Walking with a Friend

01/09/2026

01/07/2026

01/05/2026

Assuming it’s fine won’t make it OK.
The other dog brings a history you can’t see. Pain, fear, recovery, or stress can still shape how they respond.
Caution is never an overreaction.

01/05/2026

"My dog lets my kids do whatever they want to her. She's so good." ❌

This isn't the flex you think or hope it is!
✅ Dogs should not be expected to tolerate whatever a child wants to do to them.
✅ Children should not be allowed to do whatever they want with dogs.

🍀 Tolerance is luck. Tolerance does not equal comfort. Tolerance does not guarantee safety.

Instead, we, as the adults, need to facilitate appropriate and respectful interactions between children and dogs. When we are unable to do that, we utilize management strategies, such as separation.

Want to learn more? Check out:
Trailblazing Tails Educational Infographics: https://www.trailblazingtails.com/pages/educational-content

Family Paws Parent Education https://www.familypaws.com/

Need help with your dog? We've got you covered: https://www.synergybehavior.com/

01/05/2026

01/05/2026

Helpful at first. Harder later.
This usually comes from good intentions.

We notice restlessness and it becomes our cue to do something.
So we entertain them.
Play with them.
Amuse them.
We direct that energy into toys, walks, activity, or training.

Over time, this can unintentionally skip an important skill.

It is absolutely okay for a dog to do nothing.
Learning how to rest, observe, and settle is a vital part of development, but it can’t happen if every quiet moment is filled.

Life is full of “nothing” times.
Waiting. Pausing. Lying around. Watching the world go by.

Those moments aren’t wasting time.
They're where dogs practise calm, build self regulation, and learn how to switch off.

Trying to entertain a dog all day is exhausting for us too.
It puts pressure on people to always provide something, even when rest would actually help the most.

Doing nothing is not wasted time.

01/02/2026

This is one of the very first questions I ask in an initial behavior consult:

“How much does your dog sleep during the day?”

And every time, people look surprised.

They were ready to tell me about the reactivity on walks, barking at the window, separation anxiety, pacing ...

Sleep feels unrelated.

But behavior is NEVER isolated.

What your dog does is not happening in a sterile bubble.
It’s shaped by everything they experience throughout the day.

That’s why I always ask about sleep.

Almost always, the answer is some version of:
“He’s actually awake most of the day.”
“She’s always on the go.”
“He doesn’t really nap.”

Often this gets framed as a personality trait.
Some people even see it as a badge of honor - a true working dog who’s always alert, always ready, always moving.

But that’s not how dogs are designed.

Dogs don’t have the same day–night rhythm that humans do.
We can be awake for 16 hours straight and still function reasonably well.

Dogs CANNOT.

Dogs need to sleep or nap every three to four hours.
When they don’t, we start to see the fallout:

Lower patience.
Reduced impulse control.
Shorter fuse.
More reactivity.
More stress.

And here’s the trap:
An overtired dog often can’t settle by themselves anymore.

They get wired, cranky, restless.
They react more.
They struggle to calm down.
Which means… they still don’t sleep.

That’s how dogs end up in a cycle of chronic stress and chronic sleep deprivation.

If a dog never naps, it’s not because they “don’t need sleep.”
It’s because they’re too dysregulated to get it on their own.

That’s why I don’t wait for dogs to figure this out themselves.

I actively "prescribe" naps.

That means:
- A quiet room away from household activity (eg a bedroom)
- A genuinely comfortable bed (not just a thin blanket! Think extra plush bed with walls they can snuggle up against)
- Toys put away
- Other pets separated
- No access to self-triggering, eg at the window
- Background sound like white noise, a fan, or soft music

Then we start with scheduled nap times.
Two naps a day, around two hours each.

And the shift can be remarkable!

Well-rested dogs are:
More patient
Less impulsive
Better learners
Less reactive

Sleep is also when learning consolidates.
So if you’re doing behavior modification or reactivity training, sleep isn’t optional. It’s part of the process.

If your dog doesn’t nap, that’s important information.
This is not "who your dog is".
It's not a sign of being extra energetic or driven.

It's a sign that they really need your help to get the restful sleep they need to live their happiest, least stressful lives and make progress in their training!!

12/30/2025

Is your dog ready for NYE celebrations? Fireworks are fun for people, but they can be very scary for dogs!!! The loud noises, flashing lights, and busy crowds often cause anxiety, and some dogs may even run away out of fear. Taking a few simple steps can help keep your dog calm, safe, and comfortable for the night!

12/30/2025

BOOMS AND BANGS
THOSE DREADED FIREWORKS!

I’ll be spending New Year’s Eve at home, in my pajamas, cuddled up with my dogs, as I always do.

Personally, I detest fireworks. Not only are they terrifying for so many different animals, but are also dreaded by many people, who have to watch, often helplessly as their dog suffers the trauma of the deafening, relentless bangs, all because of fleeting human entertainment.

Shelters become overrun with lost dogs, dogs are knocked over by cars or go missing in their attempt to escape, they jump through glass windows, over high walls, have heart attacks, seizures or worse.

As there’s very little we can do to prevent other people from doing what they do, the best solution is to do all we can to minimize the impact this has on our dogs.

All dogs are different and there’s never a guarantee that any of these methods will work, but we owe it to our dogs to try and make it better.

For more detailed information, here are some useful links –

Dr Karolina Westlund - ILLIS Animal Behaviour
https://illis.se/en/eliminating-firework-and-thunder-phobia-in-dogs/

Dogs Trust – various resources to help dogs cope with fireworks
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/search?q=fireworks .tab=0&gsc.q=fireworks&gsc.page=1

Noise of fireworks for desensitization training –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7FANXaanG4

Calming dog music – Pet Calming Maestro, Lisa Spector (Lisa’s music helps me relax and fall asleep quicker too!)
https://lisaspector.com/dog-gone-calm

Thundershirt / anxiety wraps information -
https://www.dutch.com/blogs/dogs/thunder-shirts-for-dogs?srsltid=AfmBOoquuaLUOrdLldnBrAsDT5wDByrW4Ax8XpTx3u0RZ8izhwJEWc8w

Wishing you and dogs everywhere a calm, peaceful, uneventful beginning to 2026.

12/29/2025

🐾 Train Your Dog Month begins January 1!

January is dedicated to educating the world about humane, science-based dog training—because how we teach matters just as much as what we teach.

Throughout Train Your Dog Month, we’ll be sharing:
✔️ Educational resources
✔️ Real training stories
✔️ Tools to support dogs and the people who love them at trainyourdogmonth.com

Join us in setting the standard for kinder, more effective training.
📣 Follow along and be ready to share starting January 1.