Heart Dog Behavior and Training

11/29/2024

Our friends at Every Dog share some great points here 🐶

Having a dog with behavior issues comes with some significant emotional impacts on the humans involved. Often, clients tell us they feel isolated or that they feel silly for being so upset over their dog’s reactivity, guarding, aggression, etc.

Having feelings about your dog’s behavior issues is NORMAL, so let’s talk about it.

-it’s normal to experience setbacks instead of linear progress, but it still SUCKS and you’re allowed to be upset.

-there’s significant grief involved in accepting that your dog may never be able to do the things you wanted for them. They may never go to the dog park or the patio bar or want to meet all your friends.

-there’s real emotional energy in planning for walks with a reactive dog (where are there good escape spots, when will dogs be out), or getting your dog to the vet when he’s absolutely terrified, or planning for a family visit when your dog has bitten strangers.

-there’s guilt and shame over the idea that you should be able to “fix” your dogs, worsened by common myths about how your nervousness is the cause of their issues, and your “energy” will fix it.

-isolation and feeling like no one else knows what you’re going through (they do).

If you're having these feelings, you're not alone. Don't be afraid to skip a training session, go home earlier than planned on a walk, or take a hike without your dog if it's what you need.

11/27/2024

Happy Thanksgiving Heart Dog community! We hope you have a safe and happy time with the humans and dogs you love the most.

11/23/2024

Integrating a new dog into the home can be a challenging task! Copper and Moka’s humans reached out to us for help doing just that. When they brought Copper home, they immediately realized his youthful exuberance was a bit intimidating to their existing, smaller-sized dogs in the home. Copper’s humans did an amazing job following through a customized integration plan and, we’re happy to say, Copper is now an accepted member of their little pack today 🥰 🐾

11/19/2024

Handsome boy Rocky just completed our Foundations Package where he learned lots of basic skills to help him on his way as he grows! During his training, we worked on many things including coming when called, leaving things he shouldn’t have, and trading if he already had them. Rocky’s family has done a great job guiding him through this phase of puppyhood 🐾🧡

11/15/2024

11/12/2024

What’s black and white and adorable all over? Our latest Good Manners graduates of course! We loved getting to know Maverick, Tres, Betty, and their humans throughout the last 5 weeks and were thrilled to watch them each learn and grow. Congratulations to this group of wonderful pups 🎓🐾

11/11/2024

Let’s get those puppies socialized! Link to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s position statement linked here: https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement-FINAL.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2c1o7XNMM_LXwW3-iWB2ctTo_-Ip_Jzd9-VZ-NIUsuV3HgcKc66GeSaD0_aem_rLg0HyPrPpi8Md2NS4abZw

Thinking about bringing a puppy home? Stay up-to-date with socialization guidelines!

11/06/2024

Who is a good dog? Your dog!
Because you adopted her from Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department and then you signed her up for the free dog training class that we offer for free in person (or in dog) through Heart Dog Behavior and Training , and/or the free online dog training class through Good Pup. Just a wee bit of the basics for both you and your dog can make all of the difference when you take a new pet into your home. We believe that if we send our dogs out with the option for you to do some training, we will have fewer dogs returned to us due to problematic behaviors, keeping more good dogs in their happy homes. Please adopt from us and give your dog the gift of basic dog training.

Our adoptions also come with a free vet visit, a free personalized pet tag, spay/neuter, all age-appropriate vaccines. We try to set you up for success when you adopt from us. Oh, and have we mentioned all adoption fees are waived?
You can scroll through all of our adoptable pets at cabq.gov/pets/adoptions/search-for-a-lost-or-adoptable-pet to find the perfect good dog for you.
Thanks for partnering with AWD, Heart Dog Behavior and Training!

11/05/2024

Jessica here to talk about management and setting our dogs up for success 🙋🏻‍♀️ This big guy is Ranger, my 9 year old Pit Bull/Shepherd mix. He’s not a big fan of dogs he doesn’t know in his personal space, which can be tough when he needs to go to the vet. Because I know that having unknown dogs too close to him causes him stress, which then makes his whole vet appointment more challenging, we do exactly what you see us doing here- just waiting our turn in the car! Simple management changes like that to avoid a stressor (for us and our dogs) are a great way to set them up for success. For your dog, that might mean training in the least busy part of the classroom, or bringing them in through the back door at your vet’s office to avoid barking at other dogs. Don’t be afraid to ask the community around you and your dog to help in these ways- we want you and your dog to be comfortable!

10/27/2024

As Halloweekend comes to a close and Halloween approaches, keeping things from getting too spooky for our dogs is on our minds! Swipe through for tips to keep your pup safe and happy this week 🎃🐾

10/18/2024

Happy Friday everybody! Are you loving this beautiful, albeit blustery, autumn weather as much as home sanctuary dog, Zane?! The falling leaves and pinecones are great scent enrichment on Zane’s walks- we hope you and your dogs enjoy the fall weather and good sniffs this weekend too 🍂

10/11/2024

When Ash’s mom called us, she was so worried about his reactivity and fear-based aggression towards strangers. With practice of good management and lots of positive reinforcement training, we helped Ash’s family to help him be more comfortable with strangers out in the world and at home! We are so glad we had the privilege to support Ash and family on their positive reinforcement training journey 🐾

10/07/2024

Want a well-behaved dog in time for the holiday season? We can help! 🙋🏻‍♀️

WHAT: Our Good Manners Class covers all of your dog’s foundational skill, including loose leash walking, coming when called, stay and so much more! We’ll also teach you to address behavior concerns such as leash reactivity!

WHERE: Class will be held at an outdoor space in the village of Corrales (address provided after signups)

WHEN: Saturday November 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and December 7th

Please visit our website heartdogbehaviorandtraining.com for more information!
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10/05/2024

09/27/2024

Did you know that chronic pain in dogs doesn’t just affect them physically? It can also lead to emotional distress. A recent study by Malkani et al. (2024) found that dogs experiencing physical pain from musculoskeletal conditions are more likely to show:

Aggression towards their caregiver: Pain can make even familiar interactions feel threatening, leading to defensive or aggressive behaviors.

Aggression towards others/unfamiliar people: A dog in pain may react defensively to protect themselves from perceived threats.

Fear reactions to triggers: Pain can heighten a dog’s environmental sensitivity.

Understanding this connection is crucial in dog training and behavior work. This is why it’s critical to make sure any dog showing unwanted or unusual behavior is evaluated carefully by its veterinarian. It’s also so important to establish close working ties with the veterinarians in your area.

09/20/2024

We hope that your weekend is as joyful and fun as our training session with Rafa!

09/11/2024

Have you seen a sudden change in your dog’s behavior? That may be an indication that they’re in pain! Reach out to your veterinarian if you believe this may be the case.

Age, trauma, and disease can all cause pain. Because pets can't tell us they're hurting, and because they often hide pain, it's important to be aware of the signs. September is Animal Pain Awareness Month. If you suspect your cat or dog may be in pain give us a call; we can help (505) 299-9533.

09/06/2024

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.