Training One Paw at a Time, LLC.

28/10/2025

Learning how to read dog body language can significantly improve dogs' welfare as well as boost the dog's family's confidence. On the topic of interactions, engaging in on leash greetings is necessary recommended. However, being able to read your dog's body language can allow you to decode whether or not your dog actually wants to interact with another or if the other dog is willing to interact.
If you're interested in training with me, reach out to schedule a free 30min Discovery Call!

SECONDS COUNT
This post is not advocating that dogs meet every other dog, but rather about how to go about it in a safer way, if and when it does happen.

The 3 second rule for dogs meeting each other is used as a guideline to help foster positive introductions, prevent either dog from feeling overwhelmed or trapped and prevent any potential reactivity and stress.

A short 3 second introduction is enough time to provide important information to both dogs.

Enough time and information for dogs to decide – “are you a threat?”, “do I like you?”, “do I want to learn more about you?”, “do I really dislike you?”, “do I want you to go away?” etc. Both dogs may not feel the same way – one may not be happy to engage while the other may want to.

All interactions should ideally happen like this, not just initially. Just like us, dogs can have off days – things like pain, trigger stacking, lack of sleep or a host of other reasons can influence a dog’s emotional state and whether a dog wants to interact or not.

There are countless times I have witnessed meetings or introductions between dogs that have gone on just a few seconds too long and have not ended well.

This can have long lasting effects on future behaviour when meeting other dogs.

Understanding body language is critically important. If we are going to share our lives with another species, protect them, advocate for them and help them feel safe, then we need to understand and respect their language.

The examples in this post of red and green flags are just a few general ones to look out for – there are many more and these will differ depending on the individual dog, context and circumstances.

Here are some resources that provide more detailed information about body language –

The Veterinary Behaviour Centre
https://bit.ly/4hwC8k1

On Talking Terms With Dogs - Calming Signals, 2nd Edition by Turid Rugaas
https://bit.ly/4oftWqW

Make sure those first 3 seconds count – they can make all the difference.

21/10/2025

We've been busy over here with so many amazing pups so here are some past and present dogs we're working with! There has been so much progress made and I'm beyond grateful to be able to work with such wonderful dogs and people! Shout out to all the families that dedicated so much of their time to their fur babies!

06/10/2025

DON’T TOUCH MY STUFF!

We all guard our resources; it’s a very normal, natural reaction to a threat of something we value being taken away.

Animals would not survive in the wild if they didn’t guard their resources. It’s essential for survival.

Just because our dogs are domesticated and shouldn’t be concerned about these things, doesn’t mean that this innate, genetic behaviour disappears.

We also don’t get to decide what’s valuable to our dogs or what’s not – different things have different value and at different times.

Food is usually the most common, but toys, furniture, random objects, places, or even a particular person are all things that may be considered a valuable resource.

Punishing or forcing a dog to give something up is probably one of the worst things to do. Resource guarding is rooted in the emotion of fear – the fear of that resource being taken away.

Punishment and force further increase that fear, which only increases and reinforces the need to protect that resource.

When a dog is guarding something, we can change the negative emotion of fear into a positive one by swapping, trading or adding something that has a similar or higher value.

This is one of the most effective ways to address resource guarding as it works at the root cause of the behaviour by changing the emotional response.

A dog resource guarding a person is more complicated to address. A full history of the individual dog, family dynamics, attachment styles, situation and environment all have to be assessed before planning and working on a solution.

Resource guarding can usually be prevented, managed, or resolved by understanding the underlying emotion, building trust and a sense of safety, and using consistent practice coupled with positive reinforcement.

06/10/2025

Such an amazing dog who deserves all the love!

Gambit was at the adoption center yesterday hoping that the right people would come to meet her and give her a new forever home. She met a lot of people at the center, but she's still patiently waiting for just the right ones to come along for her. Gambit is a 4 and a 1/2-year-old medium size female terrier mix.

This sweet girl loves her walks, to play with a ball, and to sit on the couch and cuddle. She sleeps all night and is house trained.

Gambit is UTD on medicals, microchipped and spayed.

Apply online at:
www.amazingmuttspuppyrescue.com

10/06/2025

12/02/2025

Meet Pickles! Pickles' family told me that I could share his story in hopes that it will help other families in the future, who are really struggling with a dog with significant problem behaviors. Please take a few minutes to read about Pickles journey!

Pickles is a 2yr old rescue. His amazing family adopted him less than a year ago. When adopting him they were informed that he had problem behaviors and had displayed aggressive-related behaviors such as growling, snapping, and biting. As well as reactivity and impulsive like behaviors. Pickles new family called me in right away to start working on building his confidence and working through all his problem behaviors. When I first met Pickles it was clear that he LOVED people! However, when observing him first hand, it seemed likely that he had experienced some trauma in the past that had an influence on his current problem behaviors. To no fault of his family, he was very sensitive to strange noises; being touched on certain areas such as, his paws, and hind end; and was easily startled by stimuli. In some situations his fear became so great that he would react aggressively, or he would compulsively spin in circles. He also had other behaviors that we worked though…

Well, after a few months of training Pickles alternative behaviors; teaching his owners how to read body language, manage the environment, and train Pickles on their own; he has blossomed! Pickles and his family have been exemplary students and have come so far in such a short time! His compulsive spinning has been significantly reduced and his likelihood of reacting with aggressive-related behaviors are nearly nonexistent. Not only has his overall confidence and behavior improved, but he is now able allow his owners to use a dremel to grind down his nails! All dogs are different but though training, patiences, consistency, and some treats can go a long way in improving both you and your dog's lives!

16/01/2025

It's never too late to start training your dog! Ashley is a Certified Dog Behavior consultant specializing in behavior modification and currently taking on new clients! Ashley strives to help teach dogs AND their owners the skills to live their best lives as a team. She uses reinforcement and science based techniques to ensure the wellbeing of everyone involved and strengthen your human animal bond! Contact her today via messenger; email: [email protected] ; phone: (609)658-5056 ; or fill out the Fetch form linked in the comments. Ashley will answer your inquiry at her earliest convince. Happy Training! 🐾

26/12/2024

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday!

29/11/2024

We hope everyone had a Happy and safe Thanksgiving! We are extremely thankful for all our past, present, and future clients!
I started this business because I have a passion for helping dogs. This would not be possible without the owners who put in the work to enrich their dogs’ lives and strengthen their human-animal bond. We will always do our best to educate and support our clients through their struggles. Thank you all for being the best dog parents you can be! Sincerely,
Ashley, assistant Scott, and our four legged helpers!

18/10/2024

This handsome boy Parker has been working on becoming less reactive on walks. We are working on his reactivity to stimuli in the environment with a combination of desensitization, counterconditioning, and teaching him alternative behaviors. His parents have been doing an amazing job keeping him on track and he has made amazing progress!