Affinity Dog Behavior & Training

12/20/2025

A dog’s wagging tail can mean several things. And context is always important.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSer7NTijdo/?igsh=Y25nbjJuZHo3YnF5

12/20/2025

12/16/2025

We Family Dog Mediators and dog trainers use management in our homes. Here’s an example of how I keep my dogs and cat away from the tree and presents. A simple x-pen (exercises pen) can be of great use.

I also disassemble them and use the panels for blocking my front door and other areas when needed. I use them at the door so my rescue dogs can’t slip out when they are feeling stressed and in flight mode. It also keep the cat from running outside.
Management can help prevent accidents.

12/16/2025

I love the Trick Woofs graphics and messages

There are breeds that are bred to work with us and breeds that are bred to work away from us or independently. They aren’t stubborn, their motivations just different.

The more challenging breeds are the ones who should excite us, an opportunity to think outside the box, to figure out how we can come together on a mutually beneficial behaviour.

We don’t need to up our threats, we need to up our skills.

After all, lions, crocodiles, tigers and hyenas are just some of the many animals we train using reward based methods.

12/12/2025

New toy!

12/12/2025

12/06/2025

Body language opens up a conversation, sometimes an invitation from one dog can be a request for space from another.

Some tactics work well for avoidance, jumping up stops people leaning over, licking moves children away and showing a belly might mean you can’t do something else, such as putting on a harness.

We aren’t supposed to be experts, but we can gather information, stay informed, open our minds and conversations.

Did you know I have free body language videos on the App? Find the links to Android and IOS in my bio.

12/03/2025

As dog trainers who specialize in dog, baby and toddler safety, this is something that we wish more parents knew…

You’d baby and toddler do not have the cognitive ability yet to understand what “be gentle” means!

We see many viral videos of parents or get calls from parents becoming frustrated at their child for hitting or grabbing the dog’s fun after they tell them to “be gentle” or not following simple instructions like “pet the dog nicely”

But why is this?

Your child’s pre-frontal cortex is not developed yet!

Everything that it is responsible for, such as emotional regulation and the executive functioning umbrella (for things such as self control and inhibition) doesn’t exist yet.

The ability to follow instructions reliably isn’t even developed until they are 3.5 to 4 years old. 

This is why we always say “dog and baby on the scene, a parent in between” as well share the 4 Pillars of Dog Aware!

It is our responsibility as parents to help advocate for our dogs as well as our children by implementing developmentally appropriate ways for them to safely engage with eachother!

Follow our page for a video tomorrow being shared about how we can help safely engage in developmentally appropriate activities to help teach our children about being Dog Aware!