PuppyTails Training & TTouch for Animals inc

03/25/2025

I AIN’T MISBEHAVING
I’m just doing what dogs do!

What may look like misbehaviour is often just a dog behaving as dogs naturally do.

We expect so much of our dogs when we bring them into our world, forgetting that they are a different species that don’t arrive pre-programmed to behave in a way we expect them to.

We hold dog’s captive in a confined, unnatural space and then become frustrated when they don’t behave the way we expect.

We become frustrated when our dogs don’t walk nicely on a lead, don’t get on with every other dog or person they meet, steal food from counter tops, don’t give things back, guard resources, dig, chew or destroy what they shouldn’t, bark, howl, whine or perhaps growl etc.

We need to replace our frustration and our need to train away or fix unwanted behaviour with understanding, patience and guidance.

Understand that dogs naturally behave in a certain way. Be patient while guiding them to learn a different way to behave through using force free, positive reinforcement methods, meeting their needs and managing their environment.

Providing outlets to engage in natural behaviour, providing mental, physical and social stimulation and understanding why dogs behave the way they do will create secure relationship and make such a difference in their lives.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our dogs is our understanding.

03/04/2025

I STILL NEEDED MY MOM

THE CONSEQUENCES OF TAKING PUPS TOO YOUNG

The early life experiences of a puppy are so important and have a significant influence on how that pup develops - emotionally, mentally, socially and physically.

There are still many so-called “breeders” that allow pups to be taken away at 6 weeks.

Uninformed people just accept this without question and are often unprepared for the consequences.

Just because a puppy may no longer physically depend on mom for food doesn’t mean they are ready to cope emotionally, without the security of their family unit, in a strange new home.

A 6-week-old puppy is still very reliant on mom and their littermates to learn appropriate play behaviour, impulse control, frustration tolerance, bite inhibition, self-confidence and develop the social skills that will help them grow into well-adjusted adults.

Although 8 weeks is the bare minimum that a reputable breeder will allow their pups to leave, some will keep their puppies until 10 or 12 weeks of age, but also make sure that proper, age-appropriate socialisation and habituation is provided.

Habituation is getting a puppy used to different things in an environment in a positive way, at the right developmental time. This could look like introducing different objects, noises, sounds, smells, different textures, places etc, so the puppy learns that these things are not something to be afraid of.

However, we don’t live an in ideal world and having to care for or rescue pups much younger than 8 weeks is often unavoidable due to different circumstances.

In these cases, we need to do what we can and hope for the best.

This post is not about this kind of situation, it’s about spreading knowledge, creating awareness, understanding and encouraging people not to support unethical, irresponsible breeders that allow their pups to leave too early, with no regard for their wellbeing or development.

02/18/2025

WHY LOVE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

This is a very belated Valentine’s related post, but still falls within the month of love!

Dogs need so much more than just our love.

I would presume that we all love our dogs, but just loving them is not enough.

Love is far from just the name of an emotion or feeling – a noun.

Love is a verb – a “doing” word.
It’s the doing word of building relationship, trust, understanding, patience, acceptance, communication, consent, respect, nurturing and a commitment to ongoing wellbeing.

Love is asking – What can I do to meet my dog’s needs? Instead of asking - How do I make my dog behave? When a dog’s needs are met, behaviour problems often solve themselves.

Just like one person loving another, loving a dog is a “doing” word, not just something that we feel.

01/22/2025

WHOSE WALK IS IT ANYWAY?

Imagine going on a long-anticipated walk, through new scenery and exciting smells after being cooped up in the same place all day, but you have been fitted with a blind fold and are being dragged or yanked along at a fast pace.

I imagine that this is how dogs feel when we don’t allow them time to stop, sniff and explore the environment.

Dogs largely perceive their world through scent and it’s how they collect and process information to help the world make sense.

Taking away an opportunity for sniffing on a walk really isn’t being fair.. As much as physical exercise is important, the mental stimulation that sniffing provides is equally, if not more important.

Allowing dogs to choose when to stop and sniff provides so many benefits – increases self-confidence, promotes calmness, lowers stress and anxiety levels, lowers pulse rates, reduces cognitive decline in older dogs and provides important mental and environmental enrichment.

Make time for a slow sniffing walk when you can, where your dog is allowed to choose which direction to go and allowed time to just investigate, interpret, process the environment and follow wherever their nose leads them.

It may take far more time and patience as we wait for them to finish smelling that particular blade of grass, but the benefits are well worth it – after all, whose walk is it anyway?

01/01/2025

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS ….

Not just for Christmas, but every day of a dog’s life – these are some of the things I believe dogs would want -

Gifts of love, kindness, compassion, understanding and knowledge.

Gifts of helping them feel safe, secure and protected in their environment

Gifts of unconditional love, second chances and a forever home

Gifts of allowing appropriate choices

Gifts of mental and physical stimulation.

Gifts of proper nutrition and health care.

Gifts of never using punishment, force, fear, intimidation or tools that cause pain.

Gifts of acceptance for the dog that they are.

Wishing you and dog’s everywhere a very Happy Christmas filled with the gifts that really matter!

12/03/2024

THE PERILS OF PUNISHMENT

It’s easy to stop or suppress a behaviour by using punishment, force or pain and say that it really works, so why even bother to do it differently?

Punishment based methods may well “fix” the behaviour quickly, are far easier, require far less effort, less knowledge, less education, or even just be based on traditional belief, but these methods come at a great cost - destroying trust, creating insecurity, fear, anxiety, provoking aggression, causing dogs to shut down or feel helpless and prevent dogs from learning an alternative, more acceptable behaviour.

There is so much modern, scientific evidence to support force free, positive reinforcement methods as being the most effective and successful way to modify behaviour.

There is nothing admirable, ethical or intelligent in physically or emotionally forcing any sentient being to comply.

Take the time and make a commitment to understand and learn about positive, force free, science-based methods.

10/01/2024

DON’T FORCE ME TO BE SOCIAL!
It may be really disappointing and frustrating when our dogs are not the social beings we expected them to be.

Many believe dogs should just naturally get along with other dogs, after all they’re the same species.

Some believe the “unsociable” dog has a behaviour problem that needs to be “fixed”.

Early, appropriately timed and correct socialisation is vitally important, but sometimes despite all of this, some dogs are just not that sociable.

Sometimes this can be improved, especially if the cause is from a negative experience, but genetics, breed tendencies, individual personalities, health and age all contribute to tolerance and sociability, which also change throughout life.

If we, as a human species, don’t get along with everyone we meet, how can we expect our dogs to?

Do we label every person that has an argument, doesn’t make friends with everyone they meet, doesn’t like every other person, prefers not to socialise - as having a problem that needs to be fixed?

Why is it so easy to accept that every individual person is different than to accept that every individual dog is different?

When we have done what we can to improve our dogs’ social skills, we need to accept and acknowledge our dogs for the individuals they are, allow and respect their choice of whether to be sociable or not and never force interactions that a dog is not comfortable with.

09/10/2024

THE INVOLUNTARY MOHAWK

Technically called Piloerection – when the fur on a dog’s back area stands on end.

Piloerection in dogs is an involuntary response – not within conscious control. It’s usually linked to feeling a strong emotion and could be compared to a person getting goosebumps.

It’s far easier to see in short haired dogs than those with a longer coat.

A breed like the Rhodesian Ridgeback has a clear distinctive ridge of fur on their back. This is formed by a selected gene mutation which causes that particular fur to grow in the opposite direction from the rest. This ridge is standard for this breed and is not related to an emotional state.

Piloerection is commonly thought only to be seen in reactive or aggressive dogs, but that’s not always the case.

Dogs that are feeling aroused, excited, fearful, startled, stimulated, conflicted or insecure in some way, also exhibit this.

As with all behaviour, it’s important to look at the context, in conjunction with other body language, the environment and specific situation in order to establish the cause and decide on the best way to intervene if necessary.

Dr Karen London - an ethologist and highly qualified behaviourist, trained in observing animals and behaviour, has made some very interesting observations about different patterns of raised fur being linked to different emotional states.

In Dr London’s professional opinion -
A thin patch of fur all along the back to the base of the tail is associated with a high level of confidence. These dogs are more likely to be on the offensive and react more aggressively.

A thick patch across shoulders to around ¼ way down the back is associated with a low level of confidence and is seen in dogs that are more fearful.

A patch of fur raised at the shoulders and another patch at the base of the tail – the fur in between is not raised, is associated with dogs that are conflicted and unsure of how to react. These dogs may be unpredictable and more likely to be reactive.

Dr London states that there are many exceptions, but in general, this applies to the majority of dogs that she observes.

09/04/2024

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