Delightful Dogs

04/10/2025

04/10/2025

04/10/2025

🛑 FREE FEEDING YOUR DOG: Are you a free-feeder?

Is your dog a picky eater? Guess what - Free-feeding, defined as putting food in the bowl and leaving it until Fluffy eats it all, or until you put more in there - is why you have a picky eater!

WHY DOES FREE FEEDING CAUSE PICKY EATERS?

➡️ If Fido knows food is always available he has no reason to have to finish it right when it's placed in the bowl.

➡️ If Fluffy learns that if she walks away from the bowl that tells you she's finished & you pick up the bowl, she'll learn that food is not always available.

➡️ When a dog learns that food comes 2 x a day & goes away if he chooses to walk away from the bowl, he'll quickly learn that he eats it all then or waits until the next meal.
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⚠️ Some dogs do not eat well regardless, so when this occurs it's important to seek the advice of your licensed veterinarian to rule out medical reasons for poor eating habits.

Schedule Feeding is so much more beneficial to dogs! This is defined as - you put food in the bowl, if/when Fido doesn't finish in either a certain timeframe (10-20 minutes) or once Fido walks away from the bowl you pick it up so he has no more access to it until the next meal. This happens regardless of how much food is left in the bowl when you pick it up.

From a professional trainer standpoint most dogs that are picky eaters are taught to be this way unintentionally. I see many dog owners add multiple things to their dogs food in an attempt to get them to eat. I've also seen some dogs not finish food because they either don't like the food or they are actually being over-fed (usually unbeknownst to the owner).

Medical reasons aside, all dogs will learn to eat when given their meal if they are properly schedule fed.
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KEEP IN MIND

🥩 Sometimes you need to add fresh foods to your dog's food: boiled/scrambled eggs, boiled chicken, cooked ground beef, plain yogurt, to name a few. These are not only healthy but variety can help keep your dog looking forward to the next meal.

📏 Sometimes those dog food bags are not a good guide for how much to feed. Use the guide loosely but then watch your dog's waistline. If you cannot feel your dog's ribs when you press in to feel them without trying really hard, she's likely overweight. Cut back on the food a bit, or if she feels too thing or is visibly thin add more.

🚽 Potty training will not go smoothly if you do not know how much or when your dog last ate. Also if your dog is able to eat throughout the day because you free-feed be ready for pooping throughout the day with no set schedule!

🤒 If you don't know when your dog last ate or how much you won't know if her eating habits are normal or not. If you have a dog that eats when you put food down you'll be able to easily tell if she stops eating and that it's not normal. This is a first sign of illness and reason to call your vet. If your don't know this you may not know when your dog is ill because she has no real eating pattern.

🦮 If your dog is able to have free access to food most of the day your dog won't value food much. Why should he? He can get it really whenever he wants. So, to make training easier you also want to be more in control of your dog's eating. So, schedule feed and make food a valued item to your dog!

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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA
🐕‍🦺
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
©️ 2024 Stacy Greer

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04/10/2025

Dogs are amazing & everyone should have one!

Here are some reasons why you should have a dog...
🐾dogs keep us active
🐾dogs enhance our mood
🐾dog owners have less depression
🐾dogs are great listeners
🐾dogs bring families together
🐾dogs can recognize changes in our health
🐾dog owners have healthier hearts
🐾dogs calm us
🐾dogs provide unconditional love & connection

Share a picture of your amazing dog in the comments!

04/01/2025

❤️

Letter from a dog.

“Dear Human,
I see you.
Not just with my eyes but with my whole being. You may not realise it, but every time your heart beats a little faster, I feel it. When your hands tighten ever so slightly on my lead, I sense it. When you breathe differently, I know.

You may smile and say, “It’s fine,” but your scent tells me otherwise. Your muscles betray you. I can feel your energy shifting, and I carry it with me.

You see, I live in a world of sensation. Your voice is only part of what I hear.
I hear the tension beneath it. Your body language speaks louder than words. I watch your posture, your eyes, and the way you hold yourself. I even catch the subtle chemical changes in your scent when you are nervous or afraid. My nose is built for this—I can detect fear and stress hormones in your sweat and skin. And when I do, it shapes how I feel.

When you are anxious, I become uncertain. When you are afraid, I may feel the need to protect or flee. And when you are tense, I wonder if there is danger nearby. Your feelings change the way I experience the world. I’m not trying to be difficult when I pull on the lead or bark at something you can’t see. I’m just reacting to what I feel through you.

I know there have been times when I embarrassed you. Maybe I lunged at another dog, jumped up on a stranger, or barked too much. You held your breath and worried about what others thought. I felt that too. And because I love you, I tried to match your energy—I either got big and bold or small and unsure. Either way, it wasn’t helpful.

But here’s the thing, dear human: I don’t need you to be perfect. I just need you to be calm. When you breathe slower, so do I. When your shoulders relax, I trust that we are safe. When you move with quiet confidence, I follow.

Please, when you are nervous, remember that I don’t need you to control me with strength—I need you to lead me with clarity. When you feel unsure, help me by being steady. I look to you for reassurance, not through words but through the energy you carry.

If you are feeling uncertain, that’s okay. I understand. Just take a moment. Breathe. Stand tall. Move deliberately. Let me see that you are okay, even if you have to fake it at first. With time, I will learn that I don’t need to carry the weight of your worry. You will be my calm. And I will be your calm in return.

With love and loyalty,
Your Dog.

03/21/2025

Happy Spring!!!🌷It was a long hard winter but it's finally over!! I never thought all that snow would finally disappear. Been busy preparing for our Spring re-opening and am really looking forward to our Spring classes starting the first week of April. It'll be great working with wonderful puppies/dogs and their owners again. 🥰 If you've been thinking of continuing on to Level 2 or Tricks, or know someone who might benefit from our Level 1 programs, don't delay, as spots are filling up. 🐾 Sending warm hugs and kisses to all of you and your pups!🐶

03/15/2025

Official 2025 Community Voting Awards Platform for Kitchener-Waterloo, ON. Where the community votes for their favourites every year.

12/12/2024

Delightful Dogs will be closed for the Winter from December 13, 2024 – March 30, 2025.

Online class enrollment form submissions will be followed up on during our closure and all other inquiries will be returned on March 31st.

For more information such as classes, schedules, links, private training options or to enroll in an upcoming spring class, visit our website at: www.delightfuldogs.net

For training behaviour tips or advice, visit the resources page on our website or do a keyword search on this business page.

*Business Will Return To Normal Hours Again March 31st, 2025*

❄️ Wishing you a Safe and Wonderful Winter Season! ❄️

12/09/2024

A look into dogs playing and how it is often misread. A deeper look into videos of dogs playing where we look at intensity, dog body language, dog play bows...

12/09/2024

Let them sniff!

12/09/2024

Did you know??

Dogs see color differently than humans do. While humans have three types of color receptors (cones) in their eyes that allow us to perceive a broad spectrum of colors, dogs have only two types of cones. This difference affects how they perceive color.

Here’s a summary of how dogs see color:

Limited Color Palette: Dogs primarily see shades of blue and yellow. They have difficulty distinguishing between red and green, perceiving these colors more like shades of gray or brown. This means their color vision is similar to that of a person with red-green color blindness.

More Sensitive to Motion: Dogs have a higher number of rod cells (which detect light and movement) in their retinas compared to humans. This gives them superior night vision and the ability to detect motion better, making them excellent at spotting moving objects in low light.

Contrast and Brightness: Dogs are more attuned to differences in brightness and shades of gray. They may notice contrasts better than color, which helps them detect objects and movements even in dim conditions.

Field of Vision: Dogs also have a wider field of vision—around 240 degrees compared to humans' 190 degrees—allowing them to see more of their surroundings without moving their heads.

In summary, while dogs have a more limited color perception compared to humans, they excel in other visual aspects like motion detection and low-light visibility.

12/09/2024

🥹

12/09/2024

🌟 Are You Asking Your Dog to Walk Across a Tiled Floor Wearing Stilettos? 🌟

Did you know that your dog's paws are designed for outdoor adventures, not for navigating slippery indoor surfaces?

🐾 Nails: Built for gripping soft ground, but useless on hard floors.
🐾 Paw pads: Perfect outdoors, but less effective on smooth tiles.

Imagine walking across tiles in stilettos—tricky, right? That’s what it’s like for your dog!

Help them out:
✅ Add rugs or runners to give them grip.
✅ Consider paw-safe mats in their favourite spots.

A small change can make a BIG difference for your dog’s comfort and confidence. 💕

11/30/2024

"My dog is stubborn" is something I hear in my line of work all the time.

I always ask the question" do you consider your dog to be stubborn" because if the answer is "yes" I know there are a LOT of questions to be asked to get to the bottom of what isn't working.

"Stubborn" is another generic label, which serves no purpose, because it doesn't make training any better / more efficient.

Dogs described as being "stubborn" struggle with many things, but they are never stubborn by choice. I mean no dog ever wakes up and thinks " You know what? I will be difficult today. I know what they want me to do, but I just won't".

Here are some of the reasons why dogs struggle behind the "stubborn" label":

⚠️they are tired;
⚠️they are unwell, in pain / discomfort;
⚠️they have an 'off day;
⚠️that are scared;
⚠️the environment is too distracting / overwhelming;
⚠️the task is too difficult;
⚠️they don't understand;
⚠️they are not comfortable performing the behaviour;
⚠️they need a higher value reinforcer;
⚠️the reinforcer is added too late / at the wrong times;
⚠️you've missed a step on the process;
⚠️you are increasing the level of difficultly too fast;
⚠️there is way too much distraction around;
⚠️your handling skills need work;
⚠️the equipment is too scary;
⚠️they are overwhelmed;
⚠️they need desensitisation / counterconditioning;
⚠️the exercise doesn't suit their breed, age, health;
⚠️they foundations have not been explained well enough;
⚠️you are rushing through the process;
⚠️you are getting angry / frustrated with them, which is scary;
⚠️you are inconsistent with what you've asked for vs what you are reinforcing;
⚠️you pick wrong times for training;
⚠️wrong equipment is being used;
⚠️you are rushing things....

The list goes on....

So before we we stick yet another, unhelpful, label on our dogs, lets stop and reflect why the dog isn't doing well with training, what can WE change in the process to make the training process work for the learner - the dog.

11/13/2024

🔵 There is a period of time (just a few seconds) when dogs do meet face to face which can be filled with tension💥 (you may notice dogs are excited to pull towards and then may stiffen when there)...that is a very dangerous time...and your dogs face is right beside a dogs mouth.

There is so much more I wanted to say on this subject, but it wouldn't fit on the graphic. Some other points I wanted to make about letting dogs meet by pulling towards each other.

🔵 Face to face meetings are not common when dogs are interacting off lead.
🔵 You have no idea if the other dog yours is desperate to meet is friendly...or not.
🔵 The majority of dogs are very choosy who they interact with....encouraging them to pull towards dogs doesn't allow them to take time to read the other dogs behaviour or body language.
🔵 They can learn to ALWAYS do this if this is encouraged.
🔵 Encouraging dogs to meet face to face will encourage your dog to go directly to dogs faces whether off lead or on.
🔵 Some dogs will take just a few seconds to decide if they like each other, if they are face to face (and with tension) it can end very badly.
🔵 Dogs read energy, the other dogs, the other guardian/owners and yours. If they sense an increase in respiration, heart rate or stress hormone release.... they can interpret that as danger and will react to that perceived danger. They cannot flee, they could fidget, they may freeze......but many will go straight to fight.

🔵 It can take just one negative experience for dogs to develop reactivity...and having a tense lead with no other options to escape a situation can cause a lifelong issue with lead reactivity and dog reactivity.

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11/12/2024

Mark your calendars! ✍️
Sunday, December 1st 1-4pm Pet Photos with Santa Event!
Hosted by Creature Comfort Pet Emporium
This includes (all friendly pets) pictures with Santa for a minimum donation of $20, nail trims for $15, with a bake sale and raffle on site!
We always have so much fun at these events while raising much needed funds for Hobo Haven Rescue

We also have a blast seeing everyone!
Hope to see you there!