Bond Dog Training

01/18/2025

Mila found a VERY exciting stick during today’s training session!

12/18/2024

Some great gift ideas from Alabama Dog Academy!

A big part of pet ownership is figuring out what IS important to spend money on for your pet, and what is NOT important to spend money on. Rarely is this more evident than at Christmas time. The pet...

12/13/2024

Very true!

Why does my dog ___?

We get this question a lot, especially when it comes to complex behaviors like fear, reactivity, or aggression. And as humans, we want (desperately!) to find a clear label as the reason for this behavior.

We often hear “he must have been abused by a large man who wore hats because he’s so scared of them,” “he dislikes strangers because of his breed,” or “it’s all in how you raise them.”

The truth is that there are TONS of things that contribute to behavior. Not even the best scientists in the world can tell us where a particular dog’s behavior comes from. When we see a fearful dog, it could be due to genes, limited maternal care, or stress in their first weeks of life (or inside mom’s uterus). They could have had a traumatic experience or have a hormone imbalance. They could hurt, have learned associations over time, or even have certain brain structures that grew or shrank to make them more fearful.

So what’s really important to know here?
1️⃣ behavior causes can be very complicated
2️⃣ anyone who says that behavior is all because of learning, or breed, or socialization, or whatever- is misinformed.
3️⃣ in many cases, you’re just not going to be able to identify the “cause” of complex behaviors like fear, reactivity, or aggression. Get comfy with not knowing.
4️⃣ not knowing the exact cause doesn’t prevent us from working on behavior!! We can make educated guesses and use treatment plans and involve vets to help us treat what we can’t easily train.

If you're struggling to figure out what your dog needs, we'd love to help! Visit our website to schedule a behavior consult or reach out for more info!

12/03/2024

Check out Jax’s gorgeous smile!

Can you believe this sweet lab-looking guy is mostly Doberman and Great Pyrenees? Genetics are complicated and fascinating!

11/29/2024

Lucy followed up Thanksgiving excitement with a great Friday morning training session! She aced looking cute while still using her very smart brain.

11/16/2024

I got to meet both of these Very Good Girls this week. Cossi and Willa are also both adoptees from the Austin Animal Center!

11/15/2024

Great topic for this free webinar from Every Dog Behavior and Training!

We have another FREE webinar coming up and the topic is so important for anyone with pets.

Many times when an animal starts having a behavior problem, the first thing that is recommended is “Get a health evaluation.” Do you ever wonder what that means? Or how you will know what to tell your vet? Or even if human health can impact pet behavior?

Join us on Tuesday Nov 19 @ 6-7 PM CDT for "Health and Its Role in Behavior Problems" with Linda Randall from One Smart Dog Training & Behavior!

**As always, this webinar will be recorded!!**

Our webinars are FREE. Donations are optional. Visit everydogaustin.org/free-workshops to RSVP

10/31/2024

Happy Howl-o-ween!

10/24/2024

“These ears are hypnotizing you into giving me a treat.”
-Hank, probably

10/21/2024

Frankie (right) is uncomfortable with strangers, but we took introductions at his pace, created lots of positive associations, and, by our most recent session, he’d decided I was pretty okay, actually.

Lucy (left) was convinced as soon as I walked in the door with treats 😂

10/19/2024

“Can I leave alone food on the floor? Psh, obviously.”

Rube and her people have been working hard on ignoring very exciting food on the floor on our service dog outings, and it shows!

10/17/2024

Paloma gets an A+++ in cuteness.

(And she’s super smart, too!)

09/06/2024

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.

08/07/2024

Coming up soon!!!

I’m really excited for this webinar! One of the hardest parts of working with dogs with behavior concerns is knowing what to expect long-term. During this talk I’ll go over how to assess different elements of a dog’s behavior, history and environment to make informed choices and set realistic goals for their future success.

Designed for professionals, but open to everyone!
CEUs available for CCPDT, IAABC and KPA.

For animal behavior professionals and enthusiasts.

08/06/2024

✨Fashion😎✨ by Tinkerbell.

07/24/2024

Gorgeous Mercy was ready to LEARN during her first session!

07/18/2024

Coming up next week, so make sure to register now!

This webinar is geared toward dog trainers, behavior consultants, and dog behavior enthusiasts. If you're working with dogs with behavior issues, either professionally or on your own, learning to let go of the little things to make long-term progress can be a big challenge. But it's not impossible, and this webinar will explore how to let go of perfection to create success.

If you're certified through CCPDT, IAABC or KPA, this webinar has been approved for CEUs through all of those organizations! And if you aren't able to attend live, students who register in advance will receive access to a recording the next day.

You can find more info and a registration link on my online learning page: https://www.bonddogtraining.com/online-learning.html

Or register right away with this direct link: https://pocketsuite.io/.../item/dogs-aren't-robots-webinar

Can't wait to see y'all there!

For animal behavior professionals and enthusiasts.

07/03/2024

It’s a million degrees outside, but I have a bunch of online learning available you can do in the AC!

Service Dog Summer School starts TONIGHT, so sign up immediately if you haven’t enrolled!

I’ll have two professional webinars in July and August for dog behavior professionals and enthusiasts: one on letting go of perfection when working with dog behavior, and one on determining a prognosis for a dog with behavior issues.

My online self-guided “Dogs Who Bite (Or Might)” is always available.

And you can find links to the free webinars I’ve done through Every Dog Behavior and Training on my online learning page or their website!

You can find all of these options and registration links here: https://www.bonddogtraining.com/online-learning.html

Stay cool and expand your brain at the same time!