SAY IT ONCE

9/30/2022

Vet Visit Dog Training?

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How does your dog do going to the Veterinarian Hospital? Unfortunately most dogs view going to the vet as a stressful experience, and it makes it difficult for them, dog owners, and the staff at the hospital. In some severe cases it makes it almost impossible for veterinary staff to give the dog the thorough proper checkup they need because of the dog’s behavior. Did you know you can help your dog have a better vet visit? Let’s start by focusing on these changes.

First and foremost, Say It Once Dog Training offers classes at certain veterinary hospitals throughout Pittsburgh! Be sure to tag your vet, vet techs and see if we can run classes at your veterinary hospital to make dog’s more comfortable going to hospital!

Watch your dogs arousal levels. Arousal , or excitement” is not good at the vet’s office and often turns into nervousness really quick. Your goal is to keep a calm, happy dog!
Walk your dog before you go! Get them in the training zone, as well as to keep them calmer for the visit.
If you have a dog that has a bite history, you should be the one putting the muzzle on, not the veterinarian! Also, if the only time you put the muzzle on is for the vet, your dog will eventually put 2 and 2 together and associate muzzle equals bad. This cannot happen! You need to muzzle train frequently, and all dogs would benefit from being able to have a muzzle put on without stress.
Don’t put them in the car only for the vet. The car shouldn’t come in a negative association or anywhere you go will be stressful for your dog. Same as muzzle, it should equal vet, it should equal a calm place to chill out inside of. More car training in your driveway!
Get to the vet early. When you arrive, open up your car door and let your dog chill out without being able to exit the car for a few minutes. Release your dog from the car and train for 2 minutes. Go through a pattern of behaviors that your dog knows. Heel walk, sit, down, treat etc. Get your dog an early win so they are seeking food. (If your vet has a big grassy area, release your dog from heel and let them investigate the grassy area.
When you go into the vet’s office, stay cool calm and collected, and walk your dog up to the scale that every vet office has in the building. Make sure people don’t go crazy and shower your dog with affection. Remember, we are trying to keep our dog calm and happy, not excited and freaked out. Put them in a sit, and tell them to “place” onto the scale. Reward the dog and repeat.
Walk over to the waiting station, and put your dog into a down. (You need to be practicing the behaviors at your house, with the leash on. Replicate by walking your dog from place, to the hardwood floor or tile floor of your kitchen and put your dog into a down on the hard floor.)
Advocate for your dog’s space!!! Do not let any other dog’s intrude into your personal space, and be sure to put your dog in a position they aren’t getting bombarded by people coming in.
When they bring you back into the room, I personally train. I place my dog on the bench in the office, reward, back onto the scale in the room, reward, and then back into a down. You don’t want to keep them so busy that you are adding more stress than necessary, but I want them to get rewarded enough that they are eager to continue. Don’t use a boring reward here, use the big boy if needed.
Now the exam begins. This also serves as another reminder to follow @sayitoncerescueleague and to ask/tag your vet below to host Say It Once classes at their office!
Have you ever thought about giving your dog fake exams at your house? Put your dog on the leash, walk them into your laundry room, and calmly give them a exam and massage. Check your dog’s ears while massaging their head, lift up your dog’s legs, put your finger in their butt (joking, just making sure you are still reading) inspect their teeth and nails!

Personally, I would take multiple trips to the vet’s office without actually getting an exam. I would ask my vet if it’s okay to come weigh my dog on a non busy hour, practice place on the scale, and downs in the waiting room!

Love your Vet? I’d like to hear any recommendations below ⬇️

Thank you!

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9/19/2022

Why I Hate Hand Signals

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Do you want to know why I hate hand signals?

There is a few reasons why I hate using hand signals in dog training, and I’m going to go over the biggest two. I always get push back from owners on, but my dog listens really well to the hand signal. I know they do! I know they learn faster through using hand signals (also understand them when teaching all behaviors we lure with our hand, and develop a hand signal with every command. However, I do immediately get away from using the hand signal when I feel like the dog has an understanding of the word. Let’s go over why.

Hand signals are only reliable when your dog is looking at you. Do you I think I’m going to have a hard time getting my dog to listen if I have their 100 percent attention? No. Your verbal cue needs to be strong because you are going to rely on this in almost all scenarios, whether your dog is looking at you or not, whether your hands are full or not, or whether you are looking at your dog or not. Hand signals can only be done in one of those scenarios. That’s not good enough.
Humans lack the ability to separate word from hand sign. Your word should always come first. Always. When teaching your dog sit, down anything, before you offer a hand signal, you must say the word for your dog to understand. Think of this. If I where to punch you in the face and say purple at the same time, and repeat this process three times, the fourth time that I say purple without punching you in the face you're gonna have no idea what's going to happen next because you never had time to process the purple man punch in the face. You were too worried about the physical feeling of punch in the face instead of listening to the word purple. However if I said purple, delayed a half a second and punched you, repeated a second time, on the third attempt that I say purple you would be ducking out of the way like you're in the movie the matrix. This is also how do you have to train your dog. You need to incorporate the verbal cue before there is any movement from your body.

If you don't believe me, I want you to try training your dog on all of their commands this week without moving your body at all. Film yourself, and watch. See if your dog can listen to only with your verbal cue, and see if they listen quickly. If they're not, we need to go back to the basics. I want you to tag yourself while training your dog with the #Sayitoncehandsfree Tag me in it, and let’s see how you train without your hand signals!

P.S. I teach all of my dogs and my clients dogs on hand signals, the dog understands and very quickly, but I get away from them immediately because I want to focus more on my verbal cue. That doesn't mean I will never use a hand signal, it just means that I need to put more emphasis type my words need power.

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9/11/2022

Dogs, NFL, and Guests!

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Dogs and NFL Sundays!
If you like to have people over for Sunday Football, or guests in general, you are going to want to read the three main points of this quick blog. Having a game-plan (pun intended) is the easiest way to enjoy your guests while having a well behaved dog.

Work your dog before the guests come over. This one almost seems like a no brainer, but let me add to it. A dog that has had a walk and a few training sessions is much easier to control than a dog that has been caged up all day. Have a good play session in the morning, still practicing your sit, down, stay obedience training during the session. Run them hard and test their impulse control harder. Afterwards, take your dog for a 30 heel session an hour or two before your guests come over, practicing chaining directions and having your dog focus on you. The goal is not to run and get your dog wound up, but instead, calm and in control. Immediately after your walk, place your dog on their dog bed for a cold down period.

The leash is your biggest help, and never forget it! Leave your leash on after your walk, and use it wisely while your guests are coming over. How do we use it? To direct our dog to where they should be (whether you want them on place or by your side), to correct our dog for jumping on guests, or bring our dog with us when we need control. The leash is a communication and control tool. Use it to tell your dog what you want them to be doing, not just what they shouldn’t be doing!

NFL parties, guests coming over, and holidays means lots of alcohol and lots of food. Unfortunately we can’t train all of our guest not to drop chicken wings on the ground, to lock the garbage can, or not to leave food items on the coffee table. However, we should set up our dog up with scenarios this morning, and the next few weeks, to make sure our dog understands “Leave it” command. You should be challenging your dog, with the leash on, while dropping food items on the ground, putting plates on the edge of the table, all while you still can keep an eye on your dog. With enough good repetitions, you won’t have to keep your eye on them forever!

Bonus: Take your dog to a group class to really tire them out before your guests come over. Your dog needs to have a good time on the weekends too. Try to have your guests not acknowledge your dog for the first 5 minutes while they come in. Walking in and parading all over your dog is only going to overexcite them. An excited dog, is a jumping and barking dog.

When you bring your guests over, it's always best to either be holding the leash, or have your dog in stay on their place/crate. Once the guests arrives you want them to immediately to head to the kitchen table or counter, and not to the couch. The couch is too inviting, and your dog will have an easier time calming down if the guests are sitting higher up without the ability of your dog to crowd their space.

If you have any questions, or would like to sign up for a training session or follow up session, reach out to me personally and I will get it taken care of. Thank you!

Vinnie
sayitoncedt@gmail.com

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7/30/2022

Nervous, Insecure, and Anxious Dogs Are On the Rise.

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Nervous, insecure, and anxious dogs are on the rise? What gives?

Since the lockdowns of the pandemic, our way of living with our dogs has changed so much so quickly, and with a change of lifestyle comes a huge change in behavior.

Not only was their a change in lifestyle, but let’s face it, life really sucked for a brief period of time for most of us with a ridiculous amount of stress and pressure, whether it be from our change in life, or just the all around suckiness of the situation. With that being said, it is very common for humans to use their dog’s for an emotional crutch, but most pets aren’t able to cope with all of our stress, on top of all of their stress too.

What changed, and what needs to change in order to get out of this mess?

First off understand you own a dog, and they aren’t made of glass. They are capable of so much more than we give them credit for, and we hold our dog’s back from reaching their true potential. Instead of telling your dog it’s okay, show your dog what they are capable of. Often times insecurity is a result of the brain telling the body that they can’t achieve a certain goal, and if you lead your dog through these insecure moments you will open a whole new set of courage for your dog. However, if we coddle and remove our dogs from all stressful events, how will that ever give them the opportunity to grow.

From going to work 48 hours a week, to staying at home almost the entire day, we immediately changed the dynamic of human/dog ownership. Here is the thing, as much as we like spending this extra time with your dog, you become a resource that your dog becomes addicted too. Addiction can mean one of two things, separation anxiety or resource guarding (making your dog mor protective of you). Good news, it gave us a lot of practice perfecting our training routine for these issues, but bad news for the average dog owner. We need to create healthy distance and boundaries with our dogs, no matter their age!

Lastly, we need to focus on jobs. Most dogs that come to a training program are some sort of working breed, but they are all UNEMPLOYED working dogs haha. They don’t have a job, and aren’t fulfilled mentally or physically. Because of this, more problematic behaviors arise. This is something that we put a huge focus on at Say It Once Dog Training.

Audit your own behaviors in the house, and take very close look at your dog’s behaviors as well. Whether you’ve never had us for a session, or you used us in the past, sign up today if you feel like you need help! There is no shame in hiring professional help, there is only better behaved dogs because we are not here to judge you, we are here to help you.

For our amazing following over the world, if you need help, sign up for a virtual lesson today!

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7/10/2022

The Dog Derby

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What is the Dog Derby you ask? Let me Tell you!

The Dog Derby is an all day family-friendly event like no other in Pittsburgh! The Dog Derby itself is a 5k that you can walk or run with your best friends (the dogs) and your family! There will be exciting obstacles along the way for you to complete with your dog, and provide a fun challenge for your four legged best friend! We've all seen the tough mudder, this is the canine version of that! (But not as strenuous or stressful, and a heck of a lot more fun, we can call it the Pup Mudder!) Down below we have a video describing the event, as well as a FAQ Sheet to answer any and all Questions that you may have!

Is the Derby just an amazing 5k event, or is there more?

Great Question, and there is so much more! We have awesome pittsburgh vendors at the Dog Derby for you to enjoy. Food Trucks, Beer Trucks, Ice Cream, Donuts, as well as pittsburgh businesses offering up great deals under their pop up tents. It's the atmosphere you want to be in if you are a dog owner, dog lover, or fun seeker!

Q: Do I have to run at the Dog Derby?
A: Absolutely not! For the brave souls that would like to run with their dog throughout the obstacles, more power to you. However, I will be briskly walking my pack and I’ll have just as much fun as the runners!

Q: Will there be dogs off-leash at this event?
A: No. All dogs must be on leash.

Q: How many people can come if we buy a one dog ticket?
A: As many people can join in on the fun as you’d like with 1 ticket. We are selling tickets per dog, not per human, so we hope to see your whole family there!

Q: Can I bring my dog, or my family without participating in the event?
A: Of course, we would love you to come. The Derby itself is going to be one of the coolest things you’ll ever do with your dog, but if you’re not ready for it, you will still have a great time with your dog checking out local vendors, watching dogs and people complete, and enjoying the atmosphere!

Q: Do I have to be a client of Say It Once Dog Training to come to this event?
A: Nope, we are open for everyone. Every single dog owner can come to this event, as long as they come on leash of course!

Q: Am I going to be extremely close to other dogs throughout the whole event?
A: This is a great concern for many owners of mildly reactive dogs, nervous dogs, and for those who aren’t comfortable in close spaces with many dogs. That is the beauty of this location, there is so much space that you and your dog can take all the time in the world, and space that you need in order to complete the Derby and still feel comfortable and in control.

Q: How many dogs are going per each heat?
A: We will have small heats of only 20-29 dogs. This ensures that every dog will have enough space to safely complete this course.

Q: Where are all the proceeds from this event going?
A: Every single profit dollar will go to our new Say It Once Rescue League. The SIORL is a non profit that provides training to troubled and let down rescue dogs throughout the Pittsburgh Area, and beyond. Vinnie has also pledged to match up to $10,000 of all donations made prior to the Derby as well.

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7/10/2022

Motivation Monday Dog Tips

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You're training your dog, which means you're either trying to teach good habits, or unteach all the bad habits your dog has learned. When we get wrapped up into the daily lives with our dogs, it can be common to not acknowledge any achievements you have made for yourself and for your dog. The reason being is we set the goalpost at the hundred yard line and we started at the other end of the field on the goal line.

Dogs and humans alike love achieving tasks, and reaching goals. When you achieve a task, there is nothing better than checking that box off your list, or adding that new achievement to your repertoire. I want you to set a realistic one week goal for you and your dog, and write it down below. If you don’t write it, you won’t do it because there is no one to hold you accountable. In a week, let’s check back in with ourselves and see how we did.

My goal with my pack is a simple one, and will only take a few hours to complete. The problem that I have, like most, is making sure that I set the designated time aside to achieve my goals, and I will because I have you all to keep me accountable. My goal this week is to get my dog’s around my horses and work on three separate commands with them. First place, and have my dogs hold place while I mess around with the horses and goats. Second heel, and test my dogs ability to heel while I walk the horse, something we have never done before. Lastly, their free command while the horses are out. Remember, even though we put our dog’s in “free”, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any rules. I need to make sure my dogs maintain a calm state of mind around the horse, and be respectful of space.

Let’s hear yours below ⬇️

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4/26/2022

How Should I Feed My Dog?

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Feeding your dog should be more than just filling up their bowl in an identical fashion every day. Depending on what you’re training goals are, you can accomplish multiple goals in different fashions simply by adjusting the way you feed your dog. Let me explain to you what is possible by changing breakfast today.

Firstly, I am a huge advocate for scheduled meals versus free feeding. FF comes with a few big problems such as obesity, lacking motivation, and removes all ability for impulse control to be applied. There is also a health concern of bloat, we will talk about that later.

If you do a scheduled breakfast and dinner, don’t go through the motions and put food in their dish and walk away. You’re wasting a very important opportunity for them to learn. At a minimum, I want you to practice having your dog stay on their dog bed throughout the preparation and placing down of the food. When you pick up their food scooper, they get excited, and that excitement is something they do not know how to control, because we have never practiced it. Let’s try Option 1 first.

Put your dog on leash (so you have control) and put them on their dog bed. Whatever command you are using for stay (stay, wait, place etc) give it, and walk to go get their dog dish. Throughout the process of preparing and giving, if your dog breaks, stay calm and pick up their leash, and restart the process. While it may take 10 minutes on the first day, that’s okay! It gets quicker quickly. Release your dog verbally to eat.

Option 2. When you have a dog who loves eating their food and gets excited around meal time, this can turn into an amazing training session. Instead of putting your dog’s food in the dish, put it in your pocket and go outside for a quick training session. Remember, your dog is hungry, and they know it’s feeding time, you are guaranteed to have their attention. Go outside and practice anything you want, preferably some eye contact, leash walking and following, and some recall games! By putting their food in your pocket or fanny pack, you have taken the power away from the dish and giving it to yourself.

Option 3, Scatter game. This is one simple, and super rewarding. Take your dog’s dish full of food, and scatter the food in the grass in the front/backyard. If your yard is fenced in let them go, if not, use a long line and sit and hang out. Scavenging for food is more than just feeding them, it’s fulfilling a need to search and find food.

Your last option is to use a feeding toy. There is multiple options for the “right toy”, all you have to do is find something that your dog enjoys, and use this as a mixup every now and again. This also makes for a great babysitter if you need 10 minutes.

If you guys enjoyed this, or any of the content that we have up, please follow this link and vote for Say It Once Dog Training. Thank you!

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4/22/2022

Go In The Room

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Go In The Room.

When it comes time, you need to walk calm into that room with your dog, and if you need someone to help come with you, call me. My entire life has been shaped by one single dog. He saved me, showed me how to love and gave me a purpose to my life. He was with me for every single one of my successes, and even more important he was with me for every single one of my failures, always right beside me. That is the way he went up to Heaven too, with me right by his side.

Trigger was 10.5 yers old when his time came up, and I had to make the hardest and easiest decisions entire life in the same day. Trigger was old, and his body just couldn’t keep up, and I was not going to let him suffer out of my selfishness. Making the decision to put your old dog down is heartbreaking. Even when you know it’s time, when you know it’s the right thing to do, it tears your soul apart. When it came time for his final day, guess where he was? Right by my side, doing the things we love one last time. Trigger and I went for a car ride to visit my farm, and see my dad. The old bear couldn’t walk, but you bet your ass he tried jumping out of the car to see my dad and run on the farm. We got to hang out, peacefully. Remanence about the decade that I was so lucky to have spent with him, and then head to McDonalds. I had to go through the line twice, boy was all about those sausage patties.

This time one thing was different. I’m older now, and while death still affects me the same, I waited to get emotional. He has been there for me, as a steady rock my entire life, I could do the same for him today. I wanted him to know that everything is okay, that dad is okay, and it’s a great day. When we finally arrived at the vet hospital, that’s when I got to make the easiest decision of my life.

“Do you want to go in the room with him?”

Your dog is there for you, every single day. On this day, be there for them. Hold their paw, kiss their cheek, and pat their heads. Go in the room with your dog, and be with them the same way you are on day 1.

Dog’s are not just pets, and by God they never will be. Trigger was the greatest thing that has every happened to me, and I have so many lessons learned from our experiences that still resonate with me to this day.

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4/15/2022

The Dog Trainer

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Training dogs for a living is one of the greatest jobs in the world, and offers more emotional fulfillment, challenges, and excitement than most jobs could ever dream. I believe that to my core. For someone to be lucky enough to have the skill, been taught the knowledge, and have the feel for training dogs (and that feel is something that you are born with) they need to count their lucky stars because it is a great gig. If you are a dog trainer, or thinking about getting into this industry, here are some things I would think about and reflect on below.

This job can get hard, and it is not for everyone. The first time a dog bites you, attempts to bites you, or bites someone in front of you, it’s a shock to the system. I think it’s important for everyone to see what a dog is capable of, and the power that these animals have. It will give you a great respect for how powerful they truly are. That being said, not everyone has to work with dog’s that are struggling with deep behavioral issues, and no where near everyone should. It’s an art, that takes a very long time to develop and nurture. In addition, all dogs do have the potential to bite, don’t ever forget that.

The potential to get bit, and get seriously hurt is not the hardest part of this job, it’s not even close. For me, the hardest part is the emotional toll dog training can take on you. If you really care about your job, and about helping people and dogs, you pour your entire being into every single dog you see, every single day of the week. The amount of passion, and the amount of compassion that you need to have and put into your work can become at times overwhelming. This gets amplified because people love their dogs so much. Think about, that during the last recession the pet industry was one of the only industries that continued to grow, not fall. Our dogs, cats, and other pets are so much more than just a pet, they are a huge portion of our family. In some cases, they are the only family that people may have. Owners have such an emotional attachment to our pets, that sometimes what may be necessary, is clouded by what we feel.

Sometimes being a dog trainer, also means being a great salesperson. You really have to sell and get the point across why what you are doing is necessary, and the importance it has to helping their dog’s life. I know some trainers who will simply tell it, and if owners don’t want to do it that’s on them. I get it, I understand it, especially because I’ve been in this game for a decade, but here is the thing. If you do a great job at selling what you know will help the owners dog, the dog’s life will improve! That is what keeps me going, and what is so damn important about this job, and why I try to be a wordsmith. Remember, the goal of our job is to improve the quality of life for the dog, improve the relationship of the dog and their human, and ease the stress for the human imposed by their dog. Simply telling a human to do this, do that, don’t do this, isn’t enough. They need to understand why, how, and what this will do, and the benefits of the work you want them to follow through with.

There are such limited numbers of great dog trainers, and such large numbers for dogs that need trained, that it causes a very big demand issue. The last two years have exasperated this as well. I want to help everyone in the entire world, but there is only 24 hours in a day, and you aren’t Superman. While you will help thousands of people in your life, you are going to run into a few people in your life that demand help immediately. Remember, if no one takes care of you, you won’t be able to take care of others. Make sure you give yourself necessary breaks and time for you. Whether it’s hiking, lifting, or painting, find outlets for you to decompress.

To add more into the mix, as a dog trainer you are going to find out that every other dog trainer on the planet hates you, and thinks you are a moron. Okay, that might be slightly exaggerated, but it’s a tough world. You are going to need a group of people to bounce ideas off of, discuss difficult cases, and add in new insights to your training program. I am blessed by being surrounded by a tremendous team, and without them I would fail. A quick shout out to my staff, Anthony, Michelle, Rachel, Erin, Travis, Donna, Bree, Josh, Jake, Cassidy, Emma, R2, and Joyce for being a part of the best training team on the planet. Also, Jenilee, Jenny, Andy, and Megan for everything that you all do too. I continue to appreciate and respect how amazing you all are at the work you do. I would also urge you to connect with dog trainers who may not do everything the same as you. It will give you inspiration and creativity, as well as new tools in your toolbox.

Another large issue that you also run into when training dogs is, believe it or not, owners don’t let you steal their dog when you think they are cute. It’s extremely rude.

Dog trainers, and future dog trainers, continue to help people help dogs. Continue to educate and be educated. Continue to love what you do.

Sincerely,
Vinnie
Owner - Say It Once Dog Training

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4/15/2022

Easter With Your Dog

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Happy Easter!

With family visiting, or with you leaving town to visit family, your dog will pick up on the added stress and act accordingly. A few tips that will come in handy during this Easter weekend.

If you plan on having family over, set your dog up for success. Make it easier on yourself and take a 30 minute walk the morning that your family is due to arrive. Remember, the goal of this walk is for your dog to check in with you, to focus and engage with you. Walk with a purpose, don’t let your dog walk aimlessly or they will carry that same mentality into the house. After your walk, give your dog a good 10-15 minute play session, but make it rigorous. You want to end with their tongue out and panting! When you are wrapping up your play, put your dog into the “place command” which will give them time to cool down and chill out. During this time, keep your leash on, which I highly recommend that you keep on during the days activities.

When your guests arrive, reiterate to them that your dog is in training, and it would be best if no one talked or pet them for the first while. This will give your dog a chance to sniff them, and stay relatively calm. If you have a jumper keep that leash in your hand. Remember, a dropped leash is off-leash!

You also want to remember that it’s one hundred percent okay to put your dog in the crate if they, you, or your guests are going to be overwhelmed. Meet your dog’s needs in the morning, and allow yourself to take a break from training your dog. Have the crate in an upstairs bedroom so you are not to disturb your dog, and even have a TV on in that room if necessary.

I hope you have the best Easter weekend, and get to spend quality time with your family. Give your dog some extra play and love during this time, but don’t forget to follow all the rules 😜

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<<Previous

Dog Blog. Thoughts. TIps.

Vet Visit Dog Training?

Why I Hate Hand Signals

Dogs, NFL, and Guests!

Nervous, Insecure, and Anxious Dogs Are On the Rise.

The Dog Derby

Motivation Monday Dog Tips

How Should I Feed My Dog?

Go In The Room

The Dog Trainer

Easter With Your Dog

Vinnie Somma

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