Hope For Canines

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

10/04/2025

10/03/2025

It’s never too late to learn new patterns and behaviors. No need stay down and discouraged about situations with your dog. You don’t have to feel isolated and go about it alone. Support and transformation is on the way, it’s one of the best feelings, when the relationships with our animals gets a boost, a new and positive routine, a feeling of confidence and success. Goals make us better, I believe in you and together we can find solutions. Happy Fall you all! 🍁🧡

09/14/2025

Coming when called needs to be filled with joy, trust and motivation to get better, faster and consistent. Start in a place where the dog can be successful, no need to drill repetitions or make it serious during practice, and our behaviors matter too, as it can directly help or hurt the “come”. This little guy went from potato on the floor to fast flopping ears come in one session 💛

07/20/2025

The many poses of a young golden learning how to settle in public. We practiced how to manage unexpected situations, stay calm around distractions and how to handle unwanted greetings-we had a successful and fun 🐕cafe canine ☕️experience. Remember to bring high value treats, keep it short and sweet and set your dog up for success (location, intensity, skill level, environment etc.)

06/28/2025

Time for recall training and learning around distractions, she was a good student and earned her off leash time. There are soooooo many reasons to why your dog is not coming when called, (surprise, it isn’t just the dog), but we can help!

06/28/2025

A friendly reminder to keep your dogs cool as hotter temperatures are here.
Do walking and exercise late and early in the day-no forced exercise, avoid hot ground, provide plenty of cool down stations, water and shade. Monitor your friends for signs of overheating. Frozen kongs, pools, water hose, cooling mats, ice treats can be fun enrichment.

06/22/2025

Congratulations to this lovely pair earning their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title today. With the passing of this goal, they are now on to the next one: therapy dog certification and visiting hospitals to spread love and healing to others. Wishing them the best of luck!

06/15/2025

Some success stories from the past couple of months of training with highly dog reactive cases. Turns out, like so many times: under that loud, scary, impossible fasad….hides an anxious, fearful, misunderstood pup. Here is to the owners that are willing to see things from a different perspective, ready to put the work in, showing patience and empathy, and of course the helper dogs 🙂
Yes these dogs were so angry and scared at the mere sight of a dog 60 feet away (barking, growling, lunging, pulling) that their humans were embarrassed and at a loss to walk them outside. With many positive and predictable training sessions; we listened, instilled new associations and consequences, confidence, skills for handler/dog and things improved on both sides of the leash.