Trails and Tails Dog School

01/03/2026

Now that the stress of the holidays is winding down, it’s a good time to check in with everyone in your household. Are they calm and happy or overwhelmed and shut down? They can look similar but this graphic can help you tell the difference!

Can you tell the difference between a dog that is calm and relaxed versus one that is shut down?

One of the easiest ways to tell a relaxed dog from a shut-down dog is by watching their movement.

A relaxed dog displays loose, easy, and free movements. They are comfortable moving on their own, while also being responsive to environmental cues, including other dogs and humans.

A shut-down dog shows tension, apprehension, and guarded movements, if they even move at all. It is not uncommon for shut-down dogs to freeze. They may also become avoidant and unresponsive to environmental cues.

Pay attention to your dog's body language in every aspect of their life. The more we understand, the more we can advocate for them, guide them, and improve our relationship together.

https://eileenanddogs.com/dog-body-language/

Credit to Lili Chin for the infographic

12/23/2025

These are the machines Patricia Brewster has been using for her research on Big Horn Sheep microbiomes! I had a chance to watch these teams working earlier this year and was very impressed. I love seeing dogs do such important work!

12/22/2025

🐕 Winter 2026 Classes Posted! - https://mailchi.mp/1bc3303b0032/fall-dog-classes-starting-soon-10356021

12/20/2025

If you want a dog that can calmly walk on a loose leash, punishing their behaviors is not the answer. Instead, teach calmness with exposure at larger distances, train alternate behaviors, and utilize shorter duration all with people who will not make your dog more excited. This is effective, kind, and does not require causing pain to your dog like a slip lead or prong collar. Please let me know if you need help transitioning to these methods.

12/17/2025

This is great info for every dog owner. I see dogs who struggle on trails or at the dog park and their owners are sure that they love these experiences because they had so much fun when they were younger. I’m sure their young dogs did have lots of fun, but then they grew up. Those same social activities are no longer as fun for the dogs but the humans have built their lives around them. The humans now have friends at the dog park or look forward to puppy play dates and don’t want to give that up, even if the dog is no longer enjoying being harassed by younger pups.

If you see this struggle in your own dog, let me know and I’ll be happy to help you come up with other ways to meet both your social needs and your dog’s enrichment requirements.

12/16/2025

This is a great visual explanation of how amazing our dogs’ noses are! Check out the PBS website for the full episode.

12/09/2025

Nose work classes in Bozeman!
I have just posted two Intro to K9 Nose Work classes and an Intro to Odor class on my website. If you’re interested, please sign up soon!
Starting the week of Jan. 11th!

https://www.trailsandtailsdogschool.com/classregistration-nose-work

12/04/2025

If you have used prong collars, shock collars, slip leads or other aversive methods with your dog and want to know what other options there are, please send me a message. I love working with humans that are trying to learn more about helping their dogs.

Bringing this back, as it's important! 👍

The problem with punishment in animal training is that it does work, and oftentimes quickly, at changing behaviors. But at what cost?

Aversive methods suppress unwanted behaviors by causing pain and/or discomfort that the animal will try to escape or avoid. While this works to stop a behavior, it does not address the underlying motivation for it. This can be effective in the short term but often leads to unintended consequences and lasting harm.

Research has shown that aversive methods increase fear and stress, and also risk causing aggressive and unpredictable behaviors. We also put our relationship with our pets in jeopardy. Punishment fails to teach the learner alternative behaviors and coping strategies, and can lead to learned helplessness.

If you feel stuck or don't know how to achieve your pet's behavior or training goals without using aversive methods, please reach out to a credentialed reward-based trainer, behavior consultant, or veterinary behaviorist.

We are here to help educate and make training and behavior modification feel achievable for everyone, without risking pets' welfare.💙

11/24/2025

I have successfully lived with some pretty intense resource guarding dogs. It can be a real struggle for teams living with this situation and I love helping them work through it. Please reach out as soon as possible if you see any signs of this cropping up. Things can go sideways quickly if you follow the wrong advice.

Resource guarding is surrounded by misconceptions and outdated advice.
Do you know what is true and accurate?

"You need to establish your dominance" - FALSE. Alpha/dominance theory is outdated, disproven, and a dangerously inaccurate description of the problem.

"You need to get them used to being messed with" - FALSE. We should not be messing with our dogs to teach "tolerance". This most often teaches dogs that we are not to be trusted, as we continuously invade their space. We also need to get over the idea that dogs need to learn to tolerate everything.

"You need to be able to take things from your dog whenever you want" - KIND OF. While we should work on solid "trade you", "drop it", and "leave it" cues, the more we physically take resources away from them, ESPECIALLY when there is a resource-guarding issue, the more likely the problem is to escalate. Again, we are showing them we are not to be trusted.

"Resource guarding is always over food or toys" - FALSE. Resource guarding can be over anything a dog sees as a valuable resource. This can include spaces, people, and even random items they find.

Resource guarding most often stems from underlying anxiety or insecurity. We need to be able to meet their needs and make them feel safe and secure to improve. If you're unsure how to achieve that or need help, please reach out!