Choose to Train Humane with Annie Phenix

09/21/2024

New book out on Kindle - available in the UK too!

Fix your dog's concerns about car rides - and oh! the places you can go together!

How to REALLY Heal Your Dog's Car Phobia : A 10-Step Guide by Professional Trainer Annie Phenix

09/20/2024

New blog post and new course on how to keep your dog safe in public spaces.

https://choosetotrainhumane.com/what-to-do-when-an-off-leash-dog-approaches-your-leashed-dog-2/?

By Pro Canine Trainer Annie Phenix, ACB-KSA Here is a truth bomb too many irresponsible dog owners tune out:  if it is the local law and you allow your dog off leash in public spaces, you are breaking a law. In a civilized society, members do not simply pick and choose which law applies to […]

09/20/2024

I've been working on my new course to help dog guardians deal with the HUGE problem of off leash dogs rushing into our leash dogs on walks. The course is out now (link to the course in the blog).

Just as I was preparing to announce this course, a close friend and colleague's dogs were attacked in her driveway this evening by an off leash dog. This frightening event can happen to anyone at any time and we all need to have a safety plan in place before we ever go out in public with our dogs.

Best wishes for the hard days of healing put on her by an irresponsible dog owner that are ahead for my friend and her dogs . I am grateful she has the skill, knowledge and experience to help her dogs heal ... just as I am angry that this happened yet again to dogs who were just on a walk in their own driveway.

By Pro Canine Trainer Annie Phenix, ACB-KSA Here is a truth bomb too many irresponsible dog owners tune out:  if it is the local law and you allow your dog off leash in public spaces, you are breaking a law. In a civilized society, members do not simply pick and choose which law applies to […]

09/19/2024

... and why it shouldn't have been published

09/18/2024

https://choosetotrainhumane.com/dogs-need-to-feel-safe-above-all-else/?

Our first job as dog guardians is to ensure that a dog feels safe - this always comes before training!

Always.

Read more on dog behavior and training at my website:

www.choosetotrainhumane.com

By Annie Phenix, ACB-KSA I’ve shared my life with literally hundreds of dogs (if you count the several hundred foster dogs). I’ve always put a premium on giving my dogs the very best life I could give them. For some that meant the best medical care. For others it meant buying acres of land where...

09/18/2024

Have you been approached by an out-of-control, off-leash dog on your walks in public spaces with your leashed dog?

WHO HASN'T HAD THIS AWFUL EXPERIENCE!???

Even one such negative experience can create lasting behavior concerns and fears for many dogs (and owners).

I've created a reasonably-priced, new course on how to prepare for this eventuality and what to do before such an awful even, during and after.

Coming SOON on the Dog-verse!

Join the Dog-verse with this link (or sign in if you are already a member): https://humane-train-options.mn.co/share/neXHQXYSoCU1Wiw8?utm_source=manual

09/17/2024

I am old enough to remember when sugar industry lobbyists (and before them cigarette lobbyists) bought off scientists to say un-true statements such as: (we're talking healthy fats here and not seed oils)

"Fats cause heart attacks so LOOK AWAY from what sugar is doing."

And now nearly everyone - including our dogs - has diabetes or will soon enough have it. Imagine selling your soul and propping up those who ushered in decades of sick and dying people - suffering people.

Sounds similar to what is happening right now in our industry in my opinion and in my long experience in this field and in this world.

Luckily there are thousands of canine professionals - myself included - who will never switch off our ethics for anything.

You either have ethics and you care about what happens to dogs or you don't have ethics.

It is this simple no matter how they try their hardest to twist it.

I care - and will always care - how dogs are treated.

I will always advocate for humane treatment.

Where do you stand?

09/16/2024

The least we can do for dogs to say thanks is to be kind to them - always.

09/16/2024

https://choosetotrainhumane.com/dogs-need-to-feel-safe-above-all-else/

How do you create a sense of safety for your dogs in your home?

I'd love to hear what you are doing!

And of course using pain, force, fear and/or intimidation NEVER creates a sense of safety for our dogs.

By Annie Phenix, ACB-KSA I’ve shared my life with literally hundreds of dogs (if you count the several hundred foster dogs). I’ve always put a premium on giving my dogs the very best life I could give them. For some that meant the best medical care. For others it meant buying acres of land where...

09/16/2024

Obedience is not a thing in my home. Relationship is a thing. A big thing.

09/16/2024

Training should be for the human, to help them to see and understand things through the eyes of the dog.
A session with a dog professional should always be fun and happily educational.
A session with a dog pro should NEVER be something that you would need to question the ethics of or anything that would make you or YOUR DOG feel uncomfortable about.
If it doesn’t feel right to you, it’s not.
Kindness always for the win. ❤️🐾

09/15/2024

Have you taken our latest poll (on our website)?

We want to hear from YOU!

Providing compassionate, fear free training for dogs and their owners worldwide.

09/15/2024

09/15/2024

09/14/2024

I turned my post below into a blog post - feel free to share!

By Annie Phenix, ACB-KSA I’ve shared my life with literally hundreds of dogs (if you count the several hundred foster dogs). I’ve always put a premium on giving my dogs the very best life I could give them. For some that meant the best medical care. For others it meant buying acres of land where...

09/14/2024

I know it's Saturday afternoon and I suppose not too many here will see this post but that's ok. I want to say this.

I've shared my life with literally hundreds of dogs (if you count the several hundred foster dogs). I've always put a premium on giving my dogs the very best life I could give them. For some that meant the best medical care. For others it meant buying acres of land where they could run to their heart's content. I have always been keenly aware of what my dogs are expressing and I have always concentrated on what I felt made their lives worth living.

And now I am living with these two hooligans. They are - hands down - the HAPPIEST dogs I've ever lived with. It wasn't a guarantee at all that they would be this well adjusted. They were taken from their mother at 5 weeks of age and thrown into a back yard with no supervision or enrichment. They came to me with several types of worms and fear in their eyes and little bodies.

They were a LOT of work for my husband and me. We put the time in showing them they were safe. Eventually (it took 7 months)they believed us and now they are thriving. They are silly. They have fun every single day. They make us laugh as they out smart us. They are happy.

I didn't train them (other than a reliable recall and they don't jump on people).

They will win no obedience titles.

I do not care.

They do the few things I ask of them very, very well. I don't need a demo dog to prove I can train a dog to do this thing or that thing. I know I can. Why do i need to prove that to anyone else? I do not. I only need to prove to myself that I set up an environment with structure that made sense to these two dogs that they could grow up in and BE HAPPY.

THIS is what educated, modern and compassionate trainers do - we guide dogs who need our help living their very best - and happiest -- lives. A shock collar would never have helped these two and it would have been the final blow proving to them that humans are dangerous and not to be trusted.

Dogs need to first and foremost feel SAFE.

We have an ethical obligation to provide this sense of safety for them. They are our captives, after all.

09/13/2024

Check out my latest blog post about helping some Boxer dogs:

By Pro Canine Trainer Annie Phenix, ACB-KSAChooseToTrainHumane.com I can often feel sorry for dogs, even those living in the lap of luxury. One reason I do is that dogs are masters at knowing ways of communicating, both with each other and with humans. It feels on most days that human beings have ve...

09/13/2024

We'd LOVE to hear from dog owners for this poll on my website:

What do you search for when looking to hire a dog trainer?

Providing compassionate, fear free training for dogs and their owners worldwide.

09/11/2024

What's this then?????

09/11/2024

Stay tuned for a new blog post about this little fella I helped - Baxter the smallest Boxer mixer ever. He was scuffling with other dogs and appeared to be a reactive dog. He became a graduate of my Growly Dog class and went on to help countless other dogs. Good boy, Baxter! 🐕💙