Mindful Methods Companion Coaching

07/04/2025

06/28/2025

Our office will be closed until July 7th as we are taking a much needed vacation. Responses may be delayed during this time. Thanks for your patience and have a safe holiday week!

(Don't forget to call your vet now to refill your dog's situational meds if they struggle with loud noises!)

06/24/2025

Had a conversation recently on my private page regarding an influx of requests from people to train their dogs to stop barking at all costs and how a cat might be more in-line with those needs. A colleague jokingly requested an infographic with photos and text to show the difference - so here it is!

I hope this is helpful. 🤪

Sadly we cannot train your dog to never bark. That is something we selected them for specifically for thousands of years and for various reasons including warning/alerting to threats, hunting, and warding off actual threats. Barking is something your dog naturally does as a form of species-specific communication. We can help them to not be as hyper-vigilant or dial it down a notch - but never barking? That's a cat.

(We got sarcasm and jokes today)

06/21/2025

Everybody should go follow It's a Pittie Rescue. They're an amazing organization that takes great care of their dogs, both physically and behaviorally. ❤️

06/18/2025

Great post!

We often think of trauma as something that happens to an individual, a specific event, a particular hardship. But what if that trauma can be passed down through generations?

It turns out, this isn’t just theory. In both humans and animals, generational trauma is real and we’re starting to understand just how deep it runs.

One of the most striking studies on this was conducted with mice. In this experiment, researchers exposed a group of male mice to the scent of cherry blossoms while delivering mild electric shocks. Unsurprisingly, the mice began to associate the smell with danger and displayed clear signs of fear whenever they encountered it.

Here’s the extraordinary part: their offspring, and even their grand-offspring, were also afraid of the cherry blossom scent, despite never having experienced the shocks themselves. Analysis showed changes not only in behaviour but in the structure of the mice’s brains and even their DNA. Trauma had left a biological imprint that was inherited.

This concept of epigenetic inheritance may explain why some dogs, particularly those from puppy farms or rescue situations, can present with significant behavioural challenges even if they’ve never experienced direct abuse or trauma themselves.
In puppy farms, for example, generations of dogs may be born into high-stress, deprived environments. Mothers often suffer extreme neglect, lack of enrichment, and chronic stress. Their puppies even when adopted into loving homes can carry the emotional residue of that experience. It’s not just poor socialisation. It’s a history written into their nervous systems.

Understanding this changes everything.

When working with fearful, reactive, or shut-down dogs particularly those from difficult or unknown backgrounds we must approach them with greater compassion, patience, and a trauma-informed mindset. It’s not always about “fixing” a behaviour, but understanding its roots, and giving the dog a chance to feel safe enough to start healing.

If you’re living with a dog who seems stuck in fear or overreacts to the world in ways that don’t make sense you’re not alone, and they’re not broken.

05/08/2025

Ya!! Let the good times roll! 💃 ❤️ 😍

05/07/2025

A couple things we were obsessed with today while working with Chi-Town Pitties, Inc. alum and soon-to-be foster home:

1. Leo's guardian was locked and loaded with a suite of high value reinforcement. FOUR different enticing things helped us through an intense reactivity walk on this beautiful day. Now THATS being prepared!

2. Her pre-teen checked this book out from the library the other day. CTP volunteers train 'em young ;)