Wholistic Hounds

12/22/2025

What Jade taught us about aversive training tools…

Jade wasn’t always a Wholistic Hounds dog. In fact, before she came to us, she was ‘trained’ using aversive methods. You can hardly call what was done to this sweet soul “training.” Instead, what happened was traumatizing.

Jade was rescued from a local shelter in Cleveland, Ohio by an elderly couple. Being a terrier mix, Jade’s high prey drive, high energy needs and physical strength ended up being a bad mix for her then guardians. Jade was not only keen on chasing the neighborhood squirrels, she also had a conflicted relationship with other dogs. On at least a couple occasions, Jade was attacked or approached by unleashed, unmanaged dogs, while being restrained on a leash herself. One such dog that attacked her, unprovoked, was a German Shepherd, shaping her fear aggression towards other dogs. Because the elderly couple struggled to simply walk Jade without incident or injury, they sought the help of ‘professional’ dog trainers. After delving out a couple thousand dollars, Jade was introduced to the e-collar.

Allegedly, the first day the new trainers came out, Jade was shocked with the e-collar on the highest setting “accidentally.” This caused her immense pain and fear and led to her hiding under a truck for hours, terrified. This event shaped her life forever.

The e-collar was used on Jade routinely, first by the ‘trainers,’ then, by the elderly couple. Reducing the e-collar to the beep and vibrate setting, the couple used the e-collar any time they needed Jade to behave a certain way. Her fear of other dogs and now humans only increased. She became anxious, overstimulated and even more unmanageable.

When the elderly couple didn’t see any improvement in Jade’s behavior, they decided to go a different route. They hired Wholistic Hounds owner, Morgan, to work on walking her and doing her nails. Eventually, after an incident where Jade escaped the yard and nearly killed the neighbor’s dog, something needed to change. To prevent Jade from being euthanized prematurely, Wholistic Hounds took her in, adopted her and began her healing journey using gentle, holistic and supportive modalities. After several years of healing, Jade is finally at a point where she knows she can safely express herself without fear of punishment.

Seeing the trauma this dog experienced at the hands of so-called professional trainers is part of the reason we are so passionate about positive training methods, trauma-informed care and holistic health care for animals. While we refrain from judging those using outdated methods, we advocate every single day for compassionate care towards all animals and humans alike.

To hear more about Jade’s story, listen to our podcast https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/wholistic-hounds/episodes/Saving-A-Dog-From-Behavioral-Euthanasia-Jades-Story-e34hbsp/a-ac0r11a

12/19/2025

Looking for a gift for someone who LOVES animals?!

Look no further – Wholistic Hounds is offering a limited time gift bundle for the holiday season!

You’ll get our eBook Telepathic Tails: A Tale of Higher Communication, our online mini course ‘Intro to Animal Communication’ AND a very special BONUS that includes a one on one animal communication session and tarot card reading for just $50 USD! That’s over a $100 value!

Don’t miss out this season. If you know someone who has always been wondering what their pet was thinking, or how to read their energy and emotions, this gift bundle is for you!

https://wholistichounds.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-animal-communication

Just select the “gift” option at checkout. When you enroll in our mini course, you will automatically receive a copy of Telepathic Tails and a link to book your FREE animal communication and tarot card reading to your preferred email address.

All humans have the gift of telepathic communication. To enhance yours this holiday season, consider The Animal Lover Gift Bundle (for yourself OR a loved one!).

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12/08/2025

Can you spot the Saint Bernard?!

Meet Ludo, an 11 year old short-haired Saint.

Ludo is a dog who went through grooming training with Wholistic Hounds. His guardian, Heather, also went through some light training for holistic grooming concepts and protocols to be applied at home, since Ludo has always been very sensitive for grooming.

Ludo’s Case Study is one of The Five Success Stories shared in our newest book, Wholistic Grooming for the Soul. Chapter 19 - Wholistic Hounds and other Wholistic Companions - is the chapter featuring all the case studies from dogs, cats, bunnies and horses. To learn more about Ludo’s rehabilitative grooming journey through Wholistic Hounds, pick up a copy of our newest eBook at this link https://books2read.com/u/b67q0y

12/05/2025

Are your dog’s treats POSITIVELY impacting their physical health and behavior?

Let’s talk about the importance of choosing healthy high value treats for dogs.

Whether you are a canine professional who uses treats during training, grooming or home visits, or a pet parent offering your best friend something extra yummy in their day, choosing the right high value treats is extremely important, yet very rarely emphasized.

As someone who has been studying canine and feline nutrition for well over 5 years, it’s my assertion that people are still missing a piece of the whole picture. As I take further training to become a certified canine nutritionist, I feel it’s essential to help both pet parents and pet pros learn how to choose healthy, nutritious, high value treats for their dogs or their clients’ dogs.

But why does it matter what treats we use? If the dog enjoys them, isn’t that good enough?

Well, you see, FOOD IMPACTS BEHAVIOR. So no, not all high value treats are created equally. Your dog might LOVE the highly processed, high sodium, high fat treat, but what are these treats actually doing to the physical body and emotional body, and how does this impact behavior?

In our newest book, Wholistic Grooming for the Soul, we discuss the impact of nutrition on behavior, mental health and physical health in both companion animals and humans.

Let’s take a closer look at the connection between food and behavior.

The Gut-Brain Connection (FOOD IMPACTS BEHAVIOR).

The gut and the brain are connected. This means that what we eat has a direct impact on our brain and cognitive function. Not only that, but the enteric nervous system, also called the “second brain,” is directly connected to our emotions and mood, including anxiety. The health of the gut microbiome greatly impacts not only physical health, but mental and emotional health as well. This is why it’s so important to choose healthy high value treats that increase cognitive function, improve mood and behavior and code for healthy epigenetic factors and positive health outcomes.

The Connection Between Food and Pain / Inflammation.

Many pet parents and pet pros are now becoming aware of the connection that pain has on behavior, but how many of them are aware of what might be CAUSING that pain or inflammation? Pain and inflammation go hand in hand. Inflammation is the body’s attempt to correct an imbalance in its system. When we feed high-inflammatory treats such as cheese, lunch meat or kibble, we are further contributing to inflammation in the body, which can increase physical pain, mental health problems, behavior problems, etc.

As an aspiring canine nutritionist, it can be difficult to see some of the most common treats that are used in training, vet visits and grooming sessions. A common “high value” treat I see being used is cheese. Whether it’s spray cheese, primula cheese, or cubes of store bought, human-grade cheese, it’s one of the most common ones used for dogs. This may be an unpopular perspective, but cheese is NOT a healthy high value treat and in my professional experience, should not be used at all with pet dogs. Cheese is highly processed, high in sodium and fat, and most dogs are lactose intolerant, so using cheese might not be the best idea, especially for dogs with pain, anxiety, behavior or underlying health problems.

For example, the overuse of cheese can lead to gut dysbiosis, ear infections, inflammation, the buildup of mucus in the body, constipation, diarrhea, weight gain; just to name a few. Let’s say we’re using cheese as our high value treat in the grooming salon, and the dog really struggles with having their face or ears groomed. How might the cheese be contributing to pain, inflammation and behavioral problems? We need to really step back and think of this connection.

Other common unhealthy treats I see being used are hot dogs, lunch meat, kibble and other processed meats. Although these might be common, they aren’t necessarily healthy.

But choosing healthy high value treats for our dogs doesn’t need to be difficult (or expensive)! In fact, it can be quite easy to select healthy, high value treats once we understand the basics of canine nutrition. Choosing foods that are nutritious, anti-inflammatory AND delicious is a win-win-win!

Stay tuned for our next book – Healthy High Value Treats for Dogs – which will include recipes that can be made at home using the most nutritious and delicious ingredients. Healthy High Value Treats for Dogs will be published and released in just a few short months! What’s even more exciting, this will be our first book that will be in physical print form. To pre-order the eBook version, visit the link below.

https://books2read.com/u/3nxjA6

12/03/2025

Let’s talk about anxiety and trauma…

I don’t know about you, but my anxiety and PTSD are triggered this time of year. Things feel extra chaotic, stressful and at times even depressing. As a cPTSD survivor, getting through the holiday season can feel like a battleground.

And it’s not just us humans who have anxiety and trauma… Our pets also sometimes carry anxiety and trauma.

Let’s talk about the impact anxiety and past trauma has on our nervous system.

Our autonomic nervous system is always shifting between sympathetic and parasympathetic tones. A parasympathetic state is characterized as “rest and digest.” This state is essential for recovery, healing and growth. When our autonomic nervous system is in sympathetic mode, it means our “fight or flight” response is most likely to be activated. When we have trauma or anxiety, we may be in a perpetual state of sympathetic excess, which means our body struggles to maintain homeostasis and it becomes more challenging to switch into “rest and digest” mode. When this happens, we are constantly operating from survival mode.

A lot of us might be familiar with the phrase, “the body keeps the score.” That means that our body remembers trauma, past hurts, and emotions that are being suppressed or repressed. When humans or companion animals have trauma or anxiety that lives in the body, it can create havoc in our daily lives. This is why it’s essential to help our bodies enter a state of resilient relaxation after something stressful, anxiety producing or strenuous. When we have anxiety or past trauma, getting into a state of calm relaxation can be that much more difficult.

Here are some practical ways to release trauma, stress and anxiety from your body:

1. Breathwork
2. Reiki, Meditation or Calming Music
3. Time in Nature, without technology. Grounding with earth energy and the trees.
4. Movement
5. Somatic Release Exercises
6. Dance, Play or Light exercise like hatha or flow yoga

The truth is, we are always co-regulating with our companion animals. And if we are in sympathetic excess, chances are, they are too. Since we are their anchors, we need to lead the way with resilient relaxation, nervous system regulation and healing exercises. When we regulate ourselves emotionally, our animals don’t have to. Once we set the stage for resilient relaxation after something stressful, our animal friends begin to do the same. This holiday season, remember to focus on calming your nervous system, taking time away from the chaos and remembering to breathe, be present and allow yourself to soften into stillness. When things go wrong, we don’t have to go with them.

For more information about pets with anxiety and trauma and how it impacts the nervous system, pick up a copy of our newest eBook – Wholistic Grooming for the Soul. Chapter 9 titled ‘Pets with Anxiety and Trauma’ is all about what living with a pet with trauma or anxiety can be like and what we can do to help them. We go through the trauma-informed method ‘TREES.’ This trauma-informed care system was inspired by a human psychologist named Dr. Dawn Snipes. To purchase your copy today, click the link below.

https://books2read.com/u/b67q0y

12/02/2025

Don’t let the name fool you – Wholistic Hounds cares deeply for all animals. Today, let’s shift our focus to our feline friends!

Cats are, in my opinion, not appreciated and recognized for the beautiful creatures that they are. They are highly intelligent, sensitive and unique individuals. At the Wholistic Hounds household, we have THREE of them! That’s right, we share our beautiful home with three lovely felines.

I’ve thought a lot about how we focus on the needs of dogs, but very seldom do we consider the needs of our cats. I’ve even heard people recite the common misconception that “cats take care of themselves.” And while cats are absolutely independent creatures, they also require a lot of care and consideration from their guardians.

Cats are predators, meant to hunt, stalk, chase, pounce and play on a daily basis. But how many of us focus on enrichment for our cats? How many of our cats TRULY get their needs met? The truth is, cats who spend all of their time indoors with little to no enrichment can not only end up displaying behavior problems, they can also develop mental health issues like anxiety and depression when their natural, intrinsic needs are not met regularly. Since all facets of health are interconnected, lack of enrichment and mental stimulation can also cause physical health problems.

Some cats are strictly indoor cats, without any chances to touch their paws to the ground, enjoy real sunshine and experience the joys of being outdoors. As cat guardians, it’s our responsibility to not only provide our cat with monitored outings, but to also protect wildlife by making sure our cats are not permitted to free-roam without supervision. Catios, harness and leash walks, travel carriers and backpacks, and supervised and monitored outings for cats can massively improve their overall health and well-being.

Indoor enrichment activities for our cats can also be an amazing thing to offer those who aren’t permitted outdoors, or during cold or inclement weather. Along with play, herbal enrichment can be an activity that cats love.

To offer your indoor cat herbal enrichment, simply purchase 2-3 organic, cat-friendly herbs that can be scattered on a blanket, towel or favorite spot in the house. Some feline favorites are catnip, peppermint, valerian root and chamomile. Remember to offer your cat herbal enrichment on a self-selection basis only, allowing them to choose which herbs and aromas they’d like to experience. Each herb has different medicinal properties that the cat may enjoy from simply rubbing or rolling in the herb! Some cats will even eat the herbs, so be sure to consult with an esteemed holistic veterinarian if there are any underlying health problems or the cat is on medication.

In order to support the holistic care of our feline friends, Wholistic Hounds has NEW PRODUCTS in the works to offer feline guardians. STAY TUNED for news about new items in our shop - COMING IN 2026!!

11/26/2025

Check out our new podcast episode, all about Wholistic Hounds' owner, Morgan's, journey into becoming a professional animal communicator! Hear real life stories about validations that came through during various professional animal communication sessions with clients.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0yUg6QYkOuSEYfxj3De3RP?si=bb190afca9c049df

Wholistic Hounds · Episode

11/25/2025

I haven’t had the chance to volunteer as much as I usually do, but over the weekend, I finally had some free time and decided to visit the bunnies over at Ember’s Sanctuary in Redmond, Oregon.

When I sign up for volunteer shifts at the bunny barn, I know that I’m signing up for the opportunity to spend time with some beautiful souls. While I feed them their breakfast, refill their water bowls and fill their hay buckets, I also silently offer them Reiki healing. Bunnies are VERY receptive to Reiki energy and they appreciate it immensely. Pictured are two very sweet bunnies that seemed to especially love the energy being offered to them.

Despite being a busy business owner, I am extremely grateful to be able to offer my time to local nonprofit organizations who need all the extra help they can get. Make time to give back this holiday season if you’re able to. It truly takes a village!

11/24/2025

Let’s talk about commercial grooming products!

As a holistic animal care professional, it’s our due diligence to choose the most high quality products for our clients. As a holistic grooming professional, being knowledgeable about commercial grooming products is extremely important, yet rarely talked about.

A lot of groomers who market themselves as holistic may be missing an important piece of the whole puzzle – the selection of nontoxic and pet-safe products is an essential part of being a dog groomer! Whether holistic or not, groomers everywhere need to become educated about the canine skin microbiome.

What is the canine skin microbiome? Most of us have probably heard of the “gut microbiome” and how important it is for overall health and well-being. The skin microbiome is similar; it’s the colony of microorganisms that live on the skin – the body’s largest organ! The skin acts as a protective barrier against pathogenic or harmful material, when working optimally.

With skin conditions and allergies running rampant in our pet dogs, groomers can be one of the first lines of defense to protect the health of the canine skin microbiome by using nontoxic and pet-safe grooming products. Because the skin microbiome helps stimulate the body’s innate immune response, it is responsible for preventing the colonization of harmful or pathogenic material. When the skin microbiome is compromised, the body’s ability to fight off harmful invaders diminishes.

How can the canine skin microbiome be compromised or otherwise diminished? There are many ways this can happen, but one of the main ones is the use of chemical-based grooming products. The skin absorbs anything that is put on it, and this includes grooming products like shampoos, conditioners, finishing sprays, etc! When we use low-quality, chemical-based shampoos, the canine skin microbiome absorbs whatever toxic chemicals are in the shampoo, which can greatly compromise a dog’s overall health and well-being, especially if there are underlying health problems.

Canine skin is more alkaline than human skin and it’s also thought to be comparable to the thickness of human eyelids! This means that canine skin is more sensitive to changes in pH. The proper pH range for canine skin is about 6.5 to 7.5. Most commercial grooming products are much too acidic for canine skin. Unless you are using an organic, pH balanced product, you may be subjecting the canine skin microbiome to dysbiosis. Synthetic preservatives and synthetic chemical compositions found in low-quality grooming products are absorbed by the skin and can even lead to endocrine disruption, atopic dermatitis, or other adverse effects.

As if that weren’t enough, brushing, hand stripping and shaving skin prior to bathing can increase the risk of chemical absorption! In fact, there is a condition called post-grooming furunculosis. Although rare, this condition can arise 24-48 hours after grooming and mimics chemical poisoning.

To learn more about the canine skin microbiome, commercial grooming products and post-grooming furunculosis, grab a copy of our newest eBook – Wholistic Grooming for the Soul, where we cover all of these topics more in-depth in Chapter 15 titled ‘Grooming Products.’

https://books2read.com/u/b67q0y

Here at Wholistic Hounds, we never stop learning and we believe that other pet professionals (and pet parents) would be well served to continue their education to become up-to-date about the newest discoveries in science and canine health. We hope YOU are ready to learn more information that can increase the vitality and well-being of our most beloved friends, dogs!

11/14/2025

Other countries have banned the use of shock collars and e-collars and hopefully this lawsuit will bring forward new legislation here in the states. Our dogs deserve better!

Dozens of peer review studies have demonstrated the dangers, potential short- and long-term impact of using shock collars (e-collars) on dogs. And just now a $1.9 million consumer class action arising out of misrepresentations and omissions by parent company Radio Systems in connection with its manu...