Passion4Paws

12/23/2023

If you haven't yet, go on over to Pet Valu and get some goodies for your creatures! They have all sorts of holiday stuff on sale/clearance and some good deals on right now too. 🥰 I'm sure Trinity and everyone there would love to see you and help make your creatures holidays very Merry! 🥰🎄

12/23/2023

12/22/2023

Blessed Yule, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holiday's, from my crew to yours! ☺️ We hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season. 😄

I'll get to any messages after the holiday season. ☺️

12/19/2023

Do your research on the breed(s) to make sure it'll be a good fit for you/your lifestyle, speak with a vet, speak with a trainer, AND speak with a groomer. Heck, talk to several. Get your ducks in a row early on, before even getting the puppy/dog. Set the animal (and yourself) up for success, and make sure you know and are ready for all the financial responsibilities that come with getting the pet.

You may be considering a new addition to your family as we head into the holiday season.

Please conduct the appropriate research and speak to a veterinary professional before adding an animal to your family. It’s important to be aware of all the costs and obligations associated with responsible animal ownership.

***
À l’approche des fêtes de fin d’année, vous envisagez peut-être d’accueillir un nouvel animal dans votre famille.

Faites des recherches et consultez un vétérinaire avant d’adopter un animal. Assurez-vous de bien comprendre les obligations et les coûts associés à la possession responsable d’un animal de compagnie.

12/19/2023

💥💥Mighty Peace Veterinary Clinic Grimshaw💥💥once again has designated January and February 2024 as discount spay and neuter months.
📞 Call 780-332-1883 to book your spot now as appointments fill fast.
MPVC is an integral part of the surrounding communities and offering this promotion is so beneficial🐶🐶

12/18/2023

I have some awesome friends! 🥹 Check out this beautiful Christmas gift they made for me! I can't wait to have it on display for everyone to see! 💜🥹

12/14/2023

Dog training is more than a few private lessons with a trainer or a couple weeks at doggy boot camp. Training your dog is an everyday commitment to them and yourself. Our dogs are always learning from us and always understanding what is and is not acceptable.

Whether intentional or not, you are always teaching your dog how to behave. Train them to be the dog you need them to be. Trainers are here to guide you, but it is up to you to follow through.

12/13/2023

Took old lady Gigi and Baby Mojo out for some training today 😊 (if you look close, you can see someone spying on them from Haley's grooming room in Pet Valu! 😂)

12/12/2023

Well, we didn't win the contest, but we still get a $50 gift card, which is still super awesome! 🥳

Thanks everyone, for all of your support in the contest! 💜 The creatures are winners to me, and it was still super exciting being chosen as finalists in the contest! - I'm proud of them, and all the work and training I've put in to each of them. 🥰 They're such good sports when it comes to things like that, and they'll be getting extra spoiled for the holidays, for always putting up with my shenanigans 😂

Thanks again to everyone who voted for us! 🥰

12/11/2023

Here's the original Peavey Mart Petmas Finalist post you can comment #8 on, to vote for us! 💜🥰🙏🏻

Thanks to all who have commented, liked, and shared. All of your support is truely heartwarming! Even if we don't win, we're feeling the love, and the crew is going to get extra spoiled from Santa Paws for putting up with my endless shenanigans. 😂

12/11/2023

We made it into the finals, guys! Head on over and go comment #8 on the post, and like our picture, and feel free to share! 😄😄💜

12/09/2023

Took the creatures to Peavey Mart for their Petmas pictures this morning!
🐕🐕🐕🐈‍⬛🐕

Did anyone else take their pets to Peavey Mart for Petmas pictures?! If you did, drop them in the comments, let's see! 😍

12/09/2023

We had a full evening of training with the dogs yesterday! First we went to Grimshaw's Tree Light Up/Christmas Parade for some training! It was chilly 🥶 but it was a wonderful parade, there was lots of people, dogs, and all sorts of action, and Kiki, Mojo, and Figgy did awesome. 🥳 Here's a couple little video's of crappy commentary, dogs, and parade. 😂 Then Bro's Mojo & Fig got to go to Peavey Mart for "Petmas" pictures!

12/07/2023

‼️Important Notice‼️ December Fully booked for grooming! 🎄🐾

Unfortunately due to some family emergencies we are having to close our client list for new clients till hopefully only January, as soon as we are able to start taking new bookings we will make a post!

🐶If you are a regular don’t fret! We are working on getting back to everyone as quickly as we can!

⭐️If you are new please let us know if you’d like to be added to our waitlist for a 2024 appointment!

12/06/2023

You get what you allow, and what you allow, will continue.

A reminder:

The behaviors you REINFORCE will always continue. Be careful about what you’re reinforcing or allowing to be reinforced! There is a motivator behind EVERYTHING your dog does.

Dog jumps on you and you respond by talking / touching? Behavior is being reinforced.
Dog counter surfs and continues to find goodies to steal? Behavior is being reinforced.
Dog chews on inappropriate items but is continuously allowed to have access to them? Behavior is being reinforced.
Dog barks / reacts at strangers and people react by moving away? Behavior is being reinforced.
Dog doesn’t like nail trims and throws a fit every time you pick up a foot, so your response is to immediately let them go and give up on it? Behavior is being reinforced.
Dog fakes you out and runs when you try to catch them and you engage in chasing (“playing the game”)? Behavior is being reinforced.

Sit down and make a list of all the behaviors you’d like to extinguish. Now make a list of what’s reinforcing them. Now, remove the reinforcement entirely. Better yet, add a CONSEQUENCE on top of it.

Dog jumps on you? Stop interacting. Correct them.
Dog counter surfs? Don’t leave food accessible on surfaces, implement use of a s**t mat to correct them.
Dog chews on inappropriate items? Remove reinforcement by removing accessibility to these items. Provide appropriate things to chew instead.
Dog is reactive to strangers? Practice reinforcing only calm behavior (under threshold) around people who won’t move away. Set them up to succeed so only good things are being rewarded. (This one can get complex! Work with a professional as needed!)
Dog doesn’t like nail trims? Only release them / give them freedom when they display calm behavior.
Dog fakes you out and runs when you try to catch them? Stop chasing (reinforcing). Teach that recall / bringing collar to hand is the only thing that will be rewarded.

12/06/2023

A little PSA/soapbox here....

We are tired of hearing the stories over and over of dogs being attacked and chased by off-leash dogs.....take a stance and make a difference in your dog's life!

Lots of folks and their dogs out on trails, at parks and out for a walk with their dog this time of year. Unfortunately, not all owners have taught their dog bombproof recalls. It's common to hear...."oh he's friendly!"

But those people fail to realize the dog their dog is approaching may not be so friendly when a strange dog charges towards them or their pack members or when other dogs run up and get in their face!

As a dog owner/guardian/parent, whatever you want to call yourself, you are responsible for the safety and well-being of your own dog. If you allow your dog to be off-leash when they do not have a strong recall, you are failing to be responsible and failing your dog.

An attack in this situation can cause a dog a lifetime of fear or reactivity issues if the owners allow it to happen. There are leash laws for valid reasons!

PLEASE don't be THAT person that allows or encourages your unresponsive/unreliable dog to be off leash...advocate for your dog and keep and others around them safe.

Owners need to advocate for their dog and take appropriate safety measures to prevent their dog from being attacked or stepping up to handle the situation themself (i.e. become reactive to drive the offending dog away). It will help your dog tremendously when they realize you will take care of the situation and they don't have to when they are ill-equipped to do so!

Stop with the "he's friendly" or "he just wants to say hello" nonsense...instead train your dog to be neutral around other dogs, mind their own business and keep enjoying their walk paying attention to YOU.

12/05/2023

12/05/2023

Just don't. The amount of clients I get because of their dog becoming reactive after incidents at the dog park, is phenomenal. There are better ways to spend time with your dog..

The only time I recommend going to the dog park (and you'll see me do this with my own dogs) is if you're going to practice training in the parking lot, or around the dog park. While there are dogs in the park, or not. There's tons of smells, and distractions, and It's a fantastic place to practice engagement in. (Definitely not an exercise I'd start with, if you're just learning obedience and/or in the beginning phase of working on reactivity, but a great place to work up to)

*Graphic by on IG*
Seriously... stop taking your dog to the dog park. There are *zero* benefits to either you or your dog that you can’t get elsewhere with far less risk.

12/05/2023

12/03/2023

I've said it a million times, and I'll say it a million more; "he's friendly" isn't a good excuse for lack of training. If your dog's recall isn't reliable, it shouldn't be off leash. Period. Don't set someone else and their dog back in their training because of your own ignorance and entitlement. Trust me, you wouldn't like it if it happened to you, so don't do it to someone else. - Plus, not everyone likes dogs, your dog shouldn't be in anyone else's space without permission.

How to ruin your dog’s training:

Get rushed by an untrained, out of control dog.

“But he’s friendly!!”

Well, most dogs we know don’t appreciate random, out of control dogs rushing them at full speed while barking.

(MOST dogs perceive that as a threat and will respond accordingly)

The dogs who are being rushed don’t know the intention of the strange dog.

Applying that logic “oh mine is friendly so it’s fine!” to dogs is just irresponsible.

Friendly does not give a dog a free pass to cause mayhem and do whatever they want.

Let’s call it what it is: a training failure.

✅ Want a FREE course on how to train your dog a perfect heel? Even around distractions?

Click the link below 👇

https://solidk9academy.com/special-walk-the-walk-introductory-dog-training-course

11/30/2023

When we neglect to INTERVENE or INTERRUPT an irrational reaction to a trigger, a dog will become conditioned to the “expectation” of fear that that trigger elicits. Suspicion then embeds as each an every moving or inanimate object becomes a reason to be paranoid.

ALLOWING fear-bases reactions means further reinforcement of them... which begets stronger emotional responses as time goes on. Allowing a dog to act irrationally in one scenario will have them acting foolishly to just about any trigger. The longer a dog is allowed to practice fear-based behaviors, the more difficult it is to break through what becomes a habitual cycle, and reframe to a healthier default.

WHAT YOU ALLOW, YOU TRAIN.

In order to STOP the unhealthy response cycle, the choice to REACT negatively needs to be abruptly interrupted.

This may seem completely contradictory to most, but the reality is that interrupting a dog’s panic actually helps them work through their anxiety rather than wallow within it. It is far more hurtful to allow a dog to remain in an endless cycle of stress and anxiety than it is to stop the pattern, stop the cycle, and replace it with a healthier choice and a new feeling about what typically triggers that reaction.

Correcting irrationality clears the mind and reboots it to a more neutral starting point where positive associations can be molded. In order to cultivate positive association with a paranoid dog’s triggers, controlled role-playing is essential. Otherwise, throwing your dog to the wolves may end up creating an even bigger monster than when you began.

11/29/2023

Humans stink at staying consistent… With anything.

All of us set goals, or even New Year’s resolutions, but so few truly achieve them, and even fewer maintain them. Most endeavors that were at one point thought entirely possible — new diet regimens, new workout routines, new date night rituals, living in harmony with our unruly dogs — drift, ever so slightly, over time.

Commitment and consistency is doing the “thing” we proclaimed we would do — LONG AFTER — the mood we set your original promise in, has left us. Inconsistency will kill progress in any pursuit, and is the one reason we remain frustrated and disappointed.

It’s unfortunate that one cannot coast on a trainer’s past performance for long. Consistency is something that needs to be demonstrated with longevity, in order to become and remain truly successful.

The inability to stay committed and sustain it over a long period of time is the singular reason for all behavioral regression.

When laziness, or the “They’re good enough…” mindset begins to creep in and rob the structure, boundaries, and rules originally set out for the dog, so too will it steal any progress you’ve made or paid for. Inconsistent rules — typically seen between multiple handlers with varying degrees of follow through — become a gateway for the dog to manipulate their way around any situation.

It’s not the ONE time you let your dog sneak off of Place without consequence, and the result that ONE action created. It’s the slow drip accumulation of inconsistency that resulted in their full scale regression, and the compounded effect of those tiny little allowances that recreated the monster before you.

Consistency is why the tortoise beats the hare every time.

Consistently showing up to enforce your rules is the quickest path to maintaining good behavior. Wavering in your follow through will create unreliability in behavior.

So it’s not how you, or your trainer BEGINS. It’s how you CONTINUE to sustain. Living with your dog is a lifestyle. The key to being successful with them is by staying CONSISTENT.

11/27/2023

I am definitely not a winter person (if I could, I'd hibernate all winter 😂) so one of my favourite ways to tire out the dogs and meet their needs in these colder months, is to do obedience on bowls!

Some bowl work ft. Mo & his brother Fig! 🥰

11/20/2023

Always so important to get your puppies used to all sorts of handling. It makes things a lot easier, when they're not little puppies anymore.

Working a private lesson the other day, I brought my puppy (Killian) out and used her and worked her as well. At the end of the lesson, I scooped her up and held her like a baby, as seen below. My client exclaimed “oh my dog would be freaking out!”

My response: “well… then do it more.”

See, everything we teach our puppies, we teach our dogs… and it’s a hell of a lot easier to do things like this with a dog who is 20-40 lbs than a dog who is 70-90 lbs.

While holding my dog like a baby may not have any real function later in life, it’s simply a handling toleration on the dog’s part that can go a long way in other areas.

Simply put: I am your owner, you can trust me, and I can and will touch you how and where I want. And you’ll tolerate it.

Imagine your dog tolerating you handling it however and wherever you want. Imagine how much easier it would be to inspect injuries, clean teeth, do nails; the list goes on.

I make it fun and short and end on a good note, as I do with every dog and every session, if possible. But something so small and silly can have a massive impact on your puppy who is quickly growing into a whole dog.

Added bonus: building tolerance for stuff like this creates resilience. I often joke that I “torture” my dogs, and if I ask my pack if they “need a beatin”, they all come running over barking and wanting to throw down (play). I rarely just sit around gently stroking my dogs. I throw them around, pat them firmly, grab them, and in turn they bite me and bark at me and it’s just a grand old time. We all love it, and all 4 of my dogs are safe, stable, resilient, tolerant, and strong (mentally). All the qualities I want in a dog. And all qualities I built by not coddling, and instead building tolerance and toughness. ❤️

11/20/2023

Give Rachelle a call/text/message if you want to get your furry friends in for those new year spaw days! 😍

UPDATE!

December 22nd will be my last day grooming at the pet store in Falher. After Christmas, I WILL be offering grooming services on weekends out of our new location near Guy!!!

Please contact me today at 780-517-1415 to schedule an appointment.

11/09/2023

Reminder to keep up with your dogs nail maintenance! You shouldn't hear ANY clicking on the floor, and if you do, THEY'RE TOO LONG! If you let their nails get too long, and they stay too long, it can cause damage and pain. If you're too nervous to cut them yourself, get on a regular schedule with a groomer or someone that can do nail trims. 😊

I do my crews nails once a week! We stay on a pretty strict "Pawdicure" schedule! 😎 Sometimes I use a Dremel, sometimes just my favourite Miller's Forge nail clippers! How often do you do your dog's nails? 😊

10/31/2023

Just some Halloween fun with Mojo! 😂

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

*Peep my other post for a fun video of Mojo 😂

10/25/2023

What are some of the things you like to do to keep your dogs tired during the winter?! One of my favourite brain games is Ring Toss 😂

10/18/2023

If your entitled, bratty, manic, hyperactive, scared, nervy, protective, reactive, or aggressive dog is expected to change his behavior, then it all begins with YOU.

Do you Lead or Follow? Give in, or can be Firm when necessary?

One fuels the unstable mindset, the other tames. Guess which one;)

How our dog behaves is ultimately OUR choice—what WE allow and what WE forbid. OUR mindset has to change before we can ever expect our dog’s to follow.

Overly accommodating owners create an opportunity-rich environment, ready to be taken advantage of. Making the critical shift from pushover, to Leader worthy of respect, is how our dogs learn to act accordingly. YOU hold the power to manifest two very different outcomes for your dog: one of stability and respect, or one of mayhem and misbehavior.

If you’re wishing for a more balanced, harmonious, happier today, then your tomorrow requires something different for that to happen. It all starts with YOU.

10/18/2023

"My dog is protective of me, he won't let people near me or hug me."

Is something I hear pretty often, and while it may seem like your dog is "protecting" you, the reality is they are possessive of you. Also known as resource guarding. Basically the roles are flipped in the relationship and your dog sees you as theirs, not the other way around.

Typically the second the owner and dog are separated the issue goes away. Meaning the problem is with the relationship dynamic between the owner and the dog. It typically comes from an imbalance of lots and lots of love, but little to no discipline or structure.

For example: a relative had a little Pomeranian, when we'd come over he'd bark, growl and nip at us. She would pet him, talk to him in a sweet voice and comfort him. That only reinforced the behavior. The second she was out of the room he was calm. He saw her as his resource. She'd never correct him and we couldn't even give her a hug without him trying to attack us.

If she wasn't home and we went to care for him for the weekend we were best buds.

So next time you think your dog is "protecting" you. I want you to examine what's going on beneath the surface. You can still love your dog, but don't deny them the boundaries needed for a healthy relationship. And yes, ALL DOGS need boundaries to thrive. Regardless of their past. Rescue or not.

Your friends, family and the dog will thank you for fixing that imbalance.

Also, real protection trained dogs take years to train. They must be genetically and mentally stable and work with a trainer who knows what they are doing and specializes in personal protection work. Which most people don't have the time or money to invest in.

Which is why when the guy with the overweight GSD on a retractable leash tells me his dog is "protection trained" and his parents were "police dogs" I just nod my head. Sure he is dude...sure.🙄

10/18/2023

We love a good structured walk!

🐕🐕

10/16/2023

Yardwork is always a great opportunity to do some Place training!
🐕🐕🐕🐈‍⬛🐕

10/14/2023

Come on down to the Peace River Mall and see me today! 10-4! 😊

10/13/2023

Baking some fresh treats for tomorrow's market! These ones are Pumpkin and cinnamon with honey! My house smells amazing right now.. 😂

10/13/2023

Over and over I’ve seen owners struggling with the same issue. The early phases of the reactivity sequence seem benign, or at the very least so mild that it would be unfair to correct them for it.

Unfortunately, these early phases or stages are anything but benign. They’re the required initial steps your dog must go through to get to the dreaded big stuff that all of you struggling with seriously reactive dogs know so well.

Which is why if you your dog has reactivity issues, the very best practice you can get into is requiring your dog to simply keep their mind—and eyes—on their own business. Scanning for trouble and “mad-dogging” other dogs has to removed from the menu.

If you learn to correct your dog (appropriately) for any untoward looking, and you do so with tools your dog cares enough about to actually stop the looking, you can actually stop this terribly predictable reactivity sequence in its tracks.

After all, that’s what most great dog trainers do, and it’s what most amazed owners think of as “magical” timing. Alas, there is no magic, just a keen awareness of how all this plays out.