Nadia B. - Epping PetSmart Training Group

07/08/2024

Dear Friends and Clients,

It is with a mix of gratitude and a touch of sadness that I share some important news with you all. After five incredible years of training at Epping PetSmart, I have made the decision to move on to a new opportunity where I can continue helping dogs and their families in even more direct and impactful ways. This was a very hard decision for me to make, and I want you to know that I will never forget the experiences we shared.

During my time here, I have had the absolute pleasure of building heartwarming connections with so many wonderful families and their dogs. Your trust, commitment, and love for your furry companions have made every moment here truly special. Seeing the progress and joy in both the dogs and their owners has been the highlight of my career, and I will forever cherish these memories.

As I transition to this new chapter, I am delighted to introduce Arya, our new trainer who brings a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for dog training. I have full confidence that Arya will continue to provide the same level of care, expertise, and dedication that you have come to expect. I trust that you and your dogs will be in great hands with her.

Please note that all ongoing classes will be completed and any make-ups will be honored! I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of your dog’s journey, and I am excited for what the future holds for all of us.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and for allowing me to be a part of your lives. I look forward to seeing you all flourish with Arya and in your continued training adventures.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Your Trainer, Nadia

06/25/2024

I am currently taking a very interesting course on the topic of a modern approach to training, known as LEGS. I wanted to share some of the insights I have learned that I feel could be very valuable even to the average pet owner.

North America and Europe has seen a massive shift in what "dog training" is in the last decade, which has been harmful to the culture surrounding dogs as pets. The verbiage around training is centered around ideas such as "obedience" "behavior modification" "commands", etc, and this has lead to most people believing that we have significant control over dog behavior with techniques like Operant conditioning (Cue - Behavior - Consequence/Reward). Applied Behavior Analysis is the scientific study of behavior, focusing on how behavior is learned and how it can be changed.

What we have left behind is the Applied Ethology of animal behavior. It focuses on understanding the biological and evolutionary basis of behavior. This includes how animals interact with their environment, other animals, and humans. The approach is often descriptive, aiming to understand the "why" behind behaviors based on evolutionary and ecological contexts.

Dogs have not been "pets" for up to 40,000 years of our relationship with them. Only in the last hundred to 200 years have dogs been commonly kept on leashes, in the house, and generally, entirely under our control and prohibited from engaging in natural behavior. This massive shift has left many dogs ill adapted to this lifestyle that directly contradicts more than 99% of their history.

It isn't hard to see that more pet dogs are displaying behavior issues than ever before, but our dogs are not broken. “Dog Training” is a broken and outdated concept for helping modern dogs & their families. We need to evolve into a new paradigm that reflects the comprehensive science we have available to us, rather than solely focusing on changing the behaviors we see

Both nature AND nurture are incredible significant influences on our companion's behavior, however, it has become common in our culture to dismiss the nature of our canine pets. I found this notion very impactful in my own techniques, and I believe it will be impactful on every dog owners methodology of training as well. Think about it! Apply it!

06/16/2024

🎉Friendly reminder that your stories make a difference!! Reviews mean the WORLD to me, and help others decide if our classes are right for them! Sharing your training story on the Epping Petsmart Google Maps page should only take a few minutes, but you will help thousands (yes, reviews on our Google reach over 1000 people!) of people learn about what we do and how training can change their life!!

This link should bring you to the Google review page:
https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zfMSDYtM0vJKTRgtFI1qLCwTDVKMzQxMjdONTC2SDK1MqgwN0tLMzYxMzQ2NLA0MzVP8eJPLSjIzEtXKEgtKc5NLCoBAKwgFGA&q=epping+petsmart&oq=epp&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqFQgEEC4YJxivARjHARiABBiKBRiOBTIGCAAQRRg5MgYIARBFGDwyBggCEEUYPTIGCAMQRRg9MhUIBBAuGCcYrwEYxwEYgAQYigUYjgUyDQgFEAAYkQIYgAQYigUyEAgGEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyCggHEC4YsQMYgAQyEAgIEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQYjgUyDAgJEAAYQxiABBiKBdIBBzk2MWowajSoAgCwAgA&client=ms-android-samsung-gs-rev1&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8 =si:ALGXSlZecm6tmUOK1xCxA3-cJblF3EeOR9fg-qrmLxwIq8Uqjre2GxYnzKvfVMKK__UxE8G91EfPi6RPEFnwdGhay5sGakY_IbmV2BKspc5Gny3RfqNtoo5AvmHuBzADdRQmYVmvL6k2

06/10/2024

🌟HOT SUMMER SALES🌟
ALL 6-week classes - only $99 (reg $149)

PREMIUM PACKAGE for premium pups - only $285 (that's THREE 6-week classes for $85 each!)

Whether you're looking to start ASAP or just planning ahead, you can save by signing up this month only!

06/02/2024

🌟SKIP, ZORA, AND CASHEW🌟
These three families deserve a round of ap-paws for their hard work and dedication! Each day they came in, they had exciting good news from the past week of training, and I loved to share their excitement and joy!! These are memories to be cherished🥳🥰

05/22/2024

05/22/2024

05/14/2024

🤔Does your dog always seem to suddenly be ITCHY when you give them a cue? Maybe they suddenly need to sniff around, or offer a behavior different than the one you asked?

📍These are DISPLACEMENT behaviors! Displacement behaviors are seen when a dog is confused, overwhelmed, or stressed. They are often seen in conjunction with other stress signals. Outside of training, these behaviors demonstrate inner conflict. For example, if someone were to call their dog to them to give them a bath. The dog may both want to come to the owner, but be afraid of the incoming bath time.

📍Common displacement behaviors include: sudden itching, grooming, sniffing when there is nothing there, vocalizing, teething, urinating/defecating, and more.

So what if you're seeing these behaviors a lot during training? They aren't necessarily a bad thing, but consider what they signal - conflict, confusion. Too much of those will lead to frustration. If the behaviors begin to escalate in frequency during a session, I would recommend that you give your dog a couple of easy cues, and end on a good note! Happy training🥳

05/13/2024

😄EUSTRESS VS. 😫DISTRESS

There really can be too much of a good thing!

🐾 Let's delve into the fascinating realm of canine emotions and nuances. Picture the scene: your dog eagerly awaiting your return, their fervent barking and whining signaling anticipation of a positive outcome - that's eustress in action. Similarly, their exuberant display upon spotting a familiar face during a walk reflects this same anticipation. Eustress is essentially, a strong and positive anticipation of a good outcome. You could call it excitement, but they aren't always the same.

🐶 However, when reality doesn't align with their expectations, excitement can swiftly give way to frustration. Consider the thrill of the chase when your dog spots prey. Initially, it's all eustress, but an inability to catch their target flips that excitement into distress. Likewise, failed attempts at getting attention, or unmet expectations during greetings can lead to frustration. Eustress and Excitement CAN lead to frustration, and even aggression. This is often the source of barrier aggression and leash frustration!

How do you know there is too much excitement at play? Signs of arousal include a high set tail, vocalization, inability to focus, poor impulse control, hu***ng, lunging, erratic movement, drooling/panting, dilated pupils, and more. How can you prevent this eustress from becoming distressing? You want to interrupt your dog's fixation, move them away from the trigger, and allow them to relax. It takes up to 120 minutes for cortisol levels to begin to taper off, so keep in mind, after a very arousing event, your dog will remain in a higher level of arousal than normal for a while! 🐾

05/12/2024

An attempt to record our back-up in heel, blissfully unaware that at some point, Jäger slung slobber onto the phone camera🤔

05/11/2024

My Hound, Jäger made an appearance today!!🥳🌟

05/09/2024

CONGRATULATIONS GINNY AND KRYPTO!!!🥳🥳🥳

Love is in the air with these two goobers!! They have successfully passed Intermediate class and are ready for our most advanced training course! I adore working with both of these awesome families, both humans and dogs are so dedicated, and it shows!🥰🥰

05/08/2024

My favorite short video about Resource Guarding prevention!👋

05/03/2024

Congratulations OZZIE, a one-pup-wonder!! This shining star graduated from Puppy class!!

This little feller has SO much potential, with incredible handler focus and food drive, I just can't wait to see what this guy's future holds! A well earned achievement ♥️♥️

05/01/2024

🎉🎉🎉EPPING'S NEWEST CANINE GOOD CITIZEN!!🎉🎉🎉

Rambo the Boerboel has not only made it though BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE and ADVANCED... but finished off with a bang by passing the ten part American Kennel Club test, intended to prove one's dog to be well mannered in a public setting! We are so happy to see this big boy succeed and enjoy a life well loved!

05/01/2024

🎉♥️Is this not the best Beginner graduation picture ever?!
Congratulations to Cooper, George and Gemini for achieving so much in just 6 short weeks! I will certainly miss ending Tuesday night with this group♥️🎉