Camp Pawsible

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Camp Pawsible Adventure Care for Small Dogs with Big Dreams
in 100 Mile House and 108 Mile Ranch, BC

I will put off starting anything new if it feels like I’m not physically and mentally able to do it “right” (aka perfect...
04/09/2024

I will put off starting anything new if it feels like I’m not physically and mentally able to do it “right” (aka perfectly).

My default assumption is that, left to it’s own devices, my brain will crash through an article, podcast or webinar, and if not properly corralled it will miss important things, misunderstand key concepts or just toss everything I’ve learned out one ear.

Which often means I never even start. I’m rarely feeling “perfect” about anything.

And annoyingly, it turns out that doing something perfectly the first time isn’t actually realistic or even the best way to learn 😅💀

It turns out what I typically need is repetition. Learning how something connects to multiple other concepts over time.

Learning a new concept, trying to apply the concept, going back to the source with new questions and repeat.

Taking perfect notes isn’t actually apart of my process, at least not til much, much later 😅

This means that I also don’t expect you to learn “perfectly” after one session or repetition. I expect you to have questions, and to be a little messy the first time you try something and to say “wait, what?” as part of the learning process.

Image description. Teal text, What’s a key ingredient for folks learning new skills with their dogs?

Capitalized, Repetition!

Teal text, It’s my job to repeat the key info multiple ways over multiple sessions in relation to multiple scenarios and concepts.

Capitalized, It’s not your job to perfect something new after hearing it once.

Camp Pawsible logo, three cartoon chihuahuas in front of evergreen trees.

If you’d like some help narrowing down the problem, or just deciding what step to move on next, we can help! Image descr...
04/09/2024

If you’d like some help narrowing down the problem, or just deciding what step to move on next, we can help!

Image descriptions. A background image of a paw pad with clipped white fur.

White block text, Cooperative nail trims, could you be missing a piece?

Second slide text, opting out means missing out. You’ve probably heard that choice is really important for our dogs welfare. But how do you provide chioices (like opting out) without your dog missing out on quality time and snacks?

Third slide text, trimming technique. What’s the safest way to trim a nail? Are dremels really fool proof? How do you safely and comfortably cut through a big overgrown nail? What does ACL mean?

Fourth text, assuming tolerance is everlasting. Just because your dog has tolerated nail trims in the past, doesn’t mean that they are guaranteed to in the future without some help. Tomorrow’s behaviour is a reflection of today’s experiences!

Fifth slide, pain. Yep, we’re still talking about this one. The negative impacts of missing pain cannot be overstated. If every nail trim session is painful, it’s going to impact your progress!

Sixth slide, misunderstanding how learning works. You really don’t need to be a perfect trainer with perfect timing to help your dog feel more comfortable with nail trims. But there are some important pieces we need to get right in order to make progress if your dog is nervous about nail trims.

Last slide, want to make nail trims a little easier? Me too! Check out our new program, cooperative nail trims.

A white arrow points to a phone open to our nail trim program instagram post.

This might sound extreme, but I promise the more you learn about pain and it’s relation to behaviour the more all of the...
31/08/2024

This might sound extreme, but I promise the more you learn about pain and it’s relation to behaviour the more all of the pieces come together.

Pain feels like a scary topic, but information is what gives you options and empowers you to make decisions that you feel more confident in!

Image description. Capitalized text alternating teal and dark teal, the more I learn about pain in relation to dogs and behaviour, the more this: it’s hard to tell when dogs might be in pain. Sounds exactly like this: it’s hard to tell when dogs might be scared.

The camp pawsible logo, three cartoon chihuahuas in front of evergreen trees.

Image descriptions. A close up of a brown paw with a black paw pad and nails is the background for every slide. White te...
22/08/2024

Image descriptions. A close up of a brown paw with a black paw pad and nails is the background for every slide.

White text outlined in black, why are nail trims so hard?

Second slide, black text, Human feelings. Smaller text below, Being a dog guardian is often stressful. Add in a task that requires consistency, skill and patience? Well, the odds are stacked against us. In a society primed to shame, this is a perfect storm.

Third slide, black text, nobody told you about pain. Smaller text below, It makes perfect sense that sore joints or a chronically unhappy belly or a hypersensitivity to touch would make paw handling harder. But nobody ever taught us how to recognize or prevent pain when we brought our dogs home. (Or went for a vet check up or to puppy class or anywhere else...)

Fourth slide, black text, awful but common advice. Smaller text below, Who hasn’t heard some variation of “you need to just tell your dog no” or “if you just get it over with, they’ll get used to it”. Or, “I’m a groomer and the dog’s behave better with me”. Yikes, yikes and big yikes.

Fifth slide, black text, what is best anyway? Smaller text below, How short should nails be? How short is too short? Do some breeds just have naturally long, and impossible to shorten, nails? Do they need long nails for grip? Are black nails harder to trim? Can you tell from the outside of a nail where the quick is?

Sixth slide, black text, want to make nail trims a little easier? Smaller text below, me to! Check out our new program, Cooperative Nail Trims.

A black arrow points to a phone screen showing our post about the cooperative nail trim challenge.

Trying a new thing!Image description. A background photo of a hand gently holding a tan dog paw with a grassy background...
20/08/2024

Trying a new thing!

Image description. A background photo of a hand gently holding a tan dog paw with a grassy background for all three slides.

White block text reads, cooperative nail trims. Smaller text below, 4 month group program swipe for details. Then a small tan arrow.

Text on the second slide, Program goals. Learn how to trim or file your dog’s nails. Understand how pain affects nail trims. Learn about and practice observing your dog’s body language during training. How to sustainable add new skills and knowledge to training sessions, one piece at at time.

Text on the third slide, Want more info? Get to know me and my training style by signing up for the free One Thing Challenge! (Link in bio). Learn more about Cooperative Nail Trims on my website! Dates, cost and details: www.CampPawsible.com/Cooperative-Nail-Trims

A black arrow points to an iphone open to my One Thing Challenge instagram post.

Recently a client and friend of mine ( ) mentioned the guilt she felt when she heard the phrase “your dog isn’t giving y...
16/08/2024

Recently a client and friend of mine ( ) mentioned the guilt she felt when she heard the phrase “your dog isn’t giving you a hard time, they’re having a hard time”.

She felt deeply that her dog was struggling and had so much compassion and was doing so much to help her, but there didn’t seem to be room for her own human feelings and stress.

The saying didn’t seem to leave room for both:

We humans are responsible for our dogs, environment, routine and enrichment AND

Our dogs perfectly reasonable big feelings can be huge stressors that affect our own quality of life.

Caring for our dogs with a force and fear free mindset requires us to be compassionate to ourselves, otherwise we’ll burn out!

Image description. Two dachshunds, one brown and one black and tan, stand on tree stumps. Both are stressed, the black and tan dog barks at the camera.

Large white block text reads, “your dog isn’t, insert symbol, intentionally giving you a hard time. Your dog is having a hard time.”

The word intentionally is in red.

The Camp Pawsible logo is it in the bottom right corner.

Hey everyone! Long time no post 🤷🏼‍♀️But I’m back and starting strong with a free challenge! Details are in the post, bu...
13/08/2024

Hey everyone! Long time no post 🤷🏼‍♀️

But I’m back and starting strong with a free challenge!

Details are in the post, but if you have any questions please drop them in the comments 🙏🏻

I got a few follow up questions on my last post, so here’s part 2!If you want more examples of how to help build your do...
20/02/2024

I got a few follow up questions on my last post, so here’s part 2!

If you want more examples of how to help build your dog’s repertoire of coping skills stay tuned. I have a free webinar coming soon.

And if you’re super keen, check out our Big Feelings Club program for even more help specific to you and your dog. Comment “big feelings” and I’ll DM you the info link!

Image descriptions. The first image reads, so what do choices look like for dogs who are often using barky, lunge-y, growly behaviours? There is a simple drawing of a dog barking, steam coming from his head.

The second image reads, They might look like, having the freedom to move. How short is their leash? Is there a history of enforcing stillness? Can they express normal body language?

The third image reads, they might look like, knowing how to initiate familiar training games. There is magic in the difference between nagging our dogs to participate and them opting in.

The fourth image reads, they might look like opting in or out of the walk in the first place. There is no need that can’t be met with an alternative to their “business as usual” walk.

Both images are on an off white background with black and capitalized, dark red text. At the bottom are the three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo.

A lot of people struggle to understand that a dog who “looks fine”, actually only looks that way because of a lot of car...
13/02/2024

A lot of people struggle to understand that a dog who “looks fine”, actually only looks that way because of a lot of careful planning and advocacy.

It used to bother me so much when folks didn’t really believe where our training journey started. When they would look at my chi mixes and dismiss us, because they don’t look like a dog that would have big feelings.

It bothered me because it meant they wouldn’t give us the space we still need.

But mostly it bothered me because I was so conditioned to seek approval 🤦🏼‍♀️ (With the fun twist of seeking approval from folks who were never going to give it anyway)

But other people’s approval didn’t get us to where we are now, and it’s not going to be the thing that keeps my dog feeling secure in the world.

In fact, waiting on the approval of strangers was causing us harm. So many worries about what strangers would think led me to make rushed, often poor, choices. I prioritized strangers’ expectations of how dogs should behave over my dog’s emotional well being.

My dog’s big feelings haven’t disappeared because people gave us a gold star, they haven’t actually disappeared at all. Bear will never want to say hi to your excited puppy or large dog.

The big feelings show up way less frequently because of the environments we choose to be in and the much larger range of skills we have to cope.

And while I don’t try to take up more space than we need, I am willing (and privileged enough) to make the busy body’s uncomfortable before I let them make my dog uncomfortable.

ID in pinned comment.

It’s not often that I get to offer generalized yet effective advice, but today’s tip is both of those things!The hardest...
25/01/2024

It’s not often that I get to offer generalized yet effective advice, but today’s tip is both of those things!

The hardest part about adding nonslip flooring to your dog’s daily routine, enrichment and training sessions is being willing to change your own human behaviour.

Image descriptions. Two images of a brown, cartoon chihuahua standing on a hardwood floor. Large block letters across the top read, how to instantly improve your training.

In the second image the text reads, provide your dog with non-slip flooring. In the second image the chihuahua is standing on a half unrolled, pink yoga mat.

Hashtags:

There is no such thing as a perfect decision. No perfect paths. No amount of worrying will reveal what the future will d...
22/01/2024

There is no such thing as a perfect decision.

No perfect paths. No amount of worrying will reveal what the future will definitely hold for you or your dog.

Trust me, I’ve tried.

We can learn more and become better informed. We can think critically about what we’re being taught and by who.

We can work on understanding our own motivations and fears and how they shape our decisions.

But pre-confirmed perfection still isn’t an option, doing our best with the information we have at the time is.

Some things are better aligned with your values or more accessible, but no choice, method or teacher is perfect.

And anyone who tells you they have the one and only true path is probably scamming you.

Image description. White irregularly shaped letters read, there is no perfect decision. The three cartoon chihuahuas sit on top of the text. A cartoon Jack Russell terrier sits in the bottom half of the image. The background is dark teal with several lighter teal boxes scattered around. Each box contains a question mark, and dotted lines connect different boxes to each other.

I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve been getting a lot of ads for big name workshops and conferences in my feed. Non...
21/01/2024

I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve been getting a lot of ads for big name workshops and conferences in my feed.

None of which are aligned with the values important to me, and most of which are ignoring the continued existence of covid.

Luckily, there are a ton of other ways to learn and become a better dog guardian for my own dogs and for clients, without relying on industry elites.

Unregulated industries have a lot of downsides, but being able to choose who your time, energy and money supports is certainly not one of them.

If you have any suggestions for learning opportunities that meet the criteria I’ve listed, I’d be grateful if you dropped them in the comments!

Image descriptions in pinned comment.

I could spend all the time and money in the world looking for the perfect gear and snacks for my dogs, and yet I still f...
17/01/2024

I could spend all the time and money in the world looking for the perfect gear and snacks for my dogs, and yet I still feel weird about doing the same for myself.

Do I really need new hiking boots this season? Or does my dog need a third, slightly different but potentially better harness?

I have gotten better about this for myself, a few years spent dog walking full time broke me down pretty quickly.

Now I’m the dork with a backpack, waist belt for my leash and walking stick.

But I’m curious, what do you do to make walks more comfortable or enjoyable for yourself? What are you thinking about doing?

Image description. Large, white text on a dark teal background reads, Don’t forget. At the bottom, smaller white text reads, to set yourself up for a successful walk too!

A variety of cartoon objects fill the middle space. They include a water bottle, a pill bottle, a colourful f***y pack, a pre-packaged snack, running shoes, an old ipod and wired headphones, green gloves, and a person hugging another person.

One of the things that I love about building choice into the foundations of training is the power it gives my dog. The p...
16/01/2024

One of the things that I love about building choice into the foundations of training is the power it gives my dog.

The power to opt out of a training session without repercussions (or even losing out on snacks) if they feel nervous or conflicted.

The power to use their behaviour to communicate a wider and wider variety of messages. To say, that hurts or I want that thing or I want to go here.

The power to tell me when they’re uncomfortable without being pushed into a big reaction.

The power to tell me, yes start that pattern and do the thing.

It’s lovely to feel confident that my dog is participating enthusiastically. And to know that if I make a small mistake, my dog has the skills to let me know.

Image description. A cartoon of a large woman, wearing a flowy pink dress and blue shoes, walking a small purple dog. The woman is also in cool, purple and pink tones.

Black text fits around the image and says, building your training on choice & curiosity builds confidence for your and for your dog.

The three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo is in the bottom right corner.

When working with a new client it’s very important to me to get specific about our goals. These goals don’t have to be (...
12/01/2024

When working with a new client it’s very important to me to get specific about our goals.

These goals don’t have to be (and often aren’t) expressed in terms of traditional training.

For example,

To see a decrease in stressed and fearful body language in a specific context.

To create an enriching environment and see a reduction in concerning behaviour and an increase in variety of behaviour and quality rest.

To incorporate choice and consent into our nail trim routine.

To enthusiastically participate in cues that we can use on walks.

Because if we don’t choose specific goals, it’s hard to track progress. It’s hard to see the differences that your hard work is making.

If you don’t choose specific, realistic goals, it’s too easy to forever be beating yourself up with your vision of perfection.

Image descriptions. The upper half of a cartoon person with brown hair in a high bun. They hug their dog while both are facing forward. The dog is a light colour, with a brown patch over one eye and upright ears. A red heart sits over the person’s shoulder.

The three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo are in the top right corner.

Text floats around them, each line connecting to the person with thought bubbles. From top to bottom, left to right, the text reads, I messed up again. It’s not perfect. It’s not fixed. It’s too slow. It’s not enough.

The second image is the same, except with different text. These read, x behaviour occurs less often. It’s progress. I’m more prepared. The body language is shifting. Y behaviour occurs more.

New blog post! Go say hello to my new imaginary friends, Buddy and Alex.You can find it at the link in my bio. Or depend...
11/01/2024

New blog post!

Go say hello to my new imaginary friends, Buddy and Alex.

You can find it at the link in my bio. Or depending on your phone take a screenshot of this caption to copy and paste the URL.

https://camppawsible.com/blog/joining-the-big-feelings-club

Image description. A closeup of a scruffy, white and gray terrier mix sitting outside. The dog’s ears are back, mouth closed and eyes averted. Irregular, quirky white text outlined in black reads, what might it be like to join the big feelings club?

The last piece of the program, the 1 to 1 sessions!Community and group programs are so beneficial, but sometimes you nee...
10/01/2024

The last piece of the program, the 1 to 1 sessions!

Community and group programs are so beneficial, but sometimes you need the focus of a one to one session.

Whether we’re working on practicing skills with real time feedback, answering a bunch of super specific (maybe nerdy) questions or just venting.

It’s nice to know that someone is really invested in you, your dog and your progress.

Image descriptions. Both images share a background photo of a white, fluffy dog barking and side eyeing the camera. Both have the three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo.

Blocky, white text on the first image reads, 1 to 1 coaching. On the second image it reads, big feelings club.

Management is planning ahead to avoid exposing your dog to their trigger at an intensity that will cause stress or fear....
09/01/2024

Management is planning ahead to avoid exposing your dog to their trigger at an intensity that will cause stress or fear.

It’s about setting up your environment, and setting yourself up with strategies in a way that works for you and your dog.

It’s not about trying to micromanage your dog’s behaviour and emotions.

Management is not second best to training, or a sign of failure, or a syndrome.

Management is not reactionary, it is proactive.

If you’d like a little help figuring out ways that work for you and your dog, check out our program, Big Feelings Club.

Image descriptions. A blonde, short haired chihuahua sits in the grass and squints at the camera. To the left, irregular quirky text reads, your reactive dog needs you to. Along the bottom of each image are the three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo.

The second image is a chocolate brown, long haired chihuahua sitting in the grass and staring intently into the camera. The fur around his ruff and ears fluffs out in a glorious mane. The text reads, manage the environment.

The third image is a white and tan chihuahua with black markings along his tail, neck and ears. He is wearing a green sweater and barking at something off camera. The text reads, not micromanage them.

It seems unlikely that I can tell you anything about online dog training content that you haven’t heard before.But there...
06/01/2024

It seems unlikely that I can tell you anything about online dog training content that you haven’t heard before.

But there are just a couple of things I want you to know specifically about our program.

1 - The video lessons are short. Like, less than 10 minutes and most are closer to 5.

And where I struggled to cut down a lesson, it’s broken into multiple parts that can be watched separately.

2 - The lessons cover a wide variety of topics, from body language to meeting your dog’s needs to the importance of embracing force and fear free principles.

3 - Every lesson includes captions, a transcript and a description of the slides.

4 - You don’t have to watch every single video in the course to participate. You can watch them as we reference them in sessions, in advance of the sessions beginning, or 6 months later when you need a refresher.

This isn’t school. There is no mandatory homework.

Image descriptions. Both images share a background photo of a white, fluffy dog barking and side eyeing the camera. Both have the three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo.

I can perfectly imagine a perfect dog guardian. At least on the surface, I can imagine all the ways I could be better. A...
05/01/2024

I can perfectly imagine a perfect dog guardian.

At least on the surface, I can imagine all the ways I could be better. All the things I should be doing to not let my dogs down.

The perfect response in every tricky moment.

The perfect diet.

The perfect training routine.

The perfect grooming and care routine.

The perfect choices in training methods and strategies.

Never making a “bad” choice and experiencing shame and guilt again.

Never looking at my dog and thinking, you deserve better.

Perfection says, it’s better to try nothing than to try something.

Perfection says, you don’t have inherent value if you aren’t infallible. (And also here is what is socially, politically and historically perfect. Do not deviate. ).

Perfection says, protecting the fantasy it’s more important than your reality.

But if you could ask your dog what would make you perfect, what would they say?

That you spend quality time together? (doing whatever makes them happy)

That they are free to express their full range of emotions? To engage in their full range of normal behaviour?

That they will be safe with you?

That you will always share your (safe) snacks?

I think that is a much better measure than any traditional training goals.

Image description. A cartoon white woman hugs a tan coloured dog with floppy orange ears. She wears a green sweater and has brown hair. Large, irregularly sized text reads, there is no perfect dog guardian. The no is underlined. The three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo are standing in the text.

Community feels like a big promise to make in a dog training program.Community is more than a place to post video clips ...
04/01/2024

Community feels like a big promise to make in a dog training program.

Community is more than a place to post video clips and ask technical questions (although it includes those things). It’s more than a forum or a comment thread.

A community isn’t one or two people standing on a pedestal and handing out dog training advice. I’ve been in communities like that, it get’s a little cult-y.

Community is about relationships, and aligning values, and giving support.

Community, in some form or another, should outlast a training program.

As the co-creator of a program building itself on community, it feels like a huge responsibility. It feels a little scary.

I know I can deliver dog training advice. I know I can observe training clips and provide value.

But. I only think I might be able to show up in the other necessary ways. I only think I can show up in a way that is supportive and affirming and leaves my ego at the door. I don’t know for sure.

And I imagine that’s how some of the future program participants might be feeling.

Confident about learning from the video content, but nervous about participating in group sessions.

Or confident about learning new skills in sessions, but nervous about taking them out into the big, messy world.

Or like me, they feel good about learning and clear cut instructions, but nervous about connecting with other humans.

So, if you’re interested in the program but feeling a little nervous. Try not to worry too much and reach out. You’re literally joining the club 😅

Image descriptions. Both images have the same background, a small white fluffy dog barking and side eyeing the camera. The three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo at the bottom. White, blocky text on the first image reads, online community. In the second it reads, big feelings club.

For me, the hardest part of dog training is all the human baggage that shows up in my relationship with my dogs. The per...
03/01/2024

For me, the hardest part of dog training is all the human baggage that shows up in my relationship with my dogs.

The perfectionism, the effects of emotional dysregulation, the effects of punishment culture all show up.

It’s why, for me, teaching a new trick is pretty easy.

But managing my expectations, setting up an environment where I can get curious about my dog’s behaviour, and accepting working within my own limitations is pretty damn hard.

I’m not an expert in the human stuff, but I do know more than I used to. If I had a time machine I would go back 10 years and tell myself a few things, including the stuff in this webinar.

If you think this webinar might be helpful, you can find the link in my bio.

The webinar includes a short pdf workbook, captions, a transcript and video descriptions. It’s also available in full length (23 minutes) or broken into 3 chunks that you can watch separately.

Image description. A red-brown dachshund sits in a person’s lap. Their ears are pulled back and eyes wide. Blocky, white text reads, free webinar! Emotional regulation for (reactive) dog guardians.

In the bottom right corner is our logo, three cartoon chihuahuas in front of evergreens, over the words Camp Pawsible.

Okay, part 2 of the Big Feelings Club program description as promised. For dramatic suspense I’m going to pick a number ...
03/01/2024

Okay, part 2 of the Big Feelings Club program description as promised.

For dramatic suspense I’m going to pick a number out of a hat to decide which part to talk about next..

And the winner is.. 🥁

The online group sessions!

You might be wondering how helpful online sessions can be when you have a reactive dog.

After all, reactivity usually happens outside in the big bad world. Not inside, cozy on the couch and listening to a zoom call.

But there are so many ways that these sessions can help you and your dog.

One. The skills you want to be able to use out in the world have to be built in a safe space first. And building those skills, and more importantly building those positive feelings about the skills, takes time.

Two. To do lists pile up, training goals fall behind our imagined timelines and other things take priority. But regularly scheduled practice with folks who are invested in your progress can make a world of difference.

Three. New concepts require repetition, discussion and more repetition before they can be smoothly applied in your everyday life. The magic happens somewhere between learning the new info and knowing how to confidently use the new info.

Four. Who doesn’t want a standing appointment in their calendar that requires you to stay home with your dog and avoid hard pants?? Bonus, we only meet 3x a month and won’t tell anyone that the fourth Wednesday that you said was booked up is actually reserved for some glorious quiet time.

And five. I kind of hate homework, so these sessions are designed so that even if you never practice outside of sessions you’ll still see progress in your training and body language observation skills.

(Don’t worry, you can still have homework if you want, but we will let the nerds self-select on this one.)

Image descriptions. Two images with the same background, a white fluffy dog barking and side eyeing the camera. The three cartoon chihuahuas from our logo. Large block text reads, online group sessions. On the second image they read, big feelings club.

In most communities having a reactive dog is isolating.Most folks won’t get why you are behaving the way you are around ...
01/01/2024

In most communities having a reactive dog is isolating.

Most folks won’t get why you are behaving the way you are around your dog. Or why you make accommodations for your dog. Or why your dog’s feelings are so important.

Which can lead to trouble when you ask them to change their behaviour, even in the smallest of ways like giving you a little extra space.

People can be defensive and assume that being asked to change their behaviour means that their previous behaviour was wrong. Or even worse, a sign that they aren’t really the “dog person” they claim to be.

Having a reactive dog can require you to take up space and make your needs known to the world whether you want to or not.

Or for some folks, whether it’s safe or not. (Not us fellow cis, white women. Crocodile tears are generally safe for us.)

It can require you to speak up even when you’d rather fade into the background and avoid potential explanations or conflict.

Being pushed to say “no” or “give us space” on behalf of your dog, especially after a life of ceding space, making yourself small and being “nice” to folks despite your own feelings is a huge, sometimes risky challenge.

It’s a little heartbreaking to know that the world isn’t prepared to offer you the same courtesy you bent over backwards to provide. To know that niceness is truly different than kindness.

And when it seems like everyone is responding to your requests with defensiveness or condescension it’s easy to feel like you are the whole problem. That you are an as***le and that’s why everyone is responding like this.

But I don’t think you’re suddenly an as***le (well maybe, but not because of this).

I think you’re doing hard, emotionally intensive work for a being that loves you but will never thank you. Often in a community that doesn’t share your perspective and has been best equipped to dismiss your concerns.

Embracing force and fear free training for our dogs is relatively easy (ish), embracing force and fear free values towards yourself and your fellow humans in a culture of punishment is hard.

Image description. A dark teal background, white text curves around a cartoon dog pulling on a red collar and leash. The dog has white on his paws, chest and face and two tone brown patches everywhere else. The text reads, you’re probably not suddenly an as***le because you’re advocating for your reactive dog. Below are the three cartoon chihuahuas from the Camp Pawsible logo.

Since we’re getting ready to launch a program specifically for reactive dogs and guardians. It feels important to define...
30/12/2023

Since we’re getting ready to launch a program specifically for reactive dogs and guardians. It feels important to define what we mean when we use the label reactivity.

Because that’s what it is, a label. Not a diagnosis or personality trait or core truth.

And labels are only going to be helpful when they make communication clearer, not when they add murky moral baggage.

So in this post (and for our upcoming program) we’re going to define reactivity like this,

Reactivity is a shorthand that refers to a common set of behaviours as observed from the human point of view. These behaviours predictably happen in response to a trigger or combo of triggers and are associated with stress, pain, fear, frustration and/or anger.

The behaviours often include escaping, staring, freezing, barking, lunging, growling, snapping and biting. And generally function to move the trigger away from the dog, stop the trigger from moving at all or allow the dog to move away from the trigger.

None of these behaviours are morally good or bad.

Many also fall under the label of aggression, which is a normal response for dogs experiencing stress, pain or fear. These behaviours do not fit under other labels like vicious or manipulative.

These behaviours are frequently labeled as reactivity when they occur in situations that the human views as unnecessary or over the top.

Image descriptions. A series of black and white photos with large block text and the three cartoon chihuahuas from the camp pawsible logo in colour.

A small, fluffy dog barking and side eyeing the camera. Text reads, WTF is reactivity?

A senior chihuahua mix wearing a bandana. They are barking with their ears wide and low. Text reads, it’s a label not a diagnosis.

A block headed dog with adorable perky ears lays down and looks into the camera. Text reads, reactivity is not morally good or bad.

A profile of a terrier sniffing the grass. Text reads, reactivity and aggression are not separate, they overlap.

A scruffy terrier steps towards the camera, ears back and eyes squinting. Text reads, reactivity is a human construct.

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