The proof is in the pudding or Proofing with Pudding!

The proof is in the pudding, is a lead in to announcing several brags achieved by my students recently. Congratulations to the following:

Bob and Storm - completion of their Rally Novice title with two 3rd places at the Rottweiler Nationals! (and their success in conformation as well)

Holly and Aspen - completion of their Rally Novice title at the Rottweiler Nationals.

Pat and Coach - completion of their Rally Advanced title at the Rottweiler Nationals (and the success of Pats puppy in conformation)

Steph and her Cardigan Corgi with their Winners bitch/Best of Winners placement at the Philadelphia Kennel Club Show. (National Dog Show)

Joanne and Miija - on the completion of their CDX with three 1st places!

Congratulations to all, I am proud of what you and your dog have accomplished and I know it is only the beginning of many more accomplishments! Don't forget to email me with your dogs Registered name and titles for my "Brag" page on the Beyond Basic's website!


And now for the Proofing with Pudding part of this post! As you all know, I've been drilling the idea of proofing in recent weeks. As we move into the busy holiday season, I wanted to remind you that training is not necessarily about setting aside an hour every day. Dogs learn just as well (if not better) in several short sessions throughout the day/week. They can even learn if you just work with them a few times a week. For my behavioral students reading this blog, your dogs learning and achieving is directly related to incorportating the techniques you are learning into your everday interactions with your dog. These should become an automatic rather than something worked seperately in a "training session.

For those of you ready to raise the bar on your dogs performance, I have some additional proofing suggestions for you that take advantage of the upcoming season as well as some suggestions perhaps not given before.

Visual Distractions:
gift wrapped boxes
gift wrapping crunched into balls
Ribbons/bows
Stuffed Animals
Remote Control or wind up toys
Visitors/Guests
left overs (only dog friendly ones) *if you aren't sure your dog is reliable, start with food placed in a plastic container with holes poked in the lid. This works best with food that has a strong odor!
Cookies
Blinking Christmas decorations

Audible Distractions:
Doorbell
Doorknocking *if needed, pay a child to stand outside for 5 min. with a clock and have them knock or ring the doorbell at agreed upon intervals.
Music (loud)
Clapping (again hire the kids!)
Laughter
Visitors/Guests

Olfactor Distractions:
Garbage bag
Amonia (on a cotton ball, or rubbed on ground)
Cinnamin, Garlic, Vanilla, Peppermint, Basil...sprinkled on floor, rubbed on ground, etc.
Horse/Cow manure (let me know if you'd like a baggy!)
Perfumes
Pine branches
Cleaning agents
Animal fur (again if you'd like some I can provide horse or rabbit fur)
Dog parks (contain more than one distraction! Be aware some of Lancasters dog parks require dogs to be spayed/neutered and don't allow toys/treats...which makes them poor choices for training)
Visitors/Guests (no offense intended!)


Happy Training! And remember to keep the Turkey Carcass safe from your dog...as even the best trained dogs can make mistakes!