Tara Atkinson, CPDT-KA aims to empower, educate, and collaborate with pet lovers everywhere🐾
(15)
Night 1️⃣ of 2️⃣ of Pet CPCR and First Aid Class with some awesome pup professionals! This refresher has been awesome thus far and I look forward to next week!
Thank you Jodi and helper, Olaf, for providing this critical learning and bringing awareness to our community! And huge thanks to these other local business women who are out here making a difference and continuing their learning too❤️
We are SOOOO excited to be back at Bark in the Park 2024😍😍
✅Mark your calendars! It’s going to be a GREAT time😍
If you’ve ever wanted to get a spot in our reactive course- here’s your chance😍
Have a pup with big feelings? Is your dog lunging and barking at other dogs, people, moving objects, and critters? Is it a challenge taking your pup outside the home?
Don't miss out on registering for our reactive class where you will learn the following:
1. Learn to avoid the rehearsal of unwanted behaviors (barking, lunging, protective behaviors).
2. Acquire new behaviors when faced with triggers in a controlled environment to build resiliency.
3. Build confidence through various enrichment outlets to apply in class and in home.
4. Understand your dog’s needs and grow your bond.
Fill out our form below:
https://forms.gle/GDV2xgvRNEr5oKMZ8
🎉🎉Congratulations to Tory and Finn on passing their CGC with FLYING colors🎉🎉
Are you working toward achieving the AKC Canine Good Citizen title? We can help!
Maylee and family just finished up their individual session package and let me tell you… these ladies put in the WORK and made SO MUCH progress💙💪🏻
Maylee was having some big feelings about other dogs and through gradual exposure and counter conditioning work, she met and thrived with several new pup friends! Not every dog is super social- and that’s ok too! But it just turned out that Maylee preferred a gradual introduction versus having dogs run up into her face!
This little pup and family deserves a round of applause👏🏻🤩
They have devoted so much time and energy to help Murphy succeed and thrive through puppyhood! They reached out to me BEFORE even bringing Murphy home so they could get him into classes as soon as possible! Congratulations to you all for completing Puppyhood STAR and I can’t wait to see more of Murphy💙
Went and got these adorable earrings from ! They are handmade and oh so cute😍
There were so many fun, pup inspired ones to choose from- it was difficult to pick! You’ll have to stop in and snag a pair while you can!
Charlie has many smiles💙 I can’t choose a favorite!
Charlie is an excitable boy who is learning how to greet guests without mouthing and jumping! He is so eager to please and LOVES all people! Give this gorgeous boy some love😘
Have room for a new companion?😍
Snoop discovering he likes the pool- a series💙
Living in a state with a TON of water access has its benefits but also plenty of risks. Please take the time to educate yourself❤️
💧💚 Blue green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, is a type of bacteria that can be found in both fresh and saltwater. Unfortunately, it poses a significant risk to human and animal health, making it crucial to know where and when it is found and how to spot it.
🌊 Blue green algae is most commonly found in bodies of water with high levels of nutrients, such as lakes and ponds. In BC, it is most prevalent during the summer months, between June and October. It can also be found in slow-moving rivers and streams.
🚫 The risk posed by blue green algae comes from the toxins it produces, which can cause serious health issues in humans and animals. In dogs, for example, it can lead to seizures, vomiting, and liver damage. It can even be fatal in some cases.
👀 So, how do you spot blue green algae? It can look like green, blue-green, or brown scum on the surface of the water. It can also manifest as individual clumps or as a greenish-brown or greenish-blue discolouration of the water. If you see any of these signs, it is important to stay away from the water and to keep your pets away as well.
🤔 What can you do to reduce the risk of exposure to blue green algae? One of the best things you can do is to be aware of the areas where it is commonly found. The ASPCA recommends avoiding swimming in or drinking from bodies of water that have visible algal blooms. If you do come into contact with blue green algae, it is important to rinse off with clean water as soon as possible.
👩⚕️ If you suspect that you or your pet have been exposed to blue green algae, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. As mentioned earlier, the toxins produced by blue green algae can be very dangerous and can even be fatal.
Check out my blog for more tips: https://www.biancasdogtraining.com/post/the-ultimate-summer-survival-guide-for-your-dog
Such a great opportunity to get your CGC or work on the skills for it🤩
Sometimes, you just have to stop and sniff the grass🍀
Integrating dogs into one household isn’t always sunshine and roses. This family is working SO HARD to set these pups up for success.
We are working on establishing structure and skills to prevent future conflict between them while also building their relationship to make their time spent together more harmonious❤️
Check out my new floor rug🤩
⭐️Pros: fluffy, soft, beautiful color, reversible (the belly side is equally as cute!)
⚠️Cons: moves around on the floor, occasionally bites toes🤪
Overall, 10/10 recommend this rug for all homes and families😍😍 contact for your own personalized rug! You won’t regret it❤️
You cannot reinforce fear.
This is one that needs to be put to bed once and for all. It pains me to think of all the dogs who suffer unnecessarily because of the prevalence of this myth.
If you are afraid of something and someone hugs you and comforts you with gentle words, does that make you more afraid? Of course not. It helps calm you and makes you feel better.
So, let's keep this in mind as the US heads into the holiday and all the scary booms.
COMFORT YOUR DOG.
COMFORT YOUR DOG.
COMFORT YOUR DOG.
COMFORT YOUR DOG.
COMFORT YOUR DOG.
Stay safe.
We welcome Lulu and family to our training program❤️She can have some big feelings about new people and small moving critters.
We added in some techniques to prevent the further rehearsal of her old behavior patterns and started instilling some fun, new skills to help her cope with her big feelings!
Already in love with Miss Lulu🥰
With Independence Day quickly approaching and we may be busy with planning our trips, outings, and events it’s important to keep in mind that our furry friends do not realize it’s a holiday weekend with different schedules and unpredictable and potentially scary events. Let’s set them up for success!
Here are some of my top tips to help your holiday with your pup go smoothly!
1) Make sure your dog has a secure, well fit collar or harness with your information on it. Microchips are another easy way to make sure your info is with your pet- check with your vet for a yearly scan as microchips can migrate through the dog’s body or stop functioning.
2) A secure, safe space for your pet, especially if they are a more sensitive pup! My sensitive guy loves our closet as his personal hideaway while there are fireworks. Many dogs can become overwhelmed by the changes in routine like having different people over, loud noises, and not napping/resting as normal so it’s essential to provide a safe space for your pup to relax and decompress.
3) Some dogs require additional support on a holiday weekend. You may find your pup needing extra snuggles. Make time for your pup ❤️
4) Chewing, sniffing, and licking are great ways in which our dogs can decompress. There are so many great options available! Personal favorites are raw marrow bones, frozen toppl toys, and hiding treats around the room or in the grass for them to find.
5) We have to be mindful of the heat but checking the local ordinances and plan your outings around typical firework times. Many dogs find fireworks and big crowds unsettling so having a plan for their outings and enrichment is very beneficial for them.
6) Adding noise coverage in the background with tv, music, or noise machine can be great ways to help minimize the amount of noise and stress associated with holiday weekends.
Ales for Tails is coming up🤩 grab your tickets now!
🐾 Hey, humans! It's me, Ocho, your favorite adoptable pup from Harbor Humane Society! 🐶 Guess what? Our 10th annual Ales for Tails event is coming up, and I hear VIP tickets are still available! 🎉 But hurry, they're going fast!
Why go VIP, you ask? Let me tell you:
🍻 8 tickets into the event
🚀 Fast pass entry to the event (no wait!)
🍹 8 drink tickets
🐾 Table for 8 so you and your friends can enjoy the event (& the band!) to the fullest!
🚗 2 Premier parking spots
🍿 A selection of snacks and goodies for the table to enjoy!
🎁 Limited edition Ales giveaway item!
Doesn't that sound pawsome? 🐾 Grab your friends and fam, and get the best seats and the coolest things! Your VIP experience awaits, and it helps dogs like me find our forever homes! 🏡
So, what are you waiting for? Snag those VIP tickets now! 🐶🎟️
👉 https://harborhumane.org/ales-for-tails/
Snoop has the “puppy eyes” mastered already😍
🎉Today was a huge win for Maylee and family🎉
Maylee has a history of acting defensively around dogs. This was the first time in a LONG time she has been able to be this close to an unfamiliar dog. Together, we have discussed and formed a game plan to help Maylee feel better about interactions with dogs.
🖐️What steps have we taken thus far?
1) Had her on equipment we felt comfortable with and had yummy rewards to reinforce new behaviors patterns
2) Started at a distance and gradually worked closer while evaluating body language to set everyone up for success
3) Gave both dogs breaks to sniff and decompress, instilling management techniques that help her regulate herself
4) Avoided situations that would cause large spikes in arousal or send her over threshold while gradually challenging her over the last two sessions
5) Played simple, easy repetition based games to help her develop new coping skills and give her handlers confidence to know how to communicate effectively with her
We are continuing this training journey and are nowhere near “done”. Today felt great and was a small step toward our long term goals for her. I’m so proud of her and her family.
These classes have been a thrill to teach and support these teams!
Fill out our form or drop a DM🐶
Do you have a reactive dog who can't attend a regular group class setting, but would love to learn some new, fun sport skills?🤩
🥰We've got you covered with Reactive Intro to Sports! We have 2️⃣ spots left in our class starting June 23rd-8/4 (SKIP 7/7) from 9:00-9:45AM!
👉To register for class, please fill out the following form: https://forms.gle/jY1gNmXgYozSejWd9
❓Have questions? Send us a DM or email at [email protected] or [email protected]
Looking for a puppy class and one on one training support?
Check out Perfect Puppy! For a limited time, we are offering all students a FREE one on one session with their class enrollment. This can take place in your home (within 15 minute travel radius) or at our class space in West Olive.
For puppies under 6 months before the first day of class (if you have a mini or toy breed(s) then please make it clear in registration form). This class focuses on socialization, building confidence, and covers topics to help you survive and thrive during puppyhood! Leash skills, coming when called, jumping, mouthing, handler focus, and more is covered in this class! You can earn AKC STAR PUPPY from this course if that is of interest- must attend all 6 weeks of class to be eligible. $150 for 6 weeks!
Please send us a DM📩 or fill out our registration form found in bio!
PUPPY GRADS❤️
So happy for these awesome teams and I can’t wait to see their skills continue to develop!
These intermediate grads are not only adorable but such smart pups!
I’m so proud of their families for putting in the time and perseverance to promote positive behaviors and developing well rounded companions!
Great work to Dune, Finnley, Poppy, Dot and missing Sophie❤️
A glimpse into the last five weeks with Hobie💗
He left to fly to his forever family today and I’ve received updates that he did fabulous during his flight and is settling in with his forever family🏡
I’ll miss this sweet, spunky boy! Handsome Hobie will always hold a special place in our hearts and home💙
Wrapping up our 4th session with this team. Baloo has made so much growth since being adopted and I have no doubt he will meet and exceed all of their goals💙
Give a 👏🏻 to cheer on their progress! So proud🤩
Remind a mother how much you love them💗
Holland, MI
49424
| Monday | 9am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Two Paws Forward Dog Training posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Two Paws Forward Dog Training:
Did you have an idea what it is?🤔 Many people feel obligated to take their pup for a “walk” when they are first learning leash skills but find themselves struggling😅 It’s much more efficient and effective to build those skills in a familiar area FIRST! Once your pup is understanding the concept of what the expectation is when on leash THEN graduate to practicing in new or more distracting environments. #leashtraining #startsmall #basics #foundationsfirst #dogtraining #michigan #holland #grandrapids #puppylove #dogtrainer #dogsofinstagram
🤔Did you notice I never said “Wait” or “Stay”? Adding cues before your puppy understands what the behavior looks like can lead them to feel confusion about what the expectations are. Here are the steps I use to help this communication be clear and effective. 1) start in a low distraction space 2) only cue positions that the puppy is familiar with- here I use both “sit” and “down”. 3) use marker signal in a clear manner and deliver the reward AFTER the marker signal once they get in position 4) reward for DURATION of holding position. I periodically mark and reward in position to reinforce holding that behavior multiple times. If the puppy happens to get up, I’d reset them and try again and reward more quickly next time. 5) use a release cue to encourage them that they can move out of position to reset and continue practice with more seconds between rewards. I then start adding the verbal cue once the puppy is holding position for about 10-15 seconds reliably! #puppy #puppytraining #puppylove #puppylife #puppiesofinstagram #puppyoftheday #puppiesofig #puppytrainingadvice #puppytrainingtips #australianlabradoodle #australianlabradoodlepuppy #ald #dogtrainer #puppyprogram #socialization #dogtraining
Sometimes you just need a good cuddle🥹💙 Teaching handling and cooperative care skills is so beneficial for vet care and grooming but selfishly I just love the snuggles. I mean… come on… this can’t get any cuter! #puppy #puppylove #puppygram #puppylife #puppyoftheday #puppydog #puppiesofinstagram #puppysnuggles #puppysleeping #sleepingpuppy #puppies #puppiesofinstagram #australianlabradoodle #australianlabradoodlesofinstagram #australianlabradoodlepuppy #puppyprogram #cooperativecare #grooming #vetcare #cuddle
Bow🎀 stole the show! Congratulations to Nicole and Cole! I’m so glad I could help with having Bow be apart of your special day💒 #dog #dogsofgrandrapids #dogsofinstagram #dogsofholland #port393 #wedding #weddingday #weddingpup #mansbestfriend #pupofhonor #bow #puppy #frenchie #frenchbulldog #iloveweddings #dogtrainer #michigan
Get started today, to be well on your way, to a solid STAY! That rhymed and we LOVE it🤪 1️⃣ Start in a low distraction environment. Have valuable rewards ready and your pupils should already have a sit or down cue, a marker, and a release cue. 2️⃣ Ask for sit or down, once pup is in position, cue STAY, add some duration, then use marker signal, reward in position, and then release. Build duration for at least 10 seconds before moving to the next step. 3️⃣ Once pup has some duration we can add distance. Cue sit or down, once pup is in position cue STAY, slowly start to move away (only a little at a time), use marker, return to dog, reward in position, and then release. Continue building distance and duration until you feel confident in practicing in new environments with more distractions present! 🎁 BONUS: if your pup pops out of position or consistently breaks their stay move back to an easier step and lure them back into position before rewarding and releasing! #puppy #puppytraining #puppylove #puppiesofinstagram #goldenretrieverpuppy #goldenretrievers #puppyclass #learning
A nap disruption… oh no! Throwback Thursday of Loki and Evie snuggled up💗 #puppy #puppies #puppiesofinstagram #puppytraining #puppylove #puppylife #puppyprogram #puppydevelopment #dogtrainer #doglover #naps #australianlabradoodle #havenese #michigan #holland #foryou
🛁Groom. Clean. Repeat🔁 #doublecoateddog I will gladly deal with the aftermath of bath and blowout days because I love these dogs SO MUCH and their coat health/maintenance is important❤️ It should be a TOP PRIORITY to get dogs/puppies positively socialized to handling and grooming ASAP to make the experience as pleasant as possible. Check out our page for puppy exposure training and introduction to grooming tools and handling! Also, follow Emma from @canadacornerspets for more great grooming content🤩 #dog #dogbath #positive #reward #handling #doggrooming #dogtrainer #michigan #puppy #starttoday #grandrapids #holland
✨Here is Part 2 of Teaching Scratch!✨ Learning to file nails with a scratchboard has been critical in helping Maverick with cooperative care nail maintenance. #dog #dogtraining #cooperative #care #nailtrim #aussie #australianshepherd #rewards
Sam is so goofy!😜 Coming in from outside playtime involved a quick brush out and paws getting wiped. Sam wanted to flop over instead! The little teefs took me out🥹♥️ #puppy #puppies #puppylove #puppyface #puppybreath #puppieslearning #socialization #puppyprogram #puppyheadstart #australianlabradoodle #dogtrainer #puppytrainingtips #puppytraining101 #westmichigan
Part Two of Leave-it with Annie🩷 We have been able to progress quite quickly and have now extended this same concept to Kleenex, shoes, and fabric! Anything else you’d like to see demos of? #dog #dogs #puppy #puppylove #puppylife #puppyoftheday #puppylover #puppytraining #puppytrainingtips #puppytricks #puppyfun #socialization #positiveexperiences #buildingengagement #reward #learning #teaching #puppyprogram #animal #perfect #australianlabradoodle #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingisfun #westmichigan #michigan #dogsofwestmichigan
Miss Sushi is an amazing dog with so many great behavior already! Her foster family is setting her up for success is practicing impulse control. Sushi like going through doors with a lot of enthusiasm so we started building a procedure to help with her with door rushing. This was just a small portion of the great work they accomplished. Keep up the great work! ♥️Sushi is one of the many amazing pets waiting for a forever family through @pettalesrescue 👀Go give them a follow and take a look at the great work they are doing! #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogsofinstaworld #dogsofwestmichigan #dogtraining #dogtrainer #rescue #rescuesofmichigan #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #perfectpup #gooddog #pittie #pittielove #pittienation #bestfriend #adopt #adoptme #pupsforadoption
Walk and Train has so many benefits! I love working with pups and their families to develop a plan to that suits their needs and goals. When I first met Goose he would not take any rewards while on walks- he was just SO excited to get outside to run and sniff, causing a lot of pulling and frustration on the leash. As a team, we discovered that Goose really loves about 10 minutes of sniffing/exploring on a long line at the beginning of our walk before jumping into a loose leash walk. This routine has helped his success on a shorter leash and provided an appropriate outlet for his desire to “hunt”. Contact us today at [email protected] to get on our list for walk and train🩷 We utilize reward based methods and support our clients where they are at on their training journey!
Emmi thinks the water bowl is best used as a swimming pool😂 #poolpuppy #zoomies #australianlabradoodle #pup #puppy #puppiesofinstagram #puppylove #puppiesofig #puppylife #enrichmentfordogs #waterdog #water #playfulpuppy #play #westmichigan #dogtrainer #dogtrainersofinstagram #puppyprogram #puppysocialization #puppyfun #michigan #westmichigandogs #dogsofwestmichigan
Goose showing off his directional changes and loose leash walking during walk and train! So proud of this pup💙 #foryou #smallbusiness #dogstagram #westmichigan #dogtrainer
Maverick has big feelings about unfamiliar people, especially men. Our neighbor has about 12 roofers working on their home this morning and it was the perfect opportunity for us to practice “Look at that” or LAT a game we picked up from Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed. He used to not be able to take food, offer known behaviors, or not vocalize and lunge as soon as he saw unfamiliar people. It’s not perfect, nor will it ever be- he’s a living being with his own thoughts and feelings, but this was a win. I’m so proud of us💙 #reactivedogtraining#reactivedog #dogtraining #patterngames #management #rewardbasedtraining
Pet Supplies Plus - Holland, MI
N Park Drive
The Rustic Star Horse Boarding
124th Avenue
HollyWoods Heelers, Hounds, and Hooves
Port Sheldon Street
