Jackie Pritchard Dog Training

07/11/2025

Sharing again because EVERYONE needs to read this if you are thinking of adopting!!!! Here lately we have more returns coming back and if everyone would think of it this way it could avoid that! We work soooo hard with these dogs and put months of work, foster care, interviews, education to fosters/adopters in and we finally celebrate an adoption…….or do we???? Not usually because seems like lately more are coming back than going out 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

It takes time and patience! No dog deserves to be judged by its first hours, days, even weeks!! It takes time and work!

Adopting a pet? Congrats! You've just picked someone up in your car who isn't great at communicating, just got out of a tough situation, and isn't sure if they trust you yet. Sound familiar? That's because the first three days with a new pet are basically a 72-hour first date.

It's exciting, it's awkward, and it's definitely not the time to start planning your holiday cards or giving them a bubble bath.

No judgment, but some of y'all might need a quick refresher on first-date etiquette. So here's your official guide to early red flags (from you, not them).

🚩 Leaving them unattended like it's no big deal
Imagine showing up to a blind date and immediately getting ditched at a party where you know no one. That's how your pet feels when they're left alone right away.

Bottom line: Don't ghost your new pet. It's day one. Stick close.

🚩 Being too handsy
They're cute. You're smitten. But this isn't the moment for kisses, cuddles, or TikToks with voiceovers. You just met. They don't know your intentions yet.

This isn't a fling; it's the start of something real. Let them come to you. (Consent matters, even in pet parenting.)

🚩 Introducing them to your entire cast of characters
You ever meet someone and they immediately want you to meet their mom? Yikes.

Your pet doesn't need to meet your whole social circle (or animal crew) right away. Let them settle in, one face at a time. Save the group hangs for later.

🚩 Giving them a bath
You wouldn't give someone you just met a bath, and if you would… we don't want to talk about this anymore.

Yes, shelter pets can be a little stinky. But baths are a lot. They're wet, stressful, and weirdly intimate for a pet who doesn't even know your hobbies yet. Spritz some pet-safe essential oils around the house and give them time to decompress before sudsing them up.

🚩 Taking them on a spontaneous adventure
You are not on The Bachelor. No one wants a surprise helicopter ride on day one.

Keep things calm and close to home. No breweries, dog parks, or road trips. Your pet's just trying to figure out which room has the snacks, don't make them learn a whole new location yet.

🚩 Expecting instant love
Some folks swipe right, go on one date, and expect sparks to fly immediately. The same energy applies to new pet parents who expect instant attachment.

Sometimes it does happen, but more often, it's a slow burn. They might hide under the bed, bark at the fridge, or side-eye you for three days straight. It doesn't mean it's not working. It just means you're still getting to know each other.

💘 The Bottom Line: Love doesn't always strike like lightning. Sometimes, it starts with awkward silences, side-eyes, and mutually agreeing that you won't make any sudden moves. But give it time, stay patient, and keep showing up, and you just might find yourself in the best relationship of your life.

07/10/2025

Brilliant info-graphic by Lili Chin.

07/09/2025

07/09/2025

CULTIVATING CALMNESS

We teach our dogs all sorts of things, but maybe don’t realise that teaching “calm” is also an important behaviour that has so many positive applications for both us and our dogs.

“Calm” can be defined as the absence of agitation or excitement; a feeling of tranquility; serenity and peace. These feelings are so often lacking in both our lives and that of our dogs.

Besides teaching dogs to settle on a mat or in another place or capturing and rewarding calm behaviour, here are some other ways to promote calmness.

Scenting or sniffing is a really effective and simple way to promote relaxation. It lowers the pulse rate and creates feelings of wellbeing.

Chewing is another powerful relaxation tool. Dogs use the chewing to relieve stress, frustration or anxiety. Chewing has a calming effect on the adrenal-pituitary axis in the brain which triggers the release of endorphins. It’s like self-medication for stress or anxiety.

Relaxing music that is specifically made for dogs can also work well, especially with dogs that get over excited in a car or have storm or firework fear.

When playing an exciting, high-energy game with your dog, take frequent breaks before starting up again to help your dog wind down and become calmer.

Aromatherapy, ear or other types of massage are other ways to help create calmness.

Cortisol holidays are also really important after a stressful event to prevent trigger stacking and allow cortisol levels to return to normal.

Conventional wisdom says that the ability to remain calm is a character trait that most of us lack, but Neuroscience teaches us that remaining calm under pressure is not an inborn trait, but a skill that needs to be learnt, practiced and managed and this applies to our dogs as well.

07/07/2025

My job is to teach people how to teach their dog. I work to help people train in a way that helps nurture the canine/human bond. This includes building trust, compassion, empathy and two-way communication.

I can't train your dog....

✅ What I can do -

• teach you to understand your dog's behaviour more clearly
• teach you the principles of behaviour which you can then apply throughout the entirety of your dog's life
• teach you how to meet your dog's needs (species & breed specific) to reduce or avoid behaviour problems
• teach you the practical skills you need in order to improve clarity and communication with your dog
• teach you how to get more of the behaviour you want
• teach you the importance of realistic and fair expectations
• teach you how to read your dog in order to better anticipate his behaviour
• support & advise you to help you reach your training goals
• build your confidence

❌ What I can't do -

• do it for you

I can't train your dog. The only person who can do that is you. What I can do is give you the knowledge, the skills and the confidence you need to train your dog. But putting that knowledge into practice is down to you. Training works but only if you do it. I'll support you every step of the way but I can't do it for you.

07/06/2025

Wisdom!

07/05/2025

Well, well, well...

What if we’ve been asking the wrong questions about dog behavior?

What if the problems we’ve been hired to fix
aren’t behavior problems at all—
but welfare problems in disguise?

Total Welfare is about flipping the script.
It’s not about making dogs behave.
It’s about helping them be well—
so behaving well comes naturally.

It’s easy when you’ve got L.E.G.S. to stand on.

Stay close.

The shift is coming.

07/03/2025

It can take a VERY long time for any individual to “unpack” their trauma and begin to feel safe. Sometimes it can take many months and sometimes even a lifetime. Be patient, be compassionate, be kind.

Each and every dog is an individual. Some have experienced horrific abuse and/or trauma. Each individual will progress at his/her own pace. Don’t rush the process.

It's time to share this again....

THE 3-3-3 RULE OF RE-HOMING

Lulled into a false sense of security, I was happily thinking, “I haven’t seen the 3-3-3 rule for a while” and, lo and beyond, there it is, in one of the largest online training groups 🫣

I post about this whenever I see it gathering momentum again on social media, because it is something I feel strongly about. These parameters applied to neither of my dogs, who both needed so much more time to feel safe and settled. There are so many different scenarios in which dogs are re-homed, some of which may not have involved the experience of living in a home or regular contact with humans before, so we need to be prepared to take things at their pace, be patient, and try not to feel disheartened if progress seems slow at times .

For those who may not have come across it before, the 3-3-3 rule pops up frequently on Facebook, particularly in groups for fearful dog guardians. In essence, the message is this: it takes three days for a dog in a new home to relax a little, three weeks to settle in, and three months to be fully comfortable, thus demonstrating that the process takes time. But how helpful is this?

HELP OR HINDRANCE?

Yes, it is good to forewarn new guardians that it’s going to take some time for their new friend to settle in, and offer them some kind of an idea of the timeframe in which they might expect to see their best boy or girl feeling settled and safe in their new home. We do like to have a rough idea of what we might expect, don’t we.

However!

Despite the caveat that is usually (but not always) included on the infographic, which states that the 3-3-3 rule is a guideline as every dog is different, the fact that it is called a "rule" in the first place is not terribly helpful. The statements made are pretty black and white, with the tendency being that it becomes a goal to aspire to, which could lead to disappointment, disillusionment, and perhaps even desperation, if we feel our dog is not progressing at the rate we believe he should.

Remember: progress is progress, no matter how small a step you feel that may be. Celebrate those successes with your dog, and marvel as they flourish, but also bear in mind that progress is rarely linear. Don't lose heart if it feels at times as though you are taking several steps back with each step forward.

Try not to compare your dog's journey with that of others, and be kind to yourself also. It is all too easy to develop unfair and unrealistic expectations, while placing pressure on ourselves to conform to the 3-3-3 rule and, more importantly, placing pressure on our dogs.

We do need to remember that every dog is different, as per the caveat, so that we allow for varying confidence and resilience levels, but we should also not forget that other factors, such as genetic components and previous learning experiences, will contribute hugely towards how long a dog might take to feel truly settled. What about those dogs which have never lived in a home before? Or those which have experienced trauma, or suffer from anxiety?

We also need to take into account the knowledge and experience of the guardian. Are they well-versed in reading body language? Are they able to identify potential triggers and minimise stressors to help the dog to decompress fully? Have they been able to implement suitable management strategies inside and outside of the home environment to keep the dog feeling safe? Are they patient enough to take things as slowly as is necessary, and is everyone in the household on board so that there is consistency?

Or, perhaps the guardians resort to luring and coaxing their new, shy dog; the one who has no prior experience of human kindness. Do they try to hand-feed meals and make repeated attempts to touch him, in the belief that it will speed things up?

These are just a few of the factors at play and, as you can see, there are many variables which will impact on how long feeling safe can take. Yes, the rate of progress might pan out to be along the lines of the 3-3-3 rule parameters, or it may be quicker. But, for dogs who are sensitive and easily worried, it might be a whole lot longer, and that’s okay too!

The bottom line has to be: don’t be tempted to rush things or try to find shortcuts; TAKE THINGS SLOWLY. FEELING SAFE TAKES AS LONG AS IT TAKES!

©️ Trailie Paws For Thought
www.trailiepawsforthought.com

06/28/2025

Everyday gets a little bit closer. Please make your preparations now.