Dog Vegas: specialized pet services

08/20/2024

Quiet doesn't always mean calm!
This is Edith, and she's got big feels about some things that make her uncomfortable. Sometimes, she's very vocal about those things so they're easy to identify. We can then work on desensitization or managing her exposure to them. But other times, she's very quiet. To look at her, you'd think she was calm, relaxed even - she's not pacing, or barking, or seeking reassurance.

She was a training client when she was first adopted, and now her people have some busy work months and tagged me in for training walks. She knows me, we have a good relationship. But on our first walks together she was very "calm." Stayed at a heel or a little behind me. She was very focused on me, paying special attention.

That *sounds like* a well trained dog, right? But we aren't in an active session. This was her time to sniff and roll and relax - yet she didn't, and that told me we had to take a little time working on getting her comfortable with agency. All dogs need it, but we ask them to be so S T R U C T U R E D all the time, you may need to remind your dog how to be "off duty."
Edie and I made some adjustments and look at that face!

Quiet doesn't always mean calm, so the next time your dog isn't reacting at all, let's be sure they're not just quiet but also comfortable.

Happy training!

06/05/2024

Dogs seem to age years in the blink of an eye. One day you start to notice that the toys are all still in the basket. That they wait for you to help them in the car or down the stairs. That they aren't waiting after work because they can't hear the slamming of the car door anymore. You take a photo and realize the color change around their mouth and eyes -- when did your dog get old?
So throw the birthday parties. Make ridiculous meals. Plan your schedule around them. Cancel plans with people to take your dog on a hike. Take the professional photos. Fill up your memory card with 1,000 images of them sleeping, or running, or cuddling.

You better kiss them, you're gonna miss them when they're gone. 🎶

📸: Sweetie, age 15. She's lumpy and bumpy and we have to get up late or early to go outside. We are slow on walks and we don't foster anymore because she can't keep up. She will leave me sooner rather than later and I will start to make a note every day until then of all the ways she's made my life better.

04/24/2024

For all my teams out there working through big feelings with their dogs -- the way others react to you is about *THEM* not about you or your dog. Keep your head up and your hand light.

For those that have dogs that don't harbor fear or anxiety from traumas - that's wonderful! I ask that when you see a team working - there's treats and movement and using inanimate objects as shields - PLEASE be an ally. Wave, give a smile and space, tell them they're doing great. You can be an ally to their advocacy.

Happy training!

02/15/2024

Trainers talk often about "management behavior" and how to create the specific environment management needed to best complement your team training goals. I find many times that includes management behavior for humans.
I've got a dog that's 14 years old, a dog that's only a month into a CCL tear rehab, and a 6 year old dog that I'm fairly certain could go run the Iditarod *right now.* That means I've got to meet all needs on our walks and that takes some doing. I take all three as far as they can go and then take Sweetie and Nana back to the car. Since Nana loves to sh¡t talk passersby but it's nice weather and they want to see the sun and do some air scenting while waiting on Nellie and me to finish her walk, I park in very specific areas and leave the windows down on the side of the car that's blocked from anyone walking by. I noticed that when people would hear Nana bark, it would either startle them or they looked enraged. So, in comes management behavior for the humans! I've used this sign for about a week, and it's been a hit. I like knowing my dogs aren't giving anyone a heart attack, and I also don't worry that some overly interested person will try to "rescue" my dogs.
So, don't be afraid to really explore all the ways creating management behavior can be useful for your dog and for you.

Happy Training!

01/18/2024

Created a Latency Ladder from a video by Every Dog Austin presenter Erica Pytlovany. She's a trainer at Woofs Dog Training in Arlington. Her video on reactivity is brilliant, but this chart was one of the easiest, most concise representations of why we use food as a tool to determine threshold for our dogs while on a leash.
The video is available for FREE on YouTube under the Every Dog Behavior and Training page. The title is "Nowhere to Go" all about how to work through reactivity in tight spaces.
Link: https://youtu.be/hKumHS_jOpw?si=lxK5DkIWkA5xDnvX

06/26/2022

Luna had a meet and greet today with another dog! It wasn't ideal!
The exclamation points are not in error!

It was a first date. Kinda like if a person went on a first date after a hiatus where they are still figuring things out. Who they are now, what they like, who they like. And even all the things they don't like.

So it wasn't a match. But girl worked hard, and recovered well, and there were marked improvements on her skills overall.

She did her best. Now I've got to continue to build her skills so like
says "when you build your toolbox, not everything is hammer because not everything is a nail."

We're not a training set back, we at a training reset.

05/23/2022

*CANINE CANCER NEWS*
If you have dogs, then more likely than not you'll be confronted with/have already had your heart broken from canine cancer at some point in your guardianship. This new registry could advance Veterinary Medicine R&D in huge leaps and bounds, so please take a moment and read the article or go to TakeChargeRegistry.com to enter data/get more info on how to build the community and knowledge around cancer (we're coming for you, jerk).
Yay, science!
Article link in comments: photo of Babe (l) and Abe (r), Abe RIP from cancer.

02/02/2022

In training: this is an excellent visual representation of realizing that we impose our needs on our dogs. I was enjoying the view of downtown, the dogs were much more interested in gathering scent data on all the tailgating done in recent weeks. I really wanted them to sit real cute like with their glow collars so I could show what great dogs I have. Then I remembered they don't give a s**t about instagram and we were out there for them to have an enrichment walk. And that they ARE great dogs. Whoops.

If we're responsible for meeting the needs of our dogs, let's be sure we remember where to focus (see what I did there?).

Happy training!

11/29/2021

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

For a person who has trained and has the capacity for a profession like a medical doctor, even if they're "off duty" if something arises where their training is needed, they still act, right?

The same goes for your dog! Today, Lucy was riding in my car and I didn't put up my training pouch that had some treats in it. She instantly picked up the scent and proceeded to pull out the pouch to extract the treats.

Why? She's a beagle. A scent hound. A breed created to detect things too delicate for us or other breeds. Just because I forgot to put up the pouch doesn't mean that I should expect her to forgo her specialty.

Just like an MD is needed in a medical crisis, even outside of facility, your dog can't turn off their ability to abandon their instincts and training.

If you want your dog to make good decisions, you've got to be sure you're giving them good choices.

Happy training!

10/26/2021

Great infographic for all you puppy people!

If you're looking for information about how to set up your dog or puppy for successful alone time, check out this infographic the talented Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin helped me bring to life with her wonderful illustrations!!

10/22/2021

Fantastic article!

Unknown trigger stacking can be a leading cause of unwanted dog outbursts.

10/01/2021

Reactive dogs just want to be understood! So often we mistake their overreaction for their initial response but your dog is giving you signs long before that happens. Eustress and anxiety can look the same so we never ever never ever never ever want to assume (aka mistake) that an overt behavior is a covert behavior. Record your dog walking and reacting and watch it again and again. Tail? Ears? Mouth (that's a big one)? Stance? These hints all tell you what's going on with how your dog is processing stimuli around them. It's our job to protect our dog and offer the appropriate response, NOT the other way around!
When looking for answers to help you with handling skills, look for webinars from certified trainers that focus on body language, stress, trigger stacking, and emergency leash techniques.

09/10/2021

Got my ticket -- who else is joining? This should be an exceptional course and I can't wait! Rescue/shelter, veterinarian clinic, etc: we get a discounted cost for the conference streaming access for a few more days!

More info from post by host/expert Michael Shikashio:

"Dr. Chris Pachel and I will be out in Colorado in November to present "The Great Big Dog Aggression Workshop II: Meds, Moods, and Modification" in conjunction with Behavior Vets!

Chris will be discussing behavioral medication, emotions in animals, assessment of the efficacy of behavior change strategies in aggression cases, and additional veterinary insights on aggressive behavior in dogs...and some info on how to track behavior changes in aggression cases, intra-household dog-dog aggression and relevant emotions, and complex scenarios and successful outcomes."

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-great-big-dog-aggression-workshop-part-ii-meds-moods-modification-tickets-162851327705

Join Chris and Mike as they take a deep dive into aggression and the underlying motivations for aggressive behavior in dogs.

09/10/2021

"Intelligent Disobedience." Today is National Hug Your Dog Day which I 100% do NOT condone but in this story from about escaping the WTC on 9/11 Roselle the guide dog gets a hug and I'm gonna be glad she did. When you listen to this incredible story, try to think about ways your dog has exhibited Intelligent Disobedience and let's remember to trust your dog.

09/08/2021

leash training 3 puppies using a slightly older puppy as their guide is going about as well as can be expected. but practice makes progress!
All pups in the video available for adoption with !!

08/30/2021

I had already planned to spread straw today but a rain storm rolled into town right as I started. It's been so hot I decided to just keep working because no telling the next time I could do it when it didn't feel like a wet fur coat left in the oven outside.
At first the puppies weren't thrilled with the prospect of going out in the rain, but the straw sure looked fun -- and so bounding down the stairs they came. That reminded me how training opportunities can happen in the best way when you least expect it! If you've adopted a puppy recently, they want to let you know that socialization (read: proper exposure to new experiences) can happen and **should** happen even in a pandemic. Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and Pet Harmony have wonderful, AFFORDABLE training programs and tips to be sure you're staying in top training shape!

08/26/2021

•Lady who actually looked like the Tramp
•Butler
•Katie
•Dicey (lifetime was one of the only channels we got idk)
•Beau
•Sweetie
•Rosco
•Griswold
•Nana
•Nellie Knox
>10 years of fosters

Dogs let me: be extroverted &be scholastic &feel fantastic &even in college when i lived in dorms we'd go to the local shelter and do a doggie date for the day before social media made that a thing

They have saved my life and gave my life meaning

They are inherently good and had Nathaniel Hawthorne decided to study them instead of human nature then Hester Prynne might have led a very different fictional life

happy national dog day

08/16/2021

See, what had happened was...I took all my bills out of the cubby since Juno seemed to enjoy making confetti out of them. Side effect: she legit uses it like a drive-thru window and prefers treats to come through the cubby for consumption.

07/18/2021

A great article (with tons of additional resources) about crate "training." I'm not being pedantic with the quotes, but it's important to draw attention to the action in question. In hindsight I'm so angry that I didn't push back more on the undesirable effects of crate training a dog with SA but hey -- that's why we're here.

Crate training is ubiquitous in North America with pet dogs. It is incredibly common to see dogs being crated while their owners are at work all day (8 hours plus commute time, typically) as well as overnight. Crate training has also become synonymous with house training – common wisdom being that...

07/01/2021

Why I tell my clients I don't want to see any spray bottles inside the house! They can be helpful to break up a dog fight, but they should never be used as a training tool, because they're not one.

📷: Dogs Disclosed

05/31/2021

I'm so thankful that training for dogs continues to evolve and that the profession is moving toward better regulatory practices. However, with those improvements comes terms and phrases that makes it difficult to be sure what a trainer is talking about when you're trying to determine what's best for your dog. This article does an exceptional job at explaining what negative reinforcement is and why professional trainers don't condone it.

https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2018/05/what-is-negative-reinforcement-in-dog.html?m=1

Photo is of 2/3 my current crew. If I can walk 6 dogs without negative reinforcement or punitive methods, so can you!

05/11/2021

In canine communication, less is NOT more. My biggest concern when working with a client or new intake for the rescue is the "Zero dog." That's a dog that, usually by improper training, doesn't communicate at all. No noticeable progression of behavior before a dramatic action because someone taught the dog that growling, barking, whining, etc wasn't acceptable and corrected that communication with a punitive response. Which, of course, means that the dog learned that communication = pain so stopped doing it. Then the human can't figure out why their dog "lashes out" or is "overly aggressive." Hmmm.

I talk about relationships with dogs all the time: how to listen, how to create a language, how to build trust. Today, I was reminded of why that's important outside of typical uses -- I was placing an order while walking my 5 dogs around the outside of an empty school yard. I was enjoying the sunshine and the nice weather and time with my dogs. Suddenly, Nana gives a low growl. I immediately looked up and around to see what she was "talking" about. There on the other side of the fence (which wasn't fully around this area) was a dog. No person around, either as an owner or an ally. I slowly backed my dogs up and shrank my posture as much as possible and retreated from the way we came.

We were able to move out and the dog didn't follow or try to charge. It was one of those moments as a trainer that snaps you back from teacher to learning mode. I was so proud of my dogs! We avoided a bad situation because Nana communicates and I listen. We reacted as a team because we trust each other. We trust each other because they communicate and I listen...it's a brilliant cycle.

The moral? Instead of shutting your dog down, observe to find out what they're trying to tell you and you work to respond appropriately. Because let's face it: when your dog barks at the plastic bag flapping in the tree, stop for a minute and think about how right they are. That's weird.

05/05/2021

Overt vs Covert behavior is such an important distinction since training can only reinforce behavior NOT emotion. We want to be sure we know what we're reinforcing and why. Read on!