PAWSitively Happy Home: dog training and behaviour solutions

11/22/2024

For those who are unaware canine Parvo virus has had a couple of breakouts in the city of London - they are in the Chelsea Green Park and the Watson Street park area, however everyone should use diligence.

Canine Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that can affect all dogs but the puppies, the unvaccinated and incompletely vaccinated dogs the most. Parvovirus can be deadly and we take it seriously. We have consulted with a couple of local vets to make sure we are doing our part to prevent Parvo virus while still ensuring puppies get proper socialization.

As always, our floors are disinfected with bleach to kill Parvo virus (and left wet for 10 min to ensure enough time). During this outbreak we are removing communal toys and water bowls and have removed some other items from our facility to make disinfecting easier and limit the number of surfaces we have to worry about.
Our team members have been instructed to increase and be diligent about hygiene and we will be discussing with clients about sick dog policies.

Our facility is not open door to the public so we do have information for all the dogs that come to us, and assurance that they are up to date on their vaccines, unlike some locations which have no barrier to entry with the dogs that come in their facility - pet stores etc we do not have that struggle.

To keep your and other pets safe please
1. Avoid hot spots listed above
2. keep puppies, unvaccinated and incompletely vaccinated dogs away from dog parks, and unknown dogs
3. ALWAYS pick up faces and keep your dog away from others f***l matter
4. keep your dog at home if they show any signs of illness. Diarrhoea, lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain or bloating.

Disease prevention is a community effort and we will do our best to do our part to keep dogs in our community safe and educate the public to do the same.

Balancing proper socialization and disease prevention has been a priority since day one. Not much is changing here because we have always been aware and cautious especially with our young puppy clients.

11/19/2024

Testimonial Tuesday!
There are many great things about our job, playing with cute puppies, meeting amazing people, getting the opportunity to work with all the breeds! The absolute BEST part of our job is to see people and their dogs grow and incredible bond and relationship. Fixing or preventing issues that cause great stress for dogs and their people.

Many people say dogs are better than people. But honestly I LOVE the people part of this job just as much as the dogs. Both ends of the leash are just so wonderful and I truly love all of it.

11/18/2024

When Pretzel entered our lives I really thought he was going to be a chill little pocket pup… boy was I wrong. He’s a fire cracker and always up for adventure. He outruns everyone. Is always excited to train- if he’s awake he’s ready 🔥 I wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s a perfect match for our family and brings so much joy.

I also underestimated how crazy his fur would get 😂😂 he was brushed yesterday but his fur texture just looks disheveled 5 mins later. Maybe time to seek professional help with this crazy hair although he kind of looks like Einstein and I like it

🍻 cheers to the dogs we entered our lives when we weren’t looking and we didn’t know we need 💕

11/13/2024

Im an early holiday shopper so I thought I’d share with you a unique gift guide for the dog lover in your life.
🎅 Plan a hike/ day together doing something the dog and them will love. Honestly this is my favourite one (quality time is my love language ) and thoughtful plan is all that’s required. Cost as low as $0

🐕 Leather leash. Leather leashes are my favourite they’re comfortable and get better with age $30-100

🎄hoodie or clothes with their dogs face on it! $10-100

📸 a professional photoshoot. Memories that last a lifetime. No one ever regrets more pictures. $250-$1500. Can’t afford a photoshoot? Get a print enlarged of their favourite photo of their pet they already have

🤶 a roomba. This is the gift of time. Is dog people are cleaning our floors way too often. Ideally one that is self emptying for dog owners! $250-1300

🐶 dog DNA test. For the shelter mixed breed owner in your life! Find out your dogs genetic make up (specifically embark for most accurate ones) $150-250

✂️ a gift card to their favourite service provider. Dog walker, groomer, trainer, kennel. $any amount

💰 a donation to their favourite rescue or pet charity in their dogs name. This one is up there as my favourite with a hike. Give back to the community they love so much and help others this holiday season $any amount

11/12/2024

The nicest testimonial to start my day. Thank you 😊
There is nothing better than knowing we make a difference in the lives of dogs and their people 💕 working with traditionally harder breeds and getting results is just a touch sweeter.

I truly have the greatest job on the planet and I’m so thankful for all the dogs and owners that have been part of our journey over the last 13 years as we always learn and grow

11/07/2024

Welcome Baxter to our PUPPY BEST START PROGRAM
Puppy best start is a hybrid board and train program. The puppy lives with us Monday to Friday and is home on the weekends

Baxter week 1. We’re learning to settle in our crate, cooperative nail maintenance, making friends, walking skills, travel skills, interacting with a wide variety of people, places and fun events.

We’ve seen tractors, dogs, cats, kids, walkers, strollers, etc! We’re helping Baxter navigate the world with confidence and trust.

Tomorrow we’ll introduce bathing 🛀

He’ll be with us each week for the next few weeks and we just love him

11/04/2024

Does your dog ONLY respond to cues when treats are present? Do you have to shake a bag of cookies to get them to come? Learn how to reduce food reinforcers while still giving your dog a reinforcement rich life! This HUMAN ATTENDANCE ONLY workshop will help teach you how to utilize food in a way that in line with your training goals, how and when to reduce food reinforcers, how to adjust your training mechanics, and learn about the power of functional reinforcers. The choice isn't cookies or punishments - The world of positive reinforcement is VAST and extends beyond the cookie. Learn how to harness your dog's natural desires, preferences and drive to build team work and communication. see the link in our stories or DM us for more info. ONLY HUMANS can attend the workshop, sorry dogs must stay home. November 21 6pm-8:30 pm $75 per participant.

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween 🎃 👻

Remember costumes can be alarming to dogs 🫣
Consistent door knocking can be stressful 🚪
It can be a danger night for door dashers 🏃‍♂️

If your dog struggles with people coming over or has any of the issues listed above Halloween is NOT the time to train. It’s the time to MANAGE! Set your sensitive dog up in a safe space with white noise and a chew to help them be safe and relaxed through the process. 🧘‍♀️

If you bring your dog trick or treating please do not bring them up to the door of a strangers home- their resident pets may not be appreciative! (This happened 2x last year at our door!) if your a parent with a dog keep them on the road/ at the end of the driveway please 🙏

Remember to have kids put Halloween candy out of reach of the dogs when they return with their loot! Dogs can be tempted by the smell of their sweet treats and can get pretty sick from chocolate and sweeteners 🏥

10/28/2024

Appreciation post for Mavis 💕

Mavis is a rockstar client of ours - Her owners Christine and Brian are just the most dedicated dog owners and all around lovely humans.

Mavis is a Grand Master Trick title holder (DMWYD)
She has taken several levels of obedience, tricks, scent work, agility and has rally classes coming up! Her mom is dedicated to learn as much as she can and takes ever workshop we offer.

Mavis has worked with all of our trainers and we just adore her and her family.

Mavis has been friends with Ham since he was a teeny puppy. 💕 She was one of the first dogs outside our family I trusted to interact with him.

Mavis is everything a good golden should be. Sweet, smart, even tempered, motivated, loving.

Anyways we're incredible thankful for Mavis, her family and all our clients who allow us to have the most incredible job on the face of the planet.

10/20/2024

Retractable leash vs Long line? 
what’s the best for your adventure?

1. Long Line- a long line is a very long leash, great for giving a dog freedom, working on recall and distance obedience, while still having some control over your dog. 20-30 foot long lines are the length I recommend and we recommend that you purchase something like a biothane or rounded cotton leash. Cheaper thin nylon leashes are less forgiving and can be painful to manage. 
Pros of a long line 
✅ gives a dog freedom to move around more than a traditional leash
✅ you can use it as a drag line to work on behaviours from a distance 
✅ easy to clean can be used in a wide variety of locations- the woods, beach, fields etc. 
✅ available in a wide variety of sizes, colours and types - suitable for a large variety of dogs 

Cons of a long line 
🚫they can be difficult to manage and can get tangles easily 
🚫unmanaged long lines can cause injury to people and/or dogs

2. Retractable leashes- a leash that extends or retracts to allow the dog to have more freedom on a walk, but also allows the handler to lock the leash to keep it at one length. These can be used on sniffy walks, for recall and distance work and generally are 15-20 feet. We recommend only flexi brand and the tape style vs the corded style
Pros of a flexi leash
✅ easy to manage
✅gives the dog more freedom to move around
✅quick switching from single length leash to retractable leash with locking mechanism, also can stop dog easily if moving towards something they shouldn’t be 

Cons of the retractable leash
🚫less variety for their use - at the beach they can get filled with sand, causing them to malfunction, can’t be used as a drag line
🚫if the handle falls out of handlers hand it can create a scary plastic thing that makes a lot of noise and chases your dog- we recommend they be used to handlers who have good strength and dexterity in their hands to handle the weight of their dog before using these. We prefer these for smaller dogs
🚫locking mechanisms can fail
🚫 can lead to injury of handlers and animals if mismanaged

If we could only pick one it would be the long line. But we love them both 💕

10/10/2024

its World Mental Health Day.
If you live in Ontario and need access to mental health services call 2-1-1 to get assistance finding resources.
Kids help phone can be reached at 1-800-668-6868.
If you are in crisis and at risk for su***de please call 9-8-8.

10/09/2024

Does breed change how I train the dog? Yes, sometimes- but not in the way that most people would think. There are myths out there that certain breeds need a heavier hand, they need harsh corrections and punishments and that is simply untrue. So how does breed influence my training plans? If someone comes to me with a puppy of a certain breed, my training plan may start with training skills to work with breed tendencies & prevent problems. The enrichment suggestions will be ones that are generally best suited for the breed. Management strategies will be ones that again help the prevention of common behaviour "problems" that can occur with the breed. And the owners and I will have discussions around realistic expectations around breed traits, behaviours, and development. If someone is asking for help with a "behaviour problem" breed can give us some insight in to motivations for these behaviours and proper outlets. Breed can sometimes give me hints on motivations types and reinforcement strategies. It is important to know that while breed can be predictive it is NOT prescriptive. That means just because your dog is x breed it may not adhere to all the breed standards of behaviour . The most important thing is that all dogs are individuals and behaviour is influenced by genetics, learning history, hormones, development, health and the environment and all those factors play in to a behaviour and training plan. As someone who loves and lived with WILDLY different breed types (a primitive, a herder, a bully type, and a terrier x are our current crew) I love learning about the individual motivations, behaviour tendencies and challenges that come with different breeds. Have a question about breeds and training plans? Ask away!

10/01/2024

HAPPY OCTOBER Y’ALL

It’s the best month. Thanksgiving 🍂 , Halloween 🎃, pumpkin spiced and apple everything… and the best of the best month to spend HIKING WITH YOUR DOG!!!!

Where do you plan to hike this month?

Hiking tips

1. Still tick check. Those suckers are still out in full force
2. Use long lines to give your dog freedom in places where off leash dogs are not permitted
3. Make sure your equipment is well fitted and your dog can’t slip out of it. My favourite harness for hiking is the flag line or webmaster harnesses. The extra strap prevents escaping and the handle can help you help your dog navigate difficult terrain
4. Be mindful of cliffs and drop offs and other dangers when hiking in new spaces
5. Hiking far away from home? Find the location and number of the nearest emergency vet before you go
6. Have a well packed canine first aid kit.

09/24/2024

Canine first aid ⛑️

So excited to be hosting first aid at PAWSitively Happy Home: dog training and behaviour solutions

⛑️🐾🐕

09/20/2024

Why do I train and focus on dog behaviour so much?
If you asked me years ago why I trained my dogs, and if I was really honest it would be control, obedience and manners.
Maybe even to impress others with my dogs.

My motivation has changed. My dogs still need to live in a human world and navigate it safely and be courteous to others. My dogs know many of the same skills (even more fluently now then previously) but my motivation has changed which, in turned has changed my training and my relationship with my dogs.

So why do I train now? To keep my dogs safe. To include them in as many things as they would enjoy being included in. To give them forms of communication to give them autonomy and agency. To help them feel more comfortable with the things in the world that may need to happen. To improve our relationship. To improve our shared language. To care for their mental health. To provide them opportunities to care for the dog they are. And to keep the people they meet safe and comfortable in their presence.

A dog who can move through society, has their needs met, has a robust activities of interest offered to them, a shared communication with their people, a strong relationship, be safe in the world and feels safe in the world. That is why I train.

09/08/2024

Congratulations to Atlas!!! Atlas just wrapped up our private training session package to work on his reactivity and he was a rockstar

Not a single reaction in the park to dogs or people 🎉🎉🎉

Congrats Atlas. Have all the cookies 🍪 🍪🍪