Rehab Your Rescue Behavior Services

09/06/2025

How do you say goodbye to a dog that you’ve spent a decade with? You do it selflessly, with a ton of pain and a vet team that has your dog’s best interest at heart.

Thursday, we noticed Hazel was acting flatter than usual. Friday morning, I picked her up and she was on fire. Temp was 103.4. Well s**t.

Off to Cityvet Whiterock where the amazing Dr. D and team went to work. Unfortunately, news wasn’t great… She had Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia with a nodule on her spleen. The next 48 hrs were going to be critical… and well, she was gone before they were over.

Saturday, morning we went off to VEG and she was relatively stable. As long as she was drinking and eating. We had a chance.

Problem is she wasn’t eating. Threw up appetite stimulant. Had to be pilled for her meds. She was in a nose dive… I said all day she was leaving and I knew that I would be the one to send her on.

When Leti met me at VEG Saturday night, she gave me options… but she knew… I knew. We were in the middle of the treatment area and I broke. I have to say goodbye to my murder pup. I don’t get to do all the fun things… I don’t get to take a trip. I was mad. I am mad.

But, she asked to go and I said yes. DogDad came up with professor and in a private room with only people she knew and her best dog friend, we said goodbye.

My soul is raw and my heart is broken. My angry sentient mop who liked 3 people in the world beside DogDad and I had a meeting to go and it couldn’t wait. So she took the midnight train to meet her sister Fiona and to sit at the head of Murder Inc. Rest easy, chairman and keep that body count high. Momma’s got a list for you… love you.

04/06/2025

There is a notation that dogs will just adjust to the new baby in the house… and sometimes they do, but most of the time it is very stressful for the dogs (and the humans).

My pet parent, Dr. Meg and her hubby, worked hard to prep their loafs for the new addition. Including set ups for baby pictures. Dog and baby pics are adorable as long as we do them safely!

The corgis are tethered and Dr. Meg measured to make sure they couldn’t reach the Bebe.

I’m so proud of this crew and all the hard work. Do you have a baby on the way or know someone that does?! Send them my way and we will make sure their pup is ready to be a good big sibling!

23/05/2025

Fiona’s vet is the incomparable, Dr. Meladee Farr at Cityvet Whiterock. Let me tell you about Dr. Farr…

I met Dr Farr in tragedy when I found Dutchess flat out in our foyer. It was 2019. We had just moved from Forney and we didn’t have a vet established. Kelly Gray, my friend and rescue partner, called Dr Farr and asked her to see us.

My first introduction to Dr Farr was me flying into her clinic in panic… she met me with calm grace. Her and her tech, Liz, treated Dutchess and I like we have been coming there for the last 15 yrs. We ultimately lost Dutch that day… but the impression that Dr Farr and her team left on us has been permanent.

Dr Farr treated Fiona from the first day we got her. Helped us through managing her hip dysplasia and IVDD, treated her heart worms.

She helped us through almost losing her to Addison Crisis (which she diagnosed) and stabilizing her. Even reaching out to us to make sure that Fiona was doing okay while Dr. Farr had her own health stuff going on.

When we walked into to the clinic in Jan to discuss Fiona’s pain management… we didn’t know what to do. She was frank with us and said that it is okay to let her go at the top of her health and not wait till she was a shell of herself.

We moved Fiona to palliative care that day. But knew the one thing we wanted to do was take Fiona to the beach. We needed more time. A friend told us to try a certain med… we called Dr Farr. She researched, talked to colleagues and set a treatment plan for us. She even ordered the med in for us so we could stay at our home clinic.

Then we set a date. And I had the wild idea of letting Fiona go on the beach in Galveston. But there is no way I can let just anyone guide Fi out of this life… so I asked Dr Farr if she would join us. She said yes. She joined us on that beautiful spring day on the beach and laid our girl to rest.

Vet med is a thankless job. It is filled with distain and hatred. But Dr Farr is a bright shining beacon… and I’m so very blessed to call her my vet, my colleague and my friend.

Thank you will never ever be enough. For all you have done for our animals, the clients I send you and all of your patients.

21/05/2025

When we were chosen for a puppy from this litter, we knew it was going to be a girl… we preferred a blue, but temperament over color. We started brain storming names.

We have a silly naming convention and next up was H… so I wanted a silly name and threw out Hiccup. Forgetting about the boy from how to train your dragon.

Then as Fiona day grew closer… and we were pondering if we were going to get the blue girl in the litter and what we should name her… a wave came over me. I stopped cold and said to DogDad.

I know her name. Tears were in my eyes as he waited for me to speak and I simply said…. It’s Larry.

Then we both cried.

See, Fiona’s alter ego was Larry. It was the face she made when she didn’t want to do something or we refused her a snack. We’d say “oh Larry”. Or when she’d get impatient and bang down the gate, trotting down the stairs… we’d exclaim “Must you, Larry!”

Larry was the cheeky side of our girl Princess Fiona. So to pay honor for the legacy she leaves behind… her protege is Larry Hiccup.

She will be our Girl named Larry.

Larry girl, you have big paws to fill. But I have faith Fiona sent you and I can’t wait to meet you!!

19/04/2025

16/01/2025

If walking your dog has become stressful because of barking, lunging, or growling at other dogs or people, Growly Dog class can help. Get started on improving your dog’s coping skills so walks can become more enjoyable.

Finding the right environment in which to train reactive or aggressive dogs poses a significant challenge even for professional dog trainers. That’s why we created our semi-private Growly Dog classes. These unique classes provide several advantages over private training programs for dog aggressive dogs:

Safety: We hold the classes at our training facilities, so there’s no need to worry about scaring your neighbors or running into loose dogs. We have a strict set of safety policies to make sure that everyone in the class stays safe.

Predictability: To resolve dog reactivity/aggression, we must work the dogs in scenarios that they can handle without losing control. We use visual barriers and distance to make sure that your dog only sees other dogs when he can handle it.

Focused attention: Solving this problem means that you must learn to read your dog and react to situations with good timing and technique.

Affordability: Because we offer the class in a group setting, you share the cost with your fellow students, making Growly Dog class significantly less expensive than board and train or private training lessons.

This will be a six week class that will cover management when training isn’t feasible and how to start working your dog through reactivity towards dogs and humans.

Dates: 2/8/2022 at 9am

Duration: 6 wks

Class size: Maximum of 4 dogs per session

Fee: $250

Requirements: Current vaccinations- please provide proof of vaccinations

13/11/2024

Available for adoption through

Ideal home:
Kids older than 10
No other dogs or a very stable dog that doesn’t mind a rough player
Active home that wants to do sports, training or hikes

Cambridge is an approximately 1 yr old neutered golden retriever. We affectionately call him “The Red Baron” because he is red and very regal.

Cambridge is in a stay and train program with us to learn how to overcome some typical adolescent boy behavior: Jumping and mouthing. We are not sure the start that he got in life, as he was a stray, so he jumps and mouths when he gets excited. He is learning to auto sit for attention or if he needs something.

He is working on relaxing when his humans are having some down time and keeping his nose off the counters. Cambridge is learning that chill and still gets him what he wants, whether its affection, toy or treats. We are focusing on rewarding behaviors that we do want and redirecting those we don’t like.

Cambridge is an active boy that will need daily enrichment to make sure his needs are met. We are doing chews such as (beef cheek rolls, stuffed cow hoofs and lick it mats). All of his meals are out of enrichment type feeders such as snuffle mats, puzzle toys or toppls. We also play “find the toy” games. He would also benefit from sniffy walks. Cambridge absolutely loves a squeaky toy, he doesn’t necessarily destroy them but he loves to self entertain with a good fluffy. His trainers keep him well stocked in fluffies, so he would appreciate a home that can supply this habit.

While Cambridge does well with the variety of dogs that are in our home (from same size to itsy bitsy), he needs to be well managed in play. He gets very rough and will grab at necks and collars. He is being taught a “call away” to stop when he is getting too exuberant. Because of this, Cambridge would be better as an only dog home or a home with a family that is willing to manage this behavior.

Cambridge crates like a champ, both overnight or when leaving the house. He is housebroken and is learning house manners.

Cambridge will come with 3 in home sessions with us to make the transition seamless.

10/11/2024

Edmond,

4 years. How did that happen?

I searched for you when we lost Dutch and we knew that we would need a helper dog. The moment I saw your picture as a wee 4 wk old lad, I knew you belonged to me. When you came home in January of 2021, it was during the pandemonium and the world looked so different.

You have never been easy. We didn’t sleep for the first 10 months of your life. Your adolescence was a time where I questioned everything about dog training and raising a stable adult. You were anything but stable. I tried so many things, including letting you go an adventure away from me. I thought we were not a match… but I was wrong.

The day you came back home, I cried into your neck and promised that we would walk the journey the rest of the way together.

You are a big silly guy that challenges me and makes me work out training puzzles… I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve grown because of you. I look for solutions outside of the box because of you.

Every time I ask a question of you or ask you to solve a new puzzle, you surprise me. I am so proud of the dog you have become. You are now a stable, resilient adult that wows me every day.

I could say “I did that”… but truth be told… WE DID THAT. We grew together.

Happy birthday, my big man. Here’s to 10 more.

Love, momma

08/11/2024

Meet Cambridge. He is awesome dude that I have in through Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas. He is looking for his family!!

Adopt Cambridge:

https://www.goldenretrievers.org/available-dogs/

02/11/2024

The number of clients that come to me and say “I know x is bad, but…” is astounding.

“X” can be anything from:
▪️Letting their dog jump on them
▪️Letting them sleep in bed
▪️Not crate training
▪️Letting the dog walk ahead of them
▪️Gives them a lot attention
▪️anything else they may think is wrong

I usually stop them and say “well, my dogs walk on tables… so your dog, your rules”. All of those things that I listed above are not going to create behavior issues and are not necessarily why they are coming to see me. But so many trainers link behavior issues to manners type things (the list above), that owners get confused.

Edmond is pretty highly trained. I can drop him with a verbal cue from just about any distance and he lies down with an implied stay. He is one of my best helper dogs. But in the house, he can be a cheeky monkey. But it doesn’t bother me. AND it’s not creating more issues for us.

Now, if he resource guarded the table from other dogs or humans… then yeah it would be a problem. I would work to resolve that and take away his table privileges in the mean time.

The trainers that give their clients crazy insane rules to follow, usually are not following them with their personal dogs. Part of the joy of dogs is snuggling and loving on them… I want to give you dogs with less behavior issue without robbing you of your joy.

Do what works for you and your dog.

30/09/2024

I hate that I’m sharing this but there is so much misinformation and I, as pet professional that works in behavior vet med, feel like I need to set the record straight:

1. We cant reinforce fear - petting your dog and talking to them will not make it worse

2. Genetics matter - the pet parent could be doing everything right and still the dog has fear at the vet

3. Pet parents do not create behavior issues

4. Novel environments and experiences can cause stress responses - most pets go to the vet once a year and scary things happen there

5. Obedience and structure is not going to fix fear of a vets office - one of my clients has the most beautiful obedience and structure, yet struggles at the vet

I know it’s hard, that this is coming from a vet… but please believe me that what they are saying is not true.

Having been a veterinarian for almost 3 decades, I have seen the tide of how animals are treated change drastically. When I graduated dogs were dogs, now dogs are considered to be higher ranking than people. In our crazy world, people love their dogs more than they love their own families and they treat their dogs better than they treat other humans and I am sorry to say that we are destroying our dogs mental health because of it.

It is increasingly common to go into an exam room and have a dog that is growling at me and trying to bite and the owner is petting it telling it that it is a good dog. It is NOT being a good dog and it should not be rewarded for growling and trying to bite. It is important that we train our dogs properly and we use right language with them. Never is it ok for a dog to growl and try and bite in an exam room where nothing horrible is happening to them and feeding into that behavior does not make it better for your dog, it trains them that their fear is a good thing and it is not.

Mental disorders are exponentially increasing in our dogs and it is us owners fault. Please stop treating your dog like it is some fragile child and start treating it like it is a dog. TRAIN them and teach them commands and correct them when they are wrong and stop thinking you are going to hurt their feelings if you do. Dogs are dogs, not small humans. They need training and proper instructions or it leads to horrible anxiety issues in them and I can assure that that behavior is going to hurt your feelings way more than being an adult and training your dog to be a good dog instead of a spoiled child.

The following are a few copied excerpts from an article that I read this morning from a dog trainer. I feel like there are a good reminder for all of us on exactly what are dogs are and what they need.

"Your dog is a dog, not a human child. Constant unearned affection is a killer and creates an unhealthy addiction for both dog and owner. Your dog will love you unconditionally but will never respect you unless you give it reason to.

The most basic of basics, your dog must learn how to be still in any situation. If your dog can’t be still around any distraction, you will never have control.
Recall
Sit
Down
Walk nicely on leash
Out, meaning release anything in your mouth

You MUST have a language dedicated to your dog that your dog can learn by you being consistent and applying meaning to the words you use. Your dog MUST know what yes means, but also MUST know what NO means. If nothing comes after those words, yes equals reward for good, no equals correction for bad, your dog will never give meaning to either. Your dog’s name is not a command, or correction. NO should not be your dog’s middle name.

The training starts the second you bring the dog home."

08/07/2024

Mattie is a darling girl that is looking for her forever home.

I know Mattie well and have worked with her. She would prefer to be an only child (no other dogs). Super social with people!