Hope For Canines

01/12/2026

Having an animal fall asleep on you, or next to you are signs of feeling safe, protected, understood and loved. She worked hard today and she could have fallen asleep anywhere in the car but she wanted to rest her head on my arm. Having a dog fall asleep on you or next to you, is a peaceful and wholesome feeling that completes me and where I feel at home. My best friend… with you I belong.

01/09/2026

Happy walks again

01/01/2026

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Wishing you all peace, love and safety, and a home and heart full of animals. I am very grateful for the amazing dogs and their kind humans that blessed our lives last year, and looking forward to the adventures of new and old friendship in 2026. Cheers to the bond we share with our dogs, the joy and support our pets give us daily and the exciting new journey ahead.

12/24/2025

Wishing you a safe, warm and peaceful holiday time with your loved ones. 🎄⭐️🎁

12/21/2025

Cooperative care is less stressful for human and dog, here we are practicing handling, prepping for nail trim and building gradual tolerance of touching instead of being a landshark. Instead if two people struggling to trim a dog that is mouthy and only getting bigger and stronger with time, we are working smarter. Teaching roll over on side and using counter conditioning to build in patience, clarity and consistency. More fun, more understanding, less manpower needed, a less frustrated dog.

12/18/2025

Learning how to walk on leash with a young puppy, but where is the leash? Not to worry, we are building in foundation skills, better handler skills, timing and focus. The puppy is learning how to follow and gets rewarded for default behavior such as being next to us, following our movements, checking in with us. Once leash is added, both puppy and child are better prepared. Here is to the dance and the connection that builds easier, kinder leash skills for everyday use.

12/15/2025

Puppy session with some adult dog socialization at the end, what a reward for a little active, smart pup. The first 14 weeks of life set an important foundation in dogs. Experiences need to be safe, positive and full of good learning, adjusted to the individual dog’s needs. This cutie is so fun and smart-wishing them a happy puppy time and long an healthy life together 🧡

12/09/2025

Wanna know the magic foundation skill to pretty much everything we teach our dogs? It’s also one of the first behaviors I start working on and continue to reward through life. Well, it’s those 👀
Eye contact and voluntary check in. In this case bonding with new pawrent and learning to walk on leash and not pulling. This helps us form a genuine connection, motivation to work with us as handlers and shape so many behaviors. You be surprised how much leash walking skills improve when we improve connection with our dogs.

11/23/2025

Our Star Puppy Sessions are packed with foundation skills to help your puppy grow into a well adjusted dog, with the family and in the community. Young dogs are often veeeery excited to meet and playful towards other dogs, yet they do not have all of their social etiquette in place and lacking experience and maturity to navigate situations. Here we are gradually building in self control and helpful skills via gradual distancing and rewarding when the puppy self regulate to a calmer state, and of course pays attention to us, the handler. This has to be learned over and over with different dogs, in a variety of environments with gradual and successful approximations. In this session we started with overly excited, whining, pulling trying to “meet” the other dog at any cost, to a fantastic down stay side by side.
Pro tips: if you want to teach your dog to be calm around other dogs, or if they are overly excited/frustrated greeters, avoid nose to nose greetings on leash and work towards building in a neutral “ignoring” response from a distance and positive interactions/reward with you instead. Keep in mind it’s cool to be respectful when passing or spotting dogs out and about and allowing space.

10/13/2025

https://cattledogpublishing.com/blog/gastrointestinal-disease-gut-health-and-your-dogs-behavior/

“Gut bacteria regulate neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, which are important to mood and impulse control. Poor gut health can lower levels of these neurotransmitters, resulting in behavior changes consistent with anxiety, irritability, and other abnormal behaviors.”

Scientific research supports the idea that gut health is closely linked to your dog’s behavior. Digestive problems can shape not only your dog’s physical health, but also their emotions and behavior. Why the Gut Matters for Behavior The gut microbiome supports digestion, immune function,

10/06/2025

Teenage dogs (approx 6 mon to 1.5 year) often struggle to handle distractions and environmental pressures. Not a puppy-still not an adult, during this developmental period dogs need clear and consistent boundaries, life skills, communication, support and patience. Walking around/passing dogs, excitement, new situations on leash can often start out as frustration, high arousal, stress (pulling, barking, jumping) and develop into problematic patterns quickly.
Dogs are learning patterns and habits everyday, and helping them adjust and learn skills to navigate frustration, impulse control, feel safe when overwhelmed and to turn to the handler for guidance. Don’t give up, we are all a work in progress, this age is hard for dogs too. Professional help is available, four legged as well, as helper dogs can be the best teachers!

10/04/2025