Sunshine Dog Training & Behavior

01/29/2025

01/29/2025

❌ 🏃🏼‍♀️ MORE EXERCISE AIN'T WHERE IT'S AT‼️
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Lack of exercise is not why your dog ....

🔹 Jumps on you (or everyone or everything)

🔹 Steals things

🔹 Chews inappropriate things

🔹 Doesn't listen to you

🔹 Runs out the door

🔹 Won't settle down

🔹 Anxiety

🔹 Reactivity
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✔️ 🏃🏼‍♀️ While exercise should be part of every dog's life ... exercise alone is not a solution to your dog's challenges.

👉🏼 Most often dogs are under-stimulated mentally and sometimes physically.

🤔 However I find that most owners are quicker to over-exercise their dogs than they are to hit the problem head-on with proper training, relaxation work and play ... aka, proper mental stimulation.

📖 Read my intensive blog post about this topic and what to do!
🔗 https://t.ly/stopwalkingblog
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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

01/28/2025

MYTH BUSTING MONDAY!

01/27/2025

01/26/2025

🥺 ANXIETY IN DOGS: A hugely misunderstood disorder.

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🔗 Links in this infographic:
🔹 https://t.ly/SepAnxFAQs
🔹 https://t.ly/propersocialization

🔗 Link to download this image as a PDF
🔹 https://t.ly/whydogshaveanxietyPDF
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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2025 Stacy Greer
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

01/24/2025

ASK AND I'LL ANSWER*!

*I'll stop answering any questions asked after 7pm CST.

01/24/2025

📣 CONFESSION‼️

🫣 THIS USED TO BE ME ....

❌ 💊 Medication should be a last resort when working with dogs

✅ 🦴 Do more training first

🍵 🍀 Try natural or holistic remedies

👨🏻‍⚕️ When the above don't work then see a vet!
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😊 ME NOW ....

✅ 👨🏻‍⚕️ 💊 Medication options should be explored with a properly educated veterinarian

❌ 🦴 Sadly I cannot successfully do any training without your dog's anxiety getting under control so that she can be in a good place to learn.

❌ 🍵 🍀 Natural and holistic remedies aren't usually successful with anxiety, sadly

✅ 📚 I've since become more educated and I have evolved as a trainer. I do not reach for medication last and I now feel that's actually a poor approach to the problem when it comes to anxiety. It prolongs your dog's anxiety, which is very sad for your dog.

📄 This article by Sara Reuche of Paws Abilities Dog Training explains why these aren't a good idea. - 🔗 https://t.ly/medslast
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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2025 Stacy Greer
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

I’ve written about medicating anxious dogs before, and it’s such an important topic that I want to touch on it again. There are so many misconceptions surrounding this subject.The idea that anxiety…

01/23/2025

Tomorrow, Friday, January 24th is starting at 9am CST!

Be here to ask your dog related questions and get answers!

01/23/2025

WHAT IS IT & DOES MY DOG NEED IT⁉️

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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
©️2025 Stacy Greer/Sunshine Dog Training & Behavior
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

01/22/2025

Who wants a Free Advice Friday this week? 🙋🏼‍♀️

Come here, Friday, January 24th at 9am and ask your dog related questions!

01/20/2025

LET'S DO KONG® RECIPES‼️

🥣 Use your dog's KONG® as a food bowl!
🐾 Let's get some enrichment going!
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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
©️2025 Stacy Greer/Sunshine Dog Training & Behavior
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

01/18/2025

BOREDOM BUSTERS: How to use enrichment to help your dog⁉️
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WHAT IS ENRICHMENT⁉️

Enrichment is a way for animals (they use this in zoos and aquariums 🐅🦍🐘🦏🦒🐬) to engage in activities that stimulate cognitive tasks to help bring down adrenaline as well as overarousal while also combating boredom and keeping them busy.

For our dogs, enrichment is a great way to keep them thinking, moving and to be able to expel energy while finding it easier to relax.
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Here are a few fun things you can do . . .

🧻 Tube-o-Snacks
Fill an empty paper towel or toilet paper tube with kibble or other fun dog-friendly snacks. Fold in the ends and let your pup do the rest! Don’t help and let them rip that thing to shreds. Just clean up afterwards!
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👃🏼 Yard Scatters & Sniffs
Toss a handful of your dog’s kibble into the yard, or a grassy area, and let your dog sniff and eat until his little heart is content . . . and his nose too! If you don’t have a yard, find a place that’s safe and let your dog sniff on a loose long line.
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🎾 Muffin Tin-o-Balls
Put some snacks of some kind in each little compartment of a muffin tin. Place a tennis ball on top of the food in each compartment. Let your pup find out how to move the ball to get to the snacks!
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🧊 Ice Cubes in the Pool
Place chopped blueberries, strawberries and bananas in an ice cube tray. Pour chicken broth over the fruit to fill the compartments. Freeze. Toss the cubes into a pool or a kiddie pool filled.

Great for a summer treat! Make one huge ice cube, just put all the ingredients in a bowl and freeze the bowl to make one large ice cube that takes longer to melt!
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💎 Dig-a-Treasure
Got a digger? Tap into that by redirecting it to appropriate places for fun. Keep this operation running full-time if you have a heavy digger and you can stop digging where it shouldn’t be!
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🚜 Fill a kiddie pool with soft sand. Bury frozen food snacks, the ice cubes above, fun toys and anything your dog will find rewarding to dig up!
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⚖️ Keep your dog busy and know that doesn’t always have to mean exercise! It’s great to give both exercise and enrichment to maintain a healthy balance!
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👩🏼‍💻 There are many, many, many other ways to do this. I have a lot more info and ideas on this on my blog post here: bit.ly/canineenrichment
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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
©️2025 Stacy Greer/Sunshine Dog Training & Behavior
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

01/17/2025

❌ A DOG THAT ROLLS OVER = I WANT BELLY RUBS‼️ ❌

😰 While some dogs do like belly rubs many do this behavior as an appeasement behavior that usually means "yikes, I'm not sure about this situation!"

🖼️ Context matters so you'll need to look at the bigger picture!

01/15/2025

MY DOG'S ON MEDS BUT THEY AREN'T HELPING⁉️

💊 If your dog has been prescribed medication for behavior and/or anxiety and you aren't seeing much change, weird symptoms or behaviors, you need to first reach out to the prescribing veterinarian.

👩🏼‍⚕️↔️👨🏻‍⚕️ It is also important to know that using the expertise of a Veterinary Behaviorist vs your GP veterinarian is like the difference of using your GP doctor for your anxiety vs a psychiatrist. Both doctors can prescribe anti-anxiety medication, but one of them is much more educated on a vast range of different medications for different nuances in those medications and well as the nuances that anxiety and behaviors can present.

✅ This isn't a stab at your GP vet, it's just facts. Our GP vets are great for medical issues, illnesses and prevention of those things. However, behavior challenges aren't their area of expertise unless they have studied behavior outside of their general medical studies.

❌👨🏻‍⚕️☹️ If the provider you're using for your dog isn't helping you, or feel that they are not, seek the help of another provider! If you don't have a Veterinary Behaviorist in your area your own GP vet can do a vet-to-vet consult with one in order to find best solutions and protocols for your dog!

💪🏼🌟 A qualified, well-educated team of professionals is your best bet to help with your dog’s anxiety, as it is a marathon not a sprint when working with anxiety or behavior challenges in dogs.
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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
©️2025 Stacy Greer/Sunshine Dog Training & Behavior
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

01/12/2025

👌🏼 EASY-PEASY CALMING TECHNIQUE .... SCATTER FEEDING!
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WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT⁉️🌎
It's simply scattering a handful of your dog's kibble and/or yummy treats ...

▪️ on the ground

▪️ in the grass

▪️ on a cookie sheet

▪️ on your back patio

▪️ on your carpet

▪️ on your rug

Just scatter food about in a space where your dog has to use his nose to hunt for it!
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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS⁉️

🧘🏻‍♀️ lowers arousal/stress

🧠 works the brain

💤 tires out the dog

😱 decreases a fear response

👀 engages their Seeking System

🚛 can be used to desensitize them to a stimulus

🐕‍🦺 helps them observe other dogs indirectly

🥰 makes them happier!

👶🏼 helps puppies learn a natural behavior with adult dogs
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🤔 BUT HOW⁉️

🥘 Grab their regular meal, whatever you feed

🏡 Toss into a safe area (contained by fence or long line on dog)

🕰 Allow ample time (20+ min) for their nose to get to work!

❌ Do not interrupt❗️ Don't help❗️

👀 Observe while they do this natural behavior
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👌🏼 TIP: Start by tossing in a small area for beginner dogs, work up to larger scatters in larger spaces, for longer periods.

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💡IDEAS

▶️ Walk your dog to a scatter feed location. Allow them their full long line to forage. Walk home when finished. This can take the place of/make them far more tired and satiated than just a regular walk AND they've eaten their meal, too! Cue sleep 😴

▶️ Scatter feed in a common area in your neighborhood.

▶️ Scatter feed in a new area to help introduce your dog to the space.

▶️ Scatter feed to lower anxiety (for low levels of anxiety).

▶️ Scatter feed in a box filled with toys/items.

▶️ Scatter feed in a room/floor of your house your dog doesn't typically spend a lot of time in.

▶️ Scatter feed in your front yard, while distractions walk by.

▶️ Scatter feed in your backyard while a neighbor dog barks.
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🤩 🎉 HAVE FUN❗️

🎥 Want to see the difference between food bowl feeding and scatter feeding? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-BTUdq0lesE

🎥 Puppies and adults: https://m.facebook.com/puppyculture/posts/692642344254643
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🙏🏼 Thank you to Speaking Dog with Shana for this great info! (Sadly Shana no longer has this great page full of helpful info.)

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Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA
🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

©️2025 Stacy Greer/Sunshine Dog Training & Behavior
All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.