Wheeler Walking Services

07/03/2024

I spy a Gus 🐶🧐

06/17/2024

My Guy hit the double digits today 🥰🥳
10 years of ups and downs, road trips, hikes, swimming, traveling to other countries, and love 💞💕

06/17/2024

Birthday boiiii 🥰 My Guy hit the double digits today 🥳

06/11/2024

05/31/2024

Happiest with a ball 🐶🥎🐶

05/23/2024

Pretty views with a pretty lady 🌞🐶🌻

05/17/2024

Gus with a view 🐶🏞

05/16/2024

Tex bringing me to new sights 🤩

05/07/2024

05/04/2024

Throw it, but don't take it 🌻🐶

04/29/2024

Once upon a time there was a dog who got very nervous when people approached him, or tried to interact with him when he was eating his food.

This dog tried to communicate his feelings and ask his humans to give him space while he was eating by growling, snarling, and showing general tension when they were too close. The humans heard his growl and panicked, so they sought the advice of a trainer.

This trainer failed to address the motivation behind the dog's growling, and instructed the guardians to punish the dog by giving him a "leash correction" with a pinch collar every time the dog growled at them when they were near him while he ate his food.
The dog very quickly learned that sharing his feelings and asking for space resulted in a scary and painful correction, so he stopped communicating his feelings.

Two days later, the dog bit the guardian in the face.

This is a story that I hear on a regular basis, where a dog attempts to clearly communicate their discomfort (whether that's physical or emotional), and that warning is ignored, or worse, they are punished for those feelings.

Punishing a dog for communicating with you does absolutely nothing to change those underlying feelings. The dog still feels uncomfortable with your proximity while they eat, they've now been taught that it is unsafe to share those feelings.
When we punish a dog for communicating with us, we successfully eliminate the critical early warning system that tells us "back off, or else this behavior will escalate," which can result in a situation like this where the dog bites "out of nowhere."
Why?
Because we've taught them that providing any warnings is not safe for them to do.

This is a true story, and unfortunately, one that is too frequently told.

Punishing a dog for growling is like disconnecting your smoke detector and then being surprised when you receive no warning about a fire in your home.

04/28/2024

Definitely did not just bury a bone 🦴🐶

04/25/2024

Post walk mood 😴🐶

04/25/2024

Sadie wasn't feeling the flowers, but she humored me 🌞🐶😅

04/25/2024

🌻Incoming Tex🌻

04/25/2024

The Okanagan flowers sure make these puppies look extra pretty 🌞🐶🌻

04/25/2024

🌞🐶🌻

04/25/2024

Meet Cheeko! A beautiful 4 year old Akita 🐶
Can't wait to get to know her on our walks 🌞

04/18/2024

😍🤩😍

04/04/2024

🤩🐶🤩

03/17/2024

My Guy 🐶🥰🌞

03/17/2024

My guy & his chicken face 🐔🐶💗

03/15/2024

Daisy May kisses 😘🐶🌻