Your Paws and Me Dog Behavior And Training

07/05/2025

Comfort isn't just physical.
It's also emotional.
We can provide them with the coziest bed and the best food we can give them....but still not give them what they truly need.

Safety.

It is a fundamental need we all share and it can take many forms.

Being sheltered from too much noise and chaotic environments....that's one way we can give our dogs safety.
Routines bring security for many, but not all dogs.
For some, certain routines may cause anxiousness.

When dogs lack that feeling of safety and security, we need to look closer at how to support them through this.

Newly adopted dogs often feel deeply insecure in their new home.
We can help them settle by having a calmer home and limiting visitors who are bursting to see your new addition.

Cautionary note....
These can be shown for many reasons, not just when a dog feels unsafe.

Sometimes we need to look a little bit harder at why they feel the way they do.

07/05/2025

Why Is "My Friendly Dog" barking and acting so aggressively on a lead towards other dogs?

Frustrated greeters—a super common and very misunderstood behavior, that unfortunately I am seeing more and more of, especially in young dogs. (Ive had 2 discovery calls about this just today)

These are the dogs who love other dogs, but when they see one on a walk, they bark, lunge, or pull like crazy. It looks like aggression, but it’s not.

All they want to do is to say hi—but the lead says “no.”
And that creates frustration.

This is especially common in dogs who:
- Didn’t get consistent socialization (hello, pandemic pups!)
- Are naturally excitable or social
- Have been incouraged to greet on lead in the past
- Have never taught impulse control

If your walks feel stressful because of this behavior, you’re not alone—and your dog isn’t “bad.” They’re just overwhelmed and need some help managing their big feelings.

Due to so many places now offering free for all puppy play parties, dogs are rehearsing explosive greetings — so charging into other dogs full speed has becomes the norm for them

Arousal levels stays high — there’s no decompression or downtime.

There are no regulation in learning — dogs don’t practice calming themselves or disengaging voluntarily.

Overarousal gets reinforced — intense behaviors (barking, body slamming, vocalizing) often lead to access or continued play

When they're regularly exposed to chaotic play where “see dog = GO GO GO!”, they learn that the only way to interact is to get hyped and push through. Then, when they’re not allowed to greet (e.g., on a lead walk), they melt down — barking, lunging, and vocalizing, because they haven’t learned how to regulate that excitement.

The good news though - It’s 100% trainable.

With positive reinforcement, we can teach your dog that calm behavior works, and excitement doesn’t have to explode into chaos. We use science-backed, force-free techniques to help them develop focus, patience, and confidence.

07/04/2025

This is a repost(ish) but well worth repeating. Many of you have heard me harp on harness fit time and again. Having spent decades evaluating harness fit in working dogs of all types with thermal imaging (as well as having years of working and active dog experience combined with a strong biomechanics knowledge base) using front-clipping or "Gentle Leader" type harnesses only guarantee more structural stress in active dogs that makes for more work for me and other chiro/sports med colleagues. PLEASE only use harnesses that fit with proper ergonomics! [NOTE: I've tweaked the English & syntax in the added-on description below so it might read a little differently.]

"All dog owners should know this fact! A harness like this is a terrible injustice to your pet!! AVOID USING THIS TYPE OF HARNESS !

In a dog's forward movement, a harness with a tape that crosses its chest from side to side hinders it in the same way humans would bother going hiking with an elastic band holding their arms. Physiological movement of the front extremity is prohibited. Just like rubber would inhibit the pendular movement of our ARMS.

Thanks to the "Study of Canine Movement at the University of Jena", we now know that in the dog, the center of rotation of the front limb is at the top of the scapula, but in the human the center of rotation in the arm is in the shoulder. Jena's study demonstrates, among other things, the importance of scapular movement for dog locomotion. Now we understand the importance of taking into account the free movement of the dog's shoulder when choosing a chest harness.
That means there SHOULDN'T be bands across the scapular (orange) area, and they shouldn't cross the chest side to side either.

From the point of view of biomechanics and physiotherapy, it is recommended not to choose getting harnesses that have a strap that goes through the chest laterally, or that have straps that touch or press the scapula.

Always lean towards harness models with ERGONOMIC design, to allow maximum freedom of movement for your dog, improve his well-being and safety during his walk.
Source : REAL CEPPA"

07/03/2025

I LIKE TO LICK YOU!
Dogs just love to lick - themselves, other animals and people. Have you ever wondered why, though?

Whether you love it and it makes you smile or you hate it and it makes you run for the soap and sanitiser, licking people is a very normal, natural behaviour for dogs.

Historically, dog licks were considered to be medically beneficial to humans. Dogs were used in Ancient Egypt to heal injuries and cure diseases.
Fisherman in Fiji allowed dogs to lick their wounds, believing this practice would speed up healing.

The French have a saying: “langue de chien, langue de médecin” which translates to “a dog’s tongue, a doctor’s tongue.”

Gentle licking of some types of wounds may help to remove dirt or debris that slows down healing as the tongue catches foreign matter, which then sticks to the saliva and is removed.

Although dog saliva has some antimicrobial properties, allowing dogs to lick either their own wounds or ours can lead to serious infection from the bacteria found in their mouths.

Whether or not to allow your dog to lick you (when you don’t have wounds!) is a completely personal choice. I personally don’t mind occasional licking as long as it’s not my face and it doesn’t become excessive.

07/02/2025

Long lines are amazing tools for training, sniff walks, and giving dogs a bit more freedom—I use them myself and fully recommend them.
BUT they should only ever be attached to a harness.
NEVER to a collar, and NEVER to a head halter.

Even on a 5-meter line, dogs can pick up a lot of speed. If they hit the end of that line or get je**ed back suddenly, the force on their neck can cause serious injuries, including:
- Neck strain or sprain
- Crushed trachea (windpipe)
- Spinal misalignment or nerve damage
- Whiplash-type trauma
- Fractures in the vertebrae or hyoid bone
- Restricted breathing or damage to the esophagus

The neck is not built to absorb that kind of force.
I was honestly horrified recently while browsing posts from local dog related businesses
Far too many had long lines attached directly to collars—and some even to head halters, which are meant for gentle directional control, not for impact. That kind of setup isn’t just risky—it’s downright dangerous.

Please make sure your dog is being handled safely.
Accidents happen in seconds. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

If you're using a long line, use a well-fitted harness, every time.
No exceptions!
Let’s keep our dogs safe and protect their health—because they rely on us to know better.

06/22/2025

A balanced trainers favourite saying.
"It dosen't hurt if used correctly!"

Talking about E- collars, prongs, grots, choke chains, and slip leads that are purposely designed to be aversive, (meaning they are designed to inflict discomfort or pain) to discourage unwanted behavior.

PURPOSELY DESIGNED TO BE AVERSIVE!

But miraculously, these tools (that are designed to cause pain and discomfort) do not hurt if used correctly.

Well I'll be buggered, these balanced trainers must really be miracle workers 😜

06/06/2025

05/31/2025

A local spay and neuter program is back up and running thanks to $61,000 in donations, offering in-house solutions to meet the rising demand for services.

05/14/2025

⚡️THE $6,000 VOLT LIE: What They’re Not Telling You About “Low-Level” Shock Training
🚨This Applies Also To Vibration Collars

“It’s just a mild stim, like a TENS unit. Totally safe.”

No it’s Not!!!

Let’s walk through exactly what happens inside your dog’s neck when you hit that remote. Not just emotionally—but biologically.

Because once you understand what’s happening under their skin, you’ll see this isn’t a communication tool—it’s a nervous system atomic bomb.

You’re Not Hitting One Nerve—You’re Hitting a Highway of Sensory Chaos

When you shock a dog’s neck, you’re not delivering a clean signal to a single behavior center. You’re triggering a web of critical nerves, including:

Vagus Nerve (Cranial X)
• Regulates heart rate, digestion, and emotional calm
• Overstimulation can cause nausea, bradycardia, or collapse

Accessory Nerve (Cranial XI)
• Controls head movement and postural muscles
• Disruption causes jerking, reactivity, or defensive freezing

Cervical Spinal Nerves (C1–C5)
• Link to forelimbs and breathing muscles
• Disturbance can create stumbling, stiffness, or panic movement

Phrenic Nerve (C3–C5)
• Controls breathing via the diaphragm
• Overload causes panting, respiratory distress, or emotional shutdown

Auricular & Transverse Cervical Nerves
• Involved in ear, jaw, and neck sensation
• Trigger head shaking, pawing, scratching, or vocalization

And all of these are stimulated at once when you push that button.

Now Add This: The Skin Itself Is a Dense Sensory Organ

Just three layers under the skin sit multiple mechanoreceptors, each responding to different types of force. You’re not just shocking “muscle”—you’re shocking a sophisticated sensory matrix.

Pacinian Corpuscles
• Detect vibration and sudden pressure
• These fire off immediately during a shock burst

Merkel Disks
• Detect deep pressure and object shapes
• Overload affects body awareness and posture regulation

Ruffini Endings
• Track skin stretch and limb position
• Critical for balance and motor control
• Disruption here throws off the dog’s whole 3D awareness system

Now imagine all of these firing at once. That’s not “clarity.”
That’s impulse chaos.

Impulse Chaos = Trauma

Your dog’s brain receives:
• Vibration (Pacinian)
• Deep stretch (Ruffini)
• Sudden pressure (Merkel)
• Neck-region nerve signals (vagus, accessory, cervical)
All pulsing into the spinal cord and brainstem simultaneously.

The result?

Fight. Flight. Or Freeze.

The dog doesn’t get more “focused”—they get more hypervigilant, disconnected, or frozen. What looks like obedience is often just shutdown.

And Then Comes the Anticipation

Dogs are associative. After the first shock, they start bracing for the next.

This is anticipatory anxiety, and it’s biologically worse than the first zap.

The body floods with cortisol before the button is even pushed. The vagus nerve preps for threat. The limbic system locks into survival mode.

You’re not training anymore.
You’re rewiring the dog to live in fear of their own leash, collar, and handler.

Bottom Line: This Is Not “Communication”

If a therapist zapped you in the neck—triggering your breathing, heartbeat, posture, skin sensors, and head control all at once—you’d sue them.
You’d call it trauma.
Because that’s what it is.

And no, trying it on your arm doesn’t count.
Your arm isn’t your throat.
You’re not a dog.
And you don’t live in a constant state of trying to read the world without language.

This Isn’t a Training Tool. It’s a Nervous System Disruptor.

Stop calling it “low level.”
Stop calling it “just like TENS.”
Stop calling it humane.

Because when you press that button, you’re not sending a message.
You don’t send your location, you don’t sell the dogs problem, you simply add another problem up top of the existing problem your dog has.
You’re setting off a biological fire alarm inside a being who cannot explain their fear.

Addendum (not so minor):
Let’s not forget the hair follicle, a fourth mechanoreceptor often overlooked in these discussions. In dogs, each follicle is connected to three hairs, and their skin—especially in the neck region—is densely furred and highly sensitive. These follicles detect even subtle vibrations. Critically, the first nerve relay for this haptic input doesn’t stop at the spinal cord; it travels to a specialized nucleus just above it. In carnivorous mammals like dogs, this nucleus is larger and more complex than in humans or primates, meaning the same “low-level” input can trigger a heightened full-body response. When you activate a shock collar, you’re not just touching skin—you’re sending a chaotic signal through a neurologically supercharged system evolved for hunting, not handling pain.

(Dr. Sophie Savel, personal communication, May 14, 2025) thank you🙏