Canine Calling, LLC

04/24/2025

Welcoming an adopted dog into your home? It’s very likely your new friend has been through a lot of stress and a new environment can be overwhelming. Give them a chance. Time, patience, and positivity will go a long way.

04/10/2025

We were called to evaluate Elvis, a delightful boy, full of energy and terrier determination. The main concern with his Elvis is excessive barking.
Along his journey from city stray to suburban bird watcher, Elvis has taught himself a few things that are not in line with how we want a dog to behave.
He whines and “demand” barks for attention. He alert barks at moving activity outside his home and he barks (part wary, part demand) when guests arrive in the home.
The part wary (lacking confidence)/ part demand barking that occurs when guests arrive is a conflicted response.
There is a common truth about all of these barking behaviors. Every time that barking works, it increases the likelihood of barking occurring again.
Every time barking is practiced to meet a need, the habit becomes more entrenched.
Our customized training plan begins. Is your dog barking excessively? We will provide solutions!

03/30/2025

Patti, a gentle Newfoundland puppy with a pleasant temperament, is merely 4.5 months old and has considerable growing to do, potentially reaching 130 pounds! Today's training session focused on crate training, socialization techniques, and establishing positive connections with unpopular things. We are excited to watch her development unfold!

03/26/2025

Bichon Frise enthusiasts will appreciate the story of a lovely retired show dog who has recently joined a family with two other Bichons. Having been in his new home for just three weeks, he is adapting to his new environment and family. We were approached to provide assistance with potty training challenges and offer guidance for a smooth transition. He has landed in a wonderful home - his new family loves the breed. ❤️

03/20/2025

There is no way to calm a dog down instantly. You can remove them from the stressor temporarily, and train them to remain calm in the future though.

03/15/2025

We often see individuals engaging with unfamiliar dogs in an overly enthusiastic and invasive manner, including hugs, close facial proximity, and hovering. This behavior is not considered safe or advisable. As dog owners, developing the skill to recognize and respond to your dog's subtle cues is essential. The first image captures a dog's emotional transformation when approached and hugged, initially displaying contentment with an open, soft mouth. However, the second image reveals a noticeable change, with a tight, closed mouth, and a tongue flick. This indicates the dog is no longer comfortable with the interaction and requires personal space. It's time to move away! Learning to read dog body language will create better communication between you and your dog.

02/19/2025

Dogs enjoy the company of their humans and for some dogs separation from them can result in a variety of anxiety driven behaviors. Milly is a sweet, 8 year old cavapoo who spends time with her family at their second home. When left alone, she displays anxious behavior, mostly howling. Separation Anxiety is not a quick fix, but there are several preventative and management strategies that will become part of her training plan. Does your dog display symptoms when you leave? They may include: barking, howling, scratching, drooling, panting, pacing, chewing, destructive behavior to name a few. Every case is different - we can help!

02/12/2025

What a difference time and patience has made for Harper! She was a newly rescued puppy mill girl filled with fear and stress when our work began with her. She quickly bonded with her owner who knew the work with Harper would be a new challenge. Puppy mill dogs live in horrific conditions with no socialization. They are not cared for medically and live in small, unsanitary cages. The name of the mill’s game is to produce and sell as many puppies as possible.
The first pic shows her fearful body language with a tucked tail and so scared of her new world that she will not exit the door. The next two pics tell a different story. Shes ready to go 😀. We have seen countless numbers of puppy mill dogs over the years. We are thrilled to see her progress and this sweet girl living her best life!

01/28/2025

Seeing more coyotes in your area? Here is info on how to deal with sightings/encounters and keep your pets safe.

Coyotes do attack dogs, but it is rare with even small dogs rarely being attacked. If you know coyotes are in your area keep dogs leashed.

01/26/2025

Dogs can be reactive to other dogs for a variety of reasons, shyness, fear, excitability and anxiety. In this case, it is due to fear. It primarily started after a bad experience with another dog. Upon seeing another dog, he barks and lunges to make himself look big and scary as to say “don’t come near me”! We are working to change this and are so pleased with his progress! There was a time when the sight of any dog caused lots of reactive behavior. Changing his emotional state through counterconditioning exercises, building confidence and a dedicated owner has paid off. Here we are training at an offsite location. A high value treat reward is given when he looks at the distant dog and presents with relaxed, non-reactive behavior. The end result: making a good association in his mind with other dogs and letting him know he’s doing a great job. 👍

01/12/2025

It always interests us to see a puppy discovering new things, thinking it through and making decisions. A recent outing to a local farm and feed store presented a ramp Mirabelle was curious about, but it caused a little trepidation at first. With high value treats, initial support, and patience, she made the decision to go up on her own. Then, return down without the use of treats and a wagging tail! These are big milestones for a puppy. Proper socialization and learning the many sights and sounds in new environments is an important piece of their overall development. On offsite outings, we witness your pup’s body language, likes and dislikes, age related fears, and changes in emotional states that occur. All of these allow us to determine your pup’s specific training needs.

01/04/2025

Mirabelle is a 5 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. What can we say.. the pics capture how adorable she is! We were called on to guide her family with potty training and crate conditioning. In addition, we also started training fundamental commands that will serve as the building blocks for more advanced skills. New puppy? We can help with all aspects of puppy training using reward-based positive reinforcement methods.

12/29/2024

Roxy, a 2 year old rescue beagle/boxer mix. There is no doubt she has been through a lot. Her foster mom wanted to help Roxy through her transition and reached out to us for guidance as she adjusts. Time is needed but improvement is noticed and her comfort level is increasing. Every dog is on their own schedule. Generally speaking it takes:
- 3 days to settle into the idea of a new home.
- 3 weeks to learn and adapt to the routine of a home.
- 3 months to show their true personality.
We were happy to work with Roxy and thrilled to hear she now has a permanent home with a loving family! Kudos to her foster mom for wanting the best for Roxy and helping her to become her best self!

12/23/2024

Wishing you peace, love, and joy this holiday season!

12/07/2024

Recall is one of the most important cues you can teach your dog. It can be lifesaving! Training should start in your house where there are less distractions. Work at short distances and build on the level of distractions and distance. Here the “touch” cue is used. Other verbal cues, for example come” or “here” can be chosen. Want a reliable recall? ALWAYS reward your dog when they return to you.

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving! We have much to be grateful for this holiday season. Thank you for your continued trust, recommendations and opportunity to work with you and your pets. Nancy & Lynn.

11/20/2024

Mat/place training is great method for giving your dog a safe, happy place to be that is portable and easy to take along on outings. It has proved to be quite helpful for many of our clients in various situations. Training this behavior on cue is a matter of building a positive association with the mat. It’s a step by step process. Guinness is building his duration on the mat and is settled nicely over on his hip - a more relaxed position. As the behavior strengthens, we will add distractions and lastly distance. Nice job Guinness!

11/13/2024

Roxie is a young Finnish Spitz. This breed originates from Finland, averages around 20 lbs, and certainly resembles a fox. Probably not a breed you’ve heard much about. They are committed hunters, excellent alert dogs and loving family members. Roxie was rescued and recently adopted by a local family. She has adjusted beautifully inside her home. We were called into help with her relentless attempts to be outdoors and pursue her natural interest to sniff and hunt. This is part of who Roxie is and what she enjoys, so our training focus is on management, impulse control, dog/owner communication and most important, other outlets that will fulfill Roxie’s needs. These outlets include mental and physical stimulation through nosework classes, enrichment games and doggie day care. We fell in love with this sweet girl and she landed in a wonderful home. Any Finnish Spitz owners out there? Please share your pictures!