Speaking of Pets...

Makayla Smith 

Business: Sits ‘N’ Wiggles Dog Training

Location: Grace  

Hours: By appointment 

Makayla Smith is a dog trainer who works out of her home in Grace. I was given her contact information by Eisa’Bel Curran, whose column on pet issues is running in this week’s paper.  It’s somewhat unusual to have what would ostensibly be a competitor advocate for their counterpart, and it turns out that the two work together to try to meet the needs of the many dog owners in Caribou County.  I think cooperation is an underrated virtue, and hope to provide a place for both Makayla and Eisa’Bel to provide useful information and advice to dog owners, each according to their own specialty.  

As Eisa’Bel told me: “I think what’s helpful is we both can help dog owners with different training methods. She also specializes in service dog training, which is helpful for clients that need assistance for medical aid/alert or specific tasks. 

Being able to have both of us in neighboring towns helps break up the client load as well and we can divide and conquer! I think it’s important we work as a team as the end goal is the owner and the dog making progress and succeeding. 

We talk a lot back and forth on cases and thinking of the best ways to help that individual. I see the situation as both of us helping the dog owners regardless of how!”

Makayla can be contacted by phone at 208-254-0703, emailed at [email protected] or contacted through her website sitsnwigglesdogtraining.com.  

Due to the kind of training that Makayla does, she explains that “I like to keep my client list at around 5 or 6 at a time. My schedule is hectic with my 2 young kids so keeping a smaller client list helps me to keep track of their progress better.”

The training she provides is best described by her:  “I help clients address behavior problems and build solid training foundations with their dogs. One thing that sets me apart from many other trainers throughout Southeast Idaho, is that I work only with Positive reinforcement training techniques. So I don’t use aversives or punishment in my training. This can increase the success of service dog training by around 40% and can make a big difference in working with pets as well.” 

One unique feature of Makayla’s training is that she works to train service dogs.  For those who are seeking a service dog and need advice, or those who would like to know whether their dog might work well in that capacity, Makayla can help.

“For my service dog program, I can either help clients find a dog that has a better chance of success or I can evaluate their dog to see if they have potential for the work. Service Dog Training does not have a 100% success rate even with purpose-bred dogs (dogs selectively bred for programs and service dog work). So even if a dog has all the right qualities and are successful in the early stages of training, they still may not graduate. There are a lot of factors that go into training service dogs and determining which ones may be successful and which ones won’t be.”

For day to day obedience needs, Smith says that the most common issues she comes across are things like recall (coming back to you when you call them), pulling on leash, barking and jumping on people. All of which, she says, are fairly straightforward behaviors to solve.

I think the biggest thing that people don’t understand about dogs is that they don’t know English. They don’t automatically know what we are saying and what we expect of them. We have to teach them, and that teaching does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of time, consistency and patience to help them understand routines and what we expect of them.  

The Dog Trainers Diary 

Eisa’Bel Curran

The Fourth Fright: Why fireworks send dogs on the run

It’s becoming that time of year again that a lot of pet owners are facing with a big challenge, fireworks. Over 60% is reported of lost pets by animal control and shelters and it continues to increase… why? 

Dogs react to fireworks because their senses are much more sensitive than ours, and fireworks can trigger a fight-or-flight response. Fireworks is something they cannot control making it difficult to help them cope during the fearful time. 

Here are 5 tips for you to do with your dog to make them as comfortable as possible and safe:

1: Preparation 

MONTHS before these events happen you should be desensitizing your dog to what the fireworks sound like. Meaning you turn on the YouTube channel and overtime you slowly turn up the volume. Incorporating this during meal times, nap times, play times and making it the normal will help ease the burden. This is an everyday activity, when you make it routine it helps the dog understand how to react better when the event actually arrives. 

2: Secure and safe place 

One of the biggest reasons dogs go missing is they are not in a secure place or the door is opened and the dog runs right out. Crate training is beneficial during this time as it provides a small and dark area while also in a contained area. If you have a basement, putting your pet in the quiet area that is dark while playing either white noise or music will help drown out the sounds. Covering the crate with a blanket can also be helpful. 

3: ENERGY

Draining your dogs energy before the event happens! Plan a few hours before fireworks to drain your dogs energy will help immensely, this means both physical energy and mental energy! This will make having them in a secure area easier to handle and cope with. 

4: Enrichment 

Providing safe chews or lick mats with yummy peanut butter or yogurt that’s frozen can help redirect the mind to focus on what’s in front of them. Licking is a soothing act for dogs thus can help with the noise aversion. This may not work for everyone but is certainly an alternative. 

5: Medication 

Medication should be used with caution as it can either heighten their senses and make it worse or affect their overall health. Talking to your vet about anti-anxiety medications WEEKS before the stressful events is best to have trial periods to see how effective it is for your dog. There are more natural and over the counter products you can try but quality is what you are looking for! Never self prescribe human medications without talking to your vet first if it’s safe to use for
your dog. 

If these tips have helped you in anyways you can leave a review on google or Facebook! Bels Dog Training is dedicated to educating and helping each individual out with their dogs needs. Stay tuned for the next one!