Programs

 For most people, obedience is the first place to start. Obedience is more than the word implies, it is the opening of a dialogue between you and your dog. Sit, Down, Place, Heel, Come, and Stay are simple stated actions with profound implications. In basic obedience you are essentially teaching your dog how to live in the human world. In dog training, most problems can be headed off by obedience training. Effectively, you can teach your dog how to be a successful member of society. If your dog learns to look to you for guidance, you become a team and not two separate players with your own agenda. Thus, training will make your bond that much stronger and your life that much easier. 

 One of the most common problems these days is dog on dog, or dog on person aggression. This stems from a lack of positive social experience when the dog was a pup. If you have a dog like this there are things that can help, and solve even the worst cases. Every dog wants to be social and friendly, we just sometimes need to show them how. We have a simple five step plan to solve any issue from total fear and retreat to outward aggression, using calm and collected dogs that can handle strange or fractured social cues and help to rebuild your dog’s social skills. 

 There are millions of lost and abandoned dogs out in this world. If you have brought one into your home good for you! Coincidentally, like picking up a hitch hiker for a 15 year ride, you will inherit some problems too. In a perfect world you have a training plan before you even get the dog, best case scenario you start training as soon as you bring your new dog home to stave off behavior problems that may arise once “Fido” gets comfortable (about 2 weeks). Behavior problems that are common in rescue dogs include; fear aggression, food aggression, separation anxiety, house breaking, a hyperactive temperament, and among others, nervousness. One solution to all of these possible problems is discipline by showing your dog how to negotiate the new environment that you will both share. You can comfort them and make them “feel at home” sooner, more efficiently, and skip all the problems that may appear otherwise. 

 Aggressive behavior in dogs comes universally from one source, FEAR. Fear of the unknown, fear that is learned, or fear that has been slowly reinforced over time. This can be most easily explained by the idea; “my dog hates the mailman”. Even the smallest of dogs turn into “Great Danes” when the mailman comes through the yard. The reason for this is simple: when they were young the postman came into the yard and scared the pup, one day the pup barked and the mailman left. Resolutely, the dog views his barking as protection and success. Results came, he got what he wanted, and the scary thing left! Thus a pattern was born, now every day at 11:15 the dog marches his way to the mailman, barking away. If you can relate to this with your pet, then you may be dealing with dog aggression. 

 This is the holy grail of dog tricks! We offer advanced classes like this one for our retriever breeds and other dogs that like to retrieve. This trick comes from hunt test training, offering us control of the dog’s mouth. This talent is not just for grabbing a brew but also the remote, your socks, or anything you want the dog to bring you. This class is not for everyone but can be lots of fun for the dedicated. 

 Lose things easily? I do! That’s why I enlist my K9 helper to give me a hand. Almost any dog is capable of completing this class, from 8 weeks to 12 years. If your dog likes a ball, food, a chewy toy, etc., we can teach her to use her nose. These classes are small group (less than 10) and we meet weekly for 6 weeks. There are 3 modules beginner, intermediate, and advanced. If you take all 3, your dog should be able to find a scented object any ware in your yard or home in no time. 

 “My dog gets so excited when I come home that she pees on the floor”, or “My dog is so scared when you try to touch her she pees on the floor”. Do either of these situations sound familiar? This can be a persistent and annoying problem for anyone. In some breeds this is a genetic problem, (Cocker Spaniels and some hounds mostly) but for the vast percentage of dogs, this is a completely fixable problem. The solution, like with most problem behaviors is boundaries and training. Through the training process we will teach your dog coping mechanisms which will either bring down the fear level or bring down the excitement level in your dog, thus making the world easier to handle and no more liquid surprises every time you come home. 

 Whether you have your own outdoors show and hunt constantly, or you are just a casual hunter who likes to go out on the weekends with your buddies’, wouldn’t it be better with your dog? Union Dog Training offers everything from the most basic help with simple retrieval to master hunter level training for hunt test and field trials. We offer master level field training in retrievers, pointers, terriers, and most recently Daschunds (Teckle), and specialize in dogs for the falconry community. Even if you just want to clean up some line manners or practice for a straighter line, we can help. 

Starting early is so important with any endeavor. We can head off almost all problem behavior in your dog if we get started when they are young. We offer two ways of getting started, first is a social group class offered twice a week where puppies and owners get together out and about. We combine some social time with class time to create a positive association with other dogs and people. The second approach is completed with private lessons in your home, where we can sit down and customize a program that works for you and your pup. We can decide together which approach is best for you and your pet.­ 

 We offer fully trained utility service dogs on a commission only basis. These German Shepard Dogs or Labradors are designed to aid those with mobility, coordination, or social difficulties. The most common ailments we train for are: Huntington’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gerragegs, and other neurological disorders. The dog will act as a helper in getting things off the table and floor, mobility assistant, and as a companion. If you already have a dog and wish to have her trained to help you, an assessment needs to be done before training can begin. 

 We offer fully trained detection dogs on a commission only basis. Almost any breed is capable for this work but I prefer Daschunds or Rat Terriers for their small stature (can make it under the bed) and their tenacity. Depending on the dog, there is between a four and six month training period. The dogs are trained to exceed the NPMA guidelines and can be certified upon request. The dogs will be purchased at between six months and a year and will have previous tracking experience before being appropriated for your specific needs. 

 There are not many of us out there, but what pairs better than birds and dogs? Answer birds and dogs and birds. Do you want your pointer to hold that point while you walk to the truck and get your falcon, send her up, flush, and then point your bird again down field? Sounds fun right? 

If this hasn’t clicked by about 6 months with your pup, you may start to see some obvious issues develop. These issues begin with barking and being destructive, then chewing and even backsliding in house breaking. This slide can be reversed with training. Even if you have inherited this problem with a dog whose past was a little shaky, there are clear solutions to overcome anxiety.