A Dog's Life Behavior

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Somerville, MA
A Dog's Life Behavior

Adventure Dog Hiking and Nature-Based Dog Training | Boston, MA & Boulder, CO

12/03/2024

Ayla's wishing for more trachea chews and tennis balls for Christmas this year. What are you stuffing your dog's stocking with this season? 🎁❄️

11/23/2024

✨🦃 Thanksgiving is less than a week away!!
It’s the most wonderful…but stressful time of the year. The family is visiting, there’s food to be cooked, the house needs to be cleaned, and your dog is home watching every move you make and waiting for that perfect moment to steal that turkey off the counter.

With all the holiday excitement, we need to remember the effect everything has on our dogs. We tend to forget that in the hustle and bustle and neglect their needs and then problematic behaviors show up.

Soooooo… we now have a FREE downloadable HOLIDAY SURVIVAL TOOLKIT just for you!! 🎁

Save yourself and your dog some stress this holiday season with our guide full of helpful tips that we have learned over the years.

Click the link in our bio or check out our story with the link to sign up! 🎁

Did I mention it was FREE??? Go get it!!

https://adogslifebehavior.com/holiday-survival-toolkit/

10/05/2024

The last of our team intros is Maddie and her pup Delilah!
🐾”Hi there! I’m Maddie, part of the A Dog’s Life team since 2020. Starting as a hiker in Boston, now based in Colorado, where I’m diving into content creation and support for this program. My Aussie pup, Delilah, and I recently moved to CO, and are loving all this beautiful state has to offer! Hiking is our favorite activity, and you can usually find us chasing trails in the woods or splashing around in a creek.”

09/19/2024

Next up for our team introductions is Morgan, our lead trainer in Boulder, CO!
🐾
“Hey, I’m Morgan, a dog trainer and content creator who has been hiking and training with A Dog’s Life since 2018. I live in the mountains of Colorado’s front range with my three dogs, Reilly, Ayla, and Emori. We love hiking, chilling at breweries, and playing sports like flyball! I run a local club with friends and our dogs. Feel free to stop us to say hi if you see us on your local trails, we love making connections with other dog folk.”

🌲Check back to our stories for some behind the scenes with our team!

08/07/2024

ADL Behavior Tip: Adolescent dogs may need about 15 hours of sleep a day!

It's hard being a hormonal teenager. All that growing, learning, and harassing their friends and family means a lot of energy gets burned up by those young dogs. And similar to how we can get a little cranky or not ourselves when we're tired, so can our dogs!

Zoomies, hyper play, being "naughty," and just generally being a menace may not always mean your teen pup needs their energy burned off, but rather may need some forced naptime - since these behaviors are also associated with being OVERtired, not just understimulated.

08/06/2024

Have you been exploring this week? Wouldn't want to miss out on something magical, would you? Your dog will thank you (and probably nap more so you can get some peace and quiet...👀 )

07/18/2024

Adventures are better with friends! A Dog's Life is busying planning fun events and happenings to accompany our training program! What are some fun ways you like to spend time with other dog people? We're bias, but we love a good hike of course. But breweries, camping, SUP with pups, and more all are a good time too!

07/17/2024

Muzzled dogs have more fun!

If your pup experiences:
🐾 P**p eating
🐾 Rock obsession or Pica
🐾 Fear and aggression towards others
🐾 Unknown background or history
🐾 Resource Guarding

Then muzzle training them could allow them more freedom to enjoy the world around them in a safe and protected way!

07/15/2024

Staff pup Emori turned ONE YEAR OLD recently! This is peak teenagehood, and we all thought the adolescent crazies struck again when she came up limping back in April. Crazy pups can certainly get themselves into trouble when they roughhouse and run around, so we thought she had a soft tissue injury.

Well, here's a reminder that a thorough vet check is always a good idea when you suspect something is wrong or off with your pup, because almost three months later, and Emori was diagnosed with Lyme disease for her birthday.

With meds on board, she is doing much better and no longer limping, but to help satisfy her mental needs while on crate rest, she got to attend a July 4th celebration in a cart! This way, she can access all the sights and smells without needing to walk around. If your teenager gets injured or needs to be on rest for surgery, acclimating them to a stroller/buggy/cart can be a great way to still allow them to get outside and be "active" without harming their recovery!

07/12/2024

A Dog's Life Training Tip! Got a bitey little adolescent?

Try this super easy, low spoons enrichment hack to save yourself some sanity! Simply use a wet rag and their food and some treats to create a frozen "puzzle" toy for them to gnaw at, knock around, and play with! The cold soothes their gums and teeth, and as they work at it they'll be rewarded with occasional found goodies in the rag.

It helps to use non-absorbent treats and kibble, such as bits of deli meat or hot dog, sprinkle cheese, and even lightly cooked carrots or green beans!

07/10/2024

Would you follow them into the deep, dark, woods?

We would, every time! 🥰

07/08/2024

Seeing the world through our dog's eyes can help us BOTH to live life more joyously!

For example... sometimes we can choose to go into nature and spend a day exploring rarely trodden paths with our pups instead of making them sit for hours at a busy cafe beside a heavily trafficked street.

The human world is so congested with noise, smell, and chaos that it can be difficult for a pup to regulate and hold it together! They are both humankind's creation AND STILL an animal descended from the wilds. We have to learn how to best honor all parts of their existence if we want to truly life the fullest, most understanding, and enriching life with them.

We strongly believe that wild part of them needs to be honored, and we're so happy to get to share more of this ethos with owners and guardians of young pups. Please like and follow to stay tuned on updates to our new training program, and spread the word to anyone thinking of getting a puppy or who already has a teenager they may be struggling to connect with!

06/26/2024

All work and no play isn't fun for ANYONE. Don't forget to simply make memories with your pup, too... Throw them a stick, rub their belly, and explore together. A reminder from the late furry co-founder of A Dog's Life, Penzi.

06/10/2024

Does your pup have self control? Teaching fun "leave it" games with treats is certainly impressive and one way to build this skill... but there are opportunities all around us to teach our pups this valuable concept!

And of course we are going over them in our upcoming training program, since this is one of the biggest headaches in living with most teenage puppies. Stay tuned 🎶

05/23/2024

Don't waste precious opportunity! You can start helping your pup become comfortable with grooming, handling, and restraint from day one.

By simply rewarding your puppy for light handling, touch, brushing, and more, you can slowly build their tolerance to these necessary procedures of life as a 21st century pet.

Here are a few simple ways to help your pup out throughout the day:
🐾 Give them a lickingmat and lightly brush them while watching a movie.
🐾 Feed a special meal in the bathtub now and then to build a positive association.
🐾 While cooking in the kitchen, share small special bits of dog-safe foods while you hold them or grab their collar.
🐾 Trim one single nail then immediately let them into the yard and throw them a kibble scatter.
🐾 Practice reaching for or touching their mouth/ears right before you give them their dinner OR play with them as a reward.

Whatever you do, only do it at a level your puppy can handle with at most mild discomfort, then end it with something lovely that they enjoy! Don't push them too far and seek out the help of a professional if your puppy is scared, uncomfortable, or avoids this kind of contact (We'll be going over this in our courses as well)!

05/21/2024

Active, young dogs can be a handful if their needs aren't met! And if you don't love a walk around the block, the good news is that you can do other things! We like going to the woods, but you can enter sport classes, try out enrichment puzzles, trick train, or even play rousing games of tug and flirt pole chase to burn that adolescent energy!

Try one new activity this week and see how you and your dog like it. Comment below what you might try, or ask if you can't figure out what to do and we'll help you brainstorm!

05/03/2024

Staff pup Aurora here with a bit of a gear review... we love this flagline harness for our adventures! It has a front clip attachment point (awesome for our pullers and reactive girlies and guys out there), a sturdy handle, two back attachment points, and three adjustable straps (perfect for those escape artist types who wiggle out of harnesses)!

The lightweight material comes in fun nature inspired colors, including this one that was inspired by A Dog's Life 💁‍♀️

Just kidding, but it does match well, doesn't it?

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Website

https://www.adogslifebehavior.com/

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Videos

September is Responsible Dog Ownership month and we want to first talk about how to be respectful and mindful while walking your dog. 🐕 To ensure that our time and others time outside with their dog are peaceful, beneficial, and enjoyable, it’s important to keep a friendly distance and not approach others we may pass. Not all dogs (or people!) appreciate new people and pets in their space. Some have fears, trauma, are sick or injured, or simply want uninterrupted time outdoors. 🐾 Some ways to help create space while passing others can be - 🌱 Crossing the street if it’s safe to do so 🌱Switching your dog to the other side of you, so you can act as a barrier 🌱 Moving to the side and scattering treats in the grass #mindful #responsibledogownership #dogwalking #dogtraining #verydemure

Enjoy a moment of peace (sound on!) with staff pups Reilly and Emori. 😌 Through some predation substitute and click to calm style training, these guys are able to calmly watch wildlife so we can all enjoy the elk herds and listen to the spring peepers. #Enrichment! And yes, we'll be going over skills like this in our courses, so hit that follow button and like for more! #dogtraining #puppytraining #dogsofig #aussiesofig #coloradodogs #predationsubstitutetraining #clicktocalm #dogtrainer #trainingtips

We love a little "do nothing" work! Especially when we can multitask, like staff trainer Sydney getting to do some gardening during some passive settle training. #dogsofmassachusetts #bostondogtrainer #bostondogs #dogsofig #dogtrainingtips #dogtraininglife #dogtraining

Have a moment of zen with Delilah today while she eats a kibble scatter (sound up for ASMR crunching)... Who needs that boring old bowl! Just toss the food in the yard! So much more fun, functional, and wow - look at this peaceful time you otherwise wouldn't have! 😌✨ Follow for more life hacks ✌️ #doggyzen #decompression #dogtrainingadvice #dogtrainingtips #dogtraininglife #dogtraining

There is more to mannerly dogs than obedience training... >>> If you want your puppy to grow up into a dog you *enjoy* taking with you to experience the world... then yes, you have to put in the effort of training as they grow. But you also need to make sure you're honoring their needs as a thinking, feeling, instinctual animal! It simply isn't fair to expect a dog to be calm, gentle, and mannerly if we aren't meeting their needs in the first place. And figuring out how to let dogs be dogs in a safe but fun and effective way is kind've our thing! So follow along as we build the perfect training program to help you and your puppy life the most fulfilling and rich life possible. Lots of updates to come, so join us on the journey! Featuring staff pup Reilly. ✨#dogsofig #hikingwithdogs #adventurepuppy #dogtraininglife #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #positivedogtraining #adventurepup #adventurepups #dogtraining

Fancy training equiptment is nice, but you aren't taking all that gear on your walks! Nature offers plenty of opportunities for training, confidence boosting, and relationship building. A rock will do just fine sometimes. 🐾 #dogsofcolorado #dogsofmassachusetts #coloradodogfriendly #coloradodogtraining #coloradodogs #bostondogtrainer #bostondogs #adventurepups #adventurepuppy #adventurepup #positivedogtraining

Staff pup Emori is 8 months old and a joy to take around town! And when she finds gross things on the sidewalk... It ISN'T a fight to deal with it! Not something you usually hear about a teenage pup... Watch trainer Morgan interact with her pup to get this dusty old rawhide Emori found beside a vets office out of her mouth and move on with their walk! We're working on a program to help YOU get this kind of relationship, trust, and mannerly attitude out of your terrible teens too! Like this video and follow for more content and updates! #dogtraining #dogsofcolorado #dogsofmassachusetts #bostondog #denverdog #dogtrainingtips #adolescentdog #puppyprobs #trainingtips #puppytraining #positivereinforcement