Miša
The Adventure Begins: 12/24/24
Coaching Resources
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Start Here 〰️
The Handbook is a lengthy read, but has just about everything you might need to know when starting a program. This is the absolute best place to start with your training package.
Guild Hall is a client portal within my website - you’ll find classes and events available only to past and present clients there, as well as discounts on certain future services. You’ll also find recommended outlets for your dog, including sports, events, and sniffspot information.
Your google drive is available to you to reference your contract and contact and care form, make updates to your dog’s care information, upload vaccination records, as well as share videos and photos with questions or for feedback!
Miša was a phenomenal houseguest and super responsive to training. We worked on her interactions with other dogs, reactivity on leash, and settling around smaller dogs.
Miša has a history of barrier frustration and leash reactivity, especially towards small dogs. Because she came here from Jess’ after an aggressive interaction with a smaller dog, we also emphasized decompression and relaxation to ensure that she was able to go into training with a clear head.
Potential causes for increase in aggressive behavior at boarding:
Prey Drive - Especially since Miša can be reactive to squirrels and birds, she may perceive smaller dogs as prey. In addition to the behaviors she practiced during her stay, we can build in some additional tools specific to prey! She did well with my cats during her stay, but the behavior may be different outdoors.
Resource Guarding - I know Miša has some strong feelings about balls, so resource guarding, especially over a toy (or something else of value) left out may result in resource guarding behavior.
Pain - I would still recommend a vet check up for Miša, but if the cause of this interaction was pain I suspect that it was a momentary twinge as I didn’t see any signs of pain during her stay. She absolutely could have gotten touched by the other dog in a way that either was painful or she anticipated would be painful following her recent bout of pancreatitis and reacted because of that.
Decrease in Sociability - Miša is at an age where more dog selectivity would make sense, and isn’t outside normalcy in dog her age. She played very nicely with the dogs at my home, but I did notice that she tends to come into social interactions very stiff and on alert - depending on the response from the other dog, this can lead to less tolerant interactions.
In addition to ensuring her physical wellness, I would focus some of Miša’s social time towards indirect interactions - parallel walks on or off leash with other dogs, decompression/sniffy walks on her own, training (both for reactivity and for fun) with you both - rather that time directly interacting with other dogs. Just as our interests change as we get older, Miša’s social inclinations are likely to shift as she matures and she will benefit from “down time” between interactions with other dogs, as well as between working on more challenging behavior modification training around triggers.
Consider how to best set up her walk and time in the house to avoid “dog watching” from the window and potentially increasing stress levels throughout the day.
This is something we can emphasize in conversation starting with a Session Zero in advance of a longer board and train. I do have a scheduler for these sessions, but can set one up with you guys sooner than is publicly available if you wanted to have her stay sooner than later to keep momentum going with her progress!
In addition to the information on this website, check out some of the other information available for you and Miša!
The Handbook - Your welcome packet to your training program and some details about Like Magic’s training and what you and your dog can expect!
Your Online Course - Your included course to supplement your board and train is linked here. Use the discount code DRAMA-MAJOR for the (100%) discount to be applied to receive your complimentary access.
You can schedule your (3) coaching sessions at this link here! Depending on when you’d like her to come back to stay, we can also hold off on these sessions and do them consecutively with more coaching sessions after her next stay.
Additional Recommendations:
As mentioned above, I would recommend a pain assessment for Miša just to verify that there is nothing lingering and no other identifiable source of discomfort for her!
Board and Train 03/06-04/11
Miša is a bright, responsive girl who truly enjoys learning. While she can be initially cautious in new settings, she quickly settles once she understands what’s expected, showing great adaptability and engagement. Moving forward, it will be important to continue varying her exposures, ensure she has time to decompress, and keep practicing her skills—particularly around her primary trigger: smaller dogs on leash.
During this stay, the focus was on reinforcing the behaviors Miša learned during her New Years board and train rather than introducing new ones. She transitioned smoothly back into the routine and was able to work around other dogs in controlled setups right away. "Ready, get it!" remains her favorite cue to stay engaged while moving, and she responded well to “Look at That” and relaxation exercises when stationary.
We explored using a ball as a reinforcer; while she clearly enjoys it, it's currently a bit too stimulating for reactivity work. As her off-switch skills improve, it may become a more viable tool for attention-based exercises.
Dog Interactions & Social Behavior
Miša showed a wonderfully adaptable play style and was the most social dog during her stay. She got along with every other social dog here.
She inconsistently guarded toys—tolerant with Mabel, her main playmate, but less so with Astro, a Toller. This could be due to his unfamiliarity, his behavior, or that he’s an intact male.
She is not tolerant of humping behavior. While her corrections were appropriate and clear, she may not be a good match for dogs that tend to mount.
Around small dogs, she was especially stimulated when they were picked up and occasionally mouthed or pulled at their legs. This behavior didn’t appear with larger dogs and she redirected easily, but it's something to monitor closely due to potential safety concerns.
Her social interest gradually decreased over the stay. While she enjoyed being around other dogs, she engaged in less direct play—something to consider, as she may not require regular canine companionship to feel fulfilled.
On leash, her most challenging moments were when small dogs reacted first. Scattering treats and giving her a moment to cool down was effective, and most reactions were limited to a brief lunge before she became responsive again.
Moving Forward To continue Miša’s progress:
Rotate enrichment activities such as Nosework, Movement Puzzles, or on-the-go games that challenge her mentally.
Aim for a weekly decompression walk in low-traffic areas to relax and reset.
Continue “Look at That,” relaxation work, and the Overall Relaxation Protocol in varied settings.
Keep sessions dynamic and structured to help her generalize skills and maintain her confidence.
It was a true pleasure having Miša back—she will be missed! I’m looking forward to the handoff sessions and am here for any continued support you may need for your journey together.
05/01/2025
Miša was fantastic in her handoff session and handled all of our challenges with confidence! She showed she was ready to handle interactions with Fig, Theodore, and Riz beautifully.
Handler Timing: One helpful tip—I noticed that when a cue didn’t get an immediate response, both of you were quick to offer several more. In controlled setups like these, try waiting for three deep breaths before cueing again. This gives her time to process and keeps the cues meaningful. When we waited, she responded much more quickly on subsequent reps.
Exploring Predation Training: Miša is also very intrigued by small animals. One fun exercise we could introduce is from Predation Substitute Training—"Jump and Run"—which teaches her to scan for perches instead of prey. Happy to explore this more next time!