hated to walk on leash. Going for a drive was also a nightmare.

Since being home we noticed how much calmer Gus has been. He loves to train and go for walks with no leash pulling! I can do day to day chores without him needing my attention all the time. He is not constantly trying to jump and get what we are carrying. Before, when I would take him to the vet he thought he could play with every dog. When we went on Thursday for a wellness check he just sat by my side. That in its self amazed me!

He has also become so much more affectionate. Loves to sit with my husband when I’m not in the room. But when Momma comes back he is all my dog. We just woke up from a 2 hour cuddle nap!”

– Owners Jacinta & Ralph

We are loving this update and can’t wait to hear more as Gus and his family flourish together for the years to come! We sure will miss him 🙂

➡️ Ready to unleash your dogs full potential? Please book your free consult to discuss all your training options with us: Click here

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Training Outside with a Reactive Dog

April 19, 2023 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Do you have trouble training your dog outside? Are you finding great success when training your dog inside or in low-distraction areas but outside they are absorbed by all the distractions?

Our behavioral cases involve working a lot with thresholds. This is a common term in behavior modification work and is a great way to address fear, anxiety, aggression, and stress in your dog.

Threshold means the distance your dog needs to be away from the trigger or stimuli that alerts them where they can notice the trigger but not be upset by it.

The distance required is dictated by the dog. With some dogs, the distance is only a few feet until they feel stressed. For some, it needs to be great distances. We start out at whatever distance is required and slowly shrink it over time. We refer to the times the dog can not contain themselves to be “over the threshold” and the times they can maintain calm they are “under the threshold.”

The reactivity the dog does when over the threshold does not always mean just barking and lunging. There are more signs such as:

The dog absolutely can NOT focus on you at all. They just can’t stop staring at the trigger.
Excitement manifests into mouthing, leash biting, and jumping at you.
Shutting down and/or pancaking on the ground.
Inability to take a treat even though they are normally a food-motivated dog

These are all signs you are over the threshold and need to create more distance in order to get success. Train as far away as you need where the dog will still take food, give you some attention, and can focus and process your commands.

Click here to watch a video example of working with a dog within their threshold.

➡️ Do you have a reactive dog? Looking to unleash their potential? Please book your free consult to discuss all your training options with us: Click here _______________________________________________________________

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Reactive Goldendoodle

September 21, 2022 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Meet Mickey the 5-year-old reactive Goldendoodle!

Mickey’s family was at a loss on what to do regarding his reactiveness to people. After booking a consult with us to discuss their frustrations and overall goals with Mickey, they decided to enroll in our Board and Train program!

After several weeks of living and training with Coach Duke, Mickey has now completed boarding and is living his best fearless life with his family who are now having so much more fun with him!

Here is what his owner had to say:

“We were really at a loss before Mickey went to PEI to stay with Duke. We didn’t know what we were going to do.

Mickey was showing signs of aggression towards some people and even growling at my daughters. We could not take him anywhere off leash as he had no recall at all. We were limited on being able to go away because we had no one that could watch him. We couldn’t trust him.

We did try another trainer before UPK9 but had little success. Mickey had also had obedience classes from the time he was a puppy. He had the basic, sit, stay, down, but that was it.

Mickey spent 6 weeks with Duke on Prince Edward Island. We were so excited when he came home and certain people he didn’t like, prior to training, could now feed him from their hands. We knew we were on the road to success! (*Check out this quick video on one of Mickey’s amazing socialization outings: click here to watch)

We love how much Mickey loved Duke and how well he responded to him. We love that all the things he learned while he was there we can continue to build on at home. His recall is amazing and we love seeing how Mickey responds to us now at home!

If we had not enrolled in the Board & Train program, we would still be frustrated and really at a loss on what to do with Mickey.

If you too are interested in the dog training at Unleashed Potential – especially the Boarding program – we would tell you it was the best thing we ever did. The support we have received is amazing and we would encourage you to come to see Mickey and see how far he has come. We have friends that can’t believe the difference in him!”

– Owner Ruth Ann

Lawrencetown, NS

Thank you for the kind words and awesome job keeping up with Mickey’s training! He was a fun dog to have around and we miss him lots – reactive Goldendoodle no more!

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Off-Leash Dog Training 10 Years Later

May 3, 2022 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Cassie is loving the off-leash dog life! Nearly 10 years ago, Cassie and her family enrolled in our Ultimate Obedience program to learn off-leash obedience.

Today, Cassie and her family are still enjoying the benefits of their training! The work they put in truly shows and we are so proud and happy to see where they are 10 years later!

Read their story below.

“Cassie was the “wild child” dog. Very friendly but had no attention span, loved to run and returned when she wanted and was terrible on a leash.

Cassie was just over 2 when I brought her to Unleashed Potential Dog Training. All I can say is WOW! Even after the first session, she was a different dog. Still her lovely happy self but focused. It was like a light was switched on!

She was a sweet dog but after training, she is a joy to have with me. She can go anywhere, with no fear of her bolting. It is so important as now she is 11 and losing her hearing and the remote allows us to tap and she knows it means to come back.

She still has the joy of our hikes and I know she will respond right away! I am so happy I decided to take Cassie to Unleashed Potential.”

– Owner Beverly

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Would you like your dog to be an off-leash dog? Or looking to explore our other services?

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Training Two German Shepherds

March 22, 2022 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Training two German Shepherds is a lot of work to take on but our client, Myles, was up for the challenge!

We are so proud of how far he and his two dogs have come! They worked so hard to get to where they are now and we love watching as they continue to make progress.

*Duke (left), Roxy (right)*

“When I first got my German Shepherd, Roxy, a co-worker of mine mentioned Unleashed Potential. I was excited until I saw the pricing. It honestly scared me. My co-worker then explained the training to me and told me I wouldn’t regret it. She is a good friend so I took her word for it. She was right!

The training was great, as well as the staff. I enjoyed the training and staff so much that when I got my second Shepherd, Duke, I enrolled him in the puppy class for the basics and socialization which was major! Then, like my first dog, we went on to the Ultimate Obedience (off-leash training) with my new pup.

*Pictured – Puppy Duke meets Trainer Duke*

Unleashed Potential treats you like family. To this day I am very close in contact with Sara and Duke. At one point, my training had come to a standstill between no motivation with the dogs and me working so much. UPK9 helped me revamp the spark with the dogs! We switched their food to a better brand for them (Hurraw) and the drive instantly went up and has stayed up ever since.

Long story short is I think UPK9 can help with any problem or training you need! It may be quick or it may take more time but be patient, trust the process, and make the training fun for you and the dog.”

-Owner Myles

Training two German Shepherds is possible! Congrats Myles on your success!

You can follow along with their journey – @myles_outdoors

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