It’s officially, what I like to call, reactive dog season in the PNW! Now that it’s rainy and windy, no one wants to be outside. Quieter parks, less dogs and less wildlife are going to make your life so much easier, and adventures so much more enjoyable. It’s the perfect time of year to take advantage of the empty public spaces, and let your dog explore.
A few spots I like to visit:
- Cordata Park
- Bloedel Donovan
- Cornwall Park
- Fairhaven Park
- Star Park
- Hovander Park
#reactivedog #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #decompressionwalk #decompression #enrichment #bellinghamdogs #pnwdogs #bellinghamdogtrainer #bellinghamdogtraining #bellingham #bellinghamwa #whatcomcounty
Frankie’s been going through some big changes, and has been struggling to adjust to such drastic shifts in her life.
• County ➡️ City
• Low Traffic Environment ➡️ Busy Environment
• Stray ➡️ Companion
• Homeless ➡️ Apartment Living
• Off Leash Freedom ➡️ On Leash Limitations
Right now, we’re focusing on managing her anxiety and meeting her needs through decompression & loads of enrichment. Meanwhile her guardian’s focusing on learning about canine body language and how to manage a reactive dog. Go Team Frankie!
#reactivedog #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #bordercollie #corgi #bellingham #pnw #bellinghamwa
It’s officially summer for Bellingham Public Schools! You know what that means? Local schools properties are empty, and waiting to be explored by your dogs. Roosevelt Elementary School ended up being the perfect location for us to practice:
- mat training
- body handling basics
- muzzle training
While providing Kahlo with plenty of wide-open space to sniff, zoom & explore!
#bellingham #bellinghamwa #whatcomcounty #dogtrainer #dogtraining #lagottoromagnolo #kahlo
Peachy loves pets, but when it comes to being poked and prauded - it’s not her favorite things. To ensure she’s feeling calm, cool and collected when she goes to the vet - I’ve been slowly introducing her to cooperative care. This week we’re focusing on Vaccine Administration becaude she has an appointment coming up for her last set of boosters. #cattraining #trainyourcat #cooperativecare #vaccines #fearfree #fearfreepets #peachy #peachykeen #veterinary #veterinarymedicine #cooperativecaretraining
Pattern games are magical!
When practiced consistently, a game like “up, down” becomes a simple and predictable pattern for your dog. The game gives your dog something else to focus, and the pattern’s predictability is comforting for your dog because they know EXACTLY when & where food is going to be delivered.
At Fairhaven Park today, I used a pattern game familiar to Paco, to help him manage his big feelings when someone was entering our training space. He was able to keep playing while they sat down at a table, and laid out all of their picnic gear.
There’s a moment where he pauses in the video, which is when a dog had also come into view. Paco paused to take in information, but was able to successfully dismiss both triggers at the same time. This was a big win for this little dude 🎉
#reactivedog #reactivedogtraining #smalldog #patterngames #spicydog #bigfeelings #fairhaven #bellingham #bellinghamwa
Kahlo’s a very sensitive guy, with very big feelings about: body handling, grooming procedures and veterinary procedures. After our consultation, his guardian and I opted to hold off on getting serious about training while we worked together with his vet to determine the best way to manage his anxiety - for Kahlo this meant starting anti-anxiety meds, getting out on decompression walks, and increasing his mental stimulation through enrichment.
A couple months later, Kahlo’s in a healthier state of mind, he joined the Fearless Fido Program and I’ve created a training plan to begin introducing him to consent-based veterinary care, aka Cooperative Care. These are areas where Kahlo’s feelings are the biggest, and where he’s escalated to biting in the past. After he’s confidently working on these skills with me, we’ll be getting his guardian on board so they can begin practicing together as well!
Over the next five weeks, I’ll be working on teaching him to be an active participant in:
1. Muzzle Training
2. Oral Medication Administration
3. Body Handling (with a focus on his Mouth & Ears)
After just one Fearless Fido Adventure, Kahlo’s is:
- Placing his muzzle in my hand (chin rest training)
- Eating kibble from his muzzle, AND placing his face in it without food present!
- Learning syringes are incredible, and that it’s not so bad when they approach his face
GO KAHLO!
#dogtrainer #dogtraining #bellinghamwa #whatcomcountywa #bellinghamdogtrainer #bellinghamdogtraining #cooperativecare #cooperativecaretraining #muzzletraining #muzzle #lagottoromagnolo #lagotto
Howie’s learning to be an active participant when his guardian needs to wipe his face. She’s been working on teaching him a chin rest, and now we’ve added a new cue! “Rub” is being used here as a predictive cue to tell Howie - “I’m going to rub your muzzle now.”
Without a cue his guardian was slowly making progress with his cooperative care; but breaking down the behavior and adding a cue to communicate “this is what is happening next” seemed to make a big difference for Howie. After adding the cue to the training picture, I was already seeing significant progress after one training session. He was more accepting, his body language was more relaxed and his tail was wagging. B-E-A-UTIFUL HOWARD!
#bellingham #bellinghamwa #bellinghamdogtrainer #bellinghamdogtraining #whatcomcounty #bellinghamdogs #pnwdogs #cooperativecare #cooperativecaretraining #chinrest
This is a video response that I sent to a client this morning while we were corresponding via email about the next steps in our training plan. In this particular case, both ends of the leash have had deeply traumatic experiences with strange dogs. My goal is to increase confidence, and reduce big feelings in both individuals!
This sort of scenario is exactly why I am so in love with the Fearless Fido Program that I’ve created! It’s flexible, and tailored to suit the needs of each individual human-and-dog team from a mentally, physically and emotionally. It’s everything I wish I would have had when I was a first time reactive dog guardian... and it’s so fulfilling to give that back to those who are in a similar place - with their dog, and their own emotions.
This is emotional work. It takes vulnerability, empathy and genuine love for the teams I’m working with... and I wouldn’t have it any other way! ♥️
#bellinghamdogtrainer #bellinghamdogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #bellingham #bellinghamwa #bellinghamdogs #bellinghambark #pnwdogs #pnwdogsofinstagram #whatcomcounty #fearfree #forcefree #forcefreetraining #leashreactivity #reactivedog #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite
Paco’s STOKED about other dogs... so much so that he can barely contain himself when he encounters one on a walk. He’s learning to use his brain in the presence of other dogs through our Fearless Fido Program. We’re working on adding new reactivity management tools to his toolkit, so his guardian’s able to help him navigate situations that are too much for him currently. In order to strengthen those tools they need to be practiced often, and in a wide range of different contexts.
Think Green Eggs & Ham! Can you do it on a log? Can you do it near a dog? Can you do it in the fog? Etc.
We want our dogs to be able to confidently respond to reactivity management cues wherever, and whenever so they can be supported during situations that give them big feelings. The best way to do this is practice, practice, practice during your adventures.
#bellinghamdogtrainer #bellinghamdogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #bellingham #bellinghamwa #bellinghamdogs #bellinghambark #pnwdogs #pnwdogsofinstagram #whatcomcounty #fearfree #forcefree #forcefreetraining #leashreactivity #reactivedog #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite
When I’m out with my dogs, I do what I can to avoid unpleasant situations. So when my partner and I realized there was a car full of dogs who were barking before we were even in their line of sight. Rather than hoping for the best, trying to pass by their car, and loading the dogs into the car as quickly as possible - we opted to play it safe!
While we hung out at the other end of the parking lot, my husband was able to run down to our car, which happened to be parked directly behind the van full of dogs. The dogs proceeded to completely unravel as he walked to the car - barking, lunging, growling - trying as hard as they could to get through the window.
Ray hopped in the car, drove down to where we were hanging out and then we were able to load the dogs up. Was it a little inconvenient? Sure. Could it be considered a bit extra? Also, sure. But, did I advocate for my dogs? SUPER YES!
When you’re on a walk and you encounter a situation that’s going to be hard for you, and/or your dog - do what you can try get through it as best you can. It’s not going to look perfect every time, but your thought and consideration is what matters in these situations.
#bellinghamdogtrainer #bellinghamdogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #bellingham #bellinghamwa #bellinghamdogs #bellinghambark #pnwdogs #pnwdogsofinstagram #whatcomcounty #fearfree #forcefree #forcefreetraining #leashreactivity #reactivedog #reactivedogs #reactivedogsunite #decompressionwalk #reactivitymanagement
Ignoring dogs in the environment is a valuable skills for all pet dogs. Some dogs find this skill more challenging to master than others might. Facilitating a parallel walk with a trusted handler, and the right dog can be hugely helpful. Ari and Tyson are both learning the art of dismissing strange dogs in the environment. It’s hard work, but some doggy’s gotta do it!
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #rplus #forcefree #italiangreyhound #chihuahuamix #dogtrainerlife #decompressionwalk #pnw #pnwlife #bellingham #bellinghamwa
