Rehab Your Rescue Behavior Services

11/13/2024

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.

11/10/2024

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

11/08/2024

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/

11/02/2024

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.

09/30/2024

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."

07/08/2024

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!

06/16/2024

I’d be remiss to not honor the best DogDad in all the land. He’s the glue that holds RYR together and allows me to show up as the best me for our clients.

A lot of you get to know DogDad as the still silent man that helps build your dogs confidence and some of you get to see his jovial silly side.

He may have gone from saving live’s to cutting cheese… it’s still important work. Thank you for showing up for me, our pups and our amazing clients. I couldn’t do it without you!

Happy dad’s day to all you dads!

04/26/2024

When you work with dogs, there will be a few that will have a profound effect on you. That will leave a lasting impression and will wound you deeply when they leave.

Fletcher is one of them. We did a board and train, intensive behavior mod program and he lived with us all last summer. He became our “step son”, we joked that he was married to Fiona.

He taught me so many lessons… they all do. He was the weird yellow man that was more cat than dog. Fletch would shriek this ungodly noise when you came into the house. Doors and gates were meer suggestions and he would open them all (a fun trick he taught to Fiona 🫣).

When it was his time to go, his family allowed us to join them in sending him on to his next journey. Our hearts are broken, Fiona has her black mourning ears on but his lessons and story will live on with all of us.

Thank you for the journey, Betchy.

“I could have missed the pain, But I’d have had to miss the dance”

03/26/2024

You know what day it is?!

IT’S DOGDAD DAY!!!!

12 years ago, I would never imagined living this amazing life helping dogs with the best man on the entire planet. DogDad is the glue that holds me and RYR together.

He went from saving lives to cutting cheese and he rarely complains about it. As the Chief Everything Else Officer, he does so much for me and our crew to allow me to be the best me to our clients.

DogDad,

Thank you for all you do for us! You are the peanut butter to my jelly! Without you, I would be lost.

I love and appreciate you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIG MAN! 🎊🎂🎉🥳😘😘😘

02/10/2024

Pics of dogs and kids are as nostalgic as peanut butter and jelly, but often the arrangements are just not safe. This picture of Huey and his tiny human is a perfect example of a safe picture setup.

Here are some ideas that emphasize safety while capturing beautiful moments:

1. **Reading Together:** Have the child sit and read a book next to the dog, preferably with the dog on the floor. This calm activity can create a serene image, showing the bond between them without requiring direct contact.

2. **Walking Side by Side:** Capture a moment where the child and dog are walking side by side, each on a path or in a park. This can be done with an adult holding the leash out of frame.

3. **Dress-Up Fun:** Have an adult dress the dog in a safe, comfortable costume or bandana, and have the child wear a matching outfit (if the dog is comfy wearing clothes). Capture them sitting together, focusing on their matching ensembles.

4. **Silhouette Shots:** Take a photo of the child and dog’s silhouettes at sunset. This avoids direct interaction but creates a beautiful image of companionship. Have them both sit or stand against the setting sun, with the dogs leash held by an adult.

5. **Behind the Glass:** photograph the child and dog with a glass window between them. This can be a fun way to capture their interactions safely.

6. **Nature Walks:** Capture candid photos of the child and dog exploring nature together, like walking through a forest or playing in the leaves with the adult with the leash out of frame. These activities offer natural and engaging settings for photos.

7. **Focused Activity:** Photograph the child and dog engaged in separate but parallel activities, like the child drawing and the dog with a chew toy (if there is no food aggression or resource guarding). This can create a story of shared space without direct interaction.

Safety should always be the priority, so adjust these ideas as necessary to match the temperament of the dog and the comfort level of the child. Always supervise interactions between dogs and kids, ensuring a positive experience for both.