Blue Sol Dog Coaching and Mediation

10/28/2024

Just because I like to be kind,
Just because I believe that dogs should have choices,
Just because I believe that I can teach my dogs without using discomfort, pain or fear,
Just because I prefer to be my dog's parent/friend and not their boss,
just because I like my dogs to be under the cover, keeping me warm on a cold night.
Just because I like using food and herbs to heal my dogs,
just because I like my dogs to be a little bit feral,

does NOT mean I am weak. It doesn't make me too soft or a pushover. It doesn't mean I don't have boundaries, limits or rules.

I just do not feel the need to be controlling. My ego doesn't need my dog to behave like a robot to impress you. In fact, I couldn't give a s**t what you think about how my dog behaves because I know we are happy and I know I make them feel safe.

Some of the most powerful, influential people in the world have proved that power and strength come from mindfulness, wisdom and love.

Remember that it takes courage to be kind.

10/28/2024

The risks of oppressive dog training methods.

Dogs subjected to harsh and aversive training may develop fear of people or situations and why wouldn’t they?

For dogs who suffer mistreatment and go unheard, the World can look like a dangerous place.

A dog taught using overpowering methods may initially comply with the perpetrator because they are too scared to do otherwise.

Over time though the trauma sets in and the dog may become withdrawn or exhibit aggressive behaviours and insecurity.

In addition...

If a dog trainer has a strong presence which overpowers the dog (even emotionally) the dog may behave differently for the trainer than the guardian.

This not only undermines the dog’s safety and welfare but also the self-belief of the dog’s guardian.

It can cause conflict in the relationship between dog and guardian too. If a guardian sees a dog ‘behaving’ for the trainer, they may become frustrated with the dog – believing they are just being naughty with them.

Our role is to build the relationship between dog and guardian and empower them both.

10/16/2024

🐾 Struggling with Your Cat’s Behavior? We Can Help! 🐾

✨ “Purrfect Solutions: Understanding and Improving Your Cat’s Behavior” ✨

Cats are independent, curious, and full of personality, but sometimes their behavior can leave you scratching your head. Whether it’s litter box issues, scratching, or aggression, we’ve got you covered with expert guidance!

📱 Online/Video Chat Consultations for Cat Behavior:

🔸 Litter Box Problems: Get to the bottom of why your cat isn’t using the litter box and how to fix it.
🔸 Scratching & Destructive Behavior: Learn how to redirect unwanted scratching to appropriate outlets.
🔸 Aggression & Fear: Address behaviors like biting, swatting, or hiding with compassionate, positive methods.
🔸 Introducing Cats to New Pets: Help your cat adjust to new animals in the home smoothly and stress-free.
🔸 Environmental Enrichment: Keep your cat mentally and physically stimulated with games, puzzles, and toys.
🔸 Building Trust & Bonding: Strengthen your relationship with your cat using positive reinforcement and understanding their unique needs.

📅 Program Details:
🔹 Single Session (45 minutes) – $65
🔹 Moderate Issues (60 minutes) – $85
🔹 In-Depth Consultation for Serious Concerns (90 minutes) – $120
🔹 Online Behavior Assessment (90 minutes) – $120

🔸🔸Sliding scale/low cost options available.

From litter box issues to behavioral quirks, get the guidance you need to create a harmonious home for you and your feline friend! 🐈💻

DM us today to schedule your session and learn more!

10/16/2024

🐾 New Puppy? We’ve Got You Covered! 🐾

✨ “Puppyhood Success: Raising a Happy, Well-Adjusted Pup!” ✨

Whether you’re a first-time puppy parent or just need some extra help, this special series is designed to guide you through the critical stages of puppyhood (6 months and under). We’ll help you set your puppy up for success with expert advice on:

🔸 Puppy Proofing Your Home: Ensure your home is safe and set up for your puppy’s needs.
🔸 Meeting Puppy’s Needs: Nutrition, exercise, and mental stimulation tips.
🔸 Understanding Puppy Development: Learn about the stages your puppy goes through from birth to 18-24 months, including behavior changes and how to handle them.
🔸 X-Pen & Crate Training: Create a secure and comfortable environment for your puppy.
🔸 Building a Trusting Relationship: Tips for bonding and reinforcing positive behaviors.
🔸 Proper Socialization: How to introduce your puppy to new experiences and people safely.
🔸 Potty Training: Get step-by-step guidance on successful house training.

📅 Program Details:
🔹 6-Session Package (45 minutes each)
Perfect for covering all the essentials from puppy-proofing to socialization and training over multiple stages of development.

Get professional support as you raise a well-mannered, confident, and happy puppy! Let’s help you and your new furry family member build the best foundation for a lifetime of success! 🐕💻

DM us today to book your sessions and learn more!

10/16/2024

🐾 Special Offer: Online/Video Chat Consultations, Training, & Enrichment Sessions! 🐾

Looking for expert advice on dog behavior, training tips, or enrichment ideas—all from the comfort of your own home? We’ve got you covered! 🎉

📱 Now Offering Special Online/Video Chat Sessions!

Whether you’re working with a new puppy, addressing behavioral challenges, or just wanting to provide your dog with more mental stimulation, we have options tailored to your needs:

🔹 Basic Behavior Questions/New Basic Skills (Potty Training, Basic Commands, etc.)
– 45 minutes for quick guidance and support.

🔹 Moderate Behavior Concerns (Leash Reactivity, Barking, Jumping, etc.)
– 60 minutes to address more complex behaviors.

🔹 Severe Behavior Concerns (Aggression, Anxiety, etc.)
– 90 minutes for in-depth evaluation and solutions.

🔹 Online Behavior Assessments
– 90 minutes for a comprehensive behavior evaluation and personalized action plan.

🔹 Online/Video Chat Training Sessions
– Tailored training sessions to teach new skills and improve behavior.

🔹 Enrichment Sessions
– Learn how to keep your dog mentally and physically stimulated! 45-minute sessions offering creative enrichment ideas like puzzle toys, scent work, and games to keep your dog happy and engaged.

✨ Convenient, flexible, and accessible from anywhere! Get personalized, positive reinforcement-based training and enrichment guidance that fits your dog’s needs.

DM us today for more info or to book your session! 🐕💻

08/07/2024

08/01/2024

Story of my life

😂

07/31/2024

🐾 Exciting News! 🐾

🐾 **North Iowa Community College Offers Dog Training Classes with Instructor Lindsey Needs!** 🐾

Are you struggling with training your dog or dealing with behavior problems? Join us at NIACC for a four-week basic obedience class where you and your dog can learn to communicate better and build a stronger bond! This course, led by experienced instructor Lindsey Needs, focuses on positive reinforcement and the special relationship you have with your furry friend.

Class Details:
📅 CLASS 1 Dates: August 13, 2024 - September 3, 2024
🕒 Time: Tuesdays, 6:30 PM - 7:15 PM
📅 CLASS 2 Dates: November 4, 2024 - November 25, 2024
🕒 Time: Mondays, 6:30 PM - 7:15 PM
🏢 Location: NIACC Canine Campus Dog Grooming Salon, Mason City, IA

💲 **Tuition:** $69.00

**Important Info:**
- Please bring or scan a current vaccination record.
- Bring treats and a mat/bed/cot/blanket for your dog.
- Dogs must be six months old.

**Registration Closes:** August 13, 2024, at 12:00 AM.

Don't miss this chance to transform your dog's behavior and create a calm, cooperative companion! Enroll now and enjoy a lifetime of better communication with your dog.

🔗 **Register Today!** Call 641-422-4358 to register.

We look forward to seeing you and your pups at NIACC! 🐶✨

06/13/2024

Adding criteria to our default behavior. Big sister Eve was more than happy to lend a supportive hand!

05/28/2024

🦴🐾Societies fast paced environment can be overwhelming and sometimes pretty scary. Aryas family has been working vigorously to create safe and secure learning environments for her and it shows!
In 4 short weeks, we’ve watched little miss Arya go from shy, and fearful to confident, and proud to show off her new skills she’s been learning! 🐾🦴

(Pics: Arya patiently waiting in a down/stay on her place mat while we set up for a little snuffle mat enrichment)

05/26/2024

🎉 Special Offer on Dog Training Packages! 🐶✨

Are you ready to transform your dog’s behavior and strengthen your bond? Look no further! For a limited time, we’re offering amazing deals on our premium training packages!

📅 Special Package Deals:

Bronze Package:

• 3 Training Sessions for Only $225!
• Perfect for addressing specific issues or brushing up on skills.

Silver Package:

• 5 Training Sessions for Only $375!
• Comprehensive sessions tailored to meet your dog’s specific needs.

Gold Package:

• 10 Training Sessions for Only $700!
• Ideal for long-term training goals and lasting results.

Here’s what you get with each package:
✅ Personalized Training Sessions: Tailored to meet your dog’s specific needs.
✅ Professional Expertise: Receive guidance from an experienced dog trainer.
✅ Flexible Scheduling: We work around your busy life.
✅ Proven Success: Join many happy clients who have seen remarkable changes in their dogs.

Why choose us?
🌟 Proven techniques that are gentle and effective.
🌟 Build a stronger, happier relationship with your furry friend.
🌟 Support and resources to continue training at home.

Spots are Limited! Don’t miss out on these fantastic offers. Our clients see real results and rave about the difference in their dogs. Whether you’re dealing with basic skills, advanced tricks, enrichment or behavior issues, we’ve got you covered.

📞 Contact us today to book your package! 📞
Message us on Facebook or call 641-732-9887 to secure your spot. Enjoy a more harmonious and enjoyable life together with your dog!

Transform Your Dog’s Behavior – One Session at a Time! 🐾

05/05/2024

🐾🐕 **Unlock Your Dog's True Potential with Expert Guidance!** 🐕🐾

Ready to cultivate a deeper connection with your beloved furry companion? Meet Lindsey Needs, our dedicated dog behavior expert, passionate about helping you unleash your dog's full potential!

We recognize that each dog is unique, deserving of personalized attention and tailored solutions. With Lindsey's expertise, you'll receive compassionate guidance and effective strategies to address behavior challenges while nurturing a strong and fulfilling bond with your canine friend.

**Why Choose Us?**
🔹 Personalized approach: Lindsey understands your dog's individual needs and tailors enriching solutions accordingly.
🔹 Proven methods tailored to prioritize your dog’s wellness and biological instincts: Benefit from evidence-based techniques and strategies for lasting results.
🔹 Ongoing support: We're committed to guiding you every step of the way, ensuring a rewarding journey to success.

Your dog's well-being is our top priority, and we're dedicated to helping you create a harmonious and enriching life together!

📞 Call us at 641-732-9887 to schedule your consultation with Lindsey today.

✨ 🐾Unlock your dog's true potential and experience the joy of a thriving partnership!🐾✨

04/26/2024

A common dismissive misperception of reward-based training is that it simply involving tossing food to the dog when they get something right. There are several issues with this, but here we are going to look at one - the fact that it must always involve food.

While food is a great reward to use and hugely motivating for many dogs, food is absolutely not the only potential reward that we have.

We can offer toys as a reward - one of my dogs loves being thrown a rope toy to rag around and then parade around the area showing it off before coming to request a game.

We can use interactive play such as tug (and no, the idea that tug makes dogs aggressive is not true) as a favourite game with one of their people is hugely rewarding to many dogs.

We can let the dog have some time to run and explore (where safe to do so and as long as we are not interfering with anyone else in the area).

We can use the environment itself to provide rewards. Walk beside me for a few steps and then we'll go over so you can sniff that tree.

One of my dogs is quite a sensitive soul and currently an adolescent so things can get very exciting for her quickly. A quiet word of praise and an ear rub is something she finds really rewarding but that also keeps her calm and relaxed.

The exact list of rewards we can offer as about as varied as the dogs themselves. They will all have different favourites, even within a group of rewards. My older dog is very food driven and likes almost everything we have offered to him. Topping the list, however, is cold cooked broccoli!

Take some time to work with your dog and find as wide a range of different types of things they find rewarding as you can. The more potential rewards we can find, the more variety and interest we can add in to their lives!

02/06/2023

Is your dog getting enough quality sleep?

😴 Sleep is characterized by being in a state of altered consciousness, during which time sensory activity is inhibited, muscle activity is reduced and interactions with surroundings are decreased. During sleep, essential functions, such as memory consolidation, neuronal pruning, cellular repair, and restoration of vital resources for metabolic functions occur throughout the brain and body to maintain healthy brain function and physical health.

From dolphins sleeping one brain hemisphere at a time, to fruit flies having deep rest periods, nature acknowledges the importance of sleep, ensuring all animals benefit from the restoration that occurs during sleep. In dogs, sleep has been shown to play critical roles in vital functions such as immune, metabolism, and cognitive health, and disturbed sleep can act both as a trigger for disease processes and a diagnostic indicator for disease.

Sleep impacts learning and memory, both directly and indirectly through changes to processes within the brain and body. By understanding the internal mechanisms associated with sleep, you can actually impact the animal's neurobiology, thereby creating a training plan to support this.

You can learn more about sleep and its impact on learning by joining us for this webinar: ⬇️

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tired-minds-how-sleep-impacts-learning-behavior-what-we-can-do-about-it-tickets-504848634857

01/06/2023

❄️ 🐾 For the whole month of January we are offering $40 virtual training sessions!🐾❄️
Sick of this terrible weather and do not want to drive? Or maybe you’ve had a long day at work and want to keep up with your dogs training, but don’t want to commit with having to travel? We are offering virtual sessions! Buy a pack of 6 sessions and get one free! Message or call today to schedule!

12/20/2022

Training Tip Tuesday:

12/19/2022

Need an easy & fun indoor enrichment activity for your dogs? Try these muffin tin brain games suggested by our guest blogger Sharon Middendorf, CNWI! See videos on how to play here: https://aercmn.com/the-senior-class-enriching-the-lives-of-our-silver-muzzled-dogs-pt-ii

12/03/2022

Genetics, Personality, Neuroscience, & Resilience 🧠

Join us for this 2-part series with the brilliant Dr. Jessica Heckman and Dr. Kathy Murphy as they explore the intersection of genetics, personality, neuroscience, and resilience!

✅ Part 1: The Genetics of Dog Personality

Saturday December 10, 2022
11am to 12:30pm EST

What do (and don't) we know about how genetics affect canine personality traits like sociability and aggression? In this webinar, Dr. Jessica Hekman will guide us through her area of research; how genetics affects behavior traits in dogs. She’ll answer the questions: How much is canine personality due to genetics vs. the environment? How do researchers identify genes related to personality? Have any such genes been found? Can we expect a genetic test for dog aggression any time soon? What are all the factors that go into the development of a personality?

Whether you’re just starting to wrap your head around genetics or are a confirmed science geek, there will be something for everyone. So come listen, ask questions, and discuss canine genetics with Dr. Jessica Heckman!

✅ Part 2: The Genetics of Resilience - Breeding, selecting for, and developing resilience in dogs

Saturday December 17, 2022
11am to 12:30pm EST

Resilience is an individual's ability to withstand and recover from adversity. For companion animals, resilience might refer to a dog’s ability to cope with changes to routine. For sports and working dogs, that might mean the ability to continue to focus after slipping or tripping. Whatever the example used, resilience is associated with improved well-being and performance.

There are many factors involved in resilience, from genetics to the environment (including training methods & learning history), and the interaction of the two (i.e., epigenetics). In this webinar, we will explore what is known about factors from these three categories and their influence on an individual’s resilience. Can we selectively breed for increased resilience? If so, how would we do that? Is it possible to select a dog based on its resilience? How does a dog’s personality relate to its resilience?



These webinars are suitable for veterinary professionals, animal trainers, animal behaviorists, dog sports teams, shelter and rescue staff and volunteers, and anyone with an interest in evidence-based behavior intervention.

This is an online event. This webinar will be recorded.


CEUs pending:
KPA
PPAB
IAABC
CPDT
RACE

Tuition:
👉 Early Bird, 2-Part Package – before November 20, 2022: $89

👉 2-Part Package – after November 20, 2022: $129

👉 Shelter/Rescue/Vet Student/Vet Tech, 2-Part Package - no expiration date: $79

Discounts are available for groups of 5 or more. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Cancellation policy: No refunds


https://www.eventbrite.com/e/genetics-personality-neuroscience-resilience-tickets-453479367997?aff=ebdsoporgprofile