Meg's Pawsitive Pups

05/01/2025

Great read on dominance theory

THE PLOT TO DOMINATE HUMANS

We hear it far too much - “my dog is dominant” or “trying to be the alpha” or “I have to be the pack leader to show my dog who’s in charge”.

The definition of dominance - dominant in the chain of command / occupying or being in a commanding or elevated position / having a controlling, prevailing, or powerful position in a social hierarchy. Do we really believe this of our dogs in the context of our relationship with them? Are dogs really trying to take over our homes and rule the world?

We control everything in their lives - what and when they eat, when they go out, their choices, where they sleep, who they interact with, their environment etc. and yet it’s still believed they are trying to dominate us.

Yes, dominance between dogs does exist, but not in the way that we may assume. It exists in certain situations or contexts, is fluid and may constantly change. It’s not usually about using force but about one individual deferring to another.

Dogs know that we are not dogs and they don’t expect us to behave like other dogs.

Dogs need us to be their advocate, a source of security, of safety and a secure base from which they can navigate our world – not a source of pain, fear, intimidation, force, competition and dominance.

There is a vast amount of scientific evidence and information available that debunks the dominance myth as it pertains to our relationship with dogs.

Here are just a few links and references for further information -

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour – “An appropriate trainer should avoid any use of training tools that involve pain (choke chains prong collars, or electronic shock collars), intimidation (sq**rt bottles, shaker noise cans, compressed air cans, shouting, staring, or forceful manipulations such as "alpha rolls" or "dominance downs physical correction techniques (leash jerking, physical force), or flooding exposure. The learner must always feel safe and have the ability to "opt out” of training sessions”

Why Dominance Theory Fails in Dog Training
https://readypupgo.biz/why-dominance-theory-fails-in-dog-training/

Dr Anne Mcbride & SJ Evans
https://www.apbc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/APBC-Dominance-Article.pdf

Dr. L. David Mech talks about the terms "alpha" and "beta" wolves and why they are no longer scientifically accurate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNtFgdwTsbU

04/24/2025

❤️🐾

Positive dog training isn't just about teaching commands.

It’s about building trust, confidence, and self-belief in your dog, all while ensuring that the methods used are force-free and non-invasive.

This approach nurtures a healthy relationship and creates a safe, cooperative environment for both you and your dog.

04/17/2025

Gideon did great today with his day training. We worked outside on his stays. ❤️🐾

04/11/2025

your dog’s breed matters!!

Yes, Your Dog's Breed DOES Matter - Here's Why

I've noticed a concerning trend in dog training circles lately: "Breed doesn't matter. Talking about breed traits is just stereotyping. All dogs are individuals."

While this sounds enlightened and progressive, it's dangerously misleading.

Of course every dog is an individual with their own personality. But pretending that centuries of selective breeding hasn't created meaningful differences between dog breeds isn't progressive - it's ignoring reality.

No other species on earth has been so deliberately diversified by humans. We've spent many hundreds of years selectively breeding dogs for specific traits, behaviors, and abilities to perform vastly different jobs.

And those genetics matter.

Stand a Pug next to a Belgian Malinois. Look at their physical appearance, energy level, and behavior. They're so different it's hard to believe they're the same species. Acknowledging this isn't stereotyping - it's observation.

More than half the training issues I've seen in my career could have been prevented or significantly minimized if owners had carefully considered what kind of dog they were getting.

When someone living in a small city apartment brings home a Husky bred for running miles pulling sleds in cold climates, then wonders why the dog is struggling... that's not the dog's fault. That's a mismatch of genetics and lifestyle.

When a family wants a bombproof social dog for their busy household with many visitors, but chooses a breed selectively bred for guardian tendencies - that's setting everyone up for unnecessary challenges.

Acknowledging breed tendencies isn't limiting your dog. It's seeing them for who they are - and part of who they are is their genetics.

If you have a herding breed, you should expect to work more on motion sensitivity and chase behaviors - these traits are foundational to what makes them excel at herding.

If you have a terrier, you should anticipate certain natural tendencies toward prey drive and digging.

If you have a guardian breed, their natural wariness of strangers isn't a "training failure" - it's part of what made them excellent at their historical job.

Individual personality and environment will certainly influence how these traits express themselves, but the underlying genetic predispositions are real.

All dogs need social time, enrichment, and novelty. They need daily exercise and training. But how MUCH exercise, what TYPE of training, and which specific activities will fulfill them best is significantly influenced by breed.

Respecting breed tendencies isn't stereotyping - it's setting your dog up for success by understanding and honoring who they are.


Happy (Breed-Specific) Training!

04/09/2025

It was a beautiful day to work/play with Maya on her day training/enrichment walk. She gets to explore, sniff, run while safely attached to a long line. During the walk we practice her basic cues like recall. She had a great time

04/05/2025

I AIN’T MISBEHAVING
I’m just doing what dogs do!

What may look like misbehaviour is often just a dog behaving as dogs naturally do.

We expect so much of our dogs when we bring them into our world, forgetting that they are a different species that don’t arrive pre-programmed to behave in a way we expect them to.

We hold dog’s captive in a confined, unnatural space and then become frustrated when they don’t behave the way we expect.

We become frustrated when our dogs don’t walk nicely on a lead, don’t get on with every other dog or person they meet, steal food from counter tops, don’t give things back, guard resources, dig, chew or destroy what they shouldn’t, bark, howl, whine or perhaps growl etc.

We need to replace our frustration and our need to train away or fix unwanted behaviour with understanding, patience and guidance.

Understand that dogs naturally behave in a certain way. Be patient while guiding them to learn a different way to behave through using force free, positive reinforcement methods, meeting their needs and managing their environment.

Providing outlets to engage in natural behaviour, providing mental, physical and social stimulation and understanding why dogs behave the way they do will create secure relationship and make such a difference in their lives.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our dogs is our understanding.

04/04/2025

Got to meet Aurora and her family. She is a very enthusiastic and pretty girl. Both she and her family did a great job in their first session.

04/03/2025

Today I worked with Gideon. His mom
bought him a new set of steps to help him on and off the bed. We worked on desensitizing him to the stairs and adding the cue “stairs”. He picked it up in no time. Great job Gideon.

12/01/2024

Fun games with your pup!!

10/19/2024

Attention anyone using dog walkers, especially those that do “pack walks”…Ask lots of questions to the company/person you use. The post below shares what happens all
the time, you need to make sure your dogs are safe under the care of others.

Today we witnessed a dog walker, with six dogs; four of them off leash -enter the parking lot from Wilson Mt.

While trying to leash the dogs, per our ‘request’, two of the dogs ran from the dog walker, and headed back into the woods.*

When the dog walker re-entered the woods (with the now six leashed dogs - three per hand), she dropped one of the dogs leashes, at the same time that another dog slipped out of its collar.*

*Everyone was ultimately safely collected.

The dog walker stated that she was unaware of the leash law, yet she was parked directly beside the leash requirement sign. She also stated this was not her first time in Wilson Mt.

The dog walker also stated that she ‘didn’t think dog walker rules applied if at least one of the dogs being walked is [her] own dog and not a clients’ dog’. We are still trying to wrap our head around that one. 🤦‍♀️

The dog walker further stated that she didn’t need ‘poop bags’ because all of the dog’s owners reported ‘the dogs had pooped prior to their scheduled walk’. Again, 🤦‍♀️.

This was all very unsettling.

October 2nd marked the 1-year anniversary of Lola’s disappearance….with a paralleling script —-the same park… a dog walker-without a permit, with six dogs ; four of them off leash, in a (posted) leash required park.

Dog owners - while we will continue to address these violations, hazards and liabilities with dog walkers, as well as try to figure out just how to improve this lucrative, often care-free portion of the dog care industry- we cannot urge you enough to please know who is caring for your dogs, to know that this person (or company) is adhering to the laws -and is capable of taking on the practice and the responsibilities of dog walking.

Do you ask your dog walker how many other dogs will be walked with your dog?

Do you ask if the dogs will be taken off leash? And if so, if the dogs are legally allowed to be off leash in the area to where they are being taken?

Do you ask if dog walking permits are needed - and secured, for certain places? Have you asked to see them?

Do you ask what plan is in place if your dog (or one of the other dogs) should go missing from the pack, or if there is a dog/dog or dog/wildlife or dog/person- altercation?

You are the voice for your dog’s welfare. Asking questions, requesting to see protocols, permits, incident management plans- is the best way you can protect the one family member who cannot tell you about their day!

08/29/2024

Love this!!

Today's Dog Training Myth of the Day: "Only tell them once!"

What if you ask a dog (whatever age, breed, s*x, background, training level) to do something, but there is no response?

Set aside the myth of "only tell them once." Good rule of thumb: if it were a toddler, what would you do? Probably wait a few beats, be sure you had the kid's attention, then ask again.

Just like us, dogs may not be tuned in 100% because they are busy having their own experience of life which may or may not include you at any moment.

If you *do* have the pup's attention, and they did hear you, next step is to consider that they do not understand and/or don't see the point!

I've often asked clients to stand on a chair and sing happy birthday. I've done it while they were trying to take notes. Result: no compliance, and they say usually say, "Sorry - I was focused on taking notes. What did you say?"

If they are paying attention to me but look at me as if I'm crazy, I ask, "Did you understand what I asked? You did? So why aren't you doing it?" Inevitably the answer is, "I don't want to" or "Why would I do that?" It helped them understand how their dogs might be responding.

So give your dogs the courtesy of clear communication, engage attention first, be sure there is understanding, and make it worthwhile for the dog to work with you. Respect, courtesy and taking responsibility for what we are communicating and how we are communicating -- those are all supportive of healthy dog/human relationships.

This does not mean repeating, Sit-sit-sit-sit-sit-sit which is not good communication no matter who you're talking to! 😊

If you want and need response to just one request (and this has great value!), you first have to teach understanding, understand that connection and attention must come first always, then develop the skill, tighten the criteria and make it worthwhile. Then practice!!!

06/25/2024

Very important read!!!

Apparently these two fingers are all you need to stop a puppy mouthing you. It's magical and "works every time". The only caveat is you have to be firm and "do it as if you mean it". If you treat your puppy gently it just won't work. But, hey, what's a little harsh treatment if it solves the problem, right? All you have to do is prod your puppy (your 𝘱𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘺, remember...) sharply in that lovely vulnerable, soft part of their abdomen just between their rib cage and their leg. A few sharp pokes and your puppy biting problems are over.

I wish I was joking. But I'm not. This is actual advice given to a client by someone they paid money to to help them.

Not one question was asked about the pup's routine. About the conditions under which the puppy was biting. About how much rest they were getting. Whether they were teething. Whether they were overstimulated. What they were being fed. How they were being played with. Not one question. Because who wants to be bothered with all that when a good dose of physical punishment and emotional intimidation works on a young animal who is just doing what puppies do?

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. Training is a totally unregulated industry and 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 can set up as a trainer regardless of education, experience, insurance or ethics. So if you don't want to end up with someone who'll tell you to hurt your dog do your homework. Check qualifications. Check education. Check ethos. Check their vibe. Because your dog can't.

And if they use force, fear or intimidation it would be totally understandable if you felt the temptation to use a two fingered gesture of your own...