Dogs and Kat: Dog Training & Behavior Counseling

01/22/2025

Great post!!

The Chin Rest: A Simple Behaviour with Big Benefits for Your Dog

There are many benefits to teaching your canine companion a chin rest. A chin rest is a behaviour in which your dog gently places their chin on your hand, an object, or another surface. While it may seem simple, this behaviour offers a range of practical benefits for both you and your dog.

Teaching a chin rest is particularly rewarding when taught within ACE Free Work. Free Work provides a safe, familiar, and enriching environment where your dog can choose whether to participate. This freedom improves confidence, reduces frustration, and builds trust, making learning a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

10 Benefits of the Chin Rest
Teaching a chin rest brings so many rewards. Here are 10 benefits, and you may even come up with a few more!

1. Reduces Anxiety and Stress
A chin rest can help your dog feel more grounded and secure. The gentle pressure and stillness of the behaviour create a calming effect. When taught in a rewarding way, it becomes a familiar and safe behaviour, ideal for potentially stressful situations.

2. Promotes Focus and Attention
The chin rest encourages stillness and focus, which can be invaluable in busy or distracting settings. For example, I invite Harry to do a chin rest when we are stationary or waiting in potentially distracting environments.

3. Strengthens Connection and Trust
Teaching your dog the chin rest helps create a stronger connection between you and your dog. It’s a moment of trust and communication, where you observe, ask questions, and listen to your dog’s responses. Through this, you’re not only building a valuable skill but also strengthening your relationship.

4. Improves Handling and Grooming
A chin rest is invaluable for consent-based handling during grooming, nail trims, or medical procedures. By giving your dog the choice to opt in or out, you can reduce stress and anxiety while building trust.

5. Versatility and Transferability
Once your dog learns the chin rest, it can be used in various environments, from vet visits to walks, or car journeys. The behaviour offers a sense of familiarity and safety in new environments, helping your dog feel safe and comfortable.

6. A Safety Cue in Stressful Situations
A chin rest can act as a safety cue. By teaching your dog to rest their chin, you provide them with a familiar, reassuring behaviour that signals safety.

7. Suitable for Dogs with Limited Mobility
For dogs on crate or bed rest or those with limited mobility, the chin rest is a great low-impact behaviour. You can adapt the learning environment by ensuring the dog is in a comfortable position, such as lying down, and using a raised object or pillow for them to rest their chin on. This way, they can engage with the activity without unnecessary strain or movement, keeping the behaviour enjoyable and rewarding.

8. Encourages Communication (Mand)
The chin rest can also be used as a valuable behaviour for your dog to communicate their needs or wants. By teaching your dog a chin rest, you are providing them with a way to communicate what they need or would like. For example, a dog might use the chin rest to request social contact, signalling that they’re seeking attention or physical contact. Additionally, the chin rest can be a subtle yet effective way for your dog to communicate when they’re feeling unsafe, overwhelmed, or need reassurance.

9. Chin Rest for Scent Work
The chin rest is a valuable behaviour for teaching stillness and duration, key skills in passive scentwork indications. By encouraging your dog to rest their chin on a target and hold the position, you help them develop the ability to remain still for extended periods, which is valuable in scent detection activities.

10. Chin Rest for Dogs Sensitive to Hand Contact
For dogs who are sensitive to hand contact or being touched around their face or muzzle, the chin rest can be a gentle and non-invasive behaviour to teach dogs. By teaching the chin rest, your dog learns that they can rest their chin on a surface or object without the need for direct physical contact with our hands. You can introduce the chin rest using an object or piece of fabric, like a soft cloth or mat, enabling your dog to rest their chin without needing to rely on your hands.

01/16/2025

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Thank you, Laura - Dog Communication for this wonderful post.

When our puppies (aka BABY dogs) come home to us, our most significant responsibilities are to meet their needs and MAKE SURE THEY FEEL SAFE. ♥️

Accidental attachment ‘parenting’

Taking on a tiny 6 day old puppy unintentionally taught me a great deal about attachment and how crucial secure attachments are for our dogs’ emotional health.

It’s pretty easy to meet our dogs physical needs and that was even quite easy with a tiny puppy- she needed feeding, she needed help toileting and she needed to be kept warm.

It was apparently straight away that meeting these physical needs and leaving her on a heat pad in a pen was in no way going to meet her emotional needs. It’s not just warmth that puppies need, it’s physical contact with a living being. Heat pads, fake heart beats in toys etc for a solo puppy, just doesn’t do it. She was more settled and content in close physical contact- she preferred with me but any other human or dog would do. She wanted to be next to skin and near a heartbeat, at all times and so that’s where she stayed, for as long as she needed it.

The option of close physical contact with someone they are attached to is such a basic need. I’m sure most of us remember hearing about the awful Harlow experiments where monkey babies had the choice of a wire ‘mother’ (with milk) or a soft, cloth ‘mother’ and would choose the soft mother even at the expense of milk, such is that basic need.

I have children and it felt so similar to when my kids were tiny babies too. I certainly didn’t deny them a need to be near me and I didn’t with this tiny puppy either. When they are developmentally ready (human babies and tiny puppies), they choose to be more independent from you and they spread their wings.

Of course it’s not just about the need for physical contact anyway when they are tiny- it’s about the need to feel safe too and that’s a fundamental need that must be met.

When puppies go into new homes at 8 weeks old they don’t suddenly stop having this need for physical contact and to feel safe near a living being. They go from feeling safe near to mum and siblings to being totally dependent on their new human family. It breaks my heart to think of them relegated to a crate in a kitchen. Of course they stop crying after a couple of nights as they give up any hope that anyone will help them. It certainly doesn’t help them to feel safe and secure in the world.

The same goes for an adult rescue dog who has often suffered so much upheaval and broken attachments along the way and who needs more than anything to just feel safe and secure and to have a bond with someone. This need for connection is a basic need that must be met, the same as being fed and watered.

I know people worry that if you ‘pander’ to them and give them lots of company they will become clingy or overly dependant but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Letting them develop a secure attachment results in resilient and confident individuals who feel safe in the world.

I see so many clients who’ve had awful advice and who have been told that their dog has behavioural issues as they are too nice to them, love them too much etc. it’s all absolute rubbish and they won’t turn into a monster if you meet their needs for safety, it’s quite the opposite and you help them to develop to their full potential ❤️

Laura McAuliffe, Dog Communication 2024

01/13/2025

01/10/2025

Thank you, Sally Gutteridge for sharing this!

I was in Colombia a few weeks ago, and the dogs there were very different indeed. They had the freedom to roam and play. They joined us for hikes, then went home afterwards. They were not so much possessions as companions; their social skills were incredible.

I'm certain that (at least partly) this was because they were able to make healthy choices over their own lives.

01/08/2025

Thank you, Being Canine, for this. ♥️

We are our dog’s only advocates. It is up to us to speak up for them and be their voice if something doesn’t seem right. When we bring our dogs into our lives, we become their everything. Making sure they are not harmed by someone else - no matter who they are - and that they always feel safe is our main job as their caregivers.

I often wonder why people say they love their dogs like they were family and yet will follow underqualified 'trainers' instructions to punish their dogs.

It makes absolutely no sense, unless, of course, 'love' has a very different meaning in their world.

Being told to pin your dog, yell at them, yank their collar and all other similar 'methods' seems to me to be a sign that I should take my dog and run from that person.

And yet, I see videos of people standing watching a 'trainer' abusing their dog.

Can we make 2025 the year that this is finally seen for what it is? It's not training, it's not tough love or any other pathetic excuse given.

Ever hopeful and optimistic that people will begin to see dogs in a different light.

Photo: Eric with an octopus toy.

01/05/2025

We can’t wait to train with you and your doggos!!

01/05/2025

We are all so sad here at Dogs and Kat to learn of the passing of the incredibly influential and deeply revered Karen Pryor.

Our owner, Kat, felt greatly honored to have briefly met and spent a little time speaking with her at a Clicker Expo.

She pioneered the use of positive reinforcement with animals in the training industry and, in doing so, changed the world for the better for countless humans and the animals who share their lives. In writing, Don’t Shoot The Dog, she also helped many in other human centered industries change their thinking and approaches as well.

Her far reaching impact on this world for the capital B BETTER cannot be overstated. She was a beautiful combination of intellect, kindness, supportiveness, and game-changer and she will never not be an inspiration to us and so many others.

Thank you, Karen, for your example, your courage, your amazing mind, and for championing science and kindness all your 92 years. Rest well. ♥️

01/01/2025

Happiest of New Year’s from all of us at Dogs and Kat!

12/26/2024

Kat’s adolescent pup, Toffee (9.5 months old), really enjoyed the Christmas wrapping paper this morning. Many dogs love tearing, ripping, pulling, and ragging all sorts of objects. Providing them with opportunities to engage in this completely normal and natural behavior can be incredibly beneficial for them.

Toffee is one of those pups who really loves it so she is given SAFE opportunities to do this as often as possible. As long as a dog is NOT trying to ingest the item and can be fully supervised while engaging in this type of activity, let them try it out. As you can hear in the video, Toffee played with the paper more than all her new squeaky toys! 🎁

We hope you and your pups have had a lovely day and enjoyed lots of yummy treats and fun activities.

Merry Christmas and Happy Howlidays!! 🐶🎄🎅🏼

12/15/2024

Excellent and timely post! Thank you, Dog Communication 🙌🏻

12/14/2024

Pic of our amazing team at our holiday dinner! We are deeply grateful for all the trust you have put in us in helping you and your dogs this past year. AND in the 21 years prior! 🙌🏻 We look forward to many, many more. ♥️

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from all of us here at Dogs and Kat! 🎄🐕🎄

12/12/2024

Undiagnosed or misdiagnosed pain is at the heart of MANY of our dogs’ behaviors. They can’t tell us what hurts or when. If you have ever had pain issues - whether temporary or chronic - you KNOW it can cause so many additional challenges like irritability, exhaustion, sadness, anger, etc

These incredible caregivers stayed curious and fought for their pup until they had an answer. We know not everyone would have the ability (financially, life issues, etc.) to do what they have done. But this story is a fantastic example of how trusting that there is so much more to our dogs’ behavior than we often realize is critical.

At this point in time, most folks understand the link between pain and behavior. It’s logical: you don’t feel well, you have less patience and tolerance, you lash out or shut down or otherwise are not the best version of yourself. It makes sense that the same would be true for dogs.

But how do we know there is pain with animals who cannot verbalize that pain?

The short answer: we can’t know.

The longer answer: we also can’t know there ISN’T pain.

Meet Malus.

From puppyhood, he’s been a little spicy. But he’s a terrier, so that’s normal, right? He didn’t like having his feet handled. No biggie. And as he got older, he got a little reactive to other dogs - again, see “terrier” in the dictionary. And after he got neutered at 2.5 years old, his behavior spiraled - going after his housemates, aggression directed at his owners, even less tolerance for handling, increased fence fighting. But there’s some evidence of increased aggression after neutering, so maybe he just got unlucky.

For many folks, that explanation would’ve been enough. They would’ve worked on behavior modification, or just accepted a crate and rotate household, or managed the heck out of all of his triggers… or, honestly, would’ve ended up euthanizing him for his dangerous behavior.

Luckily, Malus’s mom is Katrina, who is essentially a terrier in a human body. She dug in.

Training, a veterinary behaviorist, consulting with other behavior experts, expensive testing - and then we got our first physical explanation: low zinc.

But even with a zinc supplement, his aggressive episodes remained unpredictable. Katrina had noticed some very, very intermittent lameness, foot chewing, butt/tail biting, so off they went to the first orthopedic specialist - one who cleared him orthopedically for all activities.

So they did physical therapy, and pain meds, and kept working on training.

But the weird, mild lameness continued, and so did visits to specialists. A neurologist who recommended an MRI, then more physical therapy for a possible psoas strain, different meds, another orthopedic/rehab specialist consultation, adjustments to physical therapy, a PEMF bed for home use, adjustments to behavior meds, consults with nationally respected trainers and behavior specialists, and finally - FINALLY - a recommendation to see a pain management specialist.

“I think he may have Tethered Cord Syndrome. I’m going to try different pain meds, but there’s a specialist in Massachusetts you should get in touch with.”

With the new meds on board, his behavior improved. He was brighter, happier, had fewer episodes of lameness, self mutilation, and aggression.

Yesterday, Malus had a dynamic MRI at Tufts, where Tethered Cord Syndrome was confirmed.

Today, he had surgery to relieve the adhesions to his spinal cord that have been causing him pain.

He was never “just being a terrier.” He was not acting out for no good reason. He didn’t need harsher training methods. He wasn’t aggressing for no reason.

He was in pain.

There are no words to adequately describe how thrilled I am for Katrina and Malus to have this diagnosis and surgery in their rear view mirror - it has been a long time coming. The strain on Katrina and Kevin’s emotions, time, resources, finances, and household over the last 5 years cannot be overstated. Most folks wouldn’t - and couldn’t - go to the lengths they did.

We can’t rule out pain. We can only rule out specific issues and diagnoses. For Malus, it took finding the right vet who had heard about this rarely diagnosed issue to connect them with the vet who could help.

To my clients I encourage to work with their veterinarian to try to find any physical explanations: Katrina and Malus are the reason why I will push you more if your primary care vet shrugs you off. It’s why I will push and push and push, especially if your commitment to training and management is excellent but we still are struggling to make progress. Malus is on my shoulder (sometimes literally), poking me with his nose, screeching in my ear to look harder.

If you’ve ever heard him, you know how hard that ✨ delightful ✨ noise is to ignore.

(PS - Here’s your sign to sign up for pet insurance.)

To learn more about Tethered Cord Syndrome:
https://vet.tufts.edu/news-events/news/breakthrough-surgical-procedure-relieves-dogs-chronic-pain

12/02/2024

New study regarding dog-human interactions and how dogs can be showing stress signals many humans either don’t understand or misunderstand.

Watching and doing our best to educate ourselves about our dogs’ body language and how they communicate is CRITICAL in creating a strong bond with our dogs. 🐕

“Our pilot studies show many causes for concern as humans tend not to necessarily understand the body language or vocalizations exhibited by dogs, when interacting with them. One of the main functions of human-dog play is creating and strengthening the bond between species, however our results revealed a high number of stress behaviours or calming signals (Mariti et al., 2014, Rugaas, 2006) observed in the dogs involved which may have occurred due to misunderstanding of the information a dog

Conclusion

Miscommunication arises in human-dog relationships, creating risks to the welfare of both, and negatively affecting the human-dog bond. Our studies show a lack of awareness of the meaning or interpretation of canine signaling and communicative behaviours. Poor socialisation, inappropriate handling, and inappropriate exposure to people, may negatively affect a dog’s ability to learn human communication. Additionally, humans need to understand and recognise communication exhibited by their dogs.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159124000546?fbclid=IwY2xjawG6l1pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHU3ECWEQwcukhmD8wuefSd4OfnqEYx_fOVscFHe8S0vghX6HDmVfLafshA_aem_o9nSN84HF2TBcXq57QuuTA

12/01/2024

Happy December 1st! 🎄

11/18/2024

Having fun working on relaxed leash walking in our Basic Manners Class with our awesome instructor, Josh!

11/09/2024

Last minute chance to get a spot in our most popular class for reactive/excitable dogs!

11/08/2024

💗🐶💗