2 Dog Trail Positive Dog Training

11/24/2025

Too Much of a Good Thing: Are the Activities your Dog Loves Doing Making him Sick? By Emily Larlham December 14, 2018 How good stress can turn bad Stress is a natural part of life. Eustress (mild stress/good stress) is beneficial for the mind and body. We all know what it’s like to experience good...

11/24/2025

One thing that makes a BIG difference for dogs who struggle (or any dog)...

is giving them more agency!

Agency means giving your dog the ability to make decisions about their actions and surroundings instead of simply reacting to what us humans dictate.

In humans, agency often involves having autonomy, decision-making power, and a sense of control over one’s life.

For dogs, agency might involve things like being able to decide when and where to rest, how to interact with their environment, or how to respond to certain situations.

Agency is important for every dog's wellbeing because:
-It helps them build their confidence and sense of security
-It can help them feel less anxious and reduce stress
-It helps strengthen the bond between you and your dog

If you'd like to learn more about agency and other ways to improve your dog's life, check out our book: Canine Enrichment For The Real World by Allie Bender and Emily Strong. Available on Amazon, Dogwise, and Audible!

11/24/2025

We're often asked for indoor enrichment ideas and "Find It" is one of our favorite ways!

In this case, "Find It" means putting food on the ground and the dog needs to use their nose to find and get the food.

There are lots of different ways to play find it but make sure you start at a very simple version if your dog is new to this!

Remember you can always help them out if they’re having a hard time locating the snacks. We don’t want our dogs to be frustrated around food, and we want this to be fun!

Looking for more indoor enrichment ideas? Check out this blog: https://petharmonytraining.com/indoor-adventure-time/

11/22/2025

11/20/2025

** Important Message from our Director of Studies, Jo Middleton **

Today I’m heading to the House of Lords for something that feels genuinely historic for canine welfare ... the official launch of the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) Tool.

For as long as I can remember I have advocated to end the cruelty that humans have inflicted up dogs through breeding for aesthetics.

To be blunt, we have bred suffering into generations of animals who never asked for it.

Flat faces.
Spines that don't flex.
Bulging eyes.
Compromised breathing.
Painful skin, joints, and neurological issues.

All because, somewhere along the line, how dogs looked and our human egos became more important than welfare.

But today marks the beginning of a shift.

The IHA Tool, brain child of the All Parliamnetary Group for Animal Welfare, is launching.

This 10 point assessment is built from 15 years of RVC research and supported across the veterinary and welfare sectors. It gives everyone, including breeders and prospective guardians, a simple, accessible way to assess what healthy, innate conformation truly looks like.

And I’m incredibly proud that International Institute For Canine Ethics, Canine Principles and The International School for Canine Psychology and Behaviour - ISCP are supporters of this work amongst many others like our Canine Principles partners the BSAVA, RVC, the Kennel Club, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Battersea, Wood Green, Hope Rescue and many others ❤️.

Education and compassionate positive action at this level are truly powerful.

This tool empowers ordinary people to make extraordinary change.
It removes the guesswork.
It removes the excuses.
And, if used widely, it will save countless dogs from a lifetime of preventable suffering.

Today isn’t about blame.
It’s about progress.
It’s about choosing better for the dogs of tomorrow and giving people the knowledge to do so.

I completely get that many might look at this with scepticism and think, "people won’t use it." I know that not everyone will. But this is a MASSIVE leap of progress. And every guardian or breeder who does use the tool is one step closer to preventing a lifetime of suffering for a dog.

A breeding revolution has officially begun.

And I’m beyond excited to be standing in the room where it starts.

Link in the comments to for more info 👇👇👇

11/17/2025

11/05/2025

11/02/2025

Pumpkin Yogurt Frozen Paw Treats for Dogs
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup unsweetened plain Greek yogurt
* 1/2 cup pure pumpkin purée (plain, no spices)
* 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (unsweetened, xylitol-free)
Supplements (optional):
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (anti-inflammatory)
Instructions:
1. In one bowl, mix the Greek yogurt until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin purée and peanut butter until fully blended. Add turmeric if using.
3. Fill the top part of each paw-shaped silicone mold with the yogurt layer (this forms the white "paw print").
4. Freeze for 30 minutes until set.
5. Once set, spoon the pumpkin-peanut butter mix over the yogurt layer to fill the molds completely.
6. Freeze again for 3–4 hours or until fully hardened.
7. Pop out of the molds and serve frozen.
Storage:
Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Benefits:
* Greek yogurt supports gut health with probiotics.
* Pumpkin is rich in fiber and aids digestion.
* Peanut butter adds healthy fats and flavor.
Calorie Information:
Each small frozen paw treat contains approximately 25–35 kcal depending on mold size. Adjust portion size for your dog's weight.

11/02/2025