Canine Companion, LLC- Abbie Volpone

01/23/2025

New article up on the blog! This one is a little more complicated subject, dog appeasement behaviors! It's a little longer read, but important information, so be sure to check it out when you get a chance!

What are appeasement behaviors, what do they mean, and what function do they serve? To appease verb. appeased; appeasing 1: pacify, conciliate to make concessions to (someone, such as an aggressor …

01/14/2025

Today the big snow flakes were coming down and the sun was shining and we were happily playing in the yard despite the single digit wind chill.
Is your dog a snow lover or would they rather stay under a blanket? Tell me in the comments, I’ll add another pic of Sake in her full snow glory for you to check out there too ☃️❄️

12/31/2024

The year has come to a close and the numbers are in: In the last year alone, I met and worked with 152 different dogs.
…
That’s 152 different stories, different personalities, different relationships and struggles. I had group classes, private lessons, outings, buddy walks, lectures, field trips, and fun student events. The oldest dog to start training with me this year was approximately 13 years old. Many were rescue dogs, some dogs even still in the shelter or foster. I helped choose service and therapy dog prospect puppies, but also worked on aggression and anxiety cases, and everything in between. And for every dog, there were people trying to do the very best for their furry companion.

It was a busy year. Especially considering I lost one of my own dogs this year, and with all the other projects and activities I have going on, it feels amazing that I could help 152 dogs. And as always, I am honored by the trust my clients have in me and my expertise, to be asked into their homes and lives, to be the trainer chosen to help them.

So what’s next for 2025? What are your training goals this year? Happy New Year, friends. 🎉🥂

12/18/2024

Just one week till Christmas now, was your dog on Santa’s nice list this year? Sake sure hopes she was… 🎅🏼🎄🎁

12/17/2024

My sweet little friend Beanie here just wants to remind everyone this holiday season to be kind and respectful to workers, INCLUDING four-legged workers. 🦮🐾🎁

12/12/2024

2 more Canine Good Citizen passed their tests last night! Congrats to River and Gabe and their humans for passing this difficult exam!

12/09/2024

Behaviour is only labelled good or bad because it’s what we have perceived it to be. To our dogs, behaviour is is explored or repeated simply because it is reinforcing in some way.
When we start to think of behaviour just as meeting a need. We can start to change our response to it and work on our own reactions.
And of course tell Santa all dogs are on the good list.

11/24/2024

Wanted to share a few photos from training and enrichment with some of my fox friends at Felix Foundation Fox Sanctuary and Rehab! 🦊
❤️I am passionate about cognition, psychology, and behavior of all animals, not just dogs, and love finding ways to expand my expertise.

11/14/2024

Check out this awesome step by step article for introducing new dogs to one another safely to set them up for the best possible relationship⬇️⬇️

💬 "They’ll work it out." Unfortunately, not always.

Introducing dogs is more than a casual meet-and-greet—it’s about creating the right environment for a safe and positive experience. In the article, "The Best Way To Introduce Dogs To Each Other", C.C. Bourgeois, CPDT-KA, CSAT, PMCT, shares practical strategies to help your dog make great first impressions.

Learn about:
- Setting up introductions on neutral territory
- Recognizing key body language signals
- Using parallel walking to ease tension

Check out the full article here ⬇
https://aggressivedog.com/2024/09/01/the-best-way-to-introduce-dogs-to-each-other/

Let’s make introductions safer and stress-free—for both dogs and their humans!

11/06/2024

Starting tomorrow I’ll have a shadow! I’d like to introduce my new apprentice!

My name is Clinton LeClerc (he/him), I have nearly a year of professional pet care experience under my belt, but I feel dog training is my true calling! Having grown up with GSD mixes, I have been around dogs my entire life. However, it wasn't until I moved out on my own and decided to adopt my current dog that I realized how much I love the process of learning with dogs!
When I took home my Great Dane/Husky mix at 5 months old, I felt a bit in over my head. It was difficult to determine what information was accurate and what wasn't when it came to getting a handle on some of her more challenging behaviors; particularly dog, human, and prey animal reactivity, as well as inappropriate play biting. Through much trial and error, we found the power of positive socialization and self-regulation. We also strengthened the power of our relationship! It was then that I realized how much I enjoyed the reciprocal teaching relationship between human and dog, and started to nurture the idea of becoming a trainer. Now here I am, and I am so excited to begin my journey as an apprentice!

If you’re a current client, I’ll check-in with you prior to Clint joining us at any sessions. I’m honored Clint has chosen my expertise to guide him on the path to becoming a professional dog trainer.

10/20/2024

I love spending time with these fascinating animals! Clover here loves to learn with me! 🦊

10/19/2024

Classes start November 6! Register your dog now at the link below ⬇️

https://tce.me/iPseue

10/12/2024

Another group of STAR Puppies graduated this week!
Did you know that research shows that puppies enrolled in classes by age 6 months show reduced adult behavior problems, such as aggressiveness? Training early is important for building a well rounded dog!

09/26/2024

It was a perfect morning for a field trip with my buddy Dash (Norwegian Buhund) at Hayes State Park. Loving this cool fall weather! 🍂

Although we weren’t camping ourselves, the park rangers were very welcoming and let us walk around the campsites for training.

09/10/2024

Four more Reactive Rover class graduates at HSHV on this beautiful evening! Mr. Pickles here was rightfully proud of himself for all his (and his human’s!) hard work!🎓🦴🐾

09/03/2024

Hoping everyone had a lovely, long Labor Day weekend!

08/27/2024

These sure are the dog days of summer 🥵☀️🔥🕶️
Take it easy this week friends! Substitute that game of fetch in the yard for more training or enrichment activities. Shorten your walk or go in the evening after things have cooled down a bit. Fall weather is right around the corner!