Training One Paw at a Time, LLC.

08/27/2024

A day late but happy national dog day to all the amazing pups out there! 💗🐾

08/10/2024

Displacement behaviors are way more common than you think. Have you ever seen your dog shake their body without being wet? Thats a displacement behavior. Displacement behaviors are behaviors that happen out of contest like shaking off without being wet. Other common behaviors include yawning, lip licking, paw licking, scratching, sniffing, etc.

So how do we interpret these behaviors? It is believed that most displacement behaviors occur due to feelings of stress or frustration (internal conflict). To determine if your dog is reacting due to these feelings you need to look at what is going on in the environment. For example, you are inside in the middle of a training session and your dog starts to yawn and scratch. If your dog has been engaged and doing well up to this point this may be a signal that they are becoming frustrated or overstimulated and are attempting to decrease those feelings. These behaviors are engaged in to reduce stress. It is their solution to the internal conflict.

When thinking about displacement behaviors it seems bad but remember not all stress is bad! All living beings need a little stress to achieve their goals and can increase resilience. As long as your dog is able to bounce back, displacement behaviors are completely normal and can give you some insight on how your dog may be feeling.

07/04/2024

Happy 4th of July!! For dogs with firework phobia make sure you plan any outings accordingly, play some music to drown out the sound, and keep windows covered. Hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday!

07/03/2024

Anthropomorphism is tricky especially when teaching clients about dog body language and emotional states. I do use comparisons between human experiences and dog emotional states to help my clients better understand their dogs BUT it is very important to note that dogs are not humans!! Even though they may experience complex emotions they are still dogs and giving them too many human like qualities has the potential to do more harm then good.

ANTHROPOMORPHISM

THE GOOD / THE BAD AND WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE

This hard to pronounce and complicated sounding word – (anth-ro-po-morph-ism), means assigning human qualities, characteristics, emotions, feelings or motivations to our dogs (a non-human entity).

Advancements in canine neuroscience have revealed remarkable similarities between human and canine brain function, particularly in areas related to emotional processing.
This has given us far more understanding of canine cognition and emotion.

Although this is a great thing, it’s so important not to take anthropomorphism too far by assuming that our dogs experience emotions in exactly the same way that we do.

Dogs experience a similar range of emotions that would be seen in a 2 to 2 ½ year old child but are currently not thought to feel more complex emotions like guilt, shame, remorse, spite, pride or contempt.

Here is a link to a graphic that shows where a dog’s emotions are thought to stop in relation to the age of a child - bit.ly/canineemotions

Here are some examples of taking anthropomorphism too far:

“My dog knows exactly what he’s done – look how guilty he looks! No, your dog is reacting to your body language, tone of voice or remembers your previous reaction – this is fear, he is trying to appease you, calm you down, diffuse the situation.

“My dog chewed the couch just to get back at me for not taking him for a walk “ - No, your dog was probably bored, frustrated, lonely, had separation distress and was looking for a way to self-sooth or entertain himself.

“My dog pees inside just to spite me” – No, there could be a host of reasons, but spite is not one of them.

“My dog is just so stubborn” – No, find what is motivating, rewarding for your dog, are there too many distractions?

“Look at how proud my dog looks for winning the competition, graduating from a class, after being groomed etc” - No, your dog is reacting to your emotional state.

Instead of assuming that your dog is feeling “adult human emotions”, learn about body language and notice the context of the behaviour. This will provide a far more accurate idea of how dogs are really feeling.

Anthropomorphism is an essential tool in recognising a dog’s emotional state and allows us to have compassion, empathy, understanding and connection, but taking it too far is detrimental and undermines relationship.

06/08/2024

This is what it’s all about! Helping dogs and their owners improve their quality of life and form an unbreakable bond! I worked with Pearl to modify unwanted behaviors such as jumping, mouthing, and reactivity towards people. A year later I receive a message from her parents informing me that she passed her therapy dog test! For those who don’t know, a dog cannot have behavioral issues like the ones Pearl was exhibiting when we first met. I could not be more proud of Pearl and her amazing owners for all they have accomplished!! Congrats Pearl 🦴

06/08/2024

Planning to drop off donations THIS FRIDAY (6/14) if anyone has anything they would like to donate pm me!

Update: We're stocked up!

We've filled every corner of storage with your donated blankets, sheets, towels and beds ☺️

At this time we cannot accept any more linens (we're out of space!) but THANK YOU to everyone who has donated, we appreciate you 🩷

All of our babies will stay nice and comfy while they wait for their forever families 🫶🏻 If you still have linens, please search other shelters and rescues in your area to see if they're currently in need!

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We’re out 😩

If you’re doing some warm-weather cleaning this week, our shelter is in need of linens 💙 We’re specially looking for flat/fitted sheets, large beach or bath towels, and thin washable blankets or fleece with no filling! We’re open until 5pm Saturday-Tuesday and until 7pm Wednesday-Friday 🐾

We don’t keep linens on our wishlist but if you’d rather use Amazon, you can ship it right to the address below ❤️ We appreciate your support, and thank you in advance for helping keep our animals comfy cozy 🫶🏻

Questions? Email [email protected] ✅

05/12/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to all the women who have ever loved, cared for, and raised any living being 💐🐾

04/08/2024

Keep your pets safe during the eclipse. Dogs may start acting strange, especially ones who are more prone to becoming anxious. Keep them inside or on leash to make sure they’re safe.

Today is the day for the solar eclipse. How do you think your pet will respond? Dr. Lilly has the answer. https://news.yahoo.com/bit-letdown-film-eclipse-152730009.html

04/05/2024

Roman is a veerryyy happy boy…some would say almost too happy 😂! When we started training Roman had no off switch. Any time he was in a room with people he was constantly on the go, would jump and put his mouth on people, and would grab anything he could get his mouth on. We started some impulse control training which included waiting for his food bowl and waiting patiently when people walk in and out of the room. We also have been working on his "place" behavior and are currently implementing Karen Overall's "calm protocol" to help him learn to relax in stimulating environments. Roman has made tremendous progress in just a few sessions. He's got a long way to go but has been a star pupil!

03/19/2024

Moose started his training journey because he displayed some reactivity towards dogs and people. Moose’s family lives in an apartment so we needed to start our journey before even getting outside. Moose has successfully learned how to calmly ride the elevator and ignore other people. This helps set him up for success when getting outside; he is in a calm state and in tune with his owner. Two paws up 🐾 for Moose and his owners for doing such a great job!

03/01/2024

02/03/2024

People hear "socialization," and they think it means dogs playing together...you know, being social.

But socialization is not about playing with other dogs.

Honestly, it's easy to understand why people have a hard time understanding the concept of dog socialization. When you look at the root of the word, "social," it makes sense that we interpret it as interacting (or playing) with each other because that's what it means when talking about human behavior.

But in reality, socialization involves introducing a dog to a wide variety of stimuli (sights, sounds, smells, experiences) in a positive and controlled manner.

Socialization is building positive associations with and being neutral when exposed to those stimuli. (An easy example: the vacuum cleaner.)

Socialization helps your dog to be comfortable with other animals, people, places, and activities.

Socialization helps create a behaviorally well-rounded dog that is more confident and comfortable in a variety of environments.

01/23/2024

It's never too young to start training your puppy! At only 2 months old, Fin and his awesome owner have completed our Puppy Fundamentals class. Fin willingly (and quite joyfully) does all his new skills and his owner has the ability to continue training. Congratulations to Fin and his owner! 🎉🐾

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Have a safe and happy holiday 🎄

11/26/2023

From the book “On Talking Terms with Dogs” by Turid Rugas

“If you want your dog to respect you, you must also respect your dog. A good relationship is based on two-way communication, and living together in a well-balanced togetherness. Leadership does not solve anything; it only creates problems, in our lives as well as in the dogs’ lives.”

Get your copy of the book “On Talking Terms with Dogs” by Turid Rugas at Dogwise.com

11/15/2023

Are you planning on bringing home a puppy for the Holidays?? It's never too early to start planning for your new friend! Send Ashley a message if you're interested in scheduling a Puppy Planning session including how to get your pup settled in, what or what not to buy, how to puppy prof, and more! Or schedule future puppy training so that you don't miss out on training your puppy at prime time!

11/01/2023

Maizey and her owners have been hard at work! Maizey's owners originally reached out to me for help with the basics. They have owned and trained many dogs in the past, but Maizey was their first problem child. All they needed were the right tools for the job! We went over the use of positive reinforcement, utilizing human interaction as a reinforcer, and simply making training a fun experience! Now Maizey is a pro and her owners have the right tools to continue teaching her new skills.

After getting the basics under our belt, we started to work on her dog reactivity. Maizey gets over excited and goes over threshold when seeing other dogs on walks because she wants to interact. However, she tends to become timid and uncertain when getting too close to a stranger dog. We worked hard on engagement, confidence building, and neutrality around other dogs. We still have some work to do but she has made tremendous progress! Maizey and her owners are A+ students! Special shout out for our helpers Scott and Eli! With their help we can create a predictable environment that helps facilitate learning!

10/31/2023

Happy Howl-o-ween 🐾🎃👻
When Halloween is here, the monsters appear…but don't let the candies disappear. Pets can be sneaky creatures so keep your candy in a safe place, out of reach from your spooky four legged creatures. Beware and take care on Halloween night!
Share a picture in the comments of your bootiful pets all dressed up!

10/17/2023

It's Pit bull awareness month!
Did you know that a "pit bull" is not an actual breed? There are actually 5 different breeds that fall under the umbrella term "Pit bull". I feel strongly about the breed stigma, so much so that my undergrad thesis was on the topic of perception of "pit bulls". Based on research, it has been found that breed stigma is real. The belief that "pit bulls" are aggressive has greatly affected the lives of so many dogs and their owners.

Each year 40% of dogs euthanized in shelters are "pit bulls". 4️⃣0️⃣%…5 breeds of dog make up almost half of the dogs euthanized when there are well over 100 different dog breeds in existence. Knowledge is power!! Please have an open mind about these dogs and ask questions instead of assuming the worse! If you want to know more about pit bull type dogs please message me! I'd be more than happy to talk about these wonderfull dogs!

10/09/2023

Practice consensual Interactions with your fur babies!! Dogs are autonomous creatures that have the ability to make choices. Like people, they have feelings towards types of interactions and can communicate their choice. By giving your pup the opportunity to exercise choice whenever possible promotes mental well-being.

How do you check for consent?
Well, there are a few ways. The most important way to check for consent is to watch their body language. Does your dog have a whale eye, turning their head away, or moving away from the interaction? These are common signs that your pup is likely not thrilled with the interaction. You can also "ask" for consent. For example, when you're petting your dog, only give them a few pets then stop and leave your hand near them. If they show interest in your hand…or a more obvious, paws you, they are likely consenting. If they show no interest or look away after petting they might be indifferent or may not want the interaction at that time.

Give your dog they choice! This forms mutual respect between you and your pup and can bring you both closer then ever!

08/26/2023

Happy national dog day! What is your dog doing this beautiful day?!

08/11/2023

Having a reactive dog can be tough. It’s not always possible to give them the amount of time they need to decompress when out on walks. However there are some things you can do to help them reduce their arousal! One activity is “find it”. Toss a few treats on the ground or grass and have them sniff them out! This can also be a useful tool to distract your dog while triggers are passing by.

08/10/2023

A structured walk is a useful activity to help socialize your dog and work on reactivity. Suki (in front) has a sibling dog, but hasn’t been properly socialized and has a history of getting into scuffles with other dogs. We chose to do a structured walk for her because it helps her from fixating on the other dog. Helper dog Tucker and I slowly worked our way closer as Suki’s parent reinforced our wanted behaviors that were previously defined. We were able to end our walk with the pups walking side by side, they were able to lay near each other after the walk, and even exchanged some sniffs! Thank you to helper dog Tucker and great job Suki!

Remember every dog is an individual and a technique that may work for one may not be the most effective for another. Always consult with a dog professional to figure out the best way to help your fur baby!

07/23/2023

One of my pet peeves is when people are starting at their phones and walking their dog. I have seen too many dogs start walking in the street without their owners noticing and are yanked back when they notice a car coming. Keep your dogs safe and stay aware of your surroundings!

ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?
Distracted dog walkers
The distracted dog walker is obliviously chatting away on their cell phone, listening to music or a podcast while wearing headphones, catching up on the daily news or socializing with other people while they’re not aware of what their dog is doing or what is going on in the environment.

This may not sound like a problem to some people, but it is something that I have a problem with.

I understand that we often need to multi task – there simply doesn’t seem to be enough time in our day to accomplish everything we need to, but walking your dog should not be one of these times.

Some people might say – “but my dog is really friendly, well socialized, gets on well with everyone, is well trained, knows this environment well etc. and I hear that. But another dog might not be – maybe they need space, are reactive, are not sociable, are recovering from an illness, might be terrified of another dog racing straight towards them chasing a ball thrown from a ball launcher….

If distracted dog walkers have no regard for other dogs or other people, they should at least have regard for their own dogs. Walking your dog should be a time of bonding, of relationship, of seeing the environment through the eyes of your dog, of reinforcing or teaching wanted behaviors, of keeping them safe and protected from the unknown.

Leave the multi-tasking for another time – your dog needs you to pay attention.

07/05/2023

Little appreciation for all of my amazing clients!

07/04/2023

Happy 4th of July!! Don't forget that not every one is a fan of fireworks. More dogs go missing around 4th of July than any time of the year. 7 out of 100 veterans develop PTSD which symptoms are often triggered by fireworks. Be mindful of those individuals so everyone can have a happy and health 4th of July! 🎉❤️🤍💙🎉