Gold Ridge Cognitive Canines

07/08/2025

🎉 Group Classes are Posted! 🐾

We’ve updated the schedule — including the return of Treibball, one of our favorite dog sports! 💙 ⚽️

Build connection, control, and teamwork in a fun, engaging way! ✨

Classes are held in Newcastle and open to all breeds and experience levels!

Check our schedule at: grccanines.com

07/04/2025

Presto’s wishing everyone a safe and chill 4th of July! 🇺🇸🐾

We’re keeping it low-key and making sure the pups stay comfy - we're fortunate that we can't hear the fireworks where we live. Don’t forget — fireworks can be scary, so give your dogs a safe, secured space and double check those ID tags! ✨

07/03/2025

🎆🐾 Keep Your Dog Safe This 4th of July 🇺🇸✨

Fireworks might be fun for some...but for many dogs, it's like the sky is exploding and they have no idea why! 😅

Here are a few quick tips to help your pup stay safe and (hopefully) a little less stressed:

🔐 Keep ‘em cozy indoors
Even dogs who “never run off” can bolt when scared. Get them settled before the booms begin.

🔊 White noise is your friend
Fans, music, TV, a white noise machine—or even the dryer running—can help muffle the fireworks.

🏷️ Double-check those ID tags (and microchips!)
Make sure their collar has current info and their microchip is registered with the right contact number—just in case they make a break for it.

🍗 No BBQ for the pup
Bones, booze, chocolate, and corn cobs = hard pass. Give them a safe chew or frozen treat instead!

🐶 Create a “safe zone”
Think crate, back room, maybe even the bathroom—wherever they feel most secure. Bonus points for a blanket fort. 🏰

💛 Your calm matters
If you’re relaxed and supportive, your dog is more likely to follow your lead.

🧠 You can change their fireworks response
If the 4th is a tough time every year, know that it’s possible to recondition your dog’s emotional response with the right plan and practice—not just on the holiday, but throughout the year. And if you need help with that, I’m here. Helping dogs feel safe and confident is what I do!

Wishing you and your pups a safe, happy, and peaceful 4th from Gold Ridge Cognitive Canines! 🐕💥🇺🇸

07/03/2025

I post my 4th of July tips each year. Each year I hope to help a few more with this.

Try to prep today by de stressing with their favorite games, take them out and do exercise prior to the biggest part of the holiday….whether it’s a long walk full of sniff time in a new park, or a lot of mental exercises on your home streets—

Search games, tug, chase games whether food or toys, can be done indoors too before the biggest part of the festivities.

🐾
When the noises start, you can shut windows, put on a familiar movie/rain app/white noise, and through it all, act like EVERYTHING is normal and NOTHING is wrong.
No matter what. You might need some calming aids or mild sedatives for some animals... you might need to give a safe space for them to hide if they’re truly agitated.…you might have to put on that brave face for them if you are uncomfortable as well... but it’s imperative that you act with your body language and voice that nothing is wrong so they can feel safe with you— and give them calm instructions.

Pretend like you hear nothing. You can try getting them to play with their favorite toy, and don’t rest until they feed off your positive energy. Laugh, act silly, roll around with them, for a minute or so before settling down and exhibiting the demeanor that all is well. Food play is one of my favorites and search games can help them, too. OR, give directions and guidance to settle and follow through with it.
They won’t believe that things are “ok” if you’re acting like they’re not. Encourage them to be close to you but remember, emotions are contagious, so if you are nervous and petting a lot, they’ll feed off that. If you’re relaxed, giving pets and massages is great.
If you notice something YOU do is working positively, go with it!

Wishing everyone a wonderful safe holiday!

07/02/2025

July is Disability Pride Month — a time to honor strength, history, and vibrant diversity. This month marks the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, a turning point in the fight for accessibility, dignity, and equality.

As someone living with invisible disabilities, this month holds deep meaning for me. My neurodivergence and life experiences have shaped how I move through the world — often in ways that are misunderstood or unseen — but also in ways that have brought strength, insight, and connection.

Early in life, I began raising Guide Dogs for the Blind, and it shaped the way I understood partnership, trust, and communication. That experience gave me an invaluable insight to the incredible bond between humans and dogs — and how that bond can empower people, foster independence, and open doors.

I’m especially grateful I had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Bonnie Bergin, who coined the term “Service Dog.” Her pioneering work expanded the possibilities for how dogs could support not just those with visual impairments, but also people with mobility challenges and psychiatric conditions. Her impact continues to shape how we define independence and dignity today.

Disability Pride is about more than awareness — it’s about visibility, acceptance, and reclaiming identity without shame. It’s about honoring the ways disabled people show up every day, even when systems aren’t built for us. It’s about joy, creativity, resilience, and the deep knowing that disability is not a flaw — it’s a part of human diversity.

I’m proud to be part of this community — and I’m equally proud to serve it. Supporting other disabled individuals and families through my work isn’t just a job, it’s a personal passion. Whether you're thriving, surviving, or somewhere in between, you belong and do have a voice.

07/01/2025

“The rise in anxiety among American humans has been exhaustively documented,” Rose Horowitch wrote in 2024. “With much less fanfare, we also seem to have entered the age of the anxious canine.”⁠ https://theatln.tc/7OklVWaz
⁠
Many of America’s 85 veterinary behaviorists are booked months in advance. Several whom Horowitch spoke with said that the number of people seeking pet mental-health care has exploded in the past few years. But there is no consensus as to why. One theory is that dogs today are more anxious. More Americans are choosing to adopt pets, which saves lives but can leave traumatized pets with inexperienced owners. We’ve also altered the way pets live in ways that may make them anxious or aggressive toward people and other dogs. But it could also be that anxious adults are projecting their own issues onto their furry companions. What people classify as a behavioral issue reflects human expectations as much as a dog’s nature, according to a bioethicist. ⁠
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“So is the dog-anxiety crisis real, or is it a product of owners’ anxiety-riddled psyches? Dogs can’t tell us how they’re feeling, so we’ll probably never know,” Horowitch continues. “But both explanations are depressing. Either humans are stressing dogs out so much that they truly need prescription meds, or owners are putting their dogs on unnecessary psychoactive drugs to address annoying but normal dog habits. It might be time, in other words, to reevaluate the way we approach dog ownership. ⁠
⁠
“Many Americans don’t have the time, energy, or green space their pets need to thrive,” Horowitch continues. “If the choice is to medicate our dogs or to make them, and ourselves, miserable, pet ownership starts to seem ethically murky.”⁠

Read more here: https://theatln.tc/7OklVWaz
⁠
🎨: Paul Spella / The Atlantic. Source: Getty.

07/01/2025

07/01/2025

In October, Ohana will have been here one year 😔
In one year she has had 0 meets and 0 fosters (minus a couple of stay overs).

She has spent a lot of time in our “overflow parking” which is cozy, but it’s not a couch. It’s not a cozy bed in someone’s living room.

Ohana is a wonderful girl. She gave birth in a shelter and her puppies were taken to rescue, and she was tagged for euthanasia. Mange positive, yeasty/infected skin/itchy/damn near hairless, this girl was a MESS. Her allergies still bother her, she gets crusty eyes occasionally, but her coat is full, belly full, and she is happy.

Ohana needs a home where she can be the only pet. She loves to soak up the attention all to herself, understandably so. It’s her time! She has been known to get along with other dogs, but when she wants to be left alone, she wants to be left alone.

She LOVES ball play, loves chew toys, and even will get in the kiddie pool to cool her feet off (although baths are her enemy).

She is completely house and kennel trained and non destructive. She rides well in the car, isn’t much of a barker, and has a perfect balance of independence where you can sit on the couch to watch tv and she is happy in her bed with a bone.

She has done great with kids! She weighs in at about 43 pounds and is a short compact (although STOUT) little dog who was originally listed as a pug/bully mix. She loves walks and does well on leash, and has been through a 6 week training course and knows her basic commands! She had a short nose and a heat intolerance so if you’re looking for an excuse to hunker down inside all summer…. Here’s your girl!

She really is a great girl who is looking for someone who doesn’t need the riff raff of owning multiple animals. So if you’re a one dog type of family, reach out! Thinking about adopting but not sure if Ohana fits the bill? We need a 3 week respite foster this month… that gives her 3 weeks to steal your heart!

Adoption application: https://www.shelterluv.com/matchme/adopt/BSD/Dog

06/30/2025

“Enrichment is just emotional manipulation,” I heard a trainer say recently, “a scam from the marketplace to get your dollars.”
Funny thing is, he said this while trying to get your dollars for the thing he was selling instead: an “off switch” for your dog.

Let’s break that down for a second.

What is enrichment really?
It’s not about turning dogs into hyperactive task machines. It’s about meeting species-specific needs that modern life or life in captivity often neglects. Chewing, sniffing, problem-solving, digging, shredding, these are normal canine behaviors. When dogs have safe, structured ways to do these things, their needs are being met.

If we don’t provide for those needs, dogs will find their own outlets, sometimes in ways we don’t appreciate. But that’s not the point of enrichment; that’s just the side effect. The goal is the dog’s well-being. The fact that your shoes survive is the bonus.

The word itself is misleading.
Honestly, “enrichment” isn’t even the best word for it. It sounds like an extra, a luxury add-on. But these outlets aren’t “extras.” They’re a core part of good welfare. In zoos, where the modern concept comes from, enrichment is built on five categories: nutritional, sensory, cognitive, social, and physical. These five areas help captive animals express normal species-specific behaviors they’d otherwise be deprived of.

What’s funny is that the same trainer dismissing enrichment listed walks, play, and rest as “what dogs really need.” But those are enrichment by definition:

Walks? Physical and sensory enrichment.

Play? Social, cognitive, and physical enrichment.

Teaching an off switch? Only possible when the brain and body feel safe and satisfied because those other forms of enrichment came first.

Food puzzles and scatter feeding?
Sure, they’re popular because they’re easy to use. But food isn’t the whole picture. Dogs need to sniff, shred, dig, solve problems, socialize, and rest, on their terms.

The irony here is that the people who shout the loudest about how “dogs need an off switch!” often skip the part where the on switch needs somewhere to go first. A tired brain and a satisfied body settle down naturally. An under-stimulated one doesn’t.

Enrichment isn’t a scam. What is a scam is pretending you can skip a dog’s real needs, slap a new label on “do nothing,” and sell that as whatever your version of “real training” is.

06/27/2025

🎉 Exciting news! I’m proud to share that I have officially graduated from Dr. Melanie Uhde’s (Canine Decoded) Triple Helix Program and received my certificate!

This program was everything I had hoped for and more — diving deep into neurobiology, genetics, and ethology to expand my understanding of dogs and how best to help them. I thoroughly enjoyed the structure, content, and community of learners, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to further their education in dog training. 🧠
And honestly, further understanding of these topics help you understand yourself and other humans better too 😉

I’ve always loved going to different seminars, workshops, and programs because I pick up new tips, tricks, and those great "aha!" moments every time. I used to go to a lot more concerts, but these days you’ll find me choosing dog-related events instead 😅

A huge thank you to Dr. Melanie Uhde for creating such an incredible program and sharing your expertise — and for the cute, punny, nerdy sticker that came with the certificate. I love it!

🐾 🧬🐺