A Better Dog

10/05/2025

We are partnering with Portage Soccer Club for their 40th anniversary party with an auction basket for your furry friends! This basket includes:

-1 in home dog training session with us
-$120 gift card to Pet Supplies Plus
-Training treats
- Treat pouch
- Slip lead
-Toy
-Lint roller
- P**p bags
- Halloween cookie for the dog
- Food storage container
🐶Total basket value: $370
Disclaimer: Emma not included!!!
Join Portage Soccer Club at their 40th anniversary party from 5:30-7 at Portage Soccer Complex to bid on this basket and raise money for the club!!

09/30/2025

Do not be fooled by this cute face! 5 month old Maggie has been a handful for her “first time dog owner” parent. As a new puppy she guarded her food (and pretty much anything else); was reactive to people and other animals and tried to turn her mom into a pin cushion. Many of us know how deflating that can be.

So our journey to a “new attitude” started the moment I showed up. I had mom put Maggie on slip lead for my arrival. The slip lead leaves the dog with less choices, both physically and mentally which meant a calmer all around first encounter and great start to our relationship.

We ditched the retractable lead and set the dog up for a structured walk making mom the primary focus for the dog instead of the environment.

We also worked on recall and Place training where the dog learned that good choices lead to good outcomes.

We discussed crating the dog a bit more and keeping the her in the same room as the owner… no more wandering for Maggie.

We ended our session showing mom how to use the dogs’ food to assist with getting equipment on/off and condition the dog to be receptive to body handling & grooming.

Number of times guarding took place..zero
Number of people nipped or bit… zero
Number of dogs mentally tired.. ONE

09/29/2025

Daisy was struggling with car rides. She would stand on the center console and pant as soon as the car started to move.

During our session we first went for a walk to drain some mental energy. Next, we looked at different strategies to help the dog calm down. Crating was not an option so we settled on using a harness and seatbelt tether. We then hopped in the car
for a little test drive. With a few small changes Daisy’s behavior was noticeably better.

Fast forward to last week when we got this update from the owner….

“Phil I hope you and your family are well. I just wanted to thank you again for the support with Daisy. Car rides are so much better for her!”

If you have a dog struggling like Daisy was do not be affraid to seek professional assistance. The road to better behavior is shorter than you think.

09/26/2025

We were recently contacted again by Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan to help a local foster family with some training issues for 5+ year old Daisy.

Daisy was now in (at least) her fourth home. She is reactive on walks to the extent that her mom got pulled off her feet. She has also taken to fence fighting with the neighbor dog. Obviously these are huge obstacles to a forever home.

We started with a structured walk. It wasn’t perfect by any means but the dogs’ reactivity was less intense and she was quick to recover when she did have an issue.

We also worked on recalling the dog using treats which went very well.

From what we know Daisy has missed living with structure and guidance. That is set to change for the better. As with any dog, behavioral improvements are dependent on consistency with rules, engagement and leadership. Luckily for Daisy her foster family is well equipped for the job.
Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan

09/19/2025

We just had a session with 14 month old Hendrix who’s had a tough go of things lately.

Less than 2 months ago an injury led to her having a back leg amputated. Just a couple of weeks back the eldest dog in the home passed away.

Hendrix’s happy nature was on full display when I arrived but there was a part of her that was slightly unsure. Mom was getting her arm pulled out on walks so that was job #1. We worked to increase engagement and maximize on-leash communication. The result was a dog who spent more time focusing on her mom and less time focusing on everything else.

Next, we worked on recall to exercise the dog mentally…the girl loves her treats!

We also introduced Hendrix to “Place” where the dog learned the value of doing nothing. Hendrix was quick to pick up on this as well. For the first time since I arrived the dog was calm and quiet, even falling asleep on the cot.

Dogs are incredibly resilient and Hendrix is a great example of this!

09/10/2025

Here is a jump start for your morning… volume up!!!

ABD started from my time as a K9 handler (with an all black GSD like this one). This video highlights the tremendous amount of time and commitment necessary to get the most out of a K9 partner. Enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CJSVwcWRZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/05/2025

WARNING….sensitive content. All information shared with permission of the owners.

We were contacted as a “last resort” after the family’s 4 year old dog (Luna) attacked their new puppy (Senna) causing facial injuries. The owners were at a complete loss with what to do short of rehoming. A home session was scheduled for the next day.

During the session we identified Luna’s strong desire to aggressively guard mom from the puppy. We went over the details of the incident that resulted in the injuries and the changes that should be made including structured walking for Luna; crating Luna a bit more and having mom claim her space around Luna. All of this to reduce the likelihood of guarding.

Fast forward to today when I received the following text from the client:

“Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your help. I got my wish- these two get along great now. Have to be hyper vigilant about any food or bones ( every one who comes into the house gets briefed lol) but otherwise things are going well. Thanks again!”

Adding a new dog or puppy can lead to some unintended conflicts. Controlling the energy around this time of transition is vital. If you’re not sure how to best proceed in your situation do not hesitate to seek professional help.

09/01/2025

We took advantage of the great weather this holiday weekend to take our two dogs on a field trip.

This was Jango’s first out of town trip with us which included his first time on the freeway and his first experience with Lake Michigan.

Jango stood up the entire drive 🤦🏻‍♂️. When we got onto the sand that was a bit of a thing for him to process. The Lake was more fun to drink than to step in. Somehow our GSD Emma, who hates water strolled right in.

They shared some water before hitting the road back to town (Jango standing the entire way) where sleeping was the top priority. A little physical work and a little mental work, the best combination!

What did you do with your dog on this holiday weekend?

08/07/2025

A field trip with Finley….

Finley loves to be social and engage with anyone that gives him attention (esp. kids) which causes some issues for mom when he’s at work with her. (See post from 5/26).

Over the last two days we’ve tried something a different. I took Finley out around town without his owner to put him into a variety of different situations “on his own”.

On day 1 we hit a park and then a local store where Finley discovered that he should already be doing his fall shopping. This was a no-contact outing. Just Finley learning to be in public and not be the center of attention.

Day 2 started with a trip to a neighborhood pool where Finley learned to be calm around a lot of high energy kids. We then ran a couple of errands before meeting up with some kids who showed Finley that he would get rewarded (physical touch) for being calm around them first. That went so well I gave them each a chance to walk him on leash letting Finley know that kids aren’t just for playing with.

When it comes to “socialization” remember that controlled environmental exposures will bring about a dog that is better behaved and more attentive to his/her owner in a variety of situations.

08/04/2025

“When is the right time to start training with your new puppy?” We get asked this nearly every week.

A lot of it depends on how things are progressing with the new owner. In Tillie’s case it was 4 days after arrival!

The family was having a challenging time with their new, cuddly and sweet land-shark☹️.

We asked the client to immediately start crating the dog more. It’s common for owners to think if they are home their dog should be out of the crate. With puppies especially, this often leads to overstimulation and yes, an increase in biting. Tillie was an equal opportunity biter of hands & feet as well👎🏼.

During our session we worked on increasing engagement, establishing personal boundaries for her humans, and some basics like sit, down and recall.

The big takeaway from the session was to improve in all of these areas we needed clear communication with Tillie.

So after a little playing, training and potty breaks it’s was back to the crate for some down time.

08/04/2025

Just a quick feel good moment on this Monday…

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17BouwGJtC/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/31/2025