Client Examples

Client A – Adolescent mixed breed dog, fearful of humans, reactive to dogs
Engaged in Private lessons, Honors Day Training program, 3 visits/week for Reactivity & Recall with distraction

Happy visits:
Client A needed happy visits to classically condition a positive association to the trainer entering his home, and then further to allow the trainer to touch him and put his harness on. 
Dog Reactivity:
Learned to feel a positive association to dogs at a distance, new behaviours to replace growling or vigilance, increased natural ability to self soothe
Recall:
Foundation in order to be called away from distractions

Benefits:

• positive association with the appearance of and handling by a new person
• positive association with dogs at a distance
• Loose leash walking around distraction
• Natural behaviours to watch for to help avoid reactions or overwhelm
• Basic Recall – trained foundations skill, tips to maintain speedy, dependable, immediate response
• Recall off distraction – systematically increased skill for calling away from moving and stationary distractions – notes and tips so owner can maintain the skills learned

Client A had an improved association with a new person in his home, being handled by people, and around other dogs. Client A’s owner learned to maintain his training and how to improve it further, should they need or want.

Client B – Border Collie puppy, feet handling for nail clipping, barking/growling/lunging towards some humans and all dogs
Engaged in Private Lessons and Honors Day Training program, 3 visits/week For Reactivity and foundation feet handling.
Happy visits
Client B needed a happy visits to adjust to the trainer coming, to feel a positive association, and to be handled comfortably.

Reactivity – some humans, all dogs
Trainer worked to keep Client B under threshold in her own challenging neighborhood. Client B learned a positive association with humans and dogs at a distance, to turn her attention to her handler, and behaviour skills to self sooth
Paw handling (co operative care) for feet
The owner was aware that wiggly puppies turn into adults who are difficult or aggressive for nail trims. Client B learned to opt in to feet handling, which improved her comfort with a person handling her feet.
Benefits

• Positive association with the appearance of and handling by a new person (this dog was reactive towards people)
• Intensive supportive training to streamline success during a critical part of her life
• Improved association and ability to be in the presence of dogs at a distance
• Increased/rewarded natural soothing behaviours
• Ability to check in with handler in the presence of triggers
• Clarity for owner in terms of what to avoid and how to do that while avoiding reactions
• Improved association with handling of feet and presence of nail clippers
• Strong foundation chin rest, which helped the owner gauge her comfort with feet handling, and allowed for a clearer, faster training progression
• Groomer recommendations in order to avoid grooming anxiety

Client B developed positive association to a strange human entering her home and handling her, received intensive training during her brain’s most malleable phase of development to maximise her success and future comfort, and to hold still, allow feet handling, and work with a person for her own grooming and husbandry. Client B’s owner received information that improved her ability to assess and avoid triggers as well as keep Client B calm; in addition Client B’s owner learned to read her dog’s comfort level and received a solid foundation to continue training feet handling.

Client C – Adolescent German Shepherd, muzzle training
Engaged in Recess day training long term, Private lessons, 2 visits/week
Equipment training

Positive association with wearing a muzzle

*Given Client C’s enrollment in long term day training training for enrichment, muzzle work was one of many skills he acquired. He remained in the Recess program for approximately 2 years, until he moved out of the area.

Benefits

• Positive, happy response to the sight of and to wearing a muzzle
• Safer interactions or handling by strange people
• Muzzle aided in other people feeling more comfortable
• Reduced Client C’s stress for vet visits or procedures, as he learned to put his face in the muzzle and be comfortable keeping it on

Client C engaged in Recess day training to aid in enrichment and help keep him calm and well behaved inside the home, as a working line dog, he could be quite busy! Client C’s owners received clear transfer points which allowed them to train when they could and work in concert with the trainer. They were pleased that their dog would be safer for others but without any stress regarding the muzzle; ultimately Client C learned to participate of choice in his muzzle training and to be able to move comfortably and accept some handling while wearing his muzzle.

For further on the benefits of using a muzzle, check out https://muzzleupproject.com/about/

Client D – young adult Australian Shepherd, mouth handling with goal of teeth brushing

Engaged in Recess Day Training according to the owner’s schedule needs, with Private Lessons to support the behavioural aspect of their focus.

Happy Visits

Client D needed happy meet & greets, first outside of the home environment, and then on his owner’s property in order to learn a positive association with the trainer.
Mouth handling

Positive association and cooperation for handling nose/muzzle, lifting lips, appearance of tooth brush, and brush touching teeth
Benefits

• General improved association and trust with handling head and mouth
• Strong foundation of cooperation and trust for both the dog and the owner
• Chin rest and top nose target behaviour to opt in to training sessions and handling
• Improved association and tolerance with handling generally
• Allowed teeth brushing which benefits his long term health
• Owners learned to read aspects of body language, which helped them gauge Client D’s comfort and then progress through training more quickly
• Clear transfer points to take over training successfully 

Client D engaged in Recess after attempting to start daycare. His owners worked with a skilled facility, however Client D was not able to adjust to new or strange changes at the day care; they opted to try Recess to offer their dog mental and physical enrichment during their workdays (hint, it’s been a success for all!)
Client D is generally nervous of handling; in addition to teeth brushing, he is now working on improved association with his harness ( and will learn to put his head through the harness hole), as well as to opt in for grooming & brushing.