Whole Dog Training and Behavior

10/15/2024

Back from the 2024 Aggression In Dogs Conference in Scottsdale this weekend with a fresh new dose of inspiration and some great ideas I can't wait to implement into my private training practice and my work at the animal shelter.

Aside from an already packed guest list of speakers that included renowned trainers like Emma Parsons and shelter pros like Laurie Lawless--both of whom could not have been more engaging, inspiring and informative--there were a couple surprise guests that left me feeling like the universe is definitely conspiring in my favor.

First up was Janis Bradley, who's book Dog's Bite But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous I just happen to be reading right now. We even got to share a ride back to the airport with her yesterday. She shared with us how she is interested in anthropomorphism as the next thing in dog behavior with its power to help build greater empathy in humans.

And the second surprise guest of the day was Dr. Sheila Segurson from Maddie's Fund whose talk, Trauma In Dogs and Animal Shelters, was so compassionate and relevant. Our shelter contracts with Dr. Segurson for behavior support so it was such a pleasant surprise to learn that she would be filling in for a speaker who was unable to make the conference and to get to hear her talk and meet her in person.

Lastly, giant thanks to Kerri M Cpdt-ka for encouraging me to attend and being my buddy for the weekend. I feel pretty lucky to have another dog trainer friend that's idea of a good time also includes spending vacation nerding out on behavior.

01/11/2024

Such an important message.

We can all man handle a pet and take chances on their emotional health and our personal safety. But that get-it-done-at-any-cost attitude is not a proper measure of competence or capability.

Choose your animal care professionals wisely.

The pet professionals in your life should always be advocating for your animals. ❤️

06/28/2023

Four Paw Sports Center, where I teach manners classes, will be hosting a drop-in open house on July 4th from noon to 5pm. Most of our training team will be on staff to show you how confidence-boosting and fun dog sports can be and to help tire your pup out and provide some enrichment prior to the booms and pops of the Independence Day festivities. We will also be giving talks and sharing advice on ways to keep your pups safe and home on the 4th and ways to support them through their fears and sensitivity to noise. Please join us!

The Fourth of July can be very hard for some dogs. Fireworks can be frightening, and we have some great ideas!​

Join us on July 4, anytime between 12:00 and 5:00 to give your dog some exercise (tire them out physically), learn about dog sports (tire them out mentally), and learn how different sports and activities can help them throughout the year!

We will also be having a short talk every hour about how to work with your dog to overcome concerns about loud sounds.

The $15 fee for this event covers up to 90 minutes at our facility.

Visit our website now to pre-purchase your pass for this event!

05/16/2023

Hey dog lovers! It would mean the world to me if you would make a donation to my PAWSwalk fundraising page!! PAWSwalk is PAWS's annual campaign to raise money for Cat City, the Companion Animal Shelter and the Wildlife Center so we can continue to provide much needed care to cats, dogs, bears, bobcats, birds and beyond!

Will you join me in doing amazing things for animals? (And a couple bonus points for making me look good at my new job, lol)

04/09/2023

My man Kujo is making killer strides.
Kujo and his humans just welcomed his first human baby sister into the world and we have been working on some behaviors to make him a great big brother.
Kujo resource guards and his highest value item to guard has become his baby sister’s pacifier—which he will also eat, if given the chance.
We have been slowly building up to Kujo being able to calmly observe and disengage from his favorite forbidden items and just look at him totally ignoring the binky in the glass bowl behind him.
Me and his humans are so proud of the progress he made today!

03/09/2023

Proud Puppy Start ‘Em Right grad, Leo and his final play sesh in the six-week series.

03/02/2023

Purchased this weekend seminar at the KPA Ranch with Ken Ramirez and Susan G. Friedman on coaching clients. I was so bummed I missed the opportunity to register for her last Ranch seminar before it sold out that I made sure to jump on this one. August can't come soon enough!

Built by Karen Pryor Clicker Training

01/29/2023

I'm up early watching the training team at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo work with hippos and lemurs on voluntary medical behavior as part of Clicker Expo Live 2023. LOVE this conference!

12/31/2022

We’ve come a long way with Plucky’s anxiety around bath time. She was a trooper today. Lick mats and liver paste help, but so does the thoughtful set up at Rub-A-Dub dog wash where dogs have ample space and visual barriers from each other, safe tubs with moveable slip leads and mats to keep pets on solid footing, head huggers for the pups and ear protection for us humans too, and extremely helpful and attentive staff. Such a nice facility, 10/10.

12/24/2022

Not all dogs are right for the job.

09/05/2022

07/31/2022

An excellent reminder from OVC as we make it through this heat wave--

Please be careful with your dogs. We often don’t think about the temperature in the PNW. Watch not only the temp but the asphalt is known to be above 125 these days and that causes terrible burns.

06/27/2022

Plan ahead to ensure your noise-phobic dog is set up for success this 4th.

The thunderstorms, outdoor festivities, and Fourth of July fireworks of spring and summer can spell misery for dogs with noise aversion and their families.

05/19/2022

Exciting changes are happening to my training schedule over at Four Paw Sports Center!

Alexis Brinkley of Canine Savvy Training and Behavior LLC and I are going solo. We had a blast co-teaching and are ready to push off in new directions. I'll be taking over our Puppy Start 'Em Right class and adding on a Learn the Basics class for dogs six months and older, which I'm really excited about. Behavior modification is my jam and adding a manners class for adult dogs means a greater opportunity to work with rehomed shelter/newly adopted dogs. Helping people build a bond with a dog that's in a new home or perhaps missed out on socialization and training opportunities as a puppy will allow me to really put my behavior mod skills to the task. I find this type of work so rewarding on so many levels.

LTB is Saturdays at 2pm and starts June 4th. Puppy Start 'Em is currently running every Saturday at 3:15 with rolling enrollment for puppies under 16 weeks of age at the start of their first class.

Alexis will be taking over our Canine Good Citizen prep class Saturdays at a new time of 12:45pm. She has put countless hours and tons of heart into training her hound mix, Molly, in scent work and agility and so it is no surprise that she will be looking to pursue her passion of moving in the direction of sport dog training and offering introductory agility classes in the near future. I am SO excited for her--and also very much looking forward to seeing her and Molly compete at the May NADAC agility trial at SchaSam Farm in Stanwood this Sunday!!

Nothing feels like a job when you get to work with dogs.

05/15/2022

Happy 90th birthday, Karen Pryor!

A trillion dogs and their humans are grateful for your leadership, wisdom and innovation in the field of animal behavior and training. Why ever would we have hurt dogs when there is a way that is both more humane and a thousand times more effective. Thank you for paving the way.

04/09/2022

How to help pets from Ukraine 🇺🇦

03/31/2022

Food toys provide enrichment and healthy outlets for core drives. Why not turn thirty seconds of bowl feeding into fifteen minutes of mentally stimulating scavenging activity? While we employ a variety of food puzzles and toys to keep dinner time interesting, the Kong Wobbler featured here is my go-to after a long day for its ease of preparation.

Plus, it never gets old watching Plucky bat it around the room with her big block head.

03/26/2022

Most times I want to promote my business page with meaningful content that educates the two people that read it and highlights the work I do.

But other times I just wanna post up a picture of my boy, Shakey, who is a straight gangsta.