Liefdog

22/09/2025

The best-trained dogs are the ones who trust their humans.

Training isn’t about control, it’s about connection. A dog who feels safe and understood is far more willing to listen, learn, and cooperate.

Trust is built through:

💎 Consistency and clarity
👟 Meeting your dog’s needs (physical and emotional)
🧀 Reinforcing the behaviours you want to see
🚦 Respecting your dog’s boundaries

When trust comes first, training stops feeling like a battle — and starts feeling like teamwork.

21/09/2025

Rather than punishing what we dislike, why not replace it with something we do like and make THAT behaviour more desirable for the learner to perform?

Punishment might stop the behaviour in the moment, but it doesn’t teach your dog what to do instead. It can also create stress, fear, or frustration.

By giving your dog a clear alternative — and reinforcing it generously — you set them up to succeed.

✨ Example:
Instead of scolding a dog for jumping, reward them for sitting or keeping four paws on the floor.

👉 The behaviour you reinforce is the behaviour you’ll see more often.

Choose teaching over punishing — your dog will learn faster, feel safer, and trust you more deeply.

18/09/2025

Just want to say that the Academy was highly recommended by my vet to help with my rescue’s anxiety.

At first dealing with things online was a bit daunting to me but Caryn is so hardworking, spirited and talented that I am finding her expertise to helpful in many aspects of my older husky pup’s training.

The interaction between members is a wonderful addition to the Academy. Finding suitable playmates, sharing wins and losses. Feels like a family!!

Thanks Caryn for all your hard work you put into to keep things going for our 4 legged fur people!!

~ Janet

16/09/2025

Training Tip Tuesday!

Reinforcement drives behaviour — use it wisely.

Dogs repeat what works for them. If a behaviour leads to something your dog values, you’ll see it again. That’s why pulling gets dogs closer to what they want, jumping gets them attention, and barking sometimes makes things go away. The good news?

You can flip this around. Reinforce the behaviours you do want — like walking on a loose leash, greeting politely, or settling calmly — and those will grow stronger.

Think of reinforcement like fuel: wherever you put it, that’s where your dog’s behaviour goes.

15/09/2025

Reward the behaviour you want, and you'll see it more often.

Ever heard of Thorndike's Law of Effect?

That's what I'm talking about! The more you reward something, you more likely the behaviour is to be repeated.

Take advantage of the science behind behaviour and start building some awesome behaviours in your dog.

14/09/2025

Daycare and dog parks are not meant to "socialise" your dog.

These are places where social dogs go to play and burn off energy.

If your dog is shy, nervous, or still learning how to feel safe around others, tossing them into a chaotic group environment can actually make things worse.

True socialisation means helping your dog build positive, safe, low-pressure experiences with the world around them — people, dogs, places, sounds, and situations.

That often looks like:
Calm parallel walks with a trusted dog friend
Short, positive greetings (or no greetings at all)
Gradual exposure to new environments at your dog’s pace

Think of daycare and dog parks as the “advanced class” for dogs who already enjoy social interactions — not as the place to teach them how.

👉 If your goal is socialisation, focus on quality over quantity of experiences.

12/09/2025

11/09/2025

The help we received from Liefdog in working with our golden retriever was invaluable to us. Our golden became dog reactive after a series of unfortunate events. It got to the point where walking him was darn near impossible.

Cranky Canine was so incredibly helpful in teaching us tools that we could use on our own. We can play in the park, go for walks with (select) other dogs, and generally be back to 'normal'.

Something we weren't sure was possible at all for us. And all because we were taught such good techniques.

I know people have differing views on how to train a dog, but for my time and money, and the safety and health of my dog and those around him, there is no other training I would do then what is offered in Cranky Canine.

~ Shannon

11/09/2025

10/09/2025

New environments can be overwhelming for dogs. Preparing ahead of time helps your dog feel safe, confident, and able to learn.

Let's learn how to set your dog up to succeed in new environments.

09/09/2025

Training Tip Tuesday!

💩 Let’s talk about p**p.

As dog guardians, we often focus on training, exercise, and enrichment—but your dog’s p**p tells an important story about their health and behaviour.

👉 A dog who is uncomfortable in their gut is more likely to:
Be irritable or reactive
Struggle with focus during training
Show changes in energy or mood

Stress and anxiety can also show up in p**p. Soft stools, urgency, or accidents may not be a “house training problem” but instead a stress response.

✨ What to do:
✔️ Keep an eye on changes in your dog’s p**p (frequency, consistency, colour).
✔️ Rule out medical issues with your vet.
✔️ Remember that behaviour and body are connected—sometimes a training “problem” starts in the gut.

Your dog’s body and brain are on the same team. 🐾 Supporting one supports the other.

Does your dog’s p**p ever tell you when something is “off”?