Dogspeak

05/20/2024

Details below for this month's Dogs & Storks® workshop:

🐾Tips to begin preparing with your family dog for life with baby
🐾Must-know information for expecting parents with dogs
🐾Practical solutions, you can have fun while your dog learns!
🐾Education on dog body language that will enhance your bond and success
🐾Thorough preparation, because proactive preparation is the best plan
🐾Ongoing support through your baby’s first years

This one-time workshop happens in person without your dog. You should take it as early as you can before baby arrives so that you have time to make adjustments and get ready. Please note, this workshop is intended to educate families with general information rather than address specific behavioral issues or concerns.

Classes are the first Sunday of every other month, 4-6 pm at the GROW Wellness Center. Go to the link in 's bio to register!

03/24/2024

👶🏼Baby L: Starting to crawl has many upsides...getting stuck watching my big furry siblings from behind this gate is not one of them. Le sigh, alas, woe is me 🤷‍♀️

(Perfect example of how to use a success station - my house is a maze of gates so that there are safe spaces for kids and dogs to be kids and dogs!)

01/17/2024

Lots of this lately..."dog and baby on the scene, a grown up in between!"

07/03/2023

✨ I'm on maternity leave!✨

Baby #2 is due any day now, so I'll be on hiatus from working with clients for a while. If you're looking for training assistance, check out the Vermont Professional Dog Trainers Network (vtdogtrainers.com) for a list of qualified, professional, awesome trainers in our state. For help with 🐶 and 👶, check out (they have a list of trainers and a hotline!).

Bye for now!

~ Lucy

10/24/2022

I had the most awesome weekend at the Animal Trainers' Retreat at . Seminars for tune-ups of my understanding of ABA and training plan creation, a workshop refining training mechanical skills, and - the best part - hands-on training with the sanctuary animals. Thanks so much to and for having us all, for coming with me ( ), for training those silly minis with me, and all the other participants for an engaging weekend of conversation, warmth, and laughter. Can't wait til next time!

05/27/2022

Details below for this month's Dogs & Storks® workshop, offered for expecting families through GROW Prenatal & Family Center:

🐾Tips to begin preparing with your family dog for life with baby
🐾Must-know information for expecting parents with dogs
🐾Practical solutions, you can have fun while your dog learns!
🐾Education on dog body language that will enhance your bond and success
🐾Thorough preparation, because proactive preparation is the best plan
🐾Ongoing support through your baby’s first years

This one-time workshop happens in person without your dog. You should take it as early as you can before baby arrives so that you have time to make adjustments and get ready. Please note, this workshop is intended to educate families with general information rather than address specific behavioral issues or concerns.

Classes are the first Sunday of every other month, 4-6 pm at the GROW Wellness Center. Go to https://growfamilyvt.punchpass.com/classes/10238313 to register!

03/16/2022

03/08/2021

If it works to train a dragon...🐲

Why is the dragon training world so much further ahead in training?

Seriously though, did you know dragons are trained with positive reinforcement? Hiccup Horrendous Haddock lll, the dragon master, is a positive reinforcement trainer / Dragon Behaviourist.

Want to be like the dragon master himself? Hiccup spends a large amount of time doing a behavioural assessment of Toothless. Here are some of Hiccups techniques:

Systematic Desensitization:

Hiccup uses systematic desensitization (combined with some counterconditioning) to touch toothless for the first time. Hiccup begins to get Toothless habituated to his presence and slowly moves closer and closer until he can touch Toothless for the first time. Being sure not to use flooding or push him over threshold.

Finding the right reinforcement (reinforcement assessment):

Hiccup spends a lot of time trying to sort out what Toothless finds reinforcing. During this process he learns that:

•Toothless’ favourite fish, noting which ones he likes the best and which ones he hates (eels)
•Where he prefers to be scratched (behind the ears then under the chin)
•Learns he loves “Dragon Nip” (cat nip for dragons)

Counterconditioning:

Hiccup uses counterconditioning to train Toothless to wear a saddle and gear for flying. Eventually resulting in him being able to ride and fly with Toothless.

No punishment or force is involved with the training of Toothless despite the fact that it’s against viking tradition (sound familiar?). Not only is Toothless trained with positive reinforcement Hiccup is able to generalize the knowledge he has gained from training Toothless and applied it across the many subspecies of dragons. In the end Hiccup shows his entire village that the use of aversive training, which had been used for centuries, is unneeded and the village becomes a positive reinforcement-based Dragon Utopia.

We should take note from the Dragon Training world. In fact, dragons are arguably more dangerous than anything we could possibly train so if Dragons can be trained with Positive Reinforcement, so can your animals!

** Hi everyone! I feel like I shouldn’t have to say this but this movie is a cartoon, this post was meant for good fun. Do not take training advice from a cartoon... should go without saying?**

03/03/2021

A captive audience 💕

Puzzle toys entertain your dog AND your baby - and set up a safe, positive experience for both! So many wins for the price of one ☑️

02/17/2021

Wow! I'm so excited to use this fantastic news resources in our area!! https://www.vtbarksandrecreation.com/freedom-park

My husband and I are owners and managers of VT Barks & Recreation, LLC – Canine Camp. We have a beautifully fenced in "freedom park" that would be wonderful for owners that can not take their dogs off leash for whatever the reason.  We understand the importance of off leash play for ALL dogs, bu...

02/14/2021

Happy Valentine's Day 💕! We hope you all have someone who loves you as much as H loves his doggies (under supervision and from a distance 🐥❤️🐕) and as much as the doggies love their Valentine's Day presents (new squeaky toys wrapped in paper bags 😍).