Pawsitively Waggin'

01/09/2024

I know it’s been awhile since I have posted, but I’m still here, so stay tuned. Starting a 13 week refresher for my Family Paws Educator License!

08/29/2022

Trainers are YOUR guide and teacher. YOU are putting everything into practice and building the relationship with your dog.

Thank you Paw Behaviour Dog Training for this great graphic!

08/16/2022

THIS SATURDAY!!!

I have a virtual Dogs & Storks® class Saturday August 20th from 10am- noon CST. This class is part of the childbirth education programming at Women's Specialists of NM but is open to the public.

This course is designed for expecting families, families with infants, and caretakers of infants. We discuss how to prepare your dog for baby’s arrival, how dogs communicate, common scenarios you may not have though about, and general tips for parents with dogs.

Message me to sign up, I still have a few spots available!

For more information check out Family Paws Parent Education

07/02/2022

Great tips from Family Paws Parent Education

It's a holiday weekend and we've put together some tips to help you and your dog prep for a successful time.

✅ Ensure all microchips and tags are updated. Also check that your dogs tags are secured to their collar or harness.
✅ Play and engage with your dog BEFORE fireworks begin.
✅ Prepare frozen goodies for your dog (like a KONG toy, or even a lickimat).
✅ Be sure their success stations are set up, comfortable and ready for them.
✅ Close any curtains or blinds to help reduce noise.
✅ If needed, use ambient noise, a white noise machine or even a fan. You could also play something on TV that helps calm your dog.

06/21/2022

05/14/2022

04/15/2022

Fantastic infographic from CattleDog Publishing - The Legacy of Dr. Sophia Yin

04/14/2022

Consent. We teach our children it’s importance, but what about when it comes to dogs? Yes, our dogs enjoy affection from us, but do we know how to be sure they’re still interested?

Family Paws Parent Education talks about keeping the phrase “pet, pet, pause” in our head with dogs, and I think it translates to most animals.

If your dog asks for affection, periodically stop petting them and see if they signal that they want more. Here is a video I got tonight of my daughter and one of our dogs who doesn’t always want to be pet when he’s near you. Notice the clear signals he gives.

04/05/2022

It's National Dog Bite Prevention Month, and although it's a hard topic for everyone, raising awareness is so important! One of the most vital things to remember is to ALWAYS SUPERVISE DOGS AND CHILDREN. And if you can't, have a plan that keeps the dog and child separated comfortably. Here is a handout from Family Paws Parent Education about the different types of supervision. Where can you improve?

02/26/2022

https://www.facebook.com/183498118921659/posts/1003638360240960/?d=n

02/08/2022

I always tell families with young kids that I understand what they’re going through because I’m in the thick of it too. Case and point, one of my dogs just tried to eat a set of fairy wings.

02/07/2022

Great tips from Family Paws Parent Education!

It's a long one! But, there are tips! 🙂

Does your dog act a bit nutty when someone comes to the door? We've received this question many times about how to decrease this reactivity at the door once baby arrives. What if your newborn (or toddler) is sleeping and you donʻt want to wake them? It is a great idea to practice BEFORE baby arrives, and good news? There are many things you can do to improve this!

Check out these tips:
✅ Keep your returning homes calm as well as your leaving. Making the use of the door a non event will decrease the excitement. Resist the urge to shower your dog with love right away. Instead , pick a focal point (like in labor) to look at when you enter your home and avoid eye contact with your dog as this invites wiggles and waggles and gives attention. Be quiet 🤫 and go about an activity such as putting things away or making tea or changing clothes. Once your dog settles down or defers to a toy then call him over for a calm reuniting. The point here is to not offer attention right away as this has been the pattern…door opens…..the party and greetings begin. You will need to practice this calm behavior many times to break an old greeting routine.

✅ Try entering your home via another door. Practice the above at this new entry point and see how that goes.

🔔 Does your dog respond to the doorbell???

Try this:
1️⃣ Download a doorbell wav file similar to yours or record yours. Ring it ( at low volume) and sit and read. Do nothing. Don’t look up or react to your dog’s antics, reward your dog the moment they make another choice or lie down or take their attention off the door, repeat. Over time the door bell sound becomes boring as nothing happens and the once novel sound is no longer exciting.

2️⃣ Another way is the visitor game. Door bell sound = dog goes to their spot with a treat while leaving the greeting up to their people. This exercise is a bit more complicated and we use management tools to build the behavior.

Link in our bio to find an FPPE Educator 👩‍🏫🧑‍🏫 near you to get some ideas and more tips to help your dog before baby arrives!

01/27/2022

This is a great visual of how ignored low level signals of stress or discomfort can lead to escalation.

https://www.facebook.com/239009016827484/posts/1037206360341075/?d=n

The BSAVA Ladder of Aggression.

This ladder of aggression shows the different ways the dog communicates (or tries to communicate, if only we’ll listen) when it is feeling stressed or threatened. The dog tries to let us know how it is feeling in the hope that we will recognise and act to rectify the situation. Sadly, often this doesn’t happen, and the dog is forced to escalate further up the ladder.

Small dogs often have to escalate faster because people ignore their communication due to their size. They think the dog is trying to “act big and scary” and find it cute, leaving the dog no choice but to escalate. The more we ignore the dog’s attempts to communicate at the lower rungs of the scale, the more likely it will resort to using those at the higher rungs of the scale.

01/25/2022

Excellent handout for parents from Family Paws Parent Education

Curious about success stations? We have a helpful handout that shows specific examples and what they are. These are great ways to incorporate inclusion without interaction. Though, with tethering, we do not recommend this if baby is moving around independently.

If you'd like to download our free handout, check out this link 👇😊

https://www.familypaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FPPE_SuccessStation_Handout_FINAL_H-1.pdf

01/19/2022

Excellent post by Canine Principles!

Dog training has come a long way in recent years and yet some methods that are rather archaic still exist in the dog world. Despite science demonstrating how dogs learn and the benefits of positive reinforcement, such techniques still manage to resurface. Why is this the case?

01/19/2022

What are the 5 types of supervision? 🤔We believe that only Only two types, active and proactive, truly set your dogs and young children up for success. Active and proactive supervision are essential in building safer bonds together.

What can you do at night while sleeping? This is "absent supervision." The best thing for this is to be sure your family dog is secure in a success station, like a crate, or gate (one the dog will not be able to figure a way out of), or secure tether.

It always helps to prepare with your dog and practice for months with success stations before they are needed. Trust us!! You will thank us later!!!

👏 Download the 5 Types of Supervision here:https://www.familypaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/5-types-Supervision-HR.compressed.pdf

01/15/2022

Somebody played a lot this morning with the other dogs!

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk puppy biting/nipping.

Nipping and biting is normal puppy behavior. Just like kids chewing on random things when they are young. So what do we do when puppy decides to chew or bite things that are not appropriate? Show them what is appropriate. Always have toys on hand with different textures to offer instead. That way puppy will learn to choose them instead.

Yelling, pushing their lips against their teeth, and pinning them on their back only teach them to be afraid. Then they will sneak off and chew things and you won’t be able to redirect them right away. And they’re more likely to get hurt or do damage.

01/13/2022

Here’s the setup myself and lots of other trainers use for puppies. It gives the puppy a safe place where they can’t get into things or be unsafe, and also gives them free access to their kennel so they see it as part of their own space.

So when does puppy go in here? For really young puppies it’s any time they can’t have my complete attention. So for example if I have to use the bathroom or run upstairs to help one of my kids, in puppy goes!

I also use this area when the puppy needs a break from my kids. Or vice versa.

Remember this is not a bad place to be and it’s not a punishment. There are fun things to do in the puppy pen! Yes, you can use it when the puppy is getting too feisty, but always be sure to give them something to do to get that energy out.

01/11/2022

Working on “down” today!

01/11/2022

PUPPY!!!! This is Dex, he’s visiting for the week. We are going to have so much fun and learn all sorts of things! Tonight he’s settling in and everyone is getting used to each other😍

01/10/2022

Something very exciting is happening tonight!! Check back later to see!

01/07/2022

Do you have a jumper in your house? Check out this video for some great tips!

January is the APDT's National Train Your Dog Month. Have a dog who jumps? Watch and learn tips to keep your dog from jumping.

01/05/2022

Does your dog go outside just to come inside to get a treat? Are you potty training a puppy that does this and then pees inside?

These dogs are getting a different signal than you intend! They think they are being reinforced for going in and out, not for going to the bathroom outside.

It’s important to mark the behavior you want as it’s happening. So bring the treats outside! Be present when your dog is going to the bathroom! That way you can tell them “good potty” as they go and follow up with a treat as soon as they are done. Then we go inside.

01/05/2022

What are the 5 types of supervision? 🤔We believe that only Only two types, active and proactive, truly set your dogs and young children up for success. Active and proactive supervision are essential in building safer bonds together.

What can you do at night while sleeping? This is "absent supervision." The best thing for this is to be sure your family dog is secure in a success station, like a crate, or gate (one the dog will not be able to figure a way out of), or secure tether.

It always helps to prepare with your dog and practice for months with success stations before they are needed. Trust us!! You will thank us later!!!

👏 Download the 5 Types of Supervision handout below 😊

https://www.familypaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/5-types-Supervision-HR.compressed.pdf

01/03/2022

So excited to once again be partnering with Women's Specialists of NM to offer Dogs & Storks™ as part of their childbirth education programming! Here are the dates for 2022, all classes are on Zoom and open to the public. Message me to sign up!

01/03/2022

Many dog owners struggle with a reliable recall, aka come when called.

It’s important to practice this skill in a controlled environment at first. And to always use something of very high value as reinforcement. Time to break out the hot dogs, chicken, or cheese!

Don’t forget that regardless of how frustrated you may be, ALWAYS be excited when your dog comes to you, and have something good to reinforce it with! That way they will not hesitate to come to you, because good things always happen when they do!

One fun way to practice recall is to play a hide and seek game. You can do this inside or outside. One person has the dog and the other goes into another room out of sight. The hidden person calls the dog and when they are found there are lots of pets and good treats to be had. Repeat with the other person! When outside, you can have the dog drag a leash and/or have the second person follow just in case.

01/02/2022

January is the APDT's National Train Your Dog Month! Follow us as we share ways to increase your bond with your dog. Today you can learn more about the benefits of dog training so you're pup will be considered a good canine citizen. https://trainyourdogmonth.com/tips/benefits/

01/02/2022

It’s National Train Your Dog Month!! Stay tuned for lots of fun content coming your way! To start, here are two things you need to know about training ANY dog REGARDLESS of age, breed, temperament, etc.

1) It is going to take time and effort. There are no quick fixes! Read that again. Training is about building a relationship, not turning your dog into a robot.

2) Remember that anyone can post videos on the internet. If you see a “trainer” using any sort of physical force to make a dog do something, scroll on. Dogs should always be having fun during training!

Picture of my dog Flynn fixated on the treat in my hand. He takes food very seriously!

12/01/2021

Using positive reinforcement to help my 5 year old learn her sight words!

11/12/2021

I was interviewed along with two of my colleagues for the latest issue of Focus Mid-South! The article is about what to do if your new dog doesn’t get along with the other members of your household. If you follow the link it starts on page 22.

Mid-South LGBT+ Community, Culture, Profiles, Travel and more in the latest issues of Focus Mid-South Magazine.