Paws-A-Tive Dog Training

03/11/2025

Maggie may make me crazy at times but I couldn’t ask for a better dog to have when dogs come in for training stays. 🐾❤️🥰🐾

03/11/2025

Andy is here for 2 weeks of a training refresher. He has met his match with Maggie🐾🥰

03/03/2025

We would like you all to Welcome the newest member of our personal pack…Miss Tipsy has found her home and safe space. Welcome home Miss Tips! Can’t wait to watch you continue to grow❤️🐾❤️🐶

02/27/2025

Welcome Cooper to the Paws-A-Tive Dog Training family. Cooper had not the greatest start rescued from a puppy mill as an older puppy. His mom has worked so hard to help Cooper (along with the help of some amazing trainers)over come his start and the things that come along with that. Cooper is joining us to work on his excitement when he greets people and more socialization. He and his mom are rockstars! They are a great team🐾🐶🥰

02/23/2025

Our new website is up and running thanks to the hard work of Alex Kazma at Kazma Consulting! It looks amazing I could not be happier! Check it out:

Positive, reward-based dog training designed to strengthen the bond between you and your pup. Explore expert training, enrichment tools, and essential gear for success!

02/22/2025

Great info on dogs and humping.🐶

So many reasons for this behaviour and that can make it a little trickier to stop 🛑
It can become compulsive.
It can be a way to seek interactions or attention.
Energy levels usually play a big part in this behaviour too.
Yes✅ Both females and males can show this behaviour.
Neutered or not.
Take note of when, where and what happened just before, all of this can help you decipher exactly why this is occurring.
This dog training graphic is available through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-why-do-dogs-hump-dog-training-handouts

02/19/2025

We lost a member of our pack on Monday. Kaep was a tough nut. He taught me a lot about reactivity and helping a dog through it and patience..lol! Kaepy you are deeply missed and your bark (though annoying) I find listening for everyday. Love you to the moon and back big guy! We will wipe Cassie’s eyes for you. Hugs your pets a little extra and tighter today. RIP Kaepernick 2/2010 - 2/17/2015🌈

02/18/2025

Want some extra training but don’t want your dog to be away as long as a stay & train, then one of our Weekend Training Camps or Adventure Days might be a great option for you. DM or email us ([email protected]) for more information.

02/16/2025

This is my favorite stage of dog to work with. Their changing brain chemistry combined with hormones can make them incredibly frustrating however it also makes them a puzzle that I love helping owners put together and supporting owners through this trying stage. I swear you will all survive it will just take alot more deep breaths (kind of like our parents had to do when we were teenagers)😊🐾

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

02/15/2025

Jazzy’s Adventure Day! We practiced our sit stay with the geese within running distance (not quite sure why I said stay so many times..), took a 1.5 mile walk past a dog park where we practiced leave it, ran into a previous client in the parking lot so we had to practicing calm and no jumping (that was hard but client ignores her and she laid down). Then we hit Petco and ended it with a pup cup on the patio at Starbucks where Jazzy practiced her “place” and was a rockstar! We have a few openings in our Adventure Days..DM me if you are interested. These spots won’t last. 🐾🐶🐾

02/08/2025

🐾❤️🐾🐶

02/03/2025

Not sure how you end your workday but this is how I end mine💤🐾🐶

02/03/2025

Welcome this cutie patootie Oreo to the Paws-A-Tive Dog Training Family! This boy is as sweet and naughty as he is cute! He has an amazing family who is working so hard to make sure he a great canine citizen! And his boy absolutely loves him to pieces and they are too cute together! We can’t wait to watch Oreo continue to grow and learn along with his family! You guys are rockstars!

02/01/2025

Tips look when I am vacuuming…lol. She use to be so scared and would run away now I just annoy her cause she was sleeping LOL

01/27/2025

Jazzy is back and jazzy as ever. I just love this dog and her mom. They are great! Jazzy is going to be going on adventures again so we will take you along on our fun outings .🐾🐶🥰

01/23/2025

I am beyond behind on my welcome posts! This is Georgie. He is a 10 month old border collie/corgi cross (who is all BC in a short body). He has some stranger danger and reactivity that we have been working on. Georgie thinks everyone needs to do exactly what he wants and stop have fun and stay in one place. Georgie’s his parents have been working so hard on helping him and have made HUGE strides! So this is a Welcome and Graduation post for Georgie. His parents are going to continue to work on things and I just know he is going to continue to be the ROCKSTAR he has been. Love ya Georgie and can’t wait for updates!🥰🐶🐾🥰