Bone Worx, LLC

09/11/2024

I’m here in a well-lit room with Finn the Boxer. He is nested in his bed, covered in a blanket, with his head on my lap. Finn is highly fearful of the outside world. He doesn’t like the dark! He doesn’t like fast hand gestures or physical movements. He doesn’t like strange people, loud trucks, or harsh tones in your voice.

The world causes him to cringe. Imagine what it would feel like if it were you.

Well, over half the dogs I work with are fearful. They come from turbulent backgrounds, and each requires special handling.

Fear comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether in response to a stranger or startling noise, your dog may display specific body postures, including lowering his head, flattening his ears back against his head, and tucking his tail between his legs if he’s scared. A frightened dog may also pant, salivate, tremble, pace, or try to escape. He may show appeasement behaviors— avoiding eye contact, urinating, rolling over to expose his belly—or freeze and remain immobile. Some dogs will bark or growl at the feared object. In extreme cases of fearfulness, a dog may be destructive (out of general anxiety or in an attempt to escape) or lose control of its bladder or bowels.

I fight for the dogs I work with, hoping to make their world a little better.

09/10/2024

09/09/2024

09/07/2024

Not only am I a dog trainer, I’m a pet/house sitter on the side. Pick-up mail, keep an eye out for packages, take out the trash and bring it back in, water your plants, fill your hummingbird feeders, chit-chat with the neighbors, turn lights on and off. I’m fully licensed, bonded and insured. I love what I do and do what I love. How great is that?
For more information visit my website BoneWorxLLC.net

09/04/2024

Hello, Dog Owners!

I am offering a "Recall of a Meatball" class for September.

This class is 1:1 in the privacy of your home.

A good recall is an excellent skill for a dog to have. It allows us to steer our dogs away from dangerous or unwanted interactions, making us feel good when our dogs come when called. Because of the distraction factor, it is a very fancy skill—it’s fun to show off—but that also means it typically takes more time to train than other skills and behaviors.

My goal for this private class is to teach you the foundation skills to increase your dog’s ability to respond to a recall cue and to come away from distractions like other dogs and food. You might not get to the point where your dog will come every time in this short class, but I want you to embrace the class with a solid understanding of how to train a reliable recall and the ability to continue to train at your own pace. Practicing your homework during the week between classes will significantly help your dog improve their recall ability. Much of the homework is aimed at enhancing reliability around distractions so that during and after this 3-week clinic, you can continue to train your dog to come to you around more challenging distractions.

🐾This class is excellent for all
dogs 12 weeks and up.

🐾One 30-minute consult.

🐾Three private one-hour sessions.

🐾Option to meet once a week or once every ten days.

🐾Three-week class for $175

If you'd like to register for this class or have questions about this class.
Please email me at:

[email protected]

For more information about the class, please visit my website at:

BoneWorxLLC.net

08/31/2024

HEY THERE!

This is it. The very first edition of the Bone Worx newsletter.🎉

Guess what?

We are kicking it off with a BANG. We are going to dive deep into the heart of what makes Bone Worx, well…..WORK!

So, if you’d like to share the experience of something big, message me your email and I’ll be sure to put you on the list.

Ready? Let’s go!

08/31/2024

Walter is the 14th boxer we are welcoming into the Bone Worx family. At 8 months old, this little guy is spunky, happy, and carefree. We have a few behaviors to modify, and then we will start with basic manners. Walter's guardian has done a smashing job with the potty training. Five gold stars for both of you!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

08/28/2024

I loved meeting Duke and his Guardian this week. He’s a 6-year-old lab mix rescue and a handsome, loving guy. This pair had been working hard before I ever came to visit. When I met them outside, I saw how the hard work paid off. Duke is slightly protective of his home (safe space) and has big feelings when new people visit. Guys like Duke need to be able to trust people, and that happens on their terms, not by our watches. We’re working on family introductions and navigating the management needed when the littles visit.
I am very blessed to be included in his circle of friends. ❤️

08/26/2024

We are excited to welcome Sunny to Bone Worx. This little 1.5-year-old rescue is a happy-go-lucky pup with a lot of curiosity about the world around him. Next week, Sunny will start our basic manners class. We are very excited to watch this little guy grow.

08/25/2024

Bone Worx has some new walking buddies: Mary Lou (left) and Finn (right). This brother-and-sister duo definitely has their skills when on the go. Finn can be a little spicy when seeing new dogs so that's what we'll work on while walking.

08/25/2024

I've been told that my phone is not taking calls (darn technology). If you have any issues, please text me (darn technology). I’m sorry for the delayed response.

08/24/2024

I am very excited!!! 😆
The first newsletter went out today. I've wanted to start one for what seems like years.
I did it; I finally did it.
If you'd like to be included, please send me a private message.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it.

08/19/2024

"Those of us with reactive dogs know the frustration... I tried 2 trainers, books and countless you-tube videos to no avail. I found Jennifer by accident on Nextdoor. I was looking for a pet sitter and she reached out and offered to come over and meet my problematic boxer, Willie. Since then, she has been a delightful resource for dog walks, chats, tips and tricks for distracting a very anxious doggie. And we are seeing improvement! I think most trainers try to convince you that your reactive dog can be fixed. In reality, its a marathon of ups and downs, victories and defeats. Jennifer is honest about it all with a listening ear, support and encouragement. She really has been a life saver! Thank you Jennifer!"

--Traci Sweet and Willie Nelson

08/18/2024

Welcome to Bone Worx Yasi!! This little 4-month-old girl is full of puppy energy. Her guardian has been working on potty training, and she is very close to success. She has a schedule and routine, which is vital for new puppies. Yasi knows what to expect, which makes settling into your forever home much more straightforward.

08/17/2024

Let's welcome Maile to Bone Worx. This little senior citizen has been enjoying life with her family. But they've added a new kitty sibling to the household, and Maile isn't sure what to think. She isn't sure if she's a squeaky toy or a little woodland critter. So, we are moving slowly with just a few minutes of training at a time. We can't guarantee that Maile and her new sibling will get along. But we are going to give it the best we have.

08/17/2024

08/16/2024

Recognizing and celebrating small successes in dog training is vital. Every step forward, no matter how small, is worth celebrating. These small successes help keep clients motivated and engaged throughout the training process. Whether a dog learns a new command or overcomes a challenging behavior, these milestones deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
– Robert Collier

I want to foster a positive and empowering environment that fuels motivation by encouraging guardians to notice and celebrate their dog’s progress. When guardians see the impact of their consistent efforts, it reinforces their commitment to the training program and reaffirms their belief in their dog’s potential. Celebrating each small victory becomes a catalyst for achieving greater overall success.

Celebrating small successes provides motivation and strengthens the bond between dogs and their guardians. When owners recognize and celebrate their dog’s progress, it creates a positive and loving atmosphere, enhancing their relationship and trust.

An update from one of my guardians

08/16/2024

You understand the concept of setting your dog up for success. Make it easy to do the right thing and hard to do the wrong thing. We start new dogs this way and fix behavior problems this way.

But sometimes, despite all our efforts, life happens – your dog has a bad experience anyway. Everything had been going so well! She’d made so much progress! What now? Do we plow through and get her back in the saddle? Pretend it didn’t happen? Get discouraged and give up? Go on an ice cream bender? Get another dog? 😉

First off, take a breath. Pause and realize:

It’s not the end of the World. The world has not fallen. Tomorrow is, indeed, another day.

Furthermore, you’re in good company. Setbacks in dog training have happened to the best of us, enough to develop some best practices for dealing with setbacks.

So, when your dog experiences a setback that concerns you and can cause him to derail his progress, take heart. There are things you can and should do to help minimize the damage and things you can avoid to prevent it from getting worse.

This is an update from one of my guardians.

08/14/2024

One of the most common complaints of pet guardians is that their dogs are disruptive or destructive when left alone. Their dogs might urinate, defecate, bark, howl, chew, dig, or try to escape. Although these problems often indicate that a dog needs to be taught polite house manners, they can also be symptoms of distress. When a dog’s problems are accompanied by other distress behaviors, such as drooling and showing anxiety when his guardian prepares to leave the house, they aren’t evidence that the dog isn’t house trained or doesn’t know which toys are his to chew. Instead, they are indications that the dog has separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is triggered when dogs become upset because of separation from their guardians, the people they’re attached to. Escape attempts by dogs with separation anxiety are often extreme and can result in self-injury and household destruction, especially around exit points like windows and doors.

If you think you are seeing any sign of separation anxiety or you aren’t sure if it could be separation anxiety.
Please don’t wait! Contact a dog trainer to discuss what you see and how you can help your pet. Imagine if it were you having an anxiety attack

08/11/2024

We are excited to welcome Big Mac (Mighty Mac or Macarroni) to the Bone Worx family. This big guy (100 lbs.+) is very excited to explore his environment outdoors. Mac's mom, dad, and two little sitters want to take an enjoyable walk as a family without Mac pulling. Wearing a leash and being tethered to a human is not a "natural" behavior for dogs, so we introduced new equipment and the beginning steps to polite walking. Mac's dad is already seeing a behavior change. We are VERY excited to watch Mac grow into a great walking buddy.