Tahoe/Truckee Business

Owning the business Beyond Obedience, owner Jeanie Collins-Duffield, CPDT, is dedicated to using innovative training for puppies and dogs. Helping owners understand and develop a relationship with their dogs is her passion! On her web site, www.BeyondObedience.com, Jeanie has a long list of testimonials from happy pet owners.

About Jeanie

Jeanie started professional dog training about 30 years ago. She founded Beyond Obedience in Truckee because she felt the accepted training techniques based on jerking and pain with pinch and choke collars just didn’t make sense. Force and punishment creates fear and not trust and respect. Who would want a relationship based on that? Instead her training emphasizes your dog wanting to do your requests (commands) to foster a relationship with your dog.

Training with rewards

When Jeanie starts training your dog, the first thing she does is observe your dog while it is playing. When I arrived she immediately took my dogs to the creek adjacent to her property and starting throwing sticks into the creek for Aspen and Sabree to fetch. Immediately my dogs focused on Jeanie because she was now the keeper of their fun, diving in the water and fetching the stick.

Now that Jeanie had their attention, she started using the stick as a reward. If they would sit when she requested, she would throw them their reward, the stick. Now she had my dogs learning the habit of obeying her requests.

Next she took them into the yard and enticed Sabree to play tug of war with a rope. When Sabree would not drop the rope, she held a treat right on Sabree’s nose. When Sabree finally dropped the rope for the treat, Jeanie spoke the request “drop”. The first time took about 20 seconds, the 2nd time took hardly a second. Quickly Sabree was dropping the rope on request.

Now Jeanie made tug of war with the rope the reward. If Sabree would do a sit, Jeanie would reward her with tug of war or fetch with the rope or fetch. Jeanie and Sabree were developing a relationship based on fun and obedience.

Consistency for obedience

Next Jeanie watched me train Sabree. Immediately she noticed I rewarded Sabree after my third request to sit. This teaches Sabree she can ignore me and obey when she feels like it. Once your dog learns the behavior Jeanie suggested only rewards for the first request for a behavior. Because Aspen obeyed immediately when I make a request for sit or down, she got rewarded while Sabree got nothing. Pretty quickly Sabree started to obey immediately, at which point Sabree got rewarded also.

Jeanie also explained that dogs do not generalize very well. When the surroundings change the dog can not generalize. They need to be retrained in new surroundings.

Using a clicker

Because dogs are easily confused during training, Jeanie uses a clicker to indicate correct behavior. First she associates the click with the reward by simultaneously clicking when she gives the reward. Then she associates the click with doing the correct behavior by clicking when the dog does the correct behavior, after which the reward is given. This way she can reward the dog immediately allowing for a delay for the food or toy reward. At some point the reward must follow the click or the dog will lose interest in the click.

Jumping up

For jumping up, Jeanie stated the reward is “you”. Reacting to your dog only reinforces the jumping up. Instead she said ignore your dog: don’t look at them, don’t talk to them nor touch them. Also leaning backwards invites your dog to jump up. Leaning forwards causes your dog to move away and many times sit.

A method Jeanie uses to teach not jumping up is to first attach a leash to your dog’s collar. The other end of the leash needs to be tethered by a secure post or tree so the leash does not give. If a person holds the leash and the dog lunges the person may give or lose balance and the dog is rewarded if it makes contact with the approaching person. When you approach your dog and it jumps toward you, turn and walk a few steps away. Your dog can not follow because it is restrained by the leash. After several or more approaches your dog will finally sit. Immediately reward the dog with praise and a treat. Quickly your dog learns the way to get praise and a treat is to sit when you approach. Ignoring unwanted behavior and rewarding correct behavior can be used to extinguish many types of unwanted behaviors.

Pooping off trail

Dog droppings on hiking trails at Lake Tahoe and Truckee can be unsightly. Many owners do not realize how easy it is to have their dog poop off trail. When you arrive for the hike, take your dog on lease into nearby bushes along the trail for about 5 minutes until your dog poops. Immediately give your dog praise and a treat. Repeat this about the first 5 times you go hiking until your dog gets the idea. Whenever you go on hikes, if your dog poops on trail give your dog nothing. When your dog poops off trail in the bushes, give your dog praise and a treat. It is amazing how quickly your dog will learn. Your dog will likely run ahead to the bushes, look back to make sure you are watching, and proudly run back to you when done for the praise and treat.

The power of the food bowl

At her dog training classes, Jeanie emphasized the power of the food bowl over your dog. When you just fill the bowl and set it down in front of your dog, your dog’s hunger is satisfied and your dog may not respond to treats as a reward. Instead, Jeanie wants you to hand feed your dog directly from the food bowl. Make your dog earn that food by repetitive “sit” and “down” requests, first up close and then at a distance. Other ways for your dog to earn their food is “stay” while you eat a meal, and “check-in” to your hand after a sit stay, first up close and then from a distance. Now you are the keeper of your dog’s most prized possession, the food bowl. You also train your dog at least once a day, which is huge. And most importantly, you are building a relationship based on trust and respect with your dog.

Tahoe/Truckee Business of the Month

Beyond Obedience - Dog and Pet Training

Jeanie Collins-Duffield, loving dog trainer and business owner