Dog Vegas: specialized pet services

02/01/2025

Flooding is an aversive technique used as a psychological weapon in both humans and animals. The IAABC made a statement in opposition of any trainer using flooding: "Flooding is defined as the exposure to a fear-inducing stimuli without the possibility to escape. Fear-inducing stimuli are aversive to the learner, meaning that the learner would choose to avoid these stimuli. The use of aversive techniques is punishment and holds no place in behavior modification or animal training."

Sometimes, you might accidentally put your pet in such a position, like if you didn't realize how important cooperative care is for nail trims or vet visits. Or you failed to see the signs your dog was giving at the restaurant patio that showed they weren't comfortable in that environment.

However, aversive "trainers" use flooding as a way to psychologically subdue a dog -- to make them so afraid to be punished that they completely shut down. The fear of punishment outweighs any other option.

So, how do we combat the adverse effects of flooding? We give our pets agency: this toy or that one? Walk this way or that way?
We provide opportunities to reset: play dates, sniffaris, foraging games, decompression walks.

We are going do as Cynthia Erivo said and "hold space" for the needs of our pets. But, let's be real: this post isn't just about dog training. This is also about the very real flooding that is happening right now for us, too. So be sure to protect your peace and look for ways to combat the harmful and hateful situations we're being forced to confront.

Stay strong, and stay kind.

01/15/2025

I called her Annie Oakley
She was born wild and free
To a feral mama
in the heart of the city

She was a champion for other dogs
So Nana her nickname became
The way she navigated complex fosters
Goes down in my hall of fame

As guardians of "difficult" dogs
Their happiness is always a concern
But she taught me that behavior serves a purpose
To be intelligent is to discern

I know she didn't belong to me
But rather, me to her
We were kindred spirits
Despite the difference of skin and fur

So, though you never met her
And you certainly never pet her
My beloved Nana raised the bar
Tonight, my dear girl, we'll see you in the stars

Nana: ?/2015 - 1/15/2025

10/23/2024

Loose leash walking is one of the top training goals for clients, but it's also one of the most tedious parts of a training plan because it's a multi-step process.
Let's take a minute to review important factors contributing to alleviate frustration during walks for both your and your dogs.
✅️ Comfort: do you have the right tools? Is the leash too short, does it have a padded handle, does your dog's harness fit properly and allow for proper communication? You wouldn't run a marathon in high heels - physical comfort goes a long way!
✅️ Environment: flooding happens to humans, too. Distractions like sound and movement can be disorienting when you're trying to focus on a task at work - and dogs are similarly impacted! If your dog is sensitive to particular stimuli, taking time to canvass your surroundings for a conducive learning environment for your walk. Opportunities are everywhere!
✅️ Nervous system regulation: dogs need emotional support some days, just like us. Trigger stacking is very real and they might need assistance to reset. Things like species typical behavior (shredding, foraging), increased agency (choosing which way you walk, spending time sniffing or rolling), and adequate rest all help deposit resources into your dog's emotional bank account and therefore preventing your dog from hitting threshold around future triggers. If your dog has adequate "funds," then a withdrawal won't put them in a deficit.

Keep up the good work, be kind to yourself and your dog, and reach out if you want to do a session for a deep dive into application for your team.

Happy training!

10/15/2024

Got to stop in to the newly opened East location of The Modern Dog. Not only is it local AND woman owned, but I'm blown away by the superb inventory selection. Functional, useful, quality products line every shelf. Enrichment items like lick mats, Pupsicles, and multi-sensory snuffle mats are available. Special diets and supplements are catered to; with a variety of vendors from which to choose. There is also a stunning self-wash station. AND IT GETS BETTER! Soon, they'll offer ☆ reactive dog S H O P P I N G sessions ☆ it's currently a service they offer at their original location, but it is headed to East, too!

Happy training, and happy shopping!

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.