TAKING TIME FOR A HAPPY HOME

THE MUTTLY CREW INTERVIEWS DOG TRAINING POWER COUPLE JAMIE AND MICHAEL BADIAL. THEY ARE THE FOUNDERS OF BEST PAW FORWARD (BPF) IN CHALFONT, PA.

Site link: https://bestpawforwardinc.com/dog-trainers/

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Putting your best foot or paw forward with an aggressive dog can be challenging. How does a family help their furry child transition from exerting hostility to calmness and obedience? What do you do if you feel like there is not enough time to give your dog the attention he or she deserves? How can your dog and you have more peace of mind? Michael and Jamie Badial have the experience to answer those key questions.  And the BPF cofounders start part of their furry client investigation at home, literally. Michael and Jamie, along with their team of trainers, board and teach challenged pooches in their own homes. This pack embraces others’ furbabies as their own with positive reinforcement. For many dog parents, a professional’s home is preferred over a kennel or camp. Their 4-legged kids get more attention with less risk of a snout-to-snout paw fight.  And if the trainers don’t mind their own furniture and backyard getting chewed up, they will probably be very patient and understanding. The BPF crew says making the time to train dogs whether the parents can be involved or need more of their support is key. And they have quite the pawprint in the training field, guiding hundreds of other professionals.  Not only with dog behavior, but also with helping others navigate the pandemic so their businesses survive.

We spoke to Michael and Jamie about their life-long love of dogs, paths to building BPF and their advice for all of us furbaby mommas and poppas. Michael spent part of his childhood with his beloved mutt Mariah by his side. One of his earlier jobs was working as a meter reader in California. One can only imagine what crazy encounters he must have had with dogs while gathering data on foot. He had to quickly think of ways to calm dogs that were protecting their property or risk being attacked. Michael serves as a Sergeant in the Army National Guard. Respect! And his approach with potential furry opponents reflects the branch’s motto “Always Ready, Always There.”   First, he would do a reconnaissance of a potential furry opponent. Michael would knock on a fence or make other noise near the yard to see if any unwelcoming snouts pop up. If so, he would have to take a picture of the meter from a more distant angle. Another tactic was arming himself with a wooden stick with a rope attached to a tennis ball!  If a dog approached him, he would use this as his line of defense as he assesses if the pooch wants to fight. (For Michael’s sake we sure hope they wanted to fetch the ball!) Later Michael managed a large kennel in Pennsylvania with more than 200 dogs residing at a time. He was intrigued by the behavior of dogs. He became a certified trainer. Testing his skills, in particular, was a massive Mastiff mix he inherited when he moved. An aggressive one. For some of us, getting a new place comes with surprises like faulty plumbing or a nosy neighbor.  His was a “Cujo” type of dog, menacing and aggressive. Michael helped rehabilitate the dog into a teddy bear.   Michael’s passion led him to start a rescue dedicated to retraining.

Michael’s wife Jamie also loved dogs since she was little.  Whenever she visited other family and friends, she would hang out more with their dogs than people.  So many of us can relate to the feeling of rather chilling with a new furry pal than some humans! Jamie walked a different path to rescue and training. Though she took the corporate finance route, her heart was with the dogs, namely German Sheperds (GSD). She has gravitated toward the intelligent, working breed since college. Even as a busy student majoring in accounting and getting her MBA, she took care of one. Jaimie became interested in training GSDs and making them more adoptable. Raven, a GSD puppy, was her first furry student and companion as she became certified. Through her foster work involving more than two dozen GSDs and other breeds, she met Michael and the rest is furry, sweet history. Jamie has said that every dog they have had has come at a pivotal moment in her life. She notes the dog Holly is the reason Michael and she met.  The pair have two young children together, also giving them personal experience helping dogs feel at home while keeping the whole family safe. Michael says each dog teaches you something about your personal skills. Here are some tips from them both:

Michael & JAMIE’S TIPS:

• Most important thing that people can do is to provide their dogs with structure and exercise. If you are consistent about your rules and boundaries in your house or whatever location, you could accidentally train them. Routines lend very well to a dog.

• It’s easier if they don’t have a lot of pent up energy.  Exercise and going outside is key. A yard provides the environment for a child to entertain itself. But it’s important to be involved with them when they are outside.  Play or hang out. Take the time.

• People should remain objective about their dog’s abilities.

•  Set their training sessions up with easy to attain goals. Break them down as far as they can. This means easy to digest tasks that are simple for the dog.

• Track the dog’s progress. If they are able to achieve 9 out of 10 repetitions, then they can move up in difficulty on the task.

• As some of go back to our hectic lives post-pandemic, consistently take time each day to spend with your dog. Even if you are setting aside 30 minute a day for a nice walk or a training session. It can mean so much to the dog and you. Think of it as be escapism time. 

• Spending time consistently with the pooch each day can help with their aggression. You may see positive results soon after spending quality time with you dog. 

Jamie gave the writer of this article advice on how to help her dog have more peace of mind.  With a new baby in the picture, the previous only furry child was seemingly depressed. He wasn’t getting nearly as much attention as he did before. Jamie said it’s key to spend some time each day with our dog-son even it’s a nice walk for 30 min but get it done.  Her guidance along with tips from our other featured professional trainer Michael Asviradem (https://www.themuttlycrewstore.com/training-from-the-heart), really helped. I couldn’t do 30 min every day but at least would give 20 min a day of my undivided attention and it made a big difference. Our 4-legged kid seemed happier and some of his behavior improved. Less accidents too! I also realized how much I missed him. Even if we were home most of the time, we weren’t really together. He deserves more and I take the time to show him!