Roman's Holistic Dog Training

11/15/2025

Should Dogs “Earn Their Food”?

A newborn pup doesn’t work for nourishment. They receive food, warmth, protection, and comfort because they need them. That’s how mammals grow. Guardians meet needs freely so young animals develop secure attachment, emotional stability, and a sense of safety in their world.

Linda Michaels outlines this clearly in The Do No Harm Dog Training & Behavior Handbook (https://amzn.to/3Z6XhcZ). Dogs have essential biological and emotional needs that should never be used as leverage. Withholding them to control behavior doesn’t create a confident or well-educated dog. It undermines trust, increases stress, and disrupts natural development.

Meeting a dog’s needs without conditions is ethical care. It creates a stable foundation for connection, safety, and genuine learning.

Photo : Bobby - rescued stray - resident of Nea Makri Greece.

11/14/2025

Six-Year Prison Sentence - For Newborn Puppies Abandonment - Marks Turning Point in Greece’s Animal-Welfare Enforcement

A significant development in Greece’s animal-welfare system is already showing real impact in the courts.

The Special Secretariat for the Protection of Companion Animals recently issued a new directive that clarifies, with legal and scientifically verified standards, how the age of an abandoned animal is determined and when a puppy is officially classified as “newborn.”

This clarification has already led to an important legal milestone.

Landmark Conviction in Patras

The Mixed Jury Court of Patras sentenced a woman to 6 years in prison for abandoning five newborn puppies in a public park in 2022.
A central issue in the trial was the precise age determination of the puppies, something that has often been disputed.

The prosecution submitted the directive from the Special Secretariat as formal evidence, and the veterinary expert explained the scientific criteria used to determine age.

The court accepted that the puppies’ newly erupted milk teeth were a clear indicator that they were newborns. This classification elevated the offense to a felony, which resulted in the severe sentence.

Additional penalties:
• 6 months in jail for failing to meet welfare standards for the mother dog
• €151,300 in administrative fines had already been issued

Why This Matters

The directive from the Secretariat provides:
• Unified and scientifically supported criteria for determining age
• Clear authority that only a certified veterinarian can assess age
• Consistency and fairness across all abandonment cases
• Stronger legal protection for authorities and the justice system

With this framework in place, newborn animals finally receive the level of protection they need.

Clarity strengthens justice.
And justice for animals grows when the law is specific, enforceable, and grounded in science.

The Special Secretariat continues to reinforce every stage of the process, from early investigation to the courtroom, ensuring Greece moves toward stronger and more effective protection for companion animals.

If Your Dog Gives Birth and You Cannot Care for the Puppies

This situation is overwhelming for many guardians, and you’re not alone. What matters now is acting safely, legally, and with the puppies’ well-being in mind.

1. Do Not Separate the Puppies From Their Mother

For the first weeks, the mother is the only one who can:

• Keep them warm
• Feed them properly
• Help them eliminate
• Provide immune protection

If she is calm, healthy, and able to nurse, keep the litter together until an appropriate plan is in place.

2. Contact Your Veterinarian Immediately

Explain the situation honestly. A vet can:

• Check the mother and puppies
• Help you assess their health
• Guide you on next steps
• Connect you with reputable rescues or foster homes

Early veterinary guidance prevents emergencies.

3. Reach Out to a Reputable Local Rescue or Foster Organization

Most areas in Greece and abroad have volunteer groups trained to take in nursing mothers and puppies. Look for:

• Municipal shelter
• Licensed rescues
• Foster networks
• Local animal welfare associations

Ask specifically whether they have a nursing foster home available. These homes are experienced in caring for a mother and her litter.

4. Do Not Offer the Puppies Online Too Early

Removing puppies from their mother too young is dangerous and illegal.

In Greece:
• Puppies must stay with their mother at least 8 weeks
• Transfers must follow microchipping and official adoption law
• Abandonment or unsafe transfer is treated as a criminal offense

Keep everything transparent and legal so the animals are protected.

5. Ask the Rescue for Help With Supplies or Temporary Foster Care

You may not need to surrender them completely. Many organizations can help with:

• Food
• Puppy milk replacer
• A safe whelping area
• Temporary foster support
• Veterinary expenses

Sometimes a little help buys you time and keeps everyone safe.

6. If the Mother Rejects the Litter or Cannot Nurse

This is a medical emergency. Get to a vet immediately or contact a rescue with neonatal experience.

Rejection can signal:

• Mastitis
• Pain
• Infection
• Stress
• Eclampsia

Bottle-feeding newborn puppies is extremely demanding, and they need expert care every 2–3 hours.

7. Plan for the Puppies’ Futures Early

While the puppies are with their mother, you can work with rescues to:

• Book vet checks
• Arrange vaccinations
• Microchip legally
• Screen potential adopters
• Prepare adoption paperwork

Planning early decreases stress later.

8. Spay the Mother When the Time Is Right

This prevents future accidental litters and protects her long-term health.

Work with your vet or a rescue to choose the right timing based on her health and recovery.

9. You Are Not Failing the Puppies by Asking for Help

The real failure is waiting too long or hiding the problem.
Reaching out early is responsible and protects the animals.

10/05/2025

It takes a deep understanding of trauma, animal behavior, and cognitive processing to help a dog trust and feel safe.

10/04/2025

Photo Dozer and Diesel

10/04/2025

Healing a traumatized dog is not about erasing memories- it’s about building enough trust for new ones to take root.
Like this mastiff puppy who was trained with a shock collar because he was disobedient - since what the trainer did wasn’t working I was contacted to do an assessment. Only to found out the puppy was deaf. Minutes later we had two dogs that understood what was asked!

Holistic dog training looks beyond obedience, meets the dog’s needs and communicate with them in their language. You can learn how. If you’re interested let me know in the comments.

10/04/2025

What is your dog's background and what steps do you plan to take to support them?

09/17/2025

Agressive 15 Month Doberman Attacked His Owner
In this video, you're about to see a powerful transformation in a very short amount of time. We're working with a 15 -month-old Doberman who exhibits severe crate aggression, a situation so intense that his owner has to use a door as a shield just to let him out.

The Challenge: Understanding the Dog's Story

To solve a problem like this, we first have to understand its roots. This isn't just a "bad dog"; this is a dog under immense stress. Here's what was going on:

History & Triggers: He was brought home at nine weeks and has had limited exposure to new situations. His stress has recently been amplified by his owner's use of crutches.

Stress Responses: He is highly intelligent, but he channels his anxiety into specific behaviors. He uses his food bowl to self-soothe when stressed and can escalate into prolonged "rage" episodes when he feels overwhelmed.

The Core Issue: At the heart of it all is a profound feeling of being trapped and threatened inside the crate. The aggression you see is not malice; it's fear.

My Approach: Changing the Dog's Mind, with Cooperation and Emotional Support upport

My goal was never to confront the aggression head-on. That only validates the dog's fear. Instead, my entire approach is designed to change his emotional state from the inside out. Here’s how:

Building a Foundation of Safety: I start by simply being present in a calm, non-threatening way. This communicates to him that I am not a threat.

Positive Reinforcement: Every time he offers a calm behavior—a relaxed posture, a soft eye—he is rewarded. He learns that calm behavior makes good things happen.

Addressing the Root Cause: I identified that he uses his food bowl for comfort, so I integrated it into our work, turning a stress behavior into a tool for building positive anticipation. I also advised the owner on environmental changes to the crate setup to reduce his feeling of being trapped.

The Breakthrough: The Release Process

The most critical part of this session is the final release. I didn't just open the door. I waited for the dog to tell me he was ready. Pay close attention, and you'll see these key steps happen in real-time:

Waiting for the State Change: I wait for his body language to shift from tense to relaxed. The moment he lies down is a huge sign of de-escalation.

Waiting for Voluntary Engagement: I wait for him to be in control of me and his own mind. You'll see him stop reacting and instead choose to look at me. He is now participating, not just reacting.

Confirming Positive Expectation: This is the final piece. He isn't just looking at me; he's looking with the expectation of more treats. His mindset has shifted from "threat" to "opportunity." He felt in control of his environment, which helped him calm down.

Only when all three of these criteria were met did I open the door. What you see is a dog walking out calmly because we addressed his fear first. This is the power of understanding the "why" behind a behavior and building a foundation of trust.

In this video, you're about to see a powerful transformation in a very short amount of time. We're working with a 2-year-old Doberman who exhibits severe cra...

08/10/2025

SHOCK COLLARS, “BALANCED” TRAINING, AND NO TRAINING AT ALL - OUR DATA REVEALS WHY YOUR DOG’S BEHAVIOR MIGHT BE GETTING WORSE

Disclaimer: The data and conclusions presented here are based on client-reported information from intake forms. While the correlations are compelling and align with established behavioral science, this data is not from a formal, controlled scientific study. It is intended for educational purposes to help dog owners make informed decisions about training methods.

I’ve worked with dogs full-time since 2009, but this is the first time I’ve put hard numbers to what I see every day.
I analyzed over 3,800 client cases, real dogs with real families, to find out which training methods were linked to the most aggression, fear, and biting.

The results are crystal clear: aversive and so-called “balanced” training methods are directly tied to higher rates of aggression, fear, and bite history.

What the Numbers Show

Dogs trained with aversive methods — shock collars, prong collars, choke chains — consistently showed the worst outcomes:
• 92% aggression
• 83.5% fear/anxiety
• 46.1% with a documented bite history

Dogs in the “Balanced/Unknown” category showed similarly high rates, confirming that mixing rewards with punishment still damages trust and increases risk.

(see Chart 1)

Why These Problems Happen

Our analysis revealed the most common root causes behind these behaviors:
1. Suppressed fear responses from aversive tools
2. Unmet social and emotional needs
3. Mismatched training for temperament
4. Overlooked pain or medical issues
5. Inconsistent handling in the home

(see Chart 2)

These are not “stubborn dog” problems , they’re the result of fear, confusion, and unmet needs. Correcting the symptom without addressing the cause doesn’t work.

The HEART Approach: Real Change, Real Connection

In our HEART Program, we:
H – Heal your dog’s past trauma and build confidence through safety and trust.
E – Educate you on your dog’s unique needs, communication, and stress signals.
A – Advocate for your dog in situations that could overwhelm or harm them.
R – Rebuild trust and emotional security without fear or pain.
T – Transform behavior through connection, cooperation, and mutual respect.

If your dog is struggling with aggression, reactivity, fear, or anxiety, the answer isn’t more control or harsher tools — it’s understanding and treating the real cause. That’s exactly what my HEART program is designed to do.

💬 If your dog is struggling, the fix isn’t more corrections,it’s finding and treating the real cause.

🔗 find the link to a free exploratory call in the comments.

07/26/2025

Case Study: How Rascall Found His Way Home Through 24/7 Healing Support

When Rascall arrived at the shelter, Rogue Valley Humane Society, he had the soft-eyed look of a dog trying to hold it together. His body was heavy, his expression guarded, and his world had just been turned upside down. The man who brought him in walked away without much explanation. From that moment forward, Rascall began to unravel.

The team noticed the shift right away. Within 48 hours, he was growling and barking through the kennel gate. He stopped eating in the presence of staff. Any attempt to leash him brought visible tension and fear responses. He began vocalizing whenever anyone passed by, and he showed signs of shutting down during handling.

Veterinary procedures became impossible without sedation. Staff made the decision to place him on a Lead-Only handling protocol. Only three designated caregivers were allowed to interact with him, and even those interactions were brief and carefully managed.

Staff documented several concerning behaviors during Rascall’s intake period. These included:
• Kennel reactivity
• Barrier frustration
• Handling sensitivity
• Fear-based growling
• Defensive lunging
• Food refusal in presence of humans
• Avoidance of touch
• Leash avoidance in confined spaces
• Hypervigilance
• Vocalizing at approach

Each of these reflected the state of a dog experiencing emotional shutdown and environmental overwhelm. His behavior was not unpredictable. It was a consistent attempt to protect himself in a situation he didn’t understand.

🐾🐾🐾

Rascall Needed 24/7 Attunement and Gentle Support

When Rascall came into my care, we set up in a quiet, home-like 10x13 space with a doggy door and secure fenced yard. This allowed him to move freely between indoors and outdoors on his own terms. I committed to being with him around the clock and applied the principles of my H.E.A.L.™️– Holistic Emotional Awareness for Life philosophy.

There was no pushing. No luring. No flooding. I provided safety through predictability, met his needs through daily routines, and created space for co-regulation and quiet observation. I cooked while he watched. I worked at my desk while he rested nearby. I offered food calmly and allowed him to choose when and how to engage.

He watched me quietly at first. Then he began resting closer. He followed with his eyes, then with his body. He began eating with confidence and walked calmly on leash in the yard.

His breathing softened. His vocalizations reduced. The defensiveness gave way to curiosity. His posture, expression, and emotional tone shifted.

🐾🐾🐾

Rascall Was Ready

Within just four weeks of consistent, trauma-informed, 100% ethical care, Rascall was fully ready for adoption. He was calm and grounded, accepting interaction, showing voluntary participation in his routines, and expressing emotional flexibility and security in a home-like setting.

He never returned to the shelter.

On May 13, he was picked up directly by his new family—transitioned smoothly from a place of safety, stability, and felt trust.

Today, Rascall lives the life he was always meant to have. His story is a reminder that when we meet dogs where they are, support their emotional recovery, and provide clear, respectful communication, real healing becomes possible.

If You Have a Dog Like Rascall

The H.E.A.L.™️ approach is more than a training method. It’s a comprehensive Body-Mind-Spirit philosophy rooted in science, compassion, and relationship. It addresses the full spectrum of a dog’s biological, cognitive, emotional, and energetic needs while honoring their agency, individuality, and inner life.

If you’re supporting a dog in crisis, I’d be honored to help.
📆 Book a discovery session here:
👉 https://holisticdogtraining.as.me/Short-Web

Donate towards dogs like Rascall https://roguevalleyhumanesociety.org/ways-to-donate/donations/

.E.A.L.

07/13/2025

We’re told dog training must be ethical. But what does that really mean?
Too often, ethics in our field are reduced to checklists and compliance. But if we zoom out - and center the dog as a whole, sentient being - we start to see how limited those definitions really are.

🐕 At the Body level
We’re told it’s ethical as long as there’s no pain.
• The shock collar didn’t leave a mark? ✅ Ethical.
• The crate gives them space to turn around? ✅ Ethical.
• The leash is loose, even if the dog has shut down? ✅ Ethical.

But avoiding harm isn’t the same as creating safety. This is where I began to question my ethics.
It’s why I became a crossover trainer. Because I realized I had been upholding “ethical” standards that still caused suffering.

🧠 At the Mind level
Now we ask: How does the dog feel?
• The tool may not hurt - but does it create fear or confusion?
• The dog may comply - but are they emotionally regulated?
• We may avoid punishment - but are we building real trust?

Here, many professionals lean into LIMA - Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive.
But I didn’t stop there. I openly criticized LIMA before the LIFE model was ever introduced. And I encouraged my colleagues to upgrade their framework - to move beyond minimizing harm and toward honoring emotional truth.
Because if any part of the dog is shut down -we’re not being ethical. We’re being efficient.

✨ At the Spirit level
This is where the conversation shifts entirely.
We ask: What if this being has a purpose?What if what we call “misbehavior” is part of their purchase , their message, their identity? Dogs are sentient. They feel. They remember. They carry stories in their nervous systems that no checklist can reach.
But we still decide for them - without asking: Who are you here to become?
And now, I find myself questioning LIFE too -Least Inhibitive, Functionally Effective.
A thoughtful and much-needed evolution from LIMA - one that finally centers inhibition as part of the ethical cost,and moves us closer to respecting the dog’s autonomy.
But even LIFE, as powerful as it is, still orients us toward function - toward what is effective, manageable, measurable.
And so I ask:What if our role isn’t just to limit intrusion, but to foster purpose?

I know some people who’ve reached the Mind level still roll their eyes when I say I’m an energy healer and intuitive practitioner.
And I understand. That level has its limits. For many, that’s where the journey ends. But not for me. I keep going because I believe true ethics means never arriving. Always listening.
Always evolving.
Always returning to the dog’s lived experience as the most honest data we have.
Even when it challenges my identity. Even when it leads me into the unknown. Because that’s where healing lives.

🌀 Want to go deeper? This is exactly what I do inside my mentorship program - for professionals who feel like LIMA isn’t enough, and LIFE isn’t the end. We explore the Body. We attune to the Mind. And we begin to trust the Spirit.

I show you what I’ve learned to see, and help you build the skills and presence to reach your own HEAL level of practice.

This is about more than changing behavior. It’s about becoming the kind of guide a sentient being can trust.

👣 Ready to evolve your practice - ethically, emotionally, and intuitively?

Let’s begin that journey together.👉 https://holisticdogtraining.as.me/Short-Web

07/12/2025

Watch carefully

07/12/2025

Looking to understand and address complex behaviors in dogs? A trauma informed behavior consultation is key for holistic dog training and improving human-dog relationships. Need more info? Type high-five in the comments.