Pet Place Lodging

02/15/2025

On the boarding front, I am fortunate enough to have David working hard to keep the dogs happy and well-cared for. He has been busy clearing paths through all our yards, along with handling the pups' hands-on care. Saturday happens to be a milestone birthday for David. We'd like to wish him a very Happy Birthday 🥳 and thank him for all that he does.

02/14/2025

On behalf of all our doggie day campers, I want to express my gratitude and thanks to Emma and Robert, our camp staff. It's not easy to be outside in the winter, playing ball and engaging these pups in play so they can ditch the winter blues. They eagerly look forward to Camp, and you make it FUN for them no matter what!! 🐾❤️😊👏💕🐶😊👍

02/07/2025

Awesome idea!!!

This is such a good idea!

02/07/2025

Some of our adorable Day Campers 🐾 💞

01/23/2025

Love this!! I 💯 believe in this perspective and approach

"Then why are you here?" I gently inquired to a new client after hearing them tell me how successful their dog's board and train somewhere else was.

But I already knew the answer to my question because I've had this exact scenario unfold so many times. It looks like this:

Dog owner struggles with a dog's problem behavior ➡️ works with or sends dog to trainer who focuses on using obedience commands ➡️ dog finishes training mostly able to follow obedience commands but this does not help dog's problem behavior ➡️ dog owner sees that dog can follow commands so is happy with the training even though their most important training goal, dog's problem behavior/s, hasn't improved

Unfortunately when we define dog training as following commands, we often fail to miss the entire point of training our dogs.

Dog training should prioritize helping people and dogs live better together which includes (and even emphasizes) helping both dog and person learn how to navigate their dog's emotional health and responses to the world around them.

👎 telling a fearful dog to sit/stay while something scary approaches does not help them feel better

👎teaching a formal heel command does not help a dog process encountering a reactive dog who stresses them out

👎 commanding a dog to down/stay to stop their anxiety and hyperstimulation doesn't work long term because the dog is not choosing to have those undesirable emotions

Obedience command training ignores the most important part of the dog's body...their brain 🧠 I'd rather a dog:

✔️ get a new perspective about things that used to stress or overwhelm them so they stay relaxed and well behaved

✔️ learn better coping skills so if they do get big feelings, they don't act in ways that are stressful, dangerous, or embarrassing

✔️ look to their person as an available guide to help them if they feel like they can't cope instead of acting out

When I explained this approach, I saw the light bulb 💡 click on in this dog owner's head. I was describing exactly what had happened to them...being conflicted and confused that their dog appeared trained but still struggling with the same issues that brought them to training.

What we know about dogs and how to work with them has come a long ways. Teaching a dog obedience and cooperation skills is great but it's not a substitution for understanding why they are behaving poorly and helping them learn to become a better doggy decision maker.

And that's what we specialize in here at Tug Dogs ❤️🐾

01/19/2025

I use this tag on my dogs. It WORKS.

01/01/2025

May this New Year's Eve bring joy to you and your loyal companion, with wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2025!

12/22/2024

I used 5 Strands to test my German Shepherd for food and environmental sensitivities. I made changes to her diet and limited some exposure to her environmental triggers and she is doing well!!

12/19/2024

Lucy is a little show boat! At one point she even glances at the camera! She's so FUN!!

12/12/2024

Here are a few reminders on how to keep pets safe during cold weather! Check out our graphic for a few tips & then head over to our blog to learn more: https://aercmn.com/minnesota-cold-weather-pet-safety/

12/10/2024

12/08/2024

Sharing this every time I see it‼️ ⚠️

12/07/2024

Sweet sweet Tillie. This girl melts our hearts! 💕

12/07/2024

Camp play time for Scooter today!

12/07/2024

Dunkin 💜

12/07/2024

12/07/2024

Milo. Looking so handsome today 🐾