Treat Yourself Dog Training & Behaviour

10/28/2024

I had so much fun talking to Holly about resilience, decompression and enrichment! Episode is live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

If you aren’t already, go give Holly and her team a follow ❤️

10/20/2024

Often we hear the idea from average dog guardians or people that a dog needs to be trained, and once they are trained, the problem will be resolved.

I think this is a fundamental misunderstanding of what training is, what it takes and which is based in a misunderstanding of how dogs learn.

Behaviour is fluid, behaviour has a function. Dogs are sentient beings.

We don’t train our children, we teach them, we support them and we prevent opportunities for undesirable behaviour. Let’s give dogs the same respect and understanding.

10/09/2024

I understand life is busy. I understand you’re tired after a long day at work. But here’s the thing - dogs need a certain amount of exercise before we can make progress with training. If you have a young dog, and weather/medical conditions permitting, they should be getting at least an hour a day. Many dogs need much more than that.

If you’re limited in time, figure out what type of exercise fulfills your dog most to get the best bang for your buck. Mix up the type of exercise you offer! One day, do a long line walk in a field or on a trail. The next, flirt pole and training. Off leash running in a safe area. The list goes on.

Consider your dog’s breed as well. Many herding and sporting breeds absolutely *need* to run, and we need to find safe and doable ways to make this happen. And if we can’t? We need to hire help.

Underexercised dogs can present similarly to anxious dogs, and sometimes we can only tell which is which by giving them more opportunities to run or work their brain.

Not everything is a training issue! Send me a DM if you want to talk it through.

10/07/2024

Who else is so sick of seeing (usually, but not always) men who seem to think that having a pitbull, shepherd or Rottweiler is an excuse to engage in full on animal abuse?

To never meet their needs, or take the time to understand where they’re coming from.

To shock them, yank them by the neck or pin them to the ground when they’re too confused to understand what you haven’t taken the time to teach them.

I understand the culture around dog training is slow to change and that men are socialized to lead with aggression rather than empathy. But I just…can’t stand to see it anymore. How about you?

10/06/2024

Hey! 👋 You may have noticed I’ve been less active on here lately. While I love working with dogs and their people, social media, and the industry in general is not always the easiest on my mental health. So, I’m switching things up a bit.

Separation anxiety and family dog clients can find me over at .

R+ trainers and pet pros can find me at .

Want to work together? Visiting my website or sending me a DM is always a good first point of contact. I will be focusing in-person work on stranger fear/reactivity as it really is just so close to my heart and I believe is best done in-person. BUT I am open to a multitude of issues online and am happy to help!

With love and hot dogs,
Tess ❤️

10/04/2024

I saw a reel by a balanced trainer yesterday where they were interviewing clients about the success they had with training. The clients said something that really got to me: “we wanted to make sure he fit into our lifestyle instead of having to revolve our lifestyle around him”. What a gross and ego centric way to look at dogs.

While of course it’s legitimate to want a dog who can go anywhere, and to train for situations they’ll have to tolerate in real life, dogs also have unique character traits that might prevent this - and that’s the risk we take when we bring them into our lives. Maybe our dog isn’t a social butterfly and prefers 1 or 2 close friends. Maybe they don’t like busy places, or sitting on a patio. That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with them, or that we need to fix anything. Your dog is a sentient being with their own likes and dislikes, not a robot you can program any way you want.

If your dog’s quirks are infringing on one, or both of your quality of life, it’s recommended we do something to change that - but try not to pathologize normal dog behaviour and instead focus on welfare and enjoyment for both of you.

09/25/2024

Happy Birthday to our two senior gals! Lily is 12 and Kitty is 18 (we think)! Also had to include a photo of my little helper with the birthday cupcakes of course. 🎉 🥳

09/17/2024

09/16/2024

Have you ever wondered if your dog is ready for a group reactive dog class? What should you expect from group training for reactive dogs?

I talk to Sandy from about her group reactivity training, considerations for those thinking about joining, and what types of group training to avoid.

You can find the Reactive Dog Pod on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Hope you enjoy!

09/12/2024

Before I became a trainer, I remember feeling pressure to do all of these things because I was “supposed to”…even though I didn’t really want to. I was driven by ego and the need to have the “best behaved” dog.

The more that I learn, the more I’m able to let go of what other people think of me or my dogs. I encourage you to do the same.

09/08/2024

Too often, we hear that dogs just need to hear the word “no” or that corrections provide necessary guidance about what not to do. But what we don’t hear as often is that dogs need us to understand WHY they’re behaving that way in the first place.

Will corrections stop undesirable behaviour quickly? Often, yes. But it’s not a sustainable or ethical solution. To truly make long lasting behaviour change, we need to dig a bit deeper. Why is your dog behaving this way? Is it because of fear? Anxiety? Frustration? Boredom? Unmet needs?

Only by understanding why a behaviour is happening can we understand how to best resolve your problem.

So if you’ve been feeling uneasy about a more heavy handed approach, you’re not alone. There is a better way to reach your goals.

09/02/2024