Mutt Palace Canine Services

02/08/2025

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01/18/2025

Meet the newest addition to the Carroll Family…Player aka Masta P my daughter’s first rescued dog. Welcome Masta P you will be loved!

10/30/2024

Miss Daisy – I just want to feel safe!
Miss Daisy is a 6yo APBT Mix. She was taken from her home where abuse had taken place and had NO socialization. Daisy was fortunate enough to be adopted by an amazing lady who desired a companion. Little was known about Daisy, so her new owner was unsure how to handle her on her walks & in the home. Daisy was fearful of people & dogs. She was very reactive and apprehensive when meeting new people. After a few sessions Daisy began feeling safer and was able to remain calm in the presence of her triggers on walks. She was also able to warm up to many family members in her world. I’m so proud of the progress she is making and continues to make. I’m glad that her owner has committed to force free, pain free & stress-free training techniques. Daisy was super sweet and just wanted someone to advocate for her. Great work!

Client Comments:
Hi Michelle!
Things are going well! We keep practicing daily. The reactivity to dogs in the neighborhood is still a challenge but she deescalates a lot faster.
Two stand out moments are:
Was at mom's when my niece came over with her 2 1/2-year-old girl while we were making applesauce. We did a slow introduction where we sat for quite a while talking and she would investigate (I had the chicken! ) ...some barking in the beginning but after a while she was totally fine. Daisy was out in the kitchen with me laying on the floor (eventually sleeping) ...but Delilah would come in and out of the kitchen...bring her a toy...and she was totally fine and calm !!!!!!
The second was at Long's Park- we were there early and not many around. I wanted to take a pic of Daisy on the benches by the pond....next thing I know here comes a dog on the pathway around the pond. Had my chicken ready - Daisy spied the dog and watched and I did the chicken routine.....Daisy did not make a peep or any move to lunge! And that is a close distance to the bench.....I was so proud of her!!!!
I enjoyed finding a way to build a stronger bond with Daisy & gaining the tools to be able to handle a strong dog and building confidence in myself.
Michelle, you are a great trainer! I appreciate how you are able to provide instruction without making me feel like I am doing it all wrong :). I also am grateful for making me realize that all dogs may not be social butterflies and that is okay. I just need to provide Daisy with all the love and opportunities for her to grow and be happy in her own way (not mine!)
I am so thankful for all the tools you have taught me!
Kathy and Daisy

10/30/2024

Sasha – Ahh this world is SCARY!
Sasha is a 3yo APBT. It was noted she was abandoned at the SPCA. She has been adopted by an amazing family who were dedicated to giving her the best life possible. Early after adoption it was evident that Sasha was very fearful. People, dogs, things with wheels, sounds, the vet, the back yard were all very scary for her. After we began working together, Sasha began feeling safer in her environment. She now enjoys her backyard, going for walks, doing enrichment activities and feels much safer in her world. I’m so proud of her owners who have taken the time to advocate for her and show kindness and love with positive association. So proud.

Client Comments:
Hi Michelle,
I was appreciative of the time you spent getting to know me and Sasha and our specific needs. You provided a lot of good resources and techniques to make our dog a better, happier fit for our family. Watching you interact with Sasha and other dogs was extremely helpful. Having you give real time feedback to my technique was great.
I learned that not all dogs are the same, and to adjust my expectations for how I wanted Sasha to behave. Dogs can be trained, but I learned she has her issues, and as a family we need to work within those parameters. The lesson on the treadmill was also great, and we have used ours at the house now too. Having other options for exercise has been amazing. I walk Sasha at least twice a day for 30 minutes and incorporate all the techniques you showed me. I also provide additional enrichment at home with interactive treat balls, feeders, etc. The boys love playing hide and seek with her, which was a great suggestion from you, and does not get as excited [aggressive] as tug of war, for example.
I can now walk Sasha without fear of her breaking away from me or aggressively disrupting the walk. The harness and hands-free leash are fantastic.
Amy M.

10/30/2024

Benny – Stranger Danger!!
Benny a male lab mix was fearful of strangers and meeting new dogs on leash. His owner was very dedicated to helping Benny cope with his stressors using positive association. Benny did very well remaining calm while on leash walks in the presence of dogs and strangers. He still struggles with meeting new dogs and his owner has been amazing at being realistic about his limitations. Benny does have a doggy friend, so he does get good positive interactions which is great. We did some muzzle training so his vet visits would go a bit smoother. Benny has been doing well at meeting strangers in the home as well. I’m so proud of his owner’s realistic expectations of keeping Benny safe & happy.

Client Comments:
Hey Michelle!
Thanks for checking in. Benny is doing great. Still not great with making new doggie friends but he is doing well with his muzzle and that has been nice for trips to the vet. We really enjoyed the dog to dog controlled training was great to have. The most helpful thing I learned was consistency on my part is key and knowing Benny’s triggers. Preston S.

10/30/2024

Willow Greyhound Mix now cat friendly!!!
I began working with Willow & her new family in March of 2024. She was rescued in January 2024 by an amazing family dedicated to helping her acclimate to her new home. Her new home has two cats (Chunk & Tobi) and it was evident early on her prey drive was in full gear when she saw them. The family was distraught and unsure of what their future looked like with having a prey driven dog in their home. We had a few sessions with the family working on helping minimize Willow’s prey drive with the cats. I’m so proud of all the work and success this family has done. It shows patience, dedication, kindness, positive handling pays off. Way to Go!

Client Update: Sept 2024
Hi Michelle!
Here’s some other news you may want to sit down for. The baby gate has been gone for a while now. Willow sleeps in bed with me and usually both cats. They all have reached an understanding, and we have a peaceful home! No chasing or fixating. Willow does show jealousy sometimes with Tobi, the smaller gray cat. Because he’s “mama’s cat,” and likes to get on my lap. She’d rather get all my attention. She has growled at him and even barked mean at him but hasn’t shown any intention of biting or attacking him. Usually, she just tries to physically crawl and paw on me and ask for belly rubs when he’s close. Brat!
She continues to be as sweet as can be with people and is fine with the cats. She really seems to like Chunk. Tobi, not as much haha. She still gets goofy around other dogs. She doesn’t like them being behind her and gets barky still. But we’ve made so much progress, I’ll take that slowly.

I’m attaching a few pics. Thanks for being such a big help to us in the early days. She seems like a whole new dog now.
Kristin M

09/13/2024

https://www.facebook.com/796859055/posts/10164084534504056/?mibextid=xOYQyo

07/15/2024

Client Feedback
Meet Zelda a gorgeous 1yr old Silver Lab. The owners contacted me about some of her behaviors to include, reactive behavior towards people & dogs, anxiety, fear, body handling sensitivity, barrier frustration, and compulsive behaviors. Zelda and her VERY dedicated owners have been amazing during our training process. They were loving, understanding & overall accepted Zelda for who she is and guided her lovingly through her challenges. On top of her behaviors, Zelda also suffers from hip dysplasia which can certainly be a big culprit to some of her behaviors. I am very pleased with Zelda's progress and how she responded to training using positive training techniques. Great Job!!!
Client Comments:
"Things are going fairly well with Zelda. She has been better with strangers and some dogs. We even had a rover person over last week for a drop in and while she barked a lot, she eventually warmed up to her. Health wise, she's been limping a lot more so we have a follow up with the surgeon. We enjoyed the hands on nature of the training and humane (positive reinforcement) tactics. We are so thankful that we found you! It's been great to see the changes in Zelda over the short amount of time we worked together. " Christine & Carlos C.

07/14/2024

Client Feedback
Meet Timmy a 2y Jackapoo (Jack Russel Terrier/Poodle Mix). Timmy was a serious little dude and often worried about his environment. The owners contacted me about Timmy's reactive behavior with dogs on walks. He also would often Resource Guard his space, toys and his dad. he was quite fearful of people entering his home or space and would bark, growl, air snap or bite to make them to go away. He often practiced demand behaviors which dad would oblige which increased his behaviors. Timmy was also fearful and reactive to loud scary noises. After our training, Timmy has progressed very nicely. The owners were very dedicated to his management & training protocols when triggers were present. It turns out Timmy was frustrated on leash with dogs and is now successfully playing with other dogs in the Little Dog Club hosted at Oscar's Pet Resort.
Client Comments
"Recently we hosted a brunch for the family which included 9 adults & 2 grandkids. Timmy had been reactive to most of the family members in the past. The first 5 minutes were a bit like we expected. But after those 5 minutes, he was very relaxed and off leash the rest of the morning!!! We were very happy with our boy. There was one bark when the 6'4" brother in law stood up from the table , but that WAS IT!! Even when others moved around, he didn't make a sound! We really enjoyed Michelle's knowledge, patience, and sense of humor. The most helpful thing was how to work with Timmy who has always been a reactive, fearful type of dog. The other helpful thing was from reading about signs of stress, aggression, play, etc from the many books Michelle recommended. Our 2 biggest areas we wanted help with were being able to be around other dogs outside, and groups of people in our home without Timmy being so loud, reactive, and distracting. And I feel we made major strides in these areas. Michelle, we are indebted to you for all your help. I will be honest and tell you Doug found several online type of classes that we would start and just get frustrated. And of course, everyone who was the brunt of his barking & aggression, had their own advice for correcting his behavior. We were quite frustrated when we finally contacted you, and felt that nothing in our 42 yrs of raising dogs prepared us for how to deal with Timmy! And that was so sad for us. The books all had helpful info in them, and started the journey to understanding what we were dealing with, and you followed through with teaching us how to deal with him." Kathy & Doug P.

07/14/2024

Client Feedback
Meet Nugget a.k.a. Nuggie a 3y old GORGEOUS female American Bully. This sweet girl was dumped near a rescue and appeared to have just weaned a litter of puppies at the age of 2.5y. Her owner contacted me about Nugget's reactive and anxious behaviors. Nugget was very dog reactive on walks and reactive to people passing by the home. Her owner was very dedicated and applied management tools & training techniques to help Nugget be calmer on walks when triggers were present. I'm very proud of the progress Nugget & her owner has made.
Client Comments
"I liked that we used different settings and different scenarios for the training. I enjoyed seeing her progress and learning about her behaviors and what they mean. Everything was so helpful! I'm much more aware of her body language now that I know what it means. The whole training was new to me so I feel it was all helpful with getting her more comfortable in different settings. Thank you again for helping us! It was great having someone who knows and loves pitties as much as I do. Thank you not only for the training, but for all of the other information as well." Christina E.

07/14/2024

Client Feedback:
Meet Cooper a handsome, intelligent 7m old Rhodesian Ridgeback. The clients reached out to me in regards to some behavior concerns such as poor manners w/guests, severe Resource Guarding, body handling sensitivity, PICA - compulsively eating foreign objects, demand behaviors, stress & over arousal on walks. It was sad to see so many dangerous behaviors in such a young dog. It makes me wonder if this was a genetic condition handed down from one of his birth parents. Unfortunately, the clients were not able to meet the birth father but noted the birth mother was super sweet. Nonetheless, Cooper responded well to the positive training & management techniques we put into place. The owners also started Cooper on an all-natural calming supplement which aided in our efforts. The client's were amazing & dedicated at implementing the new tools & techniques they learned. Training is a work on progress and likely will continue through Cooper's adolescent stage. I am proud of their accomplishments & realistic expectations of Cooper.
Client Comments:
"Our goals for Cooper was feeling confident in managing his resource guarding behaviors, biting and jumping up on walks and allowing Cooper to feel calm with certain stimuli. We have seen huge improvements in Cooper over the last few weeks! At this time we are feeling good and have been implementing what we have learned daily. We enjoyed being guided through what to do when Cooper would respond to certain stimuli. We also enjoyed the real time applicable solutions given. The most helpful thing we learned was that the small steps and little activities make a big difference over time & how to stay safe on walks." Drew & Kayleigh T.