Juno
Links you need!
This is where the calendar of events for the month will be and scrolling down, will also have registration for any currently available Level Up events.
When doing day training or hikes there isn’t usually enough to warrant a page entry on Juno’s private page, but instead I’ll create short videos to share on here. You can also look over the other Level Up Club members videos for training ideas or applications!
What is the Humane Hierarchy?
Addressing behavior from a professional lens means approaching change from a systematic and humane process. While you can read a little about my training philosophy on my Frequently Asked Questions and in this blog post, generally speaking when looking at behavior change I will recommend you review the Human Hierarchy of needs for your dog.
This structure emphasizes physical and mental welfare, and changing behavior by setting up successful interactions with positive reinforcement driving preferred behaviors. I am always cautious before including any behavior in a training plan that may exacerbate frustration or distress for your dog, and will work to avoid creating fallout and mistrust in your training program.
Skill Tree
August Level Up Session
October Level Up Session
Session Notes
August Level Up Session
October Level Up Session
Building Muzzle Duration
To build duration on Juno’s muzzle work, build behavior to a point where Juno is readily offering his nose into the muzzle for longer and longer stretches, rewarding several times in the muzzle before releasing with “get it” treat tossed away. Once he has substantial duration, start adding slight pressure pulling back on the muzzle straps, until you can pull them both back and clip them while Juno voluntarily remains with his nose in the muzzle and waiting for additional reinforcement.
Once he’s successful at this you can start adding small behavior in - I recommend asking for behaviors you can reward above Juno’s head so he isn’t in the habit of dropping his head or pawing the muzzle off - this can be sit, spin, targets, etc. Ask for small, easy behaviors in short duration, then ask for a chin again, unclip the muzzle and release with a “get it!” Keep these muzzle-on sessions short and enjoyable for both of you.
Perimeter Recall/Reactivity Work
We discussed pausing Juno’s regular walks in favor of training work at the perimeter of the yard and decompression opportunities. You can review the behaviors if you scroll up to you “Skill Tree” up the page, but the general protocol of working along the yard perimeter should be:
Can Juno take food (treat scatter, offered attention) with neighbors in the yard. Can he walk alongside the perimeter and play look at that with benign distractions in the yard.
Add Look at That with benign or even no distractions at first. Then add potential triggers (the man, the guest dog being still/eating a scatter of his own). You may need to add distance or another scatter in if he needs help here - use “This Way” or even ready get it to move him away from the fence line.
As you make distractions harder (especially when the guest dog is loose in the neighboring yard) make things easier for Juno by asking for behaviors/doing treat scatters further away from the fence line and then working back towards being close.
Do this in frequent but short bursts - it’s hard to be face to face with your triggers! Make sure that some scatters in the yard are just for enrichment/enjoyment so we don’t create a negative association overall with the space.
“October” Level Up Session (02/02)
Duration and Reverse Luring - How to Progress
Reverse Luring is a reward concept that can help teach duration on behaviors for dogs, and can be especially helpful building start cues for cooperative care work. The idea is that while the dog is performing a behavior correctly, treats are visible to them (in an open palm, typically). If they move away from performing the correct behavior, the hand closes, obscuring the treats from view. This can be a great way to build up behaviors like a chin rest or even your “middle” cue once they understand the concept!
Note: I also use “Good” as my reward marker for this exercise, meaning I will always bring the treat to their mouth. Differentiating this from “yes” (you can break behavior to get the treat) can help with building behavior like this.
Initially, your dog needs to be able to offer patience in accessing a treat in an open palm. I want to avoid “leave it” cues here to avoid potential conflict, so instead start with treats in your open palm high enough that this isn’t an issue for them. Open your palm, wait a beat, and mark “yes” and reward from your palm. If this is easy for your dog, re-present your hand slightly lower and repeat.
If you reach a point where your dog is jumping for the treat, close your hand when they jump up, and re-open it when they put their four feet on the floor. You might even ask for a sit behavior at this point to start driving the point home that you will only open your palm if they are seated.
If they are repeatedly jumping (not succeeding at the exercise) at a certain height, go slightly higher and build longer duration at that height before trying to move down again. Adjust one “lever” of difficulty at a time - if the treat is lower, ask for less duration. If the treat is farther away, ask for more duration.
Eventually, your dog should remain in a sit while your palm is open, and if they get up, should respond without a cue when the palm closes to offer a sit again. You can now start repeating the exercise with other duration exercises (eye contact, down, chin, etc.)
Greeting Protocol/Moving Through the House
When someone new comes in the house, I would have Juno away from the doorway where a lot of excitement happens, and already positioned in a muzzle and on leash by one of his people on the couch. Reward him heavily as the guest(s) comes through the door and takes off coat/shoes/etc. As they get settled, reward Juno for “look at that” exercise and any movement towards relaxation.
Have guest sit opposite or away from Juno. Any time your guest gets up, moves around, etc., move back into rewarding for “look at that” type behaviors. If he needs to be crated at any point during the visit because he feels uncomfortable, that’s completely fine!
While for now I would keep Juno on a leash that is being held by one of his people, you will be able to progress this over time (once he can make the choice to stay by the couch and away from the door) to simply dragging that same leash. After that point you may want to graduate him to a “leash tab” (linked below) so if he does need to be grabbed or maneuvered you do not have to grab his collar to do so, since he finds that aversive.
Teaching “Middle” Cue for Stationing
I love when tricks come in handy for meaningful behaviors! I like teaching my dogs to “middle” as an easy stationing behavior while out and about to signal both to them - and to the general public - that your dog is not available for interaction. Vesta is going to take to this quickly, but Juno may need some practice at home just moving in and out of legs since he has a really strong sense of personal space.
Start by rewarding your dog for moving behind your back, progressing with the treat until they are comfortably moving directly behind you. Once they’re continually doing that, you can add a treat tossed between your legs, or lured through your legs.
You can use “Middle” and “Spin” as behaviors to work on during muzzle training as easy fun little behaviors, as well as developing a station for Juno to use for security on walks.
Nails and Cooperative Care Work
Cooperative care is a whole niche of training on it’s own - building behaviors and handling comfort that puts the dog more in control of how in depth an exam or treatment protocol will be. The crux of this training is trust - if you are setting up a cooperative care scenario, the process has to remain cooperative. This means that if there is not a choice (i.e. nails need to be cut in this session, a vaccination needs to be given) you should make your set up look very different than your cooperative set up. So when Juno’s “nail chair” is out, everything is cooperative!
Start with Juno’s chin on the chair. Reward multiple times for duration. Then start testing handling comfort. The rule of handling is that if Juno signals discomfort, the handling stops. Start with gentle touches or strokes on “easy” parts of his body (shoulder, neck, back) and moving towards increasing pressure or approaching less comfortable spots on his body (moving down his leg, for example). Any signs of discomfort - tensing, pulling back, lifting his chin - should be listened to. He still gets a treat if he says no!
When he replaces his chin on the chair, you can start reapplying pressure, moving towards picking up a paw, adding more handling, adding the tool in the picture, even clipping pasta near his paw for the noise! Let me know if you run into any issues or questions with this!
Next Session: We’ll meet towards the end of the month for a follow up on 02/22 at 11:00 to keep things progressing with Juno!
“November” Level Up Session (02/22)
Procedure for Ear Medicine
Since Juno has been under the weather, we took a breather on general cooperative care and reactivity practice and focused on a method to give him his ear drops safely and without distress on either end of the leash. Initially I would recommend this be done with three people, but can be brought down to two or even potentially one as he’s feeling more comfortable.
Gear:
I would have Juno muzzled for the process. Not only does this add a degree of safety to the process, but it will also slow down Juno’s eating, making him work harder and maintain more focus on the food. It will also continue to generalize his muzzle use and is a good time for him to acclimate to wearing it. You’ll also want him wearing a short leash.
Helpers:
As mentioned, you’ll have three people - one person to apply the medicine, one person to keep a steady stream of food going, and one person to hold the leash. The person holding the leash should be positioned behind him with a short but slack leash, along Juno’s right side. The person feeding should be just in front of Juno, so the person administering the medicine can come directly up to Juno’s left ear.
Process:
Prepare the medicine needed away from Juno. Once muzzled, have him focus on eating the spray cheese off a plate or directly into his muzzled mouth. Once the medicine is prepared, come in, apply, and leave. This should be done quickly but calmly and confidently.
If Juno snarks or thrashes, step back but continue offering food. The person holding the leash should not jerk him back but act as a tether so he can’t push forward. Start again after a few moments.
If he seems to have adapted well and is calm about the medication you can phase helpers out - first the leash holder can be phased out (I would still have a leash on in case it needs to be grabbed) and then the food person if the person administering the medication is confident in him eating continuously through application of the medicine.
Keep me posted on how things are going!
Next Session: We’ll meet on 03/08 at 11:00 to keep working on things with Juno!
“April” Level Up Session (06/24)
Fence Reactivity Protocol – Juno & June
1. Set Up With Space & Occupation:
Start with Juno in the center of the yard on a long line, already occupied (treat scatter, chew, etc.). The neighbor’s dog should then come out on leash, visible but not too close—enough for Juno to notice but remain under threshold.
Play Look at That, Ready Get It, and use Treat Scatters to reinforce calm attention.
2. Gradual Fence Approach:
Once Juno seems confident, slowly work toward the fence at a diagonal angle. Monitor his body language closely and cue check-ins as you approach. Keep the neighbor’s dog mostly stationary with scatter feeding if needed.
3. Begin Neighbor Dog Movement:
When Juno is relaxed 5–10 feet from the fenceline, begin gently moving the neighbor dog (e.g., tossing treats or guiding along the garden path). Avoid direct approaches—no dogs should go right up to the fence yet. Juno can be stationary or moving during this, but be ready to call him off if he starts to escalate.
As Juno progresses, we’ll work up to both dogs being more mobile in their respective spaces with frequent call aways and confidence around each other’s presence.