All Ears Pet Services and Training LLC

10/31/2022

10/17/2022

Good leash skills are always something to smile about!

10/14/2022

These dudes are getting so big! 😍

10/13/2022

Nala is preparing for chilly weather!

10/03/2022

After an incredible weekend at the Aggression in Dogs conference in Rhode Island with great friends, inspirational colleagues and incredible speakers, we are finally on the way home. If you’ve sent us a message or email during our travel and we haven’t responded, don’t worry! We will be getting caught up tomorrow!

10/01/2022

Spending the weekend as a sponge!

"You know what you know until you grow" - Jennifer Shryock, BA, CDBC

We always do the best we can with the information we have at the time but we should strive to learn more and grow!

09/30/2022

So excited to be attending this conference with some great friends and colleagues. See you next week!

09/17/2022

Duke’s parents are working hard on preventing jumping. Part of this involves showing Duke that really good things happen on the floor when a guest shows up- conditioning him to look down, rather than up, every time a guest comes in. We then are adding a hand touch cue to satisfy the human’s urge to reach for a cute dog, as well as give him another alternative way to greet people with his paws on the ground. He did great when I showed up today! No jumps at all!

09/15/2022

Spending some time with my best boy 💜

09/14/2022

Welcome to Duke!

Duke’s doggy sister took reactivity lessons with us a long time ago and I was so pleased when his mom reached out to start private classes again for their new addition. Duke is an excitable teenager who is going to be working on polite greetings and over excitement about new people. He did awesome in his first class this week.

09/13/2022

THE CHOICE TO CHOOSE
WHY DOGS SHOULD BE ALLOWED CHOICE
Imagine that every little detail of your life is controlled - what and when you eat, where you sleep, when you’re allowed inside or outside, when you’re allowed to go out for a walk and if you’re allowed to stop and explore, who you’re allowed or forced to interact with, what activities (if any) you’re allowed to participate in, when you’re shown affection or receive attention, where you’re allowed to be touched etc., etc.…. This situation would create stress and anxiety, a feeling of helplessness, apathy, a lack of confidence and many other negative emotions. The same is true for dogs.
Dogs live in a world where just about everything is controlled by us. Allowing choice, no matter how simple that choice may be, provides many benefits. The context in which we allow choice is obviously relevant. Safety, boundaries, environmental factors, other people or animals always need to be taken into account.
Dogs that are allowed some control over their environment and how they respond to situations are more confident, more emotionally balanced, better able to cope with stressful situations, less anxious, less stressed and have fewer behaviour problems.
Allowing simple choices like which direction to take on a walk, which tree to wee on, how long to sniff that fascinating blade of grass or which toy to play with, which treat to choose, what game to play or allowing your dog to choose to interact or be touched by someone are all simple ways that we can provide choice for our dogs and help them to cope in a world that controls them.

09/12/2022

Tatiana is nervous about new people but her family has been working hard to help her and their guests feel more comfortable. Her human siblings have done a great job with helping her navigate tough situations. We are working on some learned skills, changing emotional responses and management of her environment. Her new muzzle arrived this week and she looks precious in it!

09/12/2022

🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

In the last few years, I’ve watched “dog culture” explode into a phenomenon I’d never seen as an early dog trainer. When I first started training dogs, people didn’t come to me with requests for their dogs to be able to handle things and expectations we put on them so heavily today. Nowadays, it’s amazing what we ask of our dogs because of this culture that emerged. And then we wonder why dogs are going downhill behaviorally so quickly.

1. Dog “groups” where people get together with dogs on leash and do activities and social events. Including birthday parties, Halloween parties, etc etc

2. Dog daycares where dogs are kept in large groups to play

3. Dog parks where humans AND dogs interact in groups

4. Behaviors like perfect heel on leash, sit stays on beds, ignoring environmental enticement in the name of “training”

Then there’s dog sports, dog classes, therapy dog work, service dog work, dog shows, trail walks, public outings, restaurants, breweries, and farmers markets and parades and town days and family over (with their dog) for every holiday and apartment complexes and car rides and pet stores and all these places we’ve been made to believe dogs SHOULD go and should WANT to go to and if they don’t then you need to do more and more work with them and help them like it and if you don’t then you aren’t fulfilling them or meeting their needs and your dog isn’t happy and you are failing or they just haven’t been raised right.

Please. Take a breath.

For 20,000 years dogs existed beside us doing none of that. For 9,000 years they were created for purpose and work, not for pets (with the exception of a few toy breeds) We didn’t expect ANY OF THIS during that time unless they were designed and created for it: now it’s what we want all the time. From all dogs. That’s not fair.

Our culture has changed SO much and dogs haven’t had a chance to catch up. We want all this new stuff because it’s part of OUR new culture, but we need to pause and realize it’s not a part of most of theirs. People coming over? Not really what most dogs were created to enjoy. Going new places all the time? Not what most dogs were created to handle. Hanging out in groups and put in costumes and having their pictures taken? Not normal to a dog. Riding calmly in a glass box going past all these distractions at 35mph? Not part of their DNA either.

We would NEVER expect this of any of our other animals either. Why are dogs taking the brunt of this. Because dogs are extremely adaptable and truthfully, they love us so much they will try so so hard to make us happy and do what we ask of them. But, can we for a second stop and think that maybe it’s too much sometimes? Can we please take some accountability for their stress and mental health as part of OUR unrealistic expectations that we’ve been led to believe make for a good dog vs a bad dog? I’m not talking about not working with them and helping them learn to live in todays world. That’s important. I’m talking about taking a step back and having respect for who they are and why they originally ended up with us. I do this all the time before I put any of my dogs in a situation, and that means sometimes I don’t bring them.

If the culture is changing; let’s add human education and understanding of basic canine ethology, body language and respect into it too. It’s only fair to honor the animals who have stood beside us for so so long.

Helen St. Pierre

09/10/2022

Scout and his brother Reeces (not pictured) have joined us for private puppy class!

09/08/2022

Blaney is on week 3 of private puppy school and he is doing awesome! This week, we worked on down, stay, touch and some leash skills. He loves to learn and is such a joy to work with.

09/08/2022

Let them sniff!

09/07/2022

Rocky is on week 2 of private puppy class and he’s doing great! He’s working hard on potty training, crate training and learning to be a bit more independent from mom. 💜

09/05/2022

Teenage dogs are our jam!

09/03/2022

We are closed for the long weekend!

Summer is winding down and school is back in session! For kiddos and dogs. We’ve got so many new PUPPIES in class right now and life honestly can’t get much better than that 😍
Stay tuned for all sorts of puppy glow ups!

08/29/2022

Tito has a tendency to want to rush through any open door- and when you live on a busy street, that can be really dangerous. Yesterday, Tito worked on stationing around an open door. He did great!

08/23/2022

Blaney is joining us for private puppy class and he couldn’t have been a better little dude on his first day of class 😍
Today we talked about potty schedules, crate and independence training, puppy chewing and he started learning his name.

08/17/2022

I saw something being shared on facebook the other day that really stuck with me. It was a meme generated by a highly compulsive trainer, who has had significant success (if you want to call it that) in his venue of expertise (dog sports.) He posted a bastardized version of a football coach's quote relating it to dogs. But the very first part of it was the assertion that we should be holding dogs "accountable." And that dogs with behavior, or training concerns, were the result of not being held accountable to their actions. And it bothered me. Because holding someone, or in this case a dog, accountable for their actions implies their actions are a result of a moral decision making paradigm.

Dogs are amoral. This means they have no moral decision making paradigm. They do not understand right or wrong. They have no concept of good or evil. They merely understand what is successful, and what is safe. And in opposite what is unsuccessful and what is unsafe. It is damaging to training and behavior modification to consider behavior from animals anything but what it is: an animal's best effort towards being safe and/or successful.

I have said it many times over the years but I will say it again here: behavior is not personal. Your dog's behavior is not driven by a need to personally affront, or insult you. Your horse's behavior is not driven by a need to personally offend, insult or challenge you. Behavior is not personal. And treating animals like their behavior IS somehow personal is both anthropomorphizing and devalues their emotional/sentient lives. To reduce the behavior of animals to a moral failing is a dirty trick, and serves no one to better shape the animal's behavior going forward.

08/17/2022

🙌

Not every dog is a brewery dog.

Just like us, our dogs are individuals with their own preferences, abilities, and innate personalities. Just like people some dogs are social and outgoing, and some are more reserved and suspicious. Some of this will be dictated by genetic predisposition of breed or type and some of this will be determined by early experiences and exposure. Either way, it is important to recognize and acknowledge our dogs for the individuals they are.

For some of us, bringing a dog into our life is a way to make more social connections. We want a buddy that can go on adventures with us and meet new people. We want a dog who can accompany us to pubs, farmer’s markets, cafes, and all the places where humans regularly socialize. But it’s important to understand and recognize that not every dog is going to enjoy or even be capable of doing these activities.

One question we always encourage our clients to ask themselves: “Is my dog enjoying this experience?”

Does my dog enjoy being at a crowded brewery with kids coming up, strangers petting, people staring, and other dogs in their space?

Some dogs love this. Some dogs hate this. Some dogs may enjoy it when they are young but grow to dislike it as the reach social maturity.

Every dog has their own personal threshold for social interaction. What is a threshold? It’s the limit of interaction they are willing and able to tolerate before the experiences becomes an unpleasant one. This threshold is different for every dog, and it can even shift within a dog’s lifetime.

It is so important to recognize your dog’s social limitations and respect their boundaries, because failing to do so can lead to some very disastrous and unpleasant situations.

Even with the most social of dogs, busy social gatherings can be a challenge and it will take time, practice, and thoughtful training to prepare them for these types of events.

If we take an unprepared or ill-suited dog to a crowded brewery or café, things can go bad very quickly, and this can have lasting effects on your long-term training goals.

We always need to be aware of what our dog is experiencing:

1.) Are they getting overwhelmed or overstimulated?

2.) Are they apprehensive or fearful?

3.) Is their prey drive kicking in when they see children running and kicking soccer balls?

Think about your goals and be realistic with what your dog is capable of. You may be able to work through these problems, but be aware that some of these things can be inherent to your dog’s temperament and cannot be changed through training. And if that’s the case, please be fair to your dog and find other activities that they’ll enjoy.

Some dogs are introverts. Some dogs are home bodies. And that’s okay!

08/01/2022

Truth

07/29/2022

This morning, Nala chased a stray cat that was in our yard. She effortlessly cleared our 7ft tall fence in pursuit of the kitty. When I called her off, she came back to me at the same speed she had pursued the cat, leaping back over the fence to run back to me. I was laughing the whole time. When she got back to me, her body was full of joy- joy for the chase and joy for coming back to share it with me.

Why am I telling you this?

Because dogs will be dogs. I live with and love two high prey drive dogs. This is not something that will ever change about them. I’d be totally ignorant to dog behavior if I felt I could extinguish a natural instinct as strong as something like prey drive. And our dogs successfully live with two cats! With proper management and meeting their need to chase in other ways, everyone lives happily. But that doesn’t mean their prey drive doesn’t exist. It doesn’t mean I’ve tamed that instinct. And honestly, I don’t want to. Nothing brings me greater joy than watching my dogs do dog things in all their glory. That’s why we love dogs to begin with, right?

Recall is one of the most important skills a dog can have to help them live safely with humans and other pets. But it is not a skill that is perfected overnight. It doesn’t come without work. Nala has been practicing and perfecting her recall skills for years now- and she came back to me easily and full of joy because of all of that practice. Because of the immense amount of reinforcement I’ve put into working on recall in challenging, instinctual drive situations. But also, because she and I have a great relationship. Does that guarantee she’d always come back? No. She’s an animal-not a robot- with thoughts and preferences of her own. But it gives me a lot to work with.

So where am I going with this?

Train the skills that matter to you. The ones that make your dog’s life better and allow them to be dogs. In our house that means super solid recall, leash walking, relaxation- both in and out of a crate, body handling, leave it and drop it. Sure, they both know how to do a fancy focused heel. They both can do duration stays with distractions. They both have trick dog titles- Grizz knows more than 55 “formal” tricks at this point. But those aren’t useful. Flashy skills are fun. But that’s it- They don’t make our lives together easier on the daily. They don’t mean my dog is emotionally balanced and regulated. They don’t embrace their inner dog. They don’t fulfill our dogs needs. I taught them because I can, not because they are useful. And just because we can, doesn’t always mean we should.

What that means for my life with dogs- as a guardian and as a trainer- is that I don’t spend time drilling and generalizing skills that don’t help dogs and their families co-exist more naturally. I want our dogs to be dogs. And I want dogs and their guardians to have the skills and knowledge that enable that.

What happens instead:

You won’t see me teach a fully finished recall in an hour. You’ll see me help you develop the relationship and trust that recall is based off of before adding in the formal skill. Recall is a perishable skill that needs to be practiced and reinforced for life.

You won’t see me teach an extended place/stay behavior as a cure all. What you’ll see instead is me teaching the dog how to relax overall and make the choice to relax and self-regulate. I don’t need my dog to hold a “place” on top of a stump for 10 minutes. I need him to see that mom is busy and make a choice to lay down on his mat where things are comfortable, safe and predictable.

You won’t see me teach a fancy over the top heel. I don’t need the dog to stare at me the whole time we are out- we aren’t in the obedience ring when we are on a walk. I’m walking the dog FOR the dog! What you’ll see instead is a dog who learns how not to drag his guardian toward exciting things and can enjoy a walk together in the environment while meeting dog specific needs for sniffing- reserving engaged side by side walking for situations that warrant it- busy parking lots, public spaces, etc…

You won’t see me set up arbitrary rules around access to comfort, food, affection and play. You’ll see me develop predictable patterns and alternative behaviors for our dogs that make sense to the dog in the context of the boundary or rule we are trying to instill.

You won’t see me force a dog to accept handling or affection when they obviously don’t want it. You’ll see me work to build a consent based, trusting relationship where the dog has a sense of agency in their care.

You won’t see me flood a dog with things they don’t like in order to help them “get over it.” You’ll see me build confidence and skills in the dog before exposing them to triggers at low doses and building over time.

You won’t see me set unrealistic expectations for dogs. You will see me discover who the dog is, what they are capable of, look at what their genetics and environment bring to the table (including what their guardian is capable of!) and develop goals that are attainable given all of the individual dog and human factors in a situation.
And so that’s how I live with and love dogs. I let them be dogs. I train what matters to me. I train the things that keep us safe and are useful. I have patterns that make sense. And we live together without conflict in a home where everyone’s needs are met. Communication is clear. And my dogs listen to me. Not because they have to, but because I’ve cultivated an environment where they want to.

07/24/2022

Management is one of the most important elements of training and modifying behaviors. Yes it takes work, but your training will be much harder (and not nearly as effective!) without management.

07/21/2022

🙌

07/19/2022

Sweet Peyton 💜

07/15/2022

Many people believe that you don't need any skills or qualifications to be a professional Dog walker and sadly this has led to a huge increase in new dog walkers, all advertising themselves as professionals. While technically, the dog industry is unregulated, it’s still important to bring skills t...

07/14/2022

Yes!!! We are going to be writing our own post about this soon based on what’s happening locally but this is a great start!

Hiring a dog training professional can be daunting. Especially with the fact that this is an unregulated industry. One where people can start a business claim they created the "force-free method" and be just another person using buzzwords and flowery language to deceive the general public for a profit.
For a client, this can leave them feeling like they wasted money and time.
It can leave them feeling like they did something wrong especially if they are gaslighted when voicing concerns.
It can leave them feeling like their dog is broken or hopeless.
Even worse, a poor quality trainer can leave a dog relinquished to a shelter or worse and leave their humans with a broken heart that will never quite heal.
The trauma of this industry due to the lack of regulation is real. It's harmful and toxic at times. The worst part for us is when that impacts the clients. So we made a handy Bingo sheet to help you avoid unnecessary stress.

This is Dog Trainer
If you never hire us, that's okay. But we want you to know how to find a properly credentialed professional. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm6NbYOeV3M
We even made a handy video about it too.