Sonomi

01/30/2022

So you want a cafe dog? “Leave it” is a handy cue when out in public. Also, please give them something to do while you’re drinking coffee, something delicious and long-lasting😉

01/10/2022

We all love our dogs and want what’s best for them. But methods matter. 📸

01/08/2022

The breed is not a personality type. It's devastating to see breed names used to describe traits that negatively affect the dog-human relationship. Millions of dogs are subject to euthanasia due to BSL, and it stems from this false idea.

Instead of labeling dogs based on their breeds, let's proactively specialize our puppies, help our dogs build positive associations, and teach them how to respond to novel stimuli appropriately.

01/03/2022

New year, not-so-new advice! You don't need to punish your dog or physically force them to achieve the desired behavior. I promise!

We will likely get what we want out of someone if we hold a knife to their neck. But how unpleasant is that! I wouldn't want people to be friendly to me because they're afraid I will harm them.

Our relationships with dogs shouldn't be any different. So let's stop forcing and threatening them and start teaching them valuable skills and giving them choices and reinforcement.

12/31/2021

The secret to taking your dog anywhere is developing solid communication and building resilient relationships with them.

It has nothing to do with control, commands, or hierarchy and everything to do with mutual trust and respect. It is our responsibility as caretakers to learn our dog’s language and teach them how to communicate with us so we can help them, not control them.

Sounds easy? Well, it can be! As we wrap up 2021, consider shifting your focus, not on the goal but everyday habits. Think not about what we dislike about dogs’ behaviors and more about how we can help them make a different choice in small ways each day.

12/29/2021

They’re not toys, they’re our partners. They’re always spotting us.

12/26/2021

It's necessary to teach behaviors in various situations, but the key is to teach them slowly and check for understanding. We often move too quickly and get frustrated when our dogs don't do what we want. It's easy to get angry and scold our dogs, but let's remember that we cannot expect them to “just know” what we want from them. If they don't listen, we may be giving them incomplete information.

12/10/2021

Sometimes, it's okay to let your dog run as fast or as far as they want. Sometimes, it's not. Nuance is acceptable and necessary, but it's difficult to convey in a few seconds or sentences. Let's be mindful of how we consume generalized training advice on social media.😉

12/08/2021

How to teach a dog to settle by example. 📸

12/05/2021

Tools should NEVER be painful or harmful to the dog. That's not how we achieve sustainable behavior change. Use tools for management or to help you teach your dog to make choices because it feels good, not because they're afraid of or uncomfortable with the alternative option.
All tools, including muzzles and leashes, can be aversive to the dog if not properly conditioned. It is our responsibility to introduce tools slowly and to build positive associations before using them for training.

12/05/2021

Practice often and increase criteria slowly.

12/05/2021

Walks can be an excellent way to enrich your dog’s life. Let them sniff and explore the environment and reward them for offering desired behaviors, such as checking in, coming back to you, or giving you eye contact. The key is not to take it too seriously.

12/05/2021

Po got his name because he used to be a little potato. Now he's a big potato.

11/10/2021

11/10/2021