Soul Dog Training

12/07/2024

Who has room at the Inn for one more pup? He loves other dogs, which is a rare find, he just needs a quiet place to decompress from being bounced around from foster home to boarding. Please share him for a Christmas miracle!

11/27/2024

This gorgeous boy is Maverick! I met him a few weeks ago and we had a great training session! His mom is keeping me updated on his progress and he is doing great!

11/27/2024

Meet Cali! I worked with her for the first time last week, she is such a smart girl!

11/27/2024

This is Eddie that I met a few weeks ago at our first training session! I spent last weekend with him while his parents were out of town and he was an angel! He learned Shake, High Five and Sit Pretty while I was there too!

11/27/2024

I spent all morning with Jack today, we had a day full of walks and socialization interactions! He is getting so much better when meeting new people, he willingly takes treats from them but no pets yet. I know that he has a bit of stranger danger so I protect him from people wanting to pet him, I don't want our progress derailed!

11/25/2024

Don't let anyone sneak them any food, put them in a safe place with their regular food and a stuffed peanut butter Kong for dessert. Especially if you have a dog that counter surfs!

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! 🧡 Please be responsible and feed your pet's their normal diet during the holiday season. No matter how cute and irresistible their begging might be. 😉

11/09/2024

I am a little behind on posting my new students! This is Eddie! He is a gorgeous Great Pyrenees rescue pup, originally from Oklahoma, so I am pretending he has a southern drawl, lol. He is still settling in to his new home but he is fitting right in! I can’t wait to see him again to see how his training has progressed!

11/07/2024

I get to spend the morning with Mr Jack today, I love this boy so much! We are headed to Home Goods for socialization and to check out the new Christmas decor! Update: he is scared of strangers but met 6 new friends at Home Goods, the first two tossed him treats and he walked up to the next 4 and took multiple treats from each of them. That is a huge breakthrough!

11/06/2024

I spent last weekend with Brody, he is hands down the best snuggler ever! The furnace was on the fritz so he helped keep me warm, lol.

11/06/2024

This is great information, dog to dog greetings are an intricate thing and can go wrong quickly if these tips aren’t followed!

WHEN SECONDS COUNT

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

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 information for dogs to know – “are you a threat?”, “do I like you?”, “do I want to learn more about you?”, “do I really dislike you?”, “do I need 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 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 and links to learn more about body language -
On Talking Terms With Dogs - Calming Signals, 2nd Edition by Turid Rugaas
https://www.dogwise.com/on-talking-terms-with-dogs-calming-signals-2nd-edition/?srsltid=AfmBOoqj8ruQJx5bCP7qWb03TqCyAGfmAvCj988UuWk_L1_UHbYcZsES

The Veterinary Behaviour Centre
https://www.heska.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/TVBC-Canine-Dog-Body-Language-handout.pdf

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

10/09/2024

Brody and I are out having Camp Claire and have been to Shon Park and Joe Glik Park this morning! A large group of bicyclists came past us in the park and I had him sit over in the grass next to the trail. They all said “What a good dog!” as they were riding past, I get compliments on him every week!

09/17/2024

I’m a bit late on posting my latest pups! This is Charlie, isn’t he the cutest?

09/17/2024

Too funny!

08/26/2024

Look at that ear! I had perfect timing today and caught it in action! We took Boreas to the park today to work on his anxiety being away from home. He was a superstar and had a blast rolling in the grass and sniffing his way around the park!

08/26/2024

Share a pic of your pup for National Dog Day! 🐶⬇️

08/25/2024

Brody and I do something that his parents call Camp Claire once a week and I pick him up for 3 hours. We visit different parks, take nice long walks, and might finish with Starbucks and a bit of shopping. He is well known at TJ Maxx and Home Goods and always gets lots of compliments when we are there. They are both dog friendly stores and allow well behaved pet dogs.