In Stride Pet Dog Training LLC

11/07/2025

Great information 🐶💖🐾😉

Your legs.
Their friends.
Even your best cushion! 🫠
Where do you even start with this?
Well...it all depends why and when this behaviour is shown.
Some dogs do this when they just don't know what else to do!
Others may be looking for attention....either from us or a dog they want to interact with.

It might look "embarrassing" but it is natural and a way for dogs to release some energy, regulate their stress or they can even do this because they are so frustrated.
Some just don't know what on earth to do in a social situation and suddenly show this behaviour.

Look a bit deeper as to why this could be happening.
That is always key ...so an appropriate solution can be found.

It is natural.
It's normal.

It just may not always be appropriate.

11/07/2025

Love this 💖🐶🐶🙌

DOG AGGRESSION - RAIN AND BLUE

By the time I visited Rain and Blue about a month ago, they had already had a few vicious fights under their belt. They were bored, frustrated excitable and were being trained by a local trainer for 1 year using aversive methods. Training didn't deal the key issues and only served to amplify their fighting. One of the conditions for me taking on the case was the discontinuation of the aversive training as it was ineffective while causing an amplification in the emotional states of these strong girls. Their guardians were only too happy to withdraw from such a programme as it didn't deliver the promised results.

Once the triggers for the fights were identified, it was smooth sailing to develope a plan of action for their family. Their guardians were eager to follow the plan in every detail as they wanted to prevent any more fights given the stigma around this breed of dog. I check in with them weekly via WhatsApp and all is well so far. The aim is to extinguish the problem behaviours by preventing the behaviour rehearsal and executing the various protocols put in place, while fulfilling the unmet needs of these big girls.

No force, no fear and no intimidation tactics were suggested. Only choice based behaviour modification methods and principles were recommended and implemented. So tell me why some breeds need a firmer hand again? The only time I touched them was at the request of the dogs for some ear scratches.

Once again, a big shout out to amazing guardians who are prepared to work hard and follow the recommendations religiously to able to see success. Once dogs have a history of fighting, it is imperative that strict protocols are in place to manage possible rehearsals. Prevention is better than cure and the guardians understood the assignment perfectly. Success is truly in the hands of the guardians in high stakes cases like this...only they can decide to make a difference 👌

Note - only one session was needed with me, followed by free virtual support, as opposed to a whole year of worthless obedience training which could not solve emotional issues 😉

11/07/2025

Yes! 💖🐶🐾🙌

IS YOUR DOG “STUBBORN”, OR STRUGGLING?

I’ve seen and heard a lot of comments relating to “stubborn” dogs just recently. It is all too easy to describe our dogs as stubborn when we are feeling frustrated that they don't seem to be listening to us, or aren't being very cooperative. “Nose down, tail up, ears off!” is often repeated when it comes to scent hounds. However, if we aren’t achieving the response that we are looking for from our dogs, we need to consider why, and how we can help them out.

*Are we being clear in what we are asking of them, and do they understand?
*Are we giving them the time they need to respond?
*Are we placing them under pressure by repeatedly cueing them?
*Is our teaching and reinforcement history adequate?
*Are we asking too much of them too soon and not building solid foundations first?
*What is happening in the environment which may be impacting them?
*Are they trigger stacked and not in the right frame of mind to be able to focus and learn new things?
*Are they suffering from undiagnosed pain?
*Are they physically capable of what we are asking them to do?

When our dogs aren't able to do as we ask, we need to consider why, and understand that they are not purposely being difficult, but need some help from us. We may not always be aware of potential problems: a worrying scent, a noise in the distance that we are unable to hear, or they might be experiencing pain or discomfort.

To automatically label their behaviour as stubbornness, naughtiness or disobedience is a great disservice to our dogs. Being unable or unwilling to do something is vital information that we need to acknowledge, take on board, and respond to appropriately. We should always be questioning WHY.

With any behavioural concerns, it is really important to get a thorough veterinary check to assess for any undiagnosed medical conditions; we know that up to approximately 80% of behavioural cases have an underlying pain component:

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/318

If in doubt, always get checked out!

© Trailie Paws For Thought
https://www.trailiepawsforthought.com/

I'm very happy for all of my content to be shared, but please do not copy and paste (to avoid sharing from source), screenshot, or download any part of it. THANK YOU! 🐾 🐾

Image text reads:

"Stubborn"; Let's rephrase that! Perhaps your dog is:

Struggling.
Tired
Unsure
Becoming distracted by something
Being placed under pressure
Overwhelmed
Really not feeling well
Not having his needs met"

The word "Stubborn" is spelled out from the first letter of each line.

11/07/2025

Yes!!! 💖🐶🐾🙌

Your dog owes you nothing. Not a thing.

The decision for him to be in your life wasn’t his, it was yours. He doesn’t owe you anything. If you look at your dog as owing you something in return for your attention, food, medical care etc, then that’s the first problem we have to tackle before we can even begin true training together.

Your dog doesn’t owe you “obedience” he doesn’t owe you “respect” he doesn’t owe you “good behavior” simply because he gets to share the same space and life with you. If you want that kind of relationship and behavior; that’s on you to create, not him.

YOU owe your dog. You owe it to him to understand his history, his development and his ancestors. You owe it to him to learn about his needs, his characteristics and his individual personality. You owe it to him to become educated on how he communicates with you, his body language and train him in a way he understands and enjoys and doesn’t cut corners just because it’s easier on YOU. You owe it to him to protect him and keep him safe. You owe it to him to modify YOUR environment to help him be successful.

Dogs are a privilege. WE created THEM. We’ve done them so many injustices and yet they still go to war with us, herd our livestock, protect us, find people for us, assist us devotedly, meet us at the door wagging their tails and comfort us when we are down. The tasks they do for us go above and beyond any other partnership between species imaginable, so you have to be willing to do your part too.

Your dog owes you nothing. You owe your dog. Let’s get to work to make a great team.

- Helen St.Pierre
If you share please give credit.

11/07/2025

Great information 🐶💖🐾😉

10/07/2025

Great information for recalls 💖🐶🐾😉

Is it failing?
Is there frustration creeping in to your voice?
It might be time to start fresh, with a new recall word... (not their name).
A clean slate to build on.
1️⃣Recall is about your relationship.
If they feel good....they'll come back.

2️⃣Practice in calm settings first.
Then level up. Distraction by distraction.

3️⃣Use the good stuff !
Chicken, a little bit of cheese....whatever makes them light up.

4️⃣Use a long line but this needs practice too.
Work on your timing and use this around small distractions first.

5️⃣Mix it up.
Sometimes a piece of chicken, a scatter of food all around....other times pull that favourite toy out of your pocket and play.

6️⃣You elicit their response and emotions attached to their recall word.

Make that recall word magic🪄

You are creating an emotional response.

Make that emotion a positive one.

10/07/2025

Such good information 💖🐶🐾🙌

10/07/2025

Yes please 💖🐶🐾😉

When our dogs-in-training go on field trips, it's all about building positive, safe experiences in the real world. But not everyone knows how to approach dogs - and sometimes, a well-meaning "hello" can do more harm than good.

A controlled greeting that a dog opts into sets the tone and confidence for a lifetime of positive social experiences. Let's teach our dogs that the world - and the people in it - are safe and respectful.

10/07/2025

Yes please! 🐶💖🐾😉

We teach behaviors starting with a food lure, then a hand signal and finally a verbal cue. In new environments you may need to either start from the beginning or you’ll want to reverse that order if your dog didn’t respond.

10/07/2025

So very true 🐶🐾😢💔

10/07/2025

Yes please 🐶💖🐾😉

WHY DOGS NEED TO CHEW

Did you ever wonder why dogs love to chew so much? They sometimes chew furniture, the couch, your shoes or your books!

In the the wild, they have to kill their prey and eat it. Grinding and gnawing on the carcass bones can clean tartar off teeth, while shredding and tearing aids in flossing for healthy gums. The dexterity needed to chew keeps the dog’s jaw, neck, and forearms well-muscled. So for our pet dogs, the need to chew is a hard-wired, healthy, normal dog behavior. The act of chewing is internally rewarding and brings our pet dogs much enjoyment. It also helps with boredom and mild anxiety relief.

Though our pet dogs may not be using their teeth as weapons anymore, it’s still important our pups chew for their dental health. Chewing is also a great outlet for extra energy in our dogs. Providing the proper chew toy can even help reduce mouthiness and nipping during puppy play, and prevent inappropriate and destructive chewing at home. Always supervise your pet when given a chew. If you have other dogs, pets, or children, be sure to give your dog a safe, quiet place to chew without being bothered.

Take away items that become too small and could be a choking hazard. Be proactive and prevent guarding behaviors by teaching your dog to “trade” for a treat when you take away bones and chews.

Consider the following types of chews:
- Frozen raw marrow bones. The enzymes from the raw marrow help break down plaque and tartar naturally.
Frozen raw bones are much less likely to splinter or crack than cooked bones. They last forever, and getting more chew action equals cleaner, healthier teeth, and a happier hound. They are inexpensive and accessible at natural pet food stores or local butchers.
- Tendon chews. All-natural and completely digestible. Inexpensive and flavourful. Tendons are especially great for extra flossing action.
- 100% natural beef or ostrich sticks. This is my personal favourite.

Avoid:
- Rawhides (bleached or flavored) as rawhides are not safe. Dogs can choke on these, get ill from them, not digest the rawhide completely and need surgery to remove it.
- Busy Bones. Contains every ingredient NOT to feed your pets. You will spend a lot of money for your dog to devour the whole chew in less than 5 minutes, then have mushy clay-colored p**p for 3 days.
- Greenies. Albeit better than Busy Bones, they still have very little nutritional content and encourage weight gain. Also, very expensive if given as recommended (daily).

Remember to always supervise any chewing, as with any other enrichment activities. Not all bones are appropriate for all dogs as some may damage their teeth due to being hard chewers. Cooked, smoked and prepared bones are a no no as they break and splinter easily.

What daily chewing opportunities do you afford your pet?