unleashed potential k9 tv

Two Ways to Teach the Heel Position

September 11, 2023 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Two Ways to Teach the Heel Position

Are your walks with your dog friend turning into a tug-of-war match? Have you been yearning for a leash-walking experience that’s smooth, enjoyable, and stress-free? Well, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there, frustrated with our dog’s inability to stay in the heel position. It might be that your dog does not understand the position. But fear not! In this blog post, we’re going to delve into two ways to teach the heel position to transform your dog’s leash-walking manners and elevate your bonding experience. This is the beginning.

1. The Two-Step: Dancing into the Heel Position

Imagine your walks with your pup as a synchronized dance, where you lead, and your dog gracefully follows your lead. Duke Ferguson Professional dog trainer and NePoPo® Gold Multiplicator, introduces us to the Two-Step technique, a method that’s perfect for those who are mobile and active. With food or high-value treats, a leash, and a positive attitude you’re ready to take the floor. Don’t forget your favourite song.

The premise is simple yet effective:

Is the Dog Hungry Enough to Lure and Reward: Begin with a hungry and food-motivated dog. Hold a treat in your fist, present it to your dog, and observe if they eagerly come forward for it. This willingness to follow the lure is crucial for success.

Two-Step Technique: With your dog on a loose leash, take a step back with your left leg while keeping your right foot planted. As your dog moves toward you, step forward with your right foot, guiding them into the heel position by your side. It’s like a dance of coordination where you lead, and your dog follows.

Mark and Reward: Utilize a marker word like “break” or a clicker to release your dog and reward them for achieving the desired position.

Practice and repetition are key. As your dog becomes accustomed to the Two-Step Tango, you’ll witness them eagerly stepping into the heel position, creating a harmonious flow. Soon to be a great walking experience once you begin motion.

2. Place Board Practice: Tailoring the Heel Position for All Abilities

Not everyone has the same mobility, and Duke Ferguson understands this. For individuals who may have limited mobility, such as those in wheelchairs or with specific physical challenges, the Place Board Perfection technique is a game-changer. It ensures that everyone can participate in shaping & training and bond with their furry companions.

Here’s how it works:

Create a Target: Introduce your dog to a place board. Lure them onto it and encourage them to turn around to face you. This step familiarizes your dog with the target and creates a foundation for the training.

The Turn: With your dog on the place board, guide them into the heel position. This time, you won’t need to step back. Instead, you pivot around the dog, ensuring they are aligned with your leg and in the desired position.

Name the Command: As your dog becomes comfortable with the position on the place board, you can name it using a word like “heel.”

Remember, consistency is key. Practice two ways to teach the heel position techniques daily, dedicating a few minutes to each session, and you’ll witness remarkable progress in your dog’s leash-walking skills. Once your dog knows where you want it to be it’s much easier to begin the walks.

Bonus Tips for Leash Training Success

Duke Ferguson’s wisdom extends beyond the basic techniques. Here are some additional tips to enhance your leash training journey:

1. Motivation Matters: Keep your dog motivated with the food they love and positive reinforcement for these steps is fine.

2. Phasing Away the Lure: Over time, reduce the reliance on treats while maintaining the desired behavior. The goal is to have your dog follow the heel command even without the lure.

3. Variety Is Key: Experiment with different positions, such as the right side or going through your legs. NePoPo® training lets you be creative.

Your Journey to Training Excellence Begins Now

As you embark on this exciting journey of mastering the heel position, remember that Timing, consistency, and motivation are your allies. Whether you’re dancing the Two-Step Tango or perfecting the Place Board Position, the ultimate goal is to build a strong bond and communication with your dog so you can enjoy walks together. OR Dancing. 🙂

If you’re hungry for more dog training insights and want to take your skills to the next level, Join our extraordinary community. Duke Ferguson offers a ton of resources through his Unleashed Potential Experience membership (UPX). This community of like-minded individuals is dedicated to personal development through dog training. Not only will you learn to take you dog training skills to the next level but also your life skills. Duke is not only a pro dog trainer NePoPo® Gold but also a certified high performance coach®. In UPX join Duke Live for coaching, join challenges and grow with a like minded communuty. Dog training and personal development for humans and dogs.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to put on your dancing shoes or create your perfect place and embark on a journey of shaping success. Your dog will thank you for the enriching experience, Happy training! 🐾

Unleashed Potential Place Boards

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Unleashed Potential Experience – UPX Membership or NePoPo® philosophy of training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

PUPPY SOCIALIZATION | Building Confidence in Your Dog

March 4, 2022 By Duke Ferguson 2 Comments

A 5-Step Puppy Socialization Exercise to Build More Confidence in Your Dog!

If you’re looking for ways to socialize and build confidence in your puppy or an older dog of any age, then this video is for you. Watch as I take you inside one of my private training sessions and introduce you to a very powerful, next-level socialization exercise that many quality working kennels will do with their dogs. You’ll see a vibrant 16-week old pitbull puppy named Echo as she goes through all of the steps that I’m going to teach you. This is the first time she will experience this form of socialization.

I’ll teach five levels that you can add on and keep the momentum going as your dog becomes more and more confident. This puppy socialization exercise is very simple and very fun. It is also an extremely powerful way to have your dog learn to try hard on its own and become more confident.

If you enjoyed this video, please Subscribe to our YouTube channel (P.S. Click the bell icon to get notifications when we post a new video).

Steps to Socialize Your Puppy

Step 1: Introduce the kiddie pool or something that can contain bottles or other safe objects. The pool is empty at this point, you just want your puppy to experience the difference in texture and sound. We let the dog explore with a loose leash. Drop pieces of kibble or high-value treats in the pool as your dog is in it. Make it a great place to be!

Step 2: Let your puppy jump out and add some empty water bottles to the pool making sure to leave lots of empty space. As your dog jumps in, drop in more pieces of kibble, let your dog search around for the food. The sound of the moving bottles will be a different experience and this is part of socialization. The food is a reward and the dog learns to overcome the stress of the moving bottles.

Step 3: Add even more water bottles to the pool. Enough that the dog must push through some bottles in order to get the food.

Step 4: As your dog is searching for food, tap the side of the pool to add some distraction and offer reassurance through some gentle petting and praise through touch. This helps build confidence because you as the handler are giving that support in this new environment.

Step 5: The last step of this exercise to build confidence in your dog is to move around the bottles as they search for the food. In this case, I’m using a stick to move around bottles and randomly tap the pool. This is another form of distraction and it socializes the dog to all sorts of sounds, textures, and situations.

_________________________________________________________________

Recommended Products for This Exercise:

_________________________________________________________________

Puppy Socialization should be fun!

This can be done with older dogs too, it’s a great way to develop that trusting relationship between you and your dog. It’s our hope that this video will help you think of other ways you can socialize your dog. Get creative and remember always start off slowly and add another level as your dog is comfortable. Use these exercises as an opportunity to train your dog using his kibble as a reward. Throw that food dish away and get a treat pouch and feed your dog while you train!

Tweet this video

_________________________________________________________________

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Duke’s philosophy on dog training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

Gain More CONFIDENCE in YOU and YOUR DOG | Coaching

November 18, 2021 By Duke Ferguson 1 Comment

Gain More Confidence in You and Your Dog

Are you lacking confidence in yourself and your overall life? Is your dog training and relationship struggling as a result of your confidence level?

In this video, I teach four ways to build more confidence in you and your dog.

Dog training is best when you as the handler are confident in your skills, and you can help your dog overcome stresses and, therefore, grow.

This clip is from my UPX Live Zoom coaching session on gaining courage and confidence for you and your dog.

As a certified professional dog trainer and high-performance coach, I believe it is essential to understand that how you show up personally affects all aspects of your life and your dog’s life, including building confidence and a better relationship with your dog.

From my experience, having a good coach helps me overcome many serious struggles in my personal life and in my overall professional life, I truly and fully believe in combining personal development with all we do…ESPECIALLY dog training. They need us at our best so they can be at their best.

Dog training and high-performance coaching is a super-powerful combination as I have found out this year in my Unleashed Potential Experience “UPX” Live Training & Coaching Program. It’s much more than just dog training and behaviour shaping, it’s training & personal development for YOU and YOUR dog.

Want to gain more confidence in yourself and in your dog then this video is for you, hit play and I’ll share four ways to gain more confidence in you and your dog!

If you know 3 friends who would benefit from this please share it with them, I want to help as many people and dogs as I can become more confident, and you can help me help others build more confidence and live a better life.

If you enjoyed this video, please Subscribe to our YouTube channel (P.S. Click the bell icon to get notifications when we post a new video). I am consistently coming out with new videos and love your feedback.

what did you love about the video?

TWEET THIS VIDEO

4 Ways to Gain More Confidence in YOU and YOUR DOG

1. Increase your skill: Competence builds confidence.

Increasing your skill level is very important when you have a goal, and you’re not confident to do it. It’s showing up, having a little bit of understanding and just going to do it. Therefore, learn that new skill and then apply it. Tell yourself, you’re going to crush this fear, and you’re just going to do that one thing to move forward, and you do that. Even that one thing.

2. Don’t wait for a reason. Get a coach, take action and gain some momentum.

Please don’t wait for a cause in a sense; you have goals, you have dreams, you have visions, whether it’s for your dog or in other aspects of your life. This vision can be for your finances, your relationships, your business, health, hobbies. So, confidence isn’t something that usually comes, right? We have to grow. You have to kind of say, okay, how do I get this? A good coach will help you get clarity and hold you accountable so you can gain momentum.

3. Set the intention and permit yourself.

I’m just going to be more confident because I’m stuck. And I’m going to quit being stuck in the mud. Give yourself permission, set the intention and do it. I know that’s a big statement, and I know how hard that is. I have done it. That’s taking a step forward to crush that fear.

4. Have faith! Know who you are, where you came from, and what you want.

Think, “I know who I am and I know where I have been.” Sometimes it is uncomfortable. Sometimes you’re going to seek that comfort. So that’s why maybe you’re staying in the comfort of your own home or not pushing the envelope because of distractions or issues with a dog or whatever it is. A lot of us look to credentials. You may think, “I don’t have the credentials, so I can’t do that.” “I don’t have the certification or the course…I don’t do that.” Don’t stress about that stuff. You have to learn. Life is learning. So by knowing who you are and knowing what you want and then deciding, you’re just going to do it. You’re going to crush that fear.

Want to join Duke’s live bi-weekly dog training and life coaching membership? Click here or the image below for more details.

FOLLOW US!

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Duke’s philosophy on dog training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

Train Your Dog Using Raw Fish

October 19, 2021 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Train Your Dog Using Raw Fish

I get asked a lot about how to use raw food when training a dog. People wonder about the process I use and including how I prepare and actually carry the raw fish or any other raw meat when training. What a training session looks like and whether or not it’s messy.

There are a variety of ways that you can use raw food to train your dog. I love the fact that in the spring, summer and fall months I catch my dog food. I make sure to freeze the fish for three to four weeks to kill any parasites that may be present.

Watch as I prepare and train my dogs using raw fish

If you enjoyed this video, please Subscribe to our YouTube channel (P.S. Click the bell icon to get notifications when we post a new video).

TWEET THIS VIDEO

Steps to prepare raw fish for training

The best way to prepare the fish for training is to pre-freeze the whole fish, in this case, mackerel and cut it into bite-sized chunks.

It’s easy to cut partially thawed fish into small pieces. This also keeps things relatively clean for cleanup and training.

Plastic bags are great because they can be cleaned and reused. You can place the bag in a pocket and easily grab chunks of raw fish.

After you have your raw fish/food prepped and ready in your pocket to the training pouch you can begin your training session with your dog. 5-10 mins are all it takes. I use a clicker or verbal release to mark a behaviour and then feed with a piece of raw mackerel.

You can build excitement and energy by throwing the food and allowing your dog to catch it.

If after a few drills and you’re running short on time you can end your training session with a ‘jackpot’ where you empty out the bag of raw fish and let your dog enjoy! The key is to make them work for it.

I also like to add XDOG™ supplements to my dog’s diet. I’ll do this when I give a bowl of food as a jackpot to help contain the powder supplements.

I am blessed to live on a beautiful island where I can fish for my dog’s food. By feeding my dog mackerel, I get to do something I love every single day. Fishing is one of my passions and it’s even better when I can take my dog along and build a strong bond and a trusting relationship. Having a well-trained dog is key to being able to enjoy life together.

Takeaway tip: What’s one thing that you really love, something that’s good for you, a hobby or something that you’re passionate about that you haven’t done in a long time. What’s taking you from it? What changes can you make in your life to get back to doing that a little more?

XDOG™ Supplements I Use and Recommend

use coupon code UPK915 to save 15%

FOLLOW US!

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Duke’s philosophy on dog training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

XDOG Vest Resistance Training

September 29, 2021 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

XDOG™ Vest Resistance Training

When training your dog to new training equipment you should always take it one step at a time. The walk before you run concept. It’s no different with the XDOG™ vest and parachute for resistance training so be sure your dog is comfortable with the gear before sending him away to run long distances. XDOG™ vest resistance training is easy when you understand how! Watch the video below for the step-by-step instructions.

Why resistance training?

When done correctly it’s great for burning excess energy
Promotes a deeper relationship with your dog
Effective for building muscle, endurance, stamina and a healthy mindset
It promotes weight loss and overall health and wellness

If you enjoyed this video, please Subscribe to our YouTube channel (P.S. Click the bell icon to get notifications when we post a new video).

TWEET THIS VIDEO

Steps to take in XDOG™ vest resistance training

First, you’re going to walk with your dog, but you’ll do it on lead. The reason is if he may not scared of the parachute, but he starts moving and the shoots following him, that may cause some fear. So just take this extra little step. It might take you one time, it might take you a couple of days, a week, just go with your dog’s confidence level. First, walk and let the shoot drag behind your dog. When he’s comfortable with walking and having the parachute drag behind you can then run with the dog on the lead.

If your dog is a little nervous, it’s okay. It’s important that they overcome this. Make this one of the ways your dog eats. This training should mean, fun, food freedom, and interaction.

So when your dog is used to the gear; used to the vest, used to the parachute, you’re going to put him into motion.

You don’t want your dog taking off on you. I’ve seen it. So we want to prevent that from ever happening. So I’ll throw a ball out (short distance). He runs and he gets it and the parachute is actively chasing him. This desensitizes him to the parachute.

An important step in XDOG™ resistance training is to put your dog into motion by throwing food out. This works great for food-motivated dogs. The same concept as above, the dog gets used to the parachute catching the wind behind him.

Use the wind to your advantage for XDOG™ vest resistance training. Your goal is to try and get it so that the parachute will pop open, but then he’s immediately getting his treat.

And this is going to give you experience in handling what this actually does when you’re going against the wind or with the wind. So throw it in all directions.

So the first session is little tiny throws. When the is dog good with that, you’ll set it up for the longer distance. If you have a dog that’s stable and knows the parachute well, you can start some distance work by getting a dog to come to you for food, toys, tug, and bite work.

The goal is to have your dog comfortably chase a ball or run to you for fun and interaction while wearing the XDOG™ vest and parachute in resistance training. This will tire your dog out with only a few short runs. It builds endurance and improves your dog’s overall well-being.

So I really hope you enjoyed this video and get good value from it. And it helps you get off training with the XDOG™ dog vest safely.

Be sure to sign up for the free course HERE

unleashed potential k9 tv

Two Ways to Teach the Heel Position

1. The Two-Step: Dancing into the Heel Position

2. Place Board Practice: Tailoring the Heel Position for All Abilities

Bonus Tips for Leash Training Success

Your Journey to Training Excellence Begins Now

Unleashed Potential Place Boards

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Unleashed Potential Experience – UPX Membership or NePoPo® philosophy of training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

A 5-Step Puppy Socialization Exercise to Build More Confidence in Your Dog!

Steps to Socialize Your Puppy

Recommended Products for This Exercise:

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Duke’s philosophy on dog training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

Gain More Confidence in You and Your Dog

4 Ways to Gain More Confidence in YOU and YOUR DOG

1. Increase your skill: Competence builds confidence.

2. Don’t wait for a reason. Get a coach, take action and gain some momentum.

3. Set the intention and permit yourself.

4. Have faith! Know who you are, where you came from, and what you want.

Want to join Duke’s live bi-weekly dog training and life coaching membership? Click here or the image below for more details.

FOLLOW US!

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Duke’s philosophy on dog training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

Train Your Dog Using Raw Fish

Watch as I prepare and train my dogs using raw fish

Steps to prepare raw fish for training

XDOG™ Supplements I Use and Recommend

FOLLOW US!

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Duke’s philosophy on dog training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

XDOG™ Vest Resistance Training

Why resistance training?

Steps to take in XDOG™ vest resistance training

Get Your XDOG™ vest here and be sure to SAVE 15% with coupon code: UPK915

FOLLOW US!

Would you like FREE puppy training or dog training advice? OR to just learn more about Duke’s philosophy on dog training?

This mini-series is not found on YouTube. Get Access Now You will love it!

Footer