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This special episode of Cashiers Canine Connection is a meet and greet with the Head Trainer at Mountain Dog, Sydney Hogsed. Sydney tells us about how she found her purpose in life to become a dog trainer, how to make her dog training program successful for you and your dog, and what her goals are for the future. If you want to enroll your dog in Mountain Dog Spa's training program with Sydney, start by filling out the form at https://www.mountaindogspa.com/services/training/and ask us any questions you want to hear answered in future episodes via social media: Mountain Dog Spa on Facebook and @mountaindognc on Instagram.Thank you for your support!

Alissa, Virginia and Dona explain the boarding services offered at Mountain Dog Spa. Questions Answered in this Q&A:1. What do the boarding dogs do all day?2. How long are boarding dogs in their kennel during the day?3. What do I need to bring for my dog's boarding stay?4. Will my dog be wearing a leash/harness/collar during their boarding stay?5. What do I do if I accidentally forgot my dog's leash at home?6. Do I need to bring my dog in for a day of daycare before their boarding stay?7. How are dog friend groups for yard play determined?8. What if my dog has never been a crate/kennel before?9. How will my puppy's potty training be continued while they are boarding at Mountain Dog?10. What are your rules for dogs and for customers?11. What's the difference between a regular boarding stay and a board-and-train stay?12. What can I do if I want my dog to have extra 1-on-1 time during his/her boarding stay?13. How can I see pictures/videos of my dog during the boarding stay?14. What makes Mountain Dog Spa so beneficial for dogs?15. How can I get started registering my dog, sending in the vaccination records from the vet, and making a boarding appointment?Connect with us on our website and social media for an inside look at what boarding and board-and-train is like at Mountain Dog Spa!https://www.mountaindogspa.com/services/boarding/https://www.mountaindogspa.com/services/training/https://www.facebook.com/mountaindogspa/https://www.instagram.com/mountaindognc/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLFOC5HIaryVJHBVtMdCLA

Dog trainer Alissa Short tells us her tips and tricks for puppy training!

In this episode, Alissa explains how to train dogs to do one of the longest, most complicated obedience command training processes: recall.Recall is when your dog comes back to you every time that you call him/her, regardless of distractions in the surrounding environment. Alissa says that recall is one of the most common reasons that people seek out her training services. Off-leash recall reliability is one of the #1 reasons that dog owners choose remote-control electric collar training. In this episode, Alissa explains how to do the remote collar training process to achieve consistent, reliable recall with a dog.

In this episode, Alissa and Dona explain the E-Collar that Mountain Dog Spa uses for training.These high-quality remote collars are from E-Collar Technologies, and they give dog owners the ability to control the level of stimulation. The levels range from 1-100, and most dogs are taught commands on levels in the single digits - the very lowest level that the dog can perceive. The patented blunt stimulation of the E-Collar speaks to dogs in a clear language they truly understand. Using low-level pressure-on-pressure-off theory, dogs in Mountain Dog Spa's balanced training program are able to learn skills such as reliable recall (coming back every time the owner calls him/her). Join in next week as we build upon the ideas discussed in this E-Collar episode when Alissa teaches the step-by-step way to achieve a reliable recall with dogs.

Learn the benefits to teaching your dog "Place," step-by-step instructions for how to teach "Place," and situations when "Place" comes in handy.

Learn how to stop leash pulling, lunging and other unwanted leash walk behaviors - today! Alissa explains how to use a Herm-Sprenger prong collar to stop leash pulling once and for all. She also tells us how to avoid buying knock-off prong collars that don't work. Other harnesses and flexi-leashes are also discussed in this podcast.Stop struggling with your dog on a leash walk. Start to enjoy your daily walks with your dog. And reach out to us with any questions you have! www.mountaindogspa.com

Threshold training is the process of teaching your dog to pause at each threshold and wait for your permission before walking through. In this episode of Cashiers Canine Connection, Alissa Short and Dona Ampova provide step-by-step instructions to achieve this skill at home with your dog today.Threshold training is one of the Four Foundations of dog training. To learn more about the Four Foundations, balanced training, and Mountain Dog Spa, follow the link below to the Training Services page:www.mountaindogspa.com/training-resources

In this podcast, Alissa Short explains how a professional dog trainer feeds dogs their meals. To achieve permission-based eating at meal times, Alissa describes a technique that will get your dog's attention. Your dog will see you as a food-provider and respect you as a leader at the same time.This episode is a continuation of the Four Foundations of Dog Training series.

Crate Training is the first of the Four Foundations that Alissa Short and Dona Ampova are going into in greater detail. The crate starts the day of a dog in training, because the dog will wake up in his or her crate. The day will start with a leadership exercise in the crate. Alissa gives her advice as a professional dog trainer, explaining how to use a crate properly to achieve our training goals with our dogs.Cashiers Canine Connection is Mountain Dog Spa's podcast about dog training and dog behavior. In the next episode, Alissa and Dona will continue talking about the Four Foundations - the next episode will be about Feeding Protocol. The Four Dog Training Foundations are:1. Crate Training2. Feeing Protocol3. Threshold Training4. Structured Leash Walk

This episode of Cashiers Canine Connection is an overview of the Four Foundations of dog training. Alissa Short tells us what the Four Foundations are and why they are important when we are training our pet dogs.The Four Foundations are:1. Crate Training2. Feeding Protocol3. Leash Walk in "Heel"4. Threshold TrainingThis episode is an overview, and the next four episodes will go into each of the Four Foundations in greater detail.We hope that dog owners everywhere will be able to use the tips in this podcast to communicate better and have a better relationship with their dogs! 

In Episode 2, Alissa Short and Dona Ampova of Mountain Dog Spa explain the most clear ways to communicate with pet dogs. From verbal commands to a wide range of nonverbal cues, Alissa explains how she, as a professional dog trainer, is able to avoid confusing dogs when training new skills and manners.The goal of clear communication with a dog is to achieve an optimal relationship between the dog and its family. This podcast includes practical tips to stop unwanted behaviors and addresses some of the most basic dog training concepts, such as repetition, timing and rewards.This podcast also includes brief explanations of pressure-on-pressure-off theory, which is training dogs through various types of pressure: spacial pressure, Herm Sprenger prong collar pressure and E-Collar pressure.Alissa and Dona also share the progress of Mountain Dog Spa's Sidewalk Initiative in Cashiers, NC and tell listeners how to get a free Mountain Dog Spa "Cashiers: Our Roots Run Deep" T-Shirt.

In this episode, Alissa Short and Dona Ampova of Mountain Dog Spa debunk myths about what a happy dog looks like. Cashiers Canine Connection explains how to achieve a rewarding relationship with your pet. Topics covered include how to positively reinforce behaviors that lead to a happier dog, and how to avoid unintentionally rewarding separation anxiety. Alissa tells us more about the widespread canine problem known and separation anxiety, and she provides advice about how to start curing separation anxiety.This episode concludes with an explanation of the Cashiers Sidewalk Initiative.Thank you for listening to the first ever podcast of Mountain Dog Spa, Cashiers Canine Connection.