PuppyTails Training & TTouch for Animals inc

07/24/2024

This is so important for our dogs

I NEED TO FEEL SAFE!

Like all living creatures, including us, dogs just want to feel safe – it’s a basic survival need.

When we think about feeling safe it’s natural to just think about not being harmed or being in danger, but it’s not just about physical safety - feeling emotionally or psychologically safe is just as important.

While physical safety may be obvious and simpler to address, emotional safety is far more complex and not always easy to recognise or identify.

The same applies to our dogs – they are sentient beings whose behaviour is triggered and driven by emotions.

So many behaviour problems that we see in dogs stem from the brain saying– “this is not safe!”

A dog that lunges and barks or behaves aggressively with another dog or person is probably doing so because they feel unsafe. They are trying to make the scary thing go away.

A dog that is guarding resources is doing so because they are afraid that the resource will be taken away – they don’t feel safe when another animal or person approaches that resource.

A dog that is reacting to fireworks or thunderstorms or other noises is doing so because they don’t feel safe. The same can be said for separation distress – the feelings of panic when left alone – “I am not safe!”.

Some dogs may never get over a specific fear, but doing all we can to help dogs feel safe in our world is one of the most important gifts we can give them.

Our first responsibility should not be about training, obedience or trying to change behaviour, but to focus first and foremost on building trust, self-confidence, resilience, creating a safe and secure base and being the person that our dogs can rely on and trust.

In the words of Dr. Gabor Maté - "Feeling safe is the treatment and creating safety is the work".

In my words (as it pertains to dogs) – It is our responsibility to put in the work to enable our dogs to feel safe and when they feel safe, this will be part of the treatment or the solution to the problem.

07/16/2024

Really good article!

TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND REACTIVITY

Before trying to work on improving reactivity, consider what colour your dog’s emotional state is in.

The belief or expectation that by continually exposing reactive dogs to triggers will make them get over it, is setting dogs up to fail.

Generally, a dog that is reacting to something does not feel safe – they are in survival mode – a mode where learning and appropriate responses simply cannot take place.

Neurotransmitters like adrenaline and cortisol flood the brain causing automatic responses intended for survival. This red zone is certainly not the time or the place to try to change behaviour.

We need to start working with a brain that is calm, relaxed, focused and feels safe – the green zone, where learning can take place.

A calm nervous system is essential to learn a new way to respond.

To recognise which colour an emotional state is, we need to become more adept at recognising and interpreting our dog’s body language.

Being aware of body language enables us to intervene before our dogs’ emotions – the “traffic light” changes colour.

Always start in the green zone, this is where we can really help our dogs to learn strategies to cope with triggers.

Keep working in the green - reinforcing, proofing and building confidence.

Once behaviours are established in the green, we can try moving into the amber zone by allowing our dogs to notice and be aware of distractions, but at a sufficient distance where they still feel safe and are able to focus. This is where we can make distractions or triggers feel far less threatening.

Stay out of the red as much as you can. Avoiding this is not always possible – life happens / the unexpected happens and we have no control over this.

In this case get as much distance as possible between your dog and the trigger.

We can’t teach our dogs to feel safe, but we can help them feel safe by managing the environment, taking small achievable steps, being aware of body language and intervening when their emotional traffic light is about to change colour.

07/14/2024

This is a testimonial from Cathy and Ryker working with the Trust Technique.
When Sue first showed me a video about the Trust Technique, I remember being very curious. "Why on earth are these people out in the pasture with those horses, and why are the horses all asleep on their sides? That is not what horses do around people!" She explained to me that this is about building a trusting relationship between humans and animals.
So, when she asked me if I would be willing to be part of her practitioner training, I agreed to be one of her case studies with my own dog. I truly did not know how it would affect my relationship with my dog. I really did not think I had any significant concerns with him-- he did not have any aggression issues, or anything that would make someone reach out to a trainer. However, I did know my young dog was not as confident about life as he could be. He can be sensitive to noises, he hated the crate, and sometimes when I worked on training with him, he would just shut down and no longer take food from me or play with a toy with me at all. I was getting frustrated, not knowing how to get through to him that this could be fun.
Since building my relationship with him by using the tools introduced to me by Sue, I have noticed a change. He is now calm in a crate, and he is more confident in general. He will actually play with me now, every day! He looks to me when he is unsure about something, and I think we have a deeper connection.
This journey has changed something more for me as well now....when I see dogs out there in the world "acting out" I realize that in that moment, that animal is simply showing they cannot have a quiet mind. It has made me more patient with them in general, understanding that they are struggling with a situation vs interpreting it as trying to give their humans a hard time

07/14/2024

Thank you Terry Griffin for your testimonial!
“We have had the privilege of getting to know Sue through puppy classes and she is an amazing trainer. Then we made the decision to follow up with the Trust Technique course. It has proven to be one of the best decisions we ever made! Not only has it improved my connection to our pets but it has made a huge impact on my life. Using the concepts we were taught I am able to live a much calmer life. I see a big change in my life both mentally and physically. Others see it as well. I would recommend people take this amazing course with Sue and enjoy the benefits I have experienced.”

Send a message to learn more

03/04/2024

The time has come for me to go in a new direction. My lease for the facility in Orangeville expired on Feb, 29th, 2024 and I did not renew it for the first time in 20 years.

I want to thank all of my clients and their dogs over the past 30 years. Your dogs were my teachers and I learned so much from them. They were there when I became a Reiki master for animals, a certified Tellington Touch level 2 practitioner; a canine massage practitioner and a Trust Technique practioner for domestic animals level 2.

They willing allowed me to practice with them over the years. They were great teachers when I was learning about the red light pad, homeopathic remedies, accupressure, Whole Energy Body Balance and how to use colloidal silver.

I will still be running PuppyTails Training & TTouch for Animals inc , but my focus will be helping owners and their dogs and cats overcome behaviour issues working mainly with the Trust Technique working one on one. Life has become very stressful for everyone so it is so amazing to have a method of working with owners and animals that develops trust and confidence. This method will be done mainly over Zoom meetings and limited in person.

I will also be focusing on helping animals in shelters and rescues by volunteering my time and experience, so that they can get their forever homes sooner. COVID has really made it very hard for many animals and has caused over the top anxiety that has lead to increased behaviour issues and more owner surrenders than ever before.

I have always wanted to be a foster parent to a puppy being raised as a service dog. I will now have the time and hopefully will start that adventure this year.

I want to thank Shirley Emslie, Richard Greenall, Deb Payne, Carol Tipson, Cathy Hoshel, Eva Suhay, Jan Klausen and my partner Lori Monkman for your support and help and a whole lot of fun and laughter over the years. My daughters Meghan and Emily who helped me with classses and running play camp when they were younger. All the friends I made with everyone in our scent detection clubs. Finally all the co-op students who came to play camp, especially Liam, Anthony, Maddie and Emma.

I am so excited for this new chapter and I am looking forward to spending more time with my partner, my grandkids and all the friends I have made over the years.
Woohoo

09/06/2023

ARE YOU MANAGING?
Are you managing your dog’s environment to prevent or improve unwanted behaviour?

As people, we tend to prefer and look for the more complicated solutions to problems. This tendency is termed “complexity bias” - the tendency to prefer complicated explanations and solutions instead of looking for the simpler ones.

Surely a complicated, time consuming, detailed solution has to be more effective, superior, impressive, or correct?

Complexity bias is so relevant when it comes to changing a dog’s unwanted behaviour. We often get so stuck on trying to modify behaviour through counter conditioning, desensitization or detailed training plans when sometimes the simplest solution to the problem lies in simply managing the environment.

Dogs will do what dogs do – when an opportunity arises to help themselves to food left on a table, to bark at the gate at anyone passing by, to have a drink from that big water bowl at the perfect height, that we call a toilet, to running off with irresistibly smelly dirty underwear, to rummaging through bins in search of anything that may or may not be edible, to running out an opened door in search of adventure - the list is long - dogs will be dogs.

Parents of little children use management all the time without giving it much thought. Baby locks on cupboards, covers on electrical sockets, valuable or dangerous items put far out of reach, fences and locks around pools, etc. We wouldn’t just train a toddler not to stick their fingers in an electrical socket, not to open cupboards, not to touch a hot plate – it’s far safer, simpler and logical to first manage the environment, to prevent potential incidents.

The same principle should apply to managing a dog’s environment to prevent unwanted behaviour.

The more a behaviour is practiced the more difficult it is to prevent. The more a behaviour is rehearsed the better dogs become at it.

Preventing the behaviour from happening in the first place by using management is the logical, simple and effective way to address it.

Be a good manager – it’s far less stressful, for both people and dogs than supporting complexity bias.

08/30/2023

PREDICTABLE PATTERNS AND WHY THEY MATTER
We can help our dogs cope in our world by providing predictable patterns that they can follow, even when the unpredictable happens.

This requires consistency and repetition, but dogs quickly learn what to do when that behaviour creates a predictable, rewarding result.

Predictability allows the brain to conserve energy which lowers anxiety and creates a sense of trust and security in knowing what to expect or what comes next.

Like other animals, people included, dogs are experts at looking for and finding patterns.

Being able to find a predictable pattern, not just in an environment but in the behaviour of others, helps to make sense of a situation, rather than feeling confused or anxious when no pattern can be found.

When we create predictable patterns, dogs begin to understand what happens and how they should respond when a specific situation occurs.

The situation becomes the cue for the behaviour rather than the cue itself. We often get caught up in using cues instead of just showing our dogs that this is what they should do in this situation.

Pattern games or training a behaviour by using patterns is a really effective tool to use with dogs that are reactive, anxious, fearful or lack confidence.

They’re simple and quick to teach and provide predictability when a situation may be unpredictable.

To find out more about Leslie McDevitt’s different pattern games from the Controlled Unleashed ™ program, have a look at Tanzi Leary’s (CDBC, CPDT-KA, PMCT1, SAPT, FFCP) website - https://www.dogcrazylady.com/post/pattern-games

08/26/2023

We have obedience training classes starting in September. 2023.
Thursday September 7th, 2023, Puppy Pre school class (12 to 20 weeks to start) at 6:30pm.
Saturday September 9th, 2023 a Grade school class ( 20 weeks & older to start) at 9:00am.
You will learn to teach your puppy Sit, Down, Leave it, On your Mat, Come, Attention, Lead work. We also work on crate training and house training for all puppies attending classes. We will introduce you to canine enrichment and Ace Freework to help tire your puppy's mind. You will teach your puppy that they have to be calm to get things in life. You will be introduced to TTouch, Canine massage as well as other settling exercises to help your puppy be more calm and settled. All homework will be put on a facebook group for you to refer to between classes. Our goal is for you to build a trusting and confident relationship with your puppy.
You can register online at www.puppytails.ca

08/23/2023

Start learning this transformative technique through our Introduction series “The Messages Of Trust” for only £6.50!

08/09/2023

The Trust Technique
A testimonial from Drew and Shannon. Thank you!

We first consulted with Sue when we planned on bringing a new puppy into our home to join our 3 year old JB, who was a bit anxious and reactive. We wanted to make the transition with a new sibling easier for him & her. We started working with JB before we welcomed Sage home, and with Sage as soon as she arrived.

Through learning the Trust Technique with Sue, and practicing those skills with our dogs, it has allowed us and them navigate the world more peacefully. We now see benefits in all aspects of our lives and how we deal with stress and adversity. We now have two dogs that adventure together. They play together and deal with anxiety in a much more relaxed manner. The ability to help each of us be more peaceful and calm in almost every situation and aspect of our lives has been the real reward.
Thank you Sue!!

If you are interested in learning more about the Trust Technique check out the link.

The Trust Technique ® is based on the premise that animals and humans share and react to micro feelings.

08/09/2023

We have obedience training classes starting in September. 2023.

Thursday September 7th, 2023, Puppy Pre school class (12 to 20 weeks to start) at 6:30pm.
Saturday September 9th, 2023 a Grade school class ( 20 weeks & older to start) at 9:00am.

You will learn to teach your puppy Sit, Down, Leave it, On your Mat, Come, Attention, Lead work. We also work on crate training and house training for all puppies attending classes. We will introduce you to canine enrichment and Ace Freework to help tire your puppy's mind. You will teach your puppy that they have to be calm to get things in life. You will be introduced to TTouch, Canine massage as well as other settling exercises to help your puppy be more calm and settled. All homework will be put on a facebook group for you to refer to between classes. Our goal is for you to build a trusting and confident relationship with your puppy.
You can register online at www.puppytails.ca

06/07/2023

Words of wisdom!

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO “NO”!?
Picture this –
A mom walks past her son’s room and notices he’s drawing all over the walls with his crayons.

“No! No! No! “, she screams at him.

He immediately stops, looking startled, confused and scared. Satisfied that her son has stopped drawing, she continues with what she was doing.

A while later she walks past his room again. Now he is drawing all over the furniture. Mom is now furious and just doesn’t understand why he didn’t listen.

He didn’t “listen”, because he wasn’t given an alternative, acceptable behaviour. Maybe if he had been given an alternative – like lots of big pieces of paper or cardboard to draw on, this wouldn’t have happened and he would have understood what was acceptable and what wasn’t.

A similar comparison can be made to how we use this word with our dogs.

Show dogs an alternative, acceptable behaviour that can be rewarded to reinforce it, instead of just saying “No!”.

Showing dogs what to do instead of what not to do, builds trust, improves communication, helps dogs feel safe and encourages them to work things out for themselves.

05/29/2023

We have training classes starting Thursday June 15th, 2023. A Puppy Pre school class (12 to 20 weeks to start) at 6:30pm and a Grade school class ( 20 weeks & older to start) at 8:00pm.

You will learn to teach your puppy Sit, Down, Leave it, On your Mat, Come, Attention, Lead work. We also work on crate training and house training for all puppies attending classes. We will introduce you to canine enrichment and Ace Freework to help tire your puppy's mind. You will teach your puppy that they have to be calm to get things in life. You will be introduced to TTouch, Canine massage as well as other settling exercises to help your puppy be more calm and settled. All homework will be put on a facebook group for you to refer to between classes. Our goal is for you to build a trusting and confident relationship with your puppy.
You can register online at www.puppytails.ca

05/20/2023

04/12/2023

We have training classes starting Thursday April 20th, 2023. A Puppy Pre school class (12 to 20 weeks to start) at 6:30pm and a Grade school class ( 20 weeks & older to start) at 8:00pm.

You will learn to teach your puppy Sit, Down, Leave it, On your Mat, Come, Attention, Lead work. We also work on crate training and house training for all puppies attending classes. We will introduce you to canine enrichment and Ace Freework to help tire your puppy's mind. You will teach your puppy that they have to be calm to get things in life. You will be introduced to TTouch, Canine massage as well as other settling exercises to help your puppy be more calm and settled. All homework will be put on a facebook group for you to refer to between classes. Our goal is for you to build a trusting and confident relationship with your puppy.

You can register online at www.puppytails.ca

04/02/2023

03/31/2023

Thank you Terry Griffin for your testimonial!

“We have had the privilege of getting to know Sue through puppy classes and she is an amazing trainer. Then we made the decision to follow up with the Trust Technique course. It has proven to be one of the best decisions we ever made! Not only has it improved my connection to our pets but it has made a huge impact on my life. Using the concepts we were taught I am able to live a much calmer life. I see a big change in my life both mentally and physically. Others see it as well. I would recommend people take this amazing course with Sue and enjoy the benefits I have experienced.”

03/21/2023

A testimonial working with The Trust Technique

03/18/2023

03/09/2023

BRAIN UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
The challenges of teenage dogs
There’s a saying that parents who have gone through the teenage years with their off spring will relate to - “Parents with teenagers understand why some animals eat their young!”

Many dog owners are unaware that dogs also go through a teenage stage and are frustrated and unprepared for the changes this brings. It’s a sad reality that this is the age that many dogs are surrendered to shelters as their owners no longer “like” the way their dogs behave, can’t handle them and give up on them.

The teenage brain is going through many changes. Think of it as being “rewired”. The rewiring process can cause some parts not to work at all or only work sometimes. Some parts work too much with too much current and new wires cause unexpected results.

There are many similarities to the changing human teenage brain. There’s a valid scientific reason why car insurance premiums for young adults under 25 are more expensive. The brain is not fully matured – irrational decisions, risk taking, poor choices and accidents are more likely to happen.

Be patient, understanding and most of all consistent with your teenage dog. Don’t give up on them. They are feeling just as frustrated as we are. Being aware of what is happening in their brain as it develops to full maturity helps us to be more accepting. Remember that this is just a phase and it will get better.

02/11/2023

I think I need to get me a sheep, lol!

01/25/2023

I’M NOT STUBBORN! I’M JUST NOT MOTIVATED….
Not providing enough motivation plays a big role, but there are many other reasons that a dog’s behaviour may look like a dog is just being stubborn.
What looks like stubbornness is often a reaction to something else that is going on, on an emotional, mental, physical, environmental or genetic level. While dogs experience a range of emotions, choosing to be stubborn is not part of that range.
The label of “stubborn” is really not fair. It’s often used as an “acceptable excuse” to explain away a behaviour. It removes any pressure on us to find the root cause because we have labelled it. Just like us, dogs do what works for them and when they’re not doing what we want, there is usually a valid reason.
Perhaps it’s because they associate that behaviour with something aversive, perhaps they don’t understand what we’re wanting, they’re too distracted, over excited, tired, feeling stressed, or in pain. It’s our responsibility as the supposedly more intelligent species to figure out why. Our relationships with our dogs should be based on understanding - a cooperative partnership and not a dictatorship.
Be consistent in always rewarding behaviours you’re looking for with lots of positive reinforcement to build motivation. When a dog knows that a particular behaviour will be rewarding it will result in a dog being motivated instead of "stubborn".
The wellbeing of our dogs will be far better when we stop calling them “stubborn” and learn how to help them be more responsive.

01/14/2023

We have a Grade school class (puppies 20 weeks & older) starting Thursday January 26th, 2023 at 8pm.
A great introduction for all puppies/dogs over 20 weeks old who have had no formal training, but are anxious to learn. That also includes the owners, as you are the ones being trained. You will learn to teach your puppy Sit, Down, Leave it, Give, On your Mat, Come, Attention, Lead work. We also work on crate training for all puppies attending classes. We will introduce you to canine enrichment to help tire your puppy’s mind. You will teach your puppy that they have to be calm to get things in life. You will be introduced to TTouch, Canine massage as well as other settling exercises to help your puppy be more calm and settled. All homework will be put on a facebook group for you to refer to between classes.
Check out website www.puppytails.ca for more details.

12/25/2022

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

12/17/2022

DON’T GET A DOG –
DON'T GET A DOG UNLESS YOU CAN COMMIT TO SHARING YOUR TIME & LIFE WITH THEM
In an ideal world dogs would be included as part of the family and we would share our time and life with them. In reality, many people view dogs as an item of property, a commodity to be bred and make money from, a cheap, replaceable security system with a built-in barking alarm, a garden decoration, a toy to play with when the kids are bored or a fashion accessory that looks good when we’re out walking, running or taking selfies with.
Dogs are not objects, just like us they are sentient beings with the capacity to feel a range of emotions. A life spent confined to a backyard or fenced in with little or no human companionship is not a life. Dogs are naturally social beings and need to spend time with their human family. They need love and attention, exercise and mental stimulation. They need routine, consistency and predictable patterns to feel secure in our world. They need to feel safe, secure and protected if they are to be the best version of themselves.
Having a dog requires commitment, patience and dedication. It’s hard work, it’s sometimes messy, dirty and stinky, it costs money and often requires changes to our lifestyle. It’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly, but the rewards of forming a family bond with another sentient being can bring so much joy and enrichment to both our lives and theirs.

11/16/2022

We have a puppy pre school class starting Thursday November 17th, 2022 at 6:30pm and a scent detection level 1 class starting Saturday November 19th, 2022 at 10:30am. Check out website for more details.

10/22/2022

Online & Free | Limited Time

10/06/2022

Online & Free | Limited Time