Kings Heart Canine LLC

09/20/2023

Life is infinitely changing.
Some changes are small and we hardly notice them and over time they compound into something bigger. And some changes are big and sudden and leave us feeling like we got caught in a whirlwind.
Preparing myself and my pack for a newborn felt like a lot of small changes that we were adding together but once she arrived it felt much bigger, more whirlwind. The truth is that it was a bit of both. We have made a lot of small changes over the past two years that have helped in preparing my pack for this challenge. Not every change we made was specifically aimed at this preparation either, a lot of our changes were for the betterment of our individual relationships and the pack relationship as a whole.
And here we are now, figuring out all of these relationships in the midst of the whirlwind of learning to care for a newborn and relearning how to care for ourselves with this newborn.
I’ll admit that sometimes I don’t do a great job with juggling all of this, at least not yet. I’m getting better all the time as I figure out what kind of routine is going to work now and that’s really all I can hope for.

So what’s the point of this? Well change brings opportunity and so while a lot has changed for me and my pack I also see a great opportunity to build on what we’ve been working towards, bettering our relationships. It looks a little different now but it forces me to be more intentional and to focus on one on one time with each of my girls which is where I was lacking before.
So if you are in a season of life where a lot is changing and you feel like you are struggling with your dog just know that you aren’t alone and when you get through this season of change you’ll have built a stronger relationship with your dog.

06/07/2023

Beginning of day 3 of RBBM Course 3.
I’m so lucky to be able to be here and to have such an awesome group of people to learn with.

Continuing education is important. Ask trainers you are considering hiring what kind of continuing education they do and when the last time was. It can help you understand if they are the right fit for you.

05/19/2023

It was a beautiful day to take the girls for a swim ☀️
It’s safe to say this is their favorite summer activity.
And guess who actually swam today! Minnie actually handled a couple of throws where she had to swim briefly today which considering she wouldn’t get in the water at all a few months ago is a huge accomplishment for her! She may want longer throws and love to swim someday 💕

Image descriptions: the first two images are of a poodle in a blue life jacket excitedly waiting the handler to throw the orange bumper. The second two images are of a yellow lab, one where she is shaking water off and one where she is sitting patiently waiting for the handler to throw the bumper. The last two pictures are of a brown labradoodle, one of her shaking water off in the camera while the handler holds her arms up to block the water and one is of her waiting eagerly for the bumper to be thrown.

05/09/2023

This little cutie is here for puppy basics, early socialization, and crate and potty training 😍 isn’t Mira a stunning little lady?

Need help getting your puppy started off on the right foot? Reach out and I can talk to you about my puppy programs!

05/01/2023

We’ve been keeping a little secret but the girls are ready to share!
Our first two legged baby is on the way and Faron, Terra, and Minnie are excited and preparing for the August arrival. If any of their four legged friends have tips for them share in the comments and I promise I’ll pass them along.

04/25/2023

As dog owners, we have certain responsibilities

Responsible dog owners pick up after their dogs go to the bathroom and always use leashes in public spaces that require them.

Responsible dog owners ensure their dogs have some level of training and don’t tolerate dangerous or incessant behaviors to continue, especially if they affect other people or pets.

Responsible dog owners do not let their dogs off leash if they cannot be reliably recalled.

Responsible dog owners do not allow their dogs to harass other people or dogs in public spaces (which includes chasing joggers and approaching leashed dogs).

Really, it all boils down to one thing:

We are responsible for ensuring our dogs do not ever infringe on the rights of other people.

Having dogs is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. It’s important that we go into dog ownership with this understanding so that we can be prepared for it.

Image description: a semi transparent image of a yellow lab and a brown labradoodle sitting on a dirt road looking at the camera with green trees all around them.

🐾

04/17/2023

One year ago this wasn’t possible.

I could walk with all the dogs but not like this. It was a very strict and structured walk with everyone in a heel, two dogs on either side of me. If we stopped everyone sat and I would give one dog at a time the chance to sniff and potty.
It “worked”, but it didn’t really. It was what I thought I needed to do to manage the issues I was having in the pack. I thought maybe over time I could loosen up. But Minnie especially was pretty stressed out by the intensive structure. And on top of her being stressed by it, it wasn’t a very enjoyable walk for me or for the dogs because I was doing whole walks asking them not to do dog things like sniff and explore. And I was tense! I’d try to shake it off, but managing that amount of structure on long walks made me tense no matter how hard I tried to loosen up.

I was starting to get worried about the pack dynamics. Whether or not it made sense for me to keep trying to “force” this situation on them. And then I had the opportunity to take the second Relationship Based Behavior Modification course with CHRI last Fall. When I came home I knew I needed to change several things and I had a revised plan for helping my girls.

And now here we are taking casual sniff walks together. Existing together, moving together, exploring together. The body language of all three of them has changed drastically, partially because I’m no longer so tense and partially because I’ve changed the dynamics of my relationship with each of them individually and as a group.

My life with these girls has changed and keeps changing towards better and better things and I’m so grateful for them and the lessons they continue to teach me.

Video description: several clips of a yellow lab, brown labradoodle, and red and white poodle sniffing through tall grassy areas and walking together as a group.

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04/13/2023

Yesterday I got to do temperament evaluations for a beautiful poodle litter 😍

What are temperament evaluations and why are they important?
A temperament evaluation is a series of observations and interactions with a puppy or dog that helps us to determine what their strengths and weaknesses are in that moment. “In that moment” is an important part of that information! A temperament evaluation is not the end all be all of who a puppy or dog is, but it is an excellent way to let people know what areas they may need to focus training and what things their dog may naturally enjoy and excel at. For example, we may notice during an evaluation that a puppy is sensitive to sudden and/or loud noises so it will be important for their new home to pay attention and actively work on desensitizing to common noises they will be exposed to. Or say we see a puppy who LOVES to carry things around and naturally brings them to you when you call them over. Well it’ll be easier to teach that puppy to play fetch than a puppy who doesn’t really care much about the toy or who prefers to show it off and play keep away with it.
We can see things like if a puppy or dog is hesitant around strangers or if they are extremely excited and pushy when they greet a new person and we can see if they prefer to explore a new environment or want to check in with the human right away.
All of these things can help a new home to focus in on what that puppy may need most right then and over time these observations can change entirely! Yep, that’s right. A puppy who is really noise sensitive in an evaluation can become a dog who is totally comfortable with sudden and loud noises when their new home knows to work with them on that specifically. And that is one of the reasons that temperament evaluations can be so valuable, because even though it isn’t a final look at who the puppy will be as an adult, it is a look at who they are right now and how we can help them to live the best possible life they can have.

A big thanks to Independence Poodles for having me out to play with puppies 😍

04/10/2023

Let’s talk about guarantees in dog training.

A dog is a sentient being. They are capable of making choices without our input.

Through training we work to convince a dog that what we want was their idea and therefore is worthwhile for them.

A dog is not a robot. Even when training is done exceptionally well, a dog can make the “wrong” choice sometimes. They can have bad days just like we do.

When a dog trainer makes a guarantee about the outcome of their training methods it means the dog may not be given the grace to have a bad day.

A guarantee means that when a trainer feels pressured by a timeline to produce results that they may be willing to be more heavy handed in their approach to your dog.

A guaranteed outcome may pressure a trainer into “teaching” your dog that they MUST listen, rather than that they WANT to listen.

This kind of approach to training is more likely to produce a dog that is shut down. One that doesn’t look eager to work with you. One that doesn’t enjoy your time together.

This approach to training damages the relationship you have with your dog. It damages the trust you need your dog to have in your leadership.

What I’m saying is, if you want a guaranteed outcome in training you need to consider why. It’s likely your focus is not where it should be: improving the relationship you have with your dog. Behavioral improvement comes with improved relationship.

A dog is not a product that should “work” a specific way. They aren’t a broken fridge or microwave. There is no real way to guarantee the behavior of a living being and if a trainer offers this to you, you should be very wary of what that could mean.
A professional trainer will be able to tell you what good goals are, what some possible outcomes are, how to troubleshoot if we aren’t seeing results like we want to be. But they won’t ever tell you that they can guarantee X, Y, and Z behavioral changes because each and every dog is different.

Really consider what it could mean for your dog if you decide to go with a trainer who “guarantees” the final product to you.

03/27/2023

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqTdLvepUYp/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Holly is still available for adoption!

She is an affectionate girl who loves praise and is eager to please. She’s been doing very well with training and her biggest struggle is being a bit overly excited when greeting people, she can get so excited that she forgets her manners sometimes but we are actively working on this.

If you or someone you know may be interested in giving Holly her forever home please reach out for more information!
Find the application here: https://www.abandonedpetproject.org/dog/ &page=shelterluv_wrap_1601482166167%252Fembed%252Fanimal%252FAPPR-A-509

03/23/2023

Potty Training Tips:

Have a general Routine. Not necessarily a strict schedule, but an idea of how long after food, water, and play your puppy will need to go out

If you struggle to remember or multiple people are involved, write down potty outing times and types!

Utilize reminders such as timers or apps to keep from overlooking a needed potty outing.

Always be actively watching your puppy. Most accidents happen because we get distracted for a moment and miss the cues puppy gives that they need to go.

Never scold a puppy for going potty inside. Accidents are our fault, not theirs and scolding will just cause puppy to hide in the house when they need to go

If you catch puppy going inside, distract them or pick them up and go outside for a potty break

Use the crate or a playpen when you cannot actively watch your puppy

Don’t be surprised by some slight regression in new locations, when the weather changes significantly, or if the puppy is otherwise stressed.

Swipe to see some examples of a chart for writing down the potty outings of your puppy!

Potty training can be difficult! Don’t get too discouraged. With some adjustment of our own behavior we can make it a much easier process all around 🙌🏻

03/20/2023

Are you present with your dog on walks?

What do I mean?
Well, are you talking on the phone? Listening to a podcast? Scrolling social media?
If so, you aren’t present with your dog.

And if you get to check out and ignore your dog, how is it fair to get frustrated when your dog is ignoring you?

If you aren’t taking an active interest in your dog and what’s going on around you then your dog will not take an active interest in you and will likely be pulling, causing leash tangling, and otherwise “not listening”.

I’m not saying that by putting your phone down your dog will suddenly be great at walking and engaging with you.
But I am saying that if you don’t put your phone down it’s not likely to ever get any better.

After all, if I was talking to someone and they suddenly stopped responding to scroll social media I would be pretty irritated and I wouldn’t have much interest in continuing to chat with them after that.

So why should your dog care about engaging with you if you never show any interest in engaging with them?

Photo description: two dogs, a yellow lab and brown labradoodle, walk away from the camera down a path in the woods. Each image has the words written above over it.

03/16/2023

The Marley and Me quote/sound over this video 💕

Sometimes I wonder if we really truly deserve dogs.
Everything about them is so pure. They don’t have an agenda. They don’t hold a grudge. They don’t hold our mistakes against us.
It’s such an incredible privilege to be able to live alongside them and sometimes we take that for granted.

Take a moment to really appreciate your dog today.

Video description: Faron, a yellow lab, and Terra, a brown labradoodle are trotting away from the camera on a walk down a path in the woods. They turn around to come back when called. The sound over the video is from the movie Marley and Me and says: A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he’ll give you his.

🐾

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03/08/2023

Gardening season is my favorite season 😍
Prepare yourself for garden content that will sometimes include dogs 😂
Hartley is here to improve upon some known obedience such as holding “down” for extended periods of time. I’d say he did a great and it’s an added bonus that we got to do it outside on a beautiful day and I got to plant more seeds 💕

Does your dog need some work on things they “know” already? It’s ok! Sometimes we humans slack off a little and sometimes our lives change and what’s important for our dogs to know changes along with it. We can always improve upon the work we are doing with our dogs and we can always figure out good ways to incorporate working with our dogs into our daily lives because the truth is that our dogs are learning during every interaction with us and so how we exist with them is more important than how many scheduled “training sessions” we do.

Video description: Hartley, a blonde labradoodle, lays down near the camera while I plant seeds in my garden in the background.

03/02/2023

Me: minding my own business, learning from other amazing trainers even when we don’t agree on everything, helping clients change their relationships with their dogs in the ways that work best for them and their dog, always seeking out new information and learning opportunities even in working with my own dogs.

Dog/training social media: arguing about methods, publicly bashing other trainers by name, spending huge amounts of energy arguing with strangers to try to change their mind (this never works), perpetuating a rift in the dog training world when we all actually love and want to help dogs and could learn so much from each other.

Please don’t misunderstand me. Not every aspect of dog related social media is like this. I actually fully believe that it is a smaller, but loud, group that perpetuates this kind of thing. To me, reading and gathering information and then moving on from that post if you disagree or don’t have helpful recommendations/comments is the way to go. But some people use social media as a way to spread hate. It’s really a shame because I also see so much good shared on social media. I see so many people working exceptionally hard with their dogs and so many professionals giving away amazing and beneficial information for free. I do my best to prioritize following accounts that share information and show dogs without adding negativity or having to bash how someone else does it in the process.

There is so much value to find in the world of social media. I encourage everyone looking for it to really give consideration to what is being posted by the people they follow. If the point seems to be to elicit emotions and pit the audience against something, it may not be as valuable as your originally thought. And this doesn’t just apply to dog related social media. I try to prioritize following accounts that I truly enjoy scrolling through, that offer valuable information and that make me think.

Video description: short clips of several dogs including a border collie mix, a lab, a labradoodle, and a poodle strung together with the words in this caption written over the images. There is music in the background.

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03/01/2023

Oh this deserves a full post, or even several, because it’s so important! And this is one of the best visuals I’ve seen.

When talking about socializing your dog or puppy, it is SO important to remember that socialization is not just interacting with things/people/animals. It is also, and actually more importantly, watching and experiencing the world around them in a calm way. Being able to exist in the world calmly while things happen around them is one of the most severely overlooked skills that I encounter as a dog trainer. And overlooking this important aspect of training can contribute to behavioral issues like reactivity, anxiety, and aggression which cause so many owners stress while they try to work through them.

If you have any questions about how best to socialize your new dog or puppy, or you’re already seeing behavioral issues in your new dog or puppy, please reach out to a professional for help!

All image credit goes to the original creator “Good as Gold Training”.

Image description: two pie charts show what people think socialization is versus what it actually is and explains that teaching dogs neutrality is just as, if not more of a part of well rounded training.

02/22/2023

What do we do when it’s pouring down rain during our normal morning sniff walk/hunt time? Well we turn it into a mini training session of course!

These are very brief and sped up clips but we worked on things like sit, down, place/up, come, and even impulse control and relaxing after being amped up (check out me running excitedly with Faron and then asking her to down and chill).

I won’t lie, I’m not the best at pivoting when something makes plans or routine changing necessary. It is something I really have to work on and even somewhat plan for (*cough cough* a note on my phone with alternate indoor and outdoor plan options). And even then sometimes I have this moment of dread and annoyance about the change. But I can’t take those feelings into working with the dogs, so I give myself a few minutes to change my mindset from “I have to make a change today” to “I get to practice something we don’t usually do at this time and that will be so great for the dogs”. And then we move forward.

Trust me, I completely understand the “we can’t because of the weather”, “it’s too muddy”, “it’s too cold”, etc. And often times we can’t do exactly the same stuff when conditions change, but we can pivot to a new plan! It’s not fair to our dogs to just not engage with them or exercise them or offer enrichment to them because our typical plan/routine isn’t possible. We dog owners have to be able to alter course in a way that will both fulfill the dog AND keep us all safe.
So no, I’m not saying take the walk even in the massive thunder storm. I’m saying have a list of alternate plans inside or some covered or indoor pet friendly places to go instead! If you take the time today to think up a few alternatives and write them down, you won’t feel so stuck the next time the weather surprises you.

Video description: sped up clips of me working with a standard poodle, labradoodle, lab, and border collie mix. We practice things like place, sit, come, down, and settling under an awning to stay dry as it rains.

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02/15/2023

New Puppy?
No Problem!

From now until the end of February I’m offering a discount on puppy board and train programs!

Get your puppy started off on the right paw with a jump start on potty and crate training, leash manners, calm house behavior, some basic obedience and more!

And even more exciting? When a puppy comes through my puppy board and train program, you get a discount on continuing education programs when they are 12-14 months old!

02/15/2023

Have you recently added a puppy or dog to your life?

I would love to help you make sure you start off on the right foot! Check out my newest post for a special training offer.

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02/13/2023

It seems to be an appropriate time to talk about when and why to add another dog to your home!

I want another dog! When should I plan to add him/her to my home?

Adding another dog is a HUGE step and you want to make sure you seriously consider all possibilities before you do so.

When I added dog number 2 I was so prepared. Faron was very well trained (for my novice trainer self), was through adolescence (about 2 1/2), and we had a great routine down. Adding Terra wasn’t difficult at all because I had one very reliable dog I could count on.

But then came Minnie (and honestly, several other dogs for long term timeframes) while I was still trying to figure out Terra and I’s rhythm. Terra and Minnie are only about 5 months apart in age. Every phase they go through, they hit together. All the behaviors I was working on withTerra were taken on by Minnie (mostly the ones I didn’t want). I was doing double the potty training, double the training sessions, double the socialization.

And in the process I wasn’t able to build the same kind of relationship with each of them that I was able to build with Faron years prior. I have been very open about how Minnie and I struggled to form a bond and this is a BIG reason why. She got lost in this shuffle of expectations and other dogs I enjoyed working with more. It’s not her fault, there isn’t really “fault” to hand out.

But I recognize the impact adding a dog before I was fully prepared had on both of us. All of us.
And I’m still, over 2 years later, working on fixing the issues it caused. We are TONS better, but it’s taken a lot of work.

I’m here to help you avoid making that same mistake or, if its already happened, I’m here to help you navigate towards your goals.

Image description: an image of me with 4 dogs all looking at the camera. Each image has text telling my story of adding another dog before I was prepared, making recommendations on reasons to add or not to add another dog, and encouraging people to reach out to me for training help if they are in a similar situation or want to add another dog in the future.

02/01/2023

We can’t spend as much time outside right now because of the ice. Even if I get all bundled up, I have to keep in mind that enough time in the ice and water could damage dog paws (and check paws for damage more often when weather is like this). But that doesn’t mean we don’t spend any time outside. These dogs would be miserable if not given any outdoor time and it doesn’t take hours of outdoor time to provide for their needs.
Bundle up and spend 15 minutes outside with your dog exploring what’s changed in your yard because of all the ice and snow. Then the rest of the day you can focus on indoor enrichment activities. I promise your dog will be thrilled to have that little bit of time with you.

Video description: clips of dogs sniffing around cut logs and stumps and jumping on and over them. Everything is covered in ice and snow. The words over the video read: providing exercise and enrichment for the dogs in my care isn’t something that stops due to the weather. We just have to get creative and sometimes brave the cold.



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01/30/2023

In case you questioned it
Rehoming a dog is ok

In case you questioned it
Rehoming a dog does not make you a bad person

In case you questioned it
Rehoming a dog can be a valid option

In case you questioned it
Rehoming a dog can be the right choice for everyone involved

Should rehoming be the first thought? I don’t think so. Rehoming should be carefully considered after other options don’t work for you. So what do I mean by that?

Well, I think people should seek out vet care and training when they run into issues with their dog. Often times this can be extremely helpful in creating a relationship between human and dog that makes living together happily a possibility. You’d be surprised what training can do for the relationship you have with your dog!

So what can’t training do? Training can’t change a dogs basic nature that comes from genetics. An example would be the energy level of the dog. A dog who has a high energy level will never be a lap dog/couch potato, it’s a genetic impossibility.

So you’ve gone through several months of professional training, you’ve gotten a full work up at the vet to see if anything medical can be found and life isn’t getting any easier. What do you do?

A good professional dog trainer would likely want to discuss the possibility of rehoming the dog. It’s a sensitive subject, we all love our dogs so much, but sometimes we just aren’t a good fit for a certain dog and vice versa. There is NOTHING to be ashamed about if that’s the case.

It’s ok if you are overwhelmed trying to meet your and your dogs needs.
It’s ok if the dog wasn’t what you expected or wanted.
It’s ok if you’ve tried and feel like you’re failing.
Having a dog isn’t supposed to be a punishment that you must endure. Having a dog should be enjoyable and fulfilling.

By taking ownership of the fact that you and your dog don’t mesh well and that he could thrive in a different environment you are doing what is best for BOTH of you. There is nothing wrong with that.

The stigma around rehoming is so problematic. No one should be villainized for doing what is right for them and the dog they love.