17/08/2025
Over the past couple of weeks, two of my behavioural board and train clients reached out just to say thank you for being kind to their dogs during their board and train stays.
I was glad to hear it, of course, but it says so much about the depressing state of the dog world that someone being both effective AND kind to dogs is a relief, rather than the default.
Both of the dogs in question have a complex mixture of medical AND behavioural issues. Both have previously confused their medical team or have had behavioural issues in addition to the medical that mean the medical team cannot draw clear conclusions from a purely medical basis. Both have needed input from their medical team and an extended stay with a behavioural focus to help get to the bottom of (a) the medical and behavioral components of the issues that are presenting, and (b) the behavioural input for their owners to take home, to either consolidate with or use to better direct future medical investigations.
I donât label myself as force-free or balanced; my focus is on reducing stress and helping these dogs feel safe, and taking chronic stress off their shoulders, even when they come to me with severe or complex issues.
Itâs a bittersweet reminder that kindness isnât always assumed in this field. Iâm grateful for their trust and want everyone to know: training, especially for tough cases, can and should be both effective AND have your dog's overall welfare at its absolute core.
This overwhelmingly dog-first, holistic approach is the default at , not the exception.
On a lighter note - the Sparknotes version of this post is that I will never hide what I do with guest dogs, - to the point where their dedicated owners have had the "privilege" of receiving all the dumb songs that I sing while we go on adventures and rebalance their parasympathetic nervous systems (disclaimer, the horrific singing ENTIRELY for my benefit not theirs - that is the closest to animal cruelty I'm willing to go đ
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