Maniac Mutts

09/17/2024

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.

07/05/2024

We are fostering Max for threelittlepittiesrescue. He is a wonderful family dog looking for a home. He LOVES kids, going for hikes, and just chillin in the house too. He’s super smart, affectionate, and playful. If you are interested in adopting Max, PM me or go here to apply: https://adopt.animalsfirst.com/animal/62cc8e128b02916730334440/65a97f0a2d7f88a9220e2edf

04/18/2024

Worf aka “the bear” 🐻 is very large, very strong, and very much an adolescent! His people are fabulous and have been working hard with him from the moment he came home. They’ve been successful teaching him the world is a safe place which is probably one of the most important lessons a young dog can learn.

I’m excited to continue supporting them during this challenging stage by building behaviors that promote self regulation including healthy ways of expressing his big emotions and giving him choices whenever possible.

Go team Worf!

04/06/2024

“Reinforce going to a bed, reinforce sniffing the fridge, reinforce all of it because it’s not biting.”

-M. Shikashio

04/05/2024

Vitamin D break at Clicker Expo 2024.

02/21/2024

A reliable recall takes strategic practice with varying degrees of distraction. Focus on quality of reps not necessarily quantity.

02/13/2024

My training buddy today!

01/31/2024

Coyote mating season has begun.

Coyote mating season is here, what you should know:

Late January through early March is the mating season for coyotes and they become more active during this time. MassWildlife officials are reminding the public to take action to prevent conflicts with coyotes with these actionable tips.
Have you seen or heard more coyotes lately? You’re not alone. Late January through early March is the mating season for coyotes and they become more active during this time. MassWildlife officials are reminding the public to take action to prevent conflicts with coyotes with these actionable tips.

Protecting pets: Dogs should always be supervised on a leash, especially during the coyote breeding season. Coyotes are territorial animals that live in family groups known as packs. During the breeding season, they become very active in marking and defending their territories to protect their pack from other coyotes and ensure they can successfully raise pups in the spring. Unfortunately, coyotes can’t distinguish your pet from an intruding coyote, and will treat the presence of dogs in their territories as a threat. During the breeding season, coyotes can become more aggressive toward large-breed dogs, including dogs as large as labs and shepherds. Smaller dogs and cats are viewed as prey items by coyotes at any time of the year. Most coyote attacks on pets involve dogs that are off-leash or loose in a backyard.
Removing food: As opportunistic feeders, coyotes will utilize whatever food is naturally available including small animals, insects, and fruits, as well as artificial sources such as garbage, pet food, and compost. Bird feeders and suet also attract coyotes to yards, both as a direct food source and by attracting rodents that coyotes feed on. Coyotes that find human-associated foods will spend more time in yards and neighborhoods. Coyotes that become dependent on these supplemental foods can become habituated, act tame, and exhibit bold behavior toward people. Never intentionally feed coyotes. Most recent coyote bites on people can be directly tied to intentional feeding in the community.

Hazing: Coyotes are highly adaptable to a wide range of habitats and can be found year-round in forested areas, beaches, wetlands, golf courses, and neighborhoods. Coyotes are present in every city and town in mainland Massachusetts, meaning the opportunity for human-coyote interaction is high. While coyotes and other wild animals are naturally afraid of people, this fear can disappear over time when animals spend a lot of time around people or when they are frequently fed by people. Whenever you see a coyote in your yard, you should aggressively haze it by physically chasing it out of the yard, spraying it with a hose, making loud noises by banging pots and pans or blowing an air horn, and throwing small objects like a tennis ball with the intent to frighten not injure. Repeated hazing helps teach coyotes they are not welcome in your yard, similar to how coyotes naturally chase other coyotes out of their own territories. The more people in a community that haze coyotes, the more effective it will be in making them avoid people.
Don’t let coyotes intimidate you: It’s important to note that negative encounters with coyotes are rare, and attacks on people are even more rare. The presence of a coyote alone is not cause for concern.

• Appearance: Coyotes resemble a medium-sized dog in body size and shape, but with longer, denser fur. Typical weights for females are 33–40 pounds, while males typically weigh 34–47 pounds. Coyotes often look heavier than they are, especially during the winter, because of their thick fur.

• Vocalization: Coyotes communicate by vocalizing, scent marking, and through a variety of body displays. It is common to hear them howling and yipping at night, or even during the day in response to sirens and other loud noises. When one hears a family of coyotes howling, it's easy to think the area is overflowing with coyotes, but it's usually just a few coyotes in a family group. Coyotes do not howl to announce a kill; this would attract other wild animals. Coyotes howl for a variety of other reasons, including locating family members within their territory, warning non-family members to stay away, and advertising for mates during the breeding season.

• When to seek help: Coyotes can be active at any time of day and daytime activity is not an indication the animal is sick. If you encounter a coyote that is exhibiting concerning behavior like approaching leashed pets, closely following people, or not running off when harassed, you should contact your local Animal Control Officer or local MassWildlife office for assistance. If there is an immediate threat to public safety, you should call local law enforcement.

01/05/2024

I caught the agility bug!

11/24/2023

I love so much about this video!

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/CoNyRhNxLfy5957b/?mibextid=K8Wfd2

11/08/2023

Cooperative care at its best!

https://fb.watch/o9rNNFpS4E/

11/07/2023

Does your herder struggle on trails when someone suddenly appears?

Herders are specially equipped to track/respond to movement. For example, dogs working with sheep need to take in a lot of movement. They tend to notice fast-moving things, multiple-moving things, one thing going in the opposite direction, big moving things and things that suddenly appear. They even keep track of things that are there today that weren’t there yesterday, such as garbage cans on garbage day! We call this “sudden environmental contrast,” or SEC.

Trails are one of THE. WORST. places I see this with client dogs. Many of my clients love trails and got their dogs to be hiking buddies, but so many do terribly with people coming around a bend on a trail. Many of my aggression client’s dogs bit people in precisely this context.

This behaviour might seemingly come out of nowhere. 9-18 months is the typical age of onset for many herding behaviours and is also in the average age range for onset of genetic fears, even in dogs who have been “fine” previously.

Many herders suffer from a clash of breed software (being sensitive to movement) and fear. Your dog might respond in a way that looks like they are simply "herding", but fear might actually be at the root of the issue.

If your herder struggles with this, my Reactivity in Herding Breeds webinar is a perfect place to start!

https://wildatheartdogtrainingandbehaviourconsulting.vhx.tv/products/reactivity-in-herding-breeds

11/02/2023

I’m super stoked about the biz car’s new wrap!

09/09/2023

Pug life!

08/19/2023

My training buddy this morning!

08/18/2023

You can never refer too early! It’s ok to say you don’t have all the answers.

06/10/2023

Friday adventures! My hiking buddy today enjoyed a sniffari through the neighborhoods and trails of SW PDX. We worked on coming when called, loose leash walking, and building confidence around some city sights and sounds. What a fantastic way to spend the morning.

06/09/2023

Cattle dogs are silent independent workaholics who are scary smart and easy to motivate. Training them through force and fear is unnecessary and unethical.

Thank you to Wild at Heart Dog Training & Behaviour Consulting for advocating for them.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/258076143255675

06/03/2023

Maniac Mutts adventures! Gorgeous weather for swimming & hiking 🥾

05/31/2023

Teaching your dog to be relaxed while the world goes by is such an important life skill.

https://www.facebook.com/theperfectpuppycompany/videos/967167707811105/

05/28/2023

Cute & smart! This little dude rocked his leave it, go to mat, and loose leash walking today. Pug power!

05/23/2023

Gorgeous hiking 🥾 weather and amazing company this morning!

05/20/2023

Beautiful day for adventures! 13 miles on the = happy & tired pups. Checkout our Adventure Services for more details.

https://maniacmutts.com/services/

05/08/2023

A happy life for a dog 🐕 involves adventures. They get to explore, romp, sniff, and play. They get to experience the smells, sights, and sounds of wooded trails, quiet neighborhoods, and busy urban environments…all while learning important life skills at their own pace.

05/02/2023

If your dog is selective with who they want to meet they are totally NORMAL!