Tom
The Adventure Begins: 03/09/25
Coaching Resources
Start Here
〰️
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!
Character Sheet
Tom’s primary goals during his board and train were surrounding impulse control - specifically around food and new people, both of which he finds very exciting.
Ideally, Tom should offer restraint with food on counters or in someone’s hand without reminder/cue, however he was introduced to the cue “leave it” should he need a reminder. Arousal regulation is particularly hard for Tom when there are a number of distractors piling on one another. The term “trigger stacked” is typically used to describe reactive dogs, whose struggle to refrain from a reaction is increasingly challenging based on how many different things they are expected to deal with. While Tom is not displaying “reactive” behaviors, distractors will work similarly - the more excitement is around Tom, to more difficult it will be to contain his own excitement. Factor this into your expectations when working on challenges for Tom - any holidays with family and food will be a particular test for him!
We also specifically geared some of his impulse control work towards settling and non-engagement around the house cats, patio practice, and building his name response to strengthen his (eventual) recall!
Tom will need to continue to strengthen these behaviors in a variety of spaces. Behaviors are taught and introduced in low-distraction environments, so building up his ability to work with distraction is the next step. Make sure you’re building in a lot of time for Tom to burn off some of his physical energy and decompress from this challenging work!
Tom is an active adolescent with a good amount of energy! I think that building your relationship through training is a great way to continue to bond, as well as to prevent problem behaviors from arising due to lack of energy.
I highly recommend “decompression walks” as a way to burn off energy and allow dogs to be dogs - I see that you’re already using Sniffspots, which is awesome, as they give dogs a way to experience open spaces with novel smells without the stressors of public spaces and the training that often goes into that. I do have reviews of several Sniffspots on Guild Hall, so be sure to check those out if you haven’t already!
Getting involved in dog sport (competitively or not) can be a great way to keep training - I have some descriptions of different games and events on Guild Hall as well, but I also frequently recommend Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (FDSA) as a low pressure way to try new activities, and of course since you’ve worked with Robin you’re probably already familiar with Your Dog’s Friend as a great resource for exploring beginner sports. I have taken classes with Robin and love her, I also really enjoy E Foley’s classes in particular - at Your Dog’s Friend or at her home in Burtonsville.
03/18/25
On Tom’s arrival at home, focus on wellness and management for the first few days as you both fall back into routine. I would recommend using the Overall Relaxation Protocol as a first step into
We worked on potential resource guarding protocol as well. I saw one instance of clear resource guarding (food) and one potential moment of resource guarding (space/me) during his stay. In both cases, the guarding behavior was directed towards another dog, and in the case of food also involved a barrier, which can exacerbate tension for some dogs. Neither behavior was particularly prolonged, and Tom didn’t hold a grudge in either instance and was able to go back to playing or training after a brief moment of recovery. Knowing he has significant percentage of livestock guardian dog in his genetic makeup, as well as his early developmental experiences, it’s worthwhile to assume that he may continue to display some resource guarding behavior. For some dogs with resource guarding, they may only guard from other dogs, for others that can expand to behavior around humans as they mature.
To begin addressing this, we worked on approaching while Tom was eating and tossing a treat (something better than his food) near him. I would encourage continuing to do this at home - not only does this result in him willingly leaving his food for a moment, but also conditions him to associate positive feelings with people approaching him while he’s eating.
We also worked on a voluntary “trade” behavior with two equivalent value items (worked with collagen sticks here - I would start with something easier at home!) for Tom to not only drop and leave an item when asked for, but to leave the area of that item and come to you for reward, so you can ask him for this behavior from a distance without approaching him when he does have something potentially very high value.
Management is going to come into play a lot here while Tom is learning these skills. Adolescence is a time for impulsivity, so regardless of practice, he’s still likely to try to push and see what he can accomplish. This means management will need to play a role in preventing him “winning” reinforcement from behaviors you don’t want to see grow stronger.
I typically recommend, where space will support, baby gates to block off the kitchen unsupervised, and solid crate training so he can be calm before being released to say hello to new people on leash. You’ll be able to slowly relax these rules as he matures and as behaviors get stronger, but preventing unsupervised successes will avoid conflict over what might result in reinforcement and building bad habits!
04/02/2025
Ready-Get-It: A Versatile Tool
This game serves multiple purposes, including:
✔ Teaching an informal attention cue
✔ Giving Tom a productive outlet to disengage and burn energy around distractions
✔ Creating distance from triggers while keeping him engaged
✔ Strengthening loose leash walking and recall anticipation
✔ Helping with polite greetings and safe treat delivery
Practicing “Surprise” Sounds
Whenever possible, plan approaches to the door via text/call and reward Tom heavily after a surprise knock or mail delivery. Teaching a “thank you” cue can also help him decompress after barking in real-life scenarios.
Polite Greetings
Start greetings on a leash or dragging leash, with Tom on place as guests enter. Before his energy builds up, release him to a treat scatter and play Ready-Get-It towards the guest. Greetings can vary in intensity:
1️⃣ Quick Hello – Hand touch, handler marks “yes,” Tom returns.
2️⃣ Petting Up – Hand touch, then lured to cross the person’s legs for petting.
3️⃣ Free-for-All – Hand touch, stays on the floor until the guest kneels, allowing for play.
Trail Running & Passing Dogs on Narrow Trails
✔ Build up intermittent running by rewarding at your side or using pulling cues like “go,” “mush,” or “hurry.”
✔ Use “easy” for slowing down or running in sync.
✔ If encountering a reactive dog ahead, consider a treat scatter so you can work out logistics of passing with the other owners.
✔ When passing, keep your body as a visual barrier and use Ready-Get-It for engagement.
✔ Teaching a “to the right” cue can help Tom switch sides smoothly.
Sniffing & Decompression Breaks
Encourage sniffing by cueing “okay, go sniff” at ideal spots (treelines, fences, hydrants). If Tom maintains focus on you, look away to encourage exploration. Practice breaking him out of sniffing with a quick attention cue, rewarding heavily before inviting him to sniff again. Positive interrupters are great for surprises, but if he can succeed with a known cue, reinforce his existing skillset!
Looking for More Support?
If you’d like to continue building on the skills we covered, my adolescent and reactive dog classes provide a structured environment to practice around real-world distractions in a supportive setting. For more personalized feedback, a virtual coaching subscription allows you to send short training videos and receive detailed guidance on your progress—perfect for working through challenges at your own pace. The virtual coaching subscription Training Montage would add to Tom’s program:
4 Weeks of video submissions and live virtual coaching sessions, renewed monthly
Recaps and Resources provided on your personalized webpage to keep you on track between sessions
Monthly Subscription…$150
Let me know if you’re interested in either (or both!) options, and I’d be happy to help you find the best fit for you and your dog!
It was such a pleasure having Tom back for his two-week board and train this August! He made great progress, and I want to give you a recap of what we worked on together, along with some ideas for continuing at home.
🌟 Training Focus Areas
Polite Greetings – Tom practiced calmer introductions by leaning in alongside new people rather than facing them head-on, which makes jumping less likely and sets him up for easy pets. We also paired greetings with treat scatters to encourage him to settle into this position. Over time, you can fold in hand targets to guide him toward that side-leaning approach.
Impulse Control & Arousal Regulation – We worked on “jazz up and settle down” both in toy play and when being called out of play with other dogs. He also made great progress with “place” and down-stay work as part of his relaxation protocol.
Counter Surfing Prevention – To manage and retrain this, I recommend:
Setting up a defined “place” in the kitchen where he can practice relaxation and impulse control.
Incorporating kitchen-specific distractions (like dropped treats) with the expectation of an automatic leave-it.
Managing access to the kitchen with baby gates when not training.
Prey Reactivity – We used “Look at That,” treat scatters, and a fun game called “Jump n Run,” where Tom practiced finding perches in the woods instead of focusing on prey. Making a game of perch is something you can easily continue indoors and outdoors to give him an outlet and a job to focus on.
Cooperative Care – We introduced some foundational handling for grooming and husbandry, so you can start building up comfort with care routines at home.
📝 Homework & Next Steps
Practice polite greetings with the sit → release → scatter → pet sequence before folding in hand targets.
Continue “place” training in the kitchen with controlled distractions.
Keep building the perch game in short, fun bursts daily to redirect Tom’s natural drive.
Maintain jazz up/settle down practice during playtime.
📲 Support Moving Forward
You have three months of Cast Guidance virtual coaching included, so feel free to send me videos of Tom’s training at home. If it’s helpful, let me know a day of the week that works best for me to check in with you for homework follow-up or questions. We can also schedule in-person follow-ups whenever you’re ready.
I’m so proud of the progress Tom made, and I’m excited to see how he continues to grow with you at home. Thanks for all the work you’re putting into his training—it really makes a difference!
Cast Guidance Includes:
🎓 Access to the full library of recorded workshops, webinars, orientations, and the Lore Arcana
🧠 Weekly Office Hours for live Q&A and coaching
🎯 One Skill Check per month (30-minute virtual session)
📽️ Up to 5 minutes of video review weekly, with homework feedback
🎟️ 10% off all classes and workshops
09/05/2025
Today’s focus was on helping Tom build patience and clarity in exciting situations. We used his down position as a way to give him structure and focus, especially during greetings or other moments that can wind him up.
✨ Skills We Reviewed
Zen Hand (errorless waits): presenting an open hand with food, then closing it calmly if Tom goes for it. This teaches him to pause and wait for the reward instead of lunging in—great practice for self-control.
Reward Specific Markers: using different words (like Yes for food delivered from your hand, Good to bring the food to his mouth, or Get it! for a tossed treat) so Tom knows what kind of reward is coming and how to get it. This improves his clarity of thought and helps him stay more thoughtful in arousing situations.
Cookie Quandary: a recall game where food is placed in a bowl, and Tom is called away from it and rewarded for making the choice to leave the distraction. This builds stronger recall and “leave it” skills while keeping training fun.
✨ Looking Ahead
For continuing support, you’ve got some great options:
Drop-In Classes (posted in Guild Hall): Level Up Club, Level Up Hike, and Side Quests for variety and practice in new contexts.
Cast Guidance: Don’t forget you have three free months of this ongoing support! Keep sending over videos each week so we can keep Tom on track between sessions.