Zen Dog Seattle

12/16/2024

Congratulations to Fungility (level 2) graduates! Stella, Sake, Annabelle, and Murphy! 😍 's Day Out

12/16/2024

🤩 Congratulations to Fungility (level 1) graduates! Ozette, Keara, Bridger, and Ridley! 's Day Out

12/15/2024

Happy Holidays from Tokyo, Japan 💖

12/08/2024

Congratulations to Reactive Rover 101 graduates! Daisy, Dango, Ellie, Hazel, Lily, Kratos, Mint, Odin, Powder, and Smokie! 🥳

12/08/2024

Congratulations to Ultimate Puppy class graduates! Maru, Bo, Mochi, Daisy, Kona, Riri, Yeontan, Tillie, and Bruno (sorry we missed you at the graduation)! 😍

12/06/2024

Many festive plants can be toxic to cats and dogs. It's important to know what to keep out of paw's reach. 🐾 Learn which holiday plants to avoid and help your pets stay safe this season! ❤️

12/06/2024

🤩 Congratulations to the Workshop graduates! Lilac, Winter Tiltonhaus, Kip, Rainier, Indie, and Jersey!

12/05/2024

Congratulations to Agility 101 graduates! Ollie, Mimi, Teddi, Arthur, Mac, and Suki! 🏃‍♀️

12/05/2024

Congratulations to Nosework for Fun! class graduates! Nova, Charlie, Whiskey, Teddy, Gus, Hopscotch, Leo, Saffy, Zorro, and Luna! 👏

12/05/2024

🎓 Congratulations to CGC Prep class graduates! DaVinci, Ashe, Millie, and Tobby!

12/02/2024

Our wonderful client is fostering this adorable little puppy—Addie! 🐾 Please check out her profile and help spread the word so she can find her perfect forever home! ❤️ https://washingtongsd.org/dogs/no-title-126/?swcfpc=1

12/02/2024

11/28/2024

The adorable brothers Trace and Blue say, "Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!"

11/26/2024

If you plan on gathering with friends and/or family this week for US Thanksgiving, there are a number of things you can do to keep your dog (and your visitors) safe.

Remember, there is nothing "wrong" with your dog if you need to manage amid all the chaos; that is 100% normal. Many dogs don't do well with large gatherings, changes to their routine and all the tempting food readily available.

Download your copy here: https://rescuedbytraining.com/safe-holiday-gatherings/

And, check out this blog post for more info on how you can implement each of these strategies: https://rescuedbytraining.com/2022/11/14/holiday-gathering-tips/

11/26/2024

ARE YOU MANAGING?
Are you managing your dog’s environment to prevent or improve unwanted behaviour?

As people, we tend to prefer and look for the more complicated solutions to problems. This tendency is termed “complexity bias” - the tendency to prefer complicated explanations and solutions instead of looking for the simpler ones.

Surely a complicated, time consuming, detailed solution has to be more effective, superior, impressive, or correct?

Complexity bias is so relevant when it comes to changing a dog’s unwanted behaviour. We often get so stuck on trying to modify behaviour through counter conditioning, desensitization or detailed training plans when sometimes the simplest solution to the problem lies in simply managing the environment.

Dogs will do what dogs do – when an opportunity arises to help themselves to food left on a table, to bark at the gate at anyone passing by, to have a drink from that big water bowl at the perfect height, that we call a toilet, to running off with irresistibly smelly dirty underwear, to rummaging through bins in search of anything that may or may not be edible, to running out an opened door in search of adventure - the list is long - dogs will be dogs.

Parents of little children use management all the time without giving it much thought. Baby locks on cupboards, covers on electrical sockets, valuable or dangerous items put far out of reach, fences and locks around pools, etc.

We wouldn’t just train a toddler not to stick their fingers in an electrical socket, not to open cupboards, not to touch a hot plate – it’s far safer, simpler and logical to first manage the environment, to prevent potential incidents.

The same principle should apply to managing a dog’s environment to prevent unwanted behaviour.

The more a behaviour is practiced the more difficult it is to prevent. The more a behaviour is rehearsed the better dogs become at it.

Preventing the behaviour from happening in the first place by using management is the logical, simple and effective way to address it.

Be a good manager – it’s far less stressful, for both us and our dogs.

11/20/2024

🌬 Thank you to tonight's puppy class students who made it to class and worked in the semi-darkness for the last 15 minutes. Stay safe, everyone! 🙏