Maniac Mutts

03/14/2025

I love Pitties and Portland!

02/06/2025

Do you train with the carrot 🥕or the stick? Training with aversives, things the dog works to avoid, often carries side effects.

Wondering if prong collars are cruel? Learn about their use, alternatives, and how to train your dog kindly and effectively without causing harm or fear.

01/19/2025

Adolescence for you and your dog doesn't have to be stressful. Follow our tips for navigating this sometimes challenging stage.

https://maniacmutts.com/navigating-the-dog-teenage-phase/

01/17/2025

Chillin! 😎

01/06/2025

I LOVE working with puppies! Spending a lot of my time working with fear, reactivity, and aggression often can drain my emotional battery. Being on the prevention side of behavior is an amazing way to recharge! I am so grateful for my puppy clients.

12/20/2024

She’s a mutt and we love it!

12/18/2024

At Maniac Mutts we love our mutts! We just got the DNA results of our newly adopted, clever, and snuggly dog, Pepper.

Can you guess what breeds this adorable girl has in her?

We'll announce in a few days....and GO!

12/14/2024

Quality of life over quantity always!

The mistake of milestones.

During this time of year it’s really important for me to address something that I am seeing a lot and also hearing from people. It is the idea of wanting to wait until after the holiday season or after a particualr day to say goodbye to a beloved old animal. This doesn’t just happen during the holiday season - I see it also during birthdays or vacations anything like that, but this time of year it is especially prevalent.

What people need to understand is that disease trajectories, pain, suffering, and decline don’t wait or pause for holidays. Hanging on to an animal because it’s a certain time of year or stretching their life to meet a milestone isn't always a good option, and often times is more for us than it is for them. When we set a milestone such as a holiday or event passing as a marker for when we will be ready to say goodbye to an animal, it means we are looking through the lense of wanting more time, not what the quality of that time should be. Quality of life should always come before quantity of life. If you are choosing to not see the pain or struggle an animal is feeling as they deteriorate, simply because you want more time, you are not being fair to them.

Death and age don't wait, and yes that's difficult, but it's also our responsibilty when we bring these animals into our lives. Social constructs are totally foriegn to animals, but suffering an pain aren't. The hard thing to accept is that waiting until after a holiday will not make your grief or loss any harder to bear, it will not make their death any easier. No matter what it is going to be difficult and heartbreaking, but a number on a calendar should not determine that decision. Weighing function, purpose and joy together and ensuring not just a good quality of life, but a good quality of death, is not to be saved until after special occasions. A peaceful, painfree and loving goodbye is one of the greatest gifts you can give your animal, and so is the acceptance of making that decision before they have to endure any longer than they should.

Your dog doesn't have to go through one more Christmas to have had an amazing life with you, or know how loved they are. They will be with you always, whether physically, or in your heart and mind. It's okay to let them go before, and not hold on for you.

12/12/2024

12/02/2024

The algorithm doesn’t care if a dog training video promotes harmful outdated mythology. It only cares about engagement. So if you want to help dogs by seeing more reward based training content then be sure to like it and share.

11/20/2024

I tell my clients once I teach them dog body language especially signs of increasing stress they won't be able to turn it off. They'll see concerning interactions everywhere but especially with dogs and children. Children are the most common recipient of dog bites and it's often to the face. As a parent of young children and a positive dog trainer I know we can do better. Check out this informative post from Confident Canines LLC on one of the many misunderstood behaviors, "face licking." in many situations this is a dogs way of saying nicely "give me space."



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14Sb7UKCCF/

Dog licks are often thought of as doggy kisses. But, it’s actually something to take a step back and notice. And could sometimes be considered a, “Kiss to Dismiss” (more on that below). These licks do trigger some questions that may seem a bit silly to ask in response. Something like, “Describe the licks for me. Fast, slow, and then does the dog move away?”
“Is it a full tongue or a little bit?”
“Full tongue lick or quick flick?”
“Is the child sitting and the dog approaches or vice versa, what level of mobility does the child have, is food present or remnant?

There’s many questions! But, these questions help us gather valuable information to help us understand what the dog may be communicating. At Family Paws Parent Education, we want to help parents consider and recognize that dog licks may not always be what we think they are, “affectionate kisses”, or indications of “love,” but could have other meanings. We refer to this as “Kiss to Dismiss”. If you are curious of these doggy “kisses” and if they are a “Kiss to Dismiss”, ask yourself,
🐶 Is your dog in need of space? (what just happened? Did your baby crawl closer to your dog?)
🐶 Is your dog in need of space and there is a reason they may choose not to move? (example: comfy spot, resource, pain)
🐶 Does this licking deter closeness or lead to an increase in space?

Thank you, Steve Bishop of Bishops Gate Dog Training for this graphic! Steve is also a Family Paws Parent Educator.
We do not recommend baby and dogs interact as shown in these illustrations. Never allow your baby to crawl up to or freely explore your dog in this way.

You can also find him on Instagram at

11/17/2024

Create a plan before you welcome a new dog into your home! If you don't and you find yourself overwhelmed then hire a local reward based trainer who can help you setup your home and teach you the basics I assure you it will be well worth the time and money you invest now.

Here are some tips from Companion Animal Psychology to get you started off on the right foot.

https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2024/03/17-training-tips-for-first-time-dog.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawGmJjFleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXdV7UcSSgHlSRpt__pSKQRqesr51h1v43whN1NJFNnXcn9-QEI9C1qogQ_aem_h61eAx8fJY5tqBNYEMr0kQ

What first time dog guardians need to know about dog training to get better results and build their relationship with their dog.

09/09/2024

Bagged p**p bags are everywhere. Clean up your #%*$!

**p

08/10/2024

Dog guardians contact me all the time about their “teenage” dog who’s “stubborn” or who is “blowing them off.” This article puts things in perspective:

https://www.facebook.com/100077961200725/posts/416742510934452/

ADOLESCENCE:
As dogs go through adolescence, it’s safe to say things turn a little topsy-turvy! 🙃

If you’re currently at this stage and feeling like you’ve taken one step forward and two steps back, don’t panic! During this stage of life, there’s a lot going on in their busy little brains.

Here are three facts about the adolescent brain 🧠👇

1. The inhibitory neurons of the amygdala that help to dampen down emotional responses don’t fully mature until the END of adolescence.

2. Communication between the frontal cortex and amygdala, which is essential for skills training, decreases during adolescence.

3. Extinction memory is impaired during adolescence, so if your dog has a bad experience it’s much more likely to lead to a ‘hard wired’ fear memory.

Have patience and compassion as you support and guide your dog through this vulnerable period of brain development.

07/12/2024

Do you want your dog to relax during dinner? We can help with mealtime manners and so much more.