207 Dog Training, LLC

10/08/2024

In case you needed a friendly reminder ❤️

07/08/2024

Best tip I can give you if you want a reliable recall with your dog?

Stop giving him reasons to NOT want to come back to you.

So often we call our dogs and do the following -

- bring them inside
- crate them
- put them back on leash
- physically pet them and hug them (a lot of dogs reaallllly don't like this even though WE do!)
- take something from them
- check them for ticks
- wipe their eye boogers
- remove them from the fun

If you've done one or any of these, you've taken a huge deduction out of your dogs "recall account" balance. YES, EVEN IF YOU USED FOOD WHEN THEY CAME BACK! Food - even though very rewarding - is rarely as reinforcing as freedom to dog!

There are many other factors to help you have a reliable recall with your dog, but this is the most important one of them all. STOP calling your dog and then doing something they don't find reinforcing, even if you treat them anyway. Often times, the food very quickly becomes not worth it to your dog, and you find yourself at 5am on your porch in your bathrobe screaming "COME!" rattling a bag of treats just to up the ante more and more, only to have your dog look at you like "Yeah, no, I've been there before human - see ya!"

Build your recall account by calling your dog, rewarding them, and then letting them GO BACK to whatever they were doing before, and do that many more times than times that you actually do have to stop their fun. Walk over while they are chewing on a stick, toss them a treat and tell them what a great find it is, and then walk away. Teach your dog that coming to you, having cool stuff around you (water logged stick, a soggy ball they just found etc) doesn’t always mean their fun is over and you’re going to remove them or the item.

While doing all this, if you’re not sure that your dog is safe to be off leash or reliable DONT let them off leash. Use a long dragline, even in the yard, so you can just bring them to you rather than chase them around or run the risk of them taking off.

Reliable recall doesn’t just happen. It takes time and patience and lots of repetitions. Keep treating, keep letting them have fun, keep your sense of humor!

-Helen St. Pierre

03/08/2024

Friday morning we started the day with 460 animals in our care. Today (Saturday) we started with 445, but we have a lot more animals that need homes. Stop by our Brunswick Campus today and tomorrow for fee-waived adoptions for animals over 6 months old. Help us make room to help more animals in need!

03/08/2024

Guess who walked by three dogs, countless people and children, AND disengaged all by herself from a stranger who tried to say hi to her!!!!! This is a huge deal for Sundae and I am SO PROUD of her. She used to really struggle on walks and have big feelings about other dogs and people - a year ago she would not be making these same good choices.

My goal is to get Dozer to this point by himself, and then work on them as a duo. If you have more than one dog, it’s pretty normal for your dogs to struggle more when they’re together rather than alone. Solo walks can be a life saver while you work with them both individually. 💛

02/08/2024

It is so easy to compare your reactive dog to other dogs, especially when you see pictures on social media of other dogs on adventures or doing something you don’t think your reactive dog could ever do.

But, social media ≠ real life, even when it comes to dogs. We hiked this morning and took so many perfect pictures- you’d never guess it was anything but a perfect hike.

But, you wouldn’t know we got up at 5am so we could arrive early to avoid other hikers.
We practiced using a flight cue to move off of the trail multiple times, even when there weren’t any triggers.
And, the best of all, walked off of the trail and into the woods to sit there for 22 minutes (I timed it!) to wait for an off leash dog we were told was coming behind us to pass, before we were able to continue down.

All so we didn’t see any other dogs! We are not to a point in our training that I think both dogs together would be able to successfully pass a trigger on a super narrow path in the woods, and that’s completely okay. I set up their environment to avoid any possible reaction and best set them up for success for the future, and it worked!

My point is, don’t compare your dog to another dog. We are all at different stages of training and just because it looks perfect on social media, doesn’t mean it’s actually perfect. And I hope you have the chance to take your reactive dog for an adventure, even if it looks a bit different than others and you have to plan in advance, arrive early & bring a whole bag of chicken. 🐔

01/08/2024

On our way!! Lick mat is a success

31/07/2024

Ellie is going to a veterinary behaviorist tomorrow! We are traveling about 2 hours so need to plan how to best help her, since car rides can be stressful for her. I’m planning on packing a lunchbox full of lick mats and Kongs, both for the ride down and back, and am mapping out some spots to stop for a sniff walk. I will update with how it goes! It’s always helpful to have a plan when you’re traveling with a fearful dog, both for your dog, and your peace of mind.

31/07/2024

One hallmark of positive-reinforcement trainers is that they focus on what they want their pets to do, rather than what they don’t want their pets to do. This approach is incredibly effective! 🐾 By simply ignoring behaviors you don’t really like, and rewarding the ones you do, you can completely transform your pet’s manners. 😍

26/07/2024

If you allow your dog on the sofa but want to influence where they choose, place a blanket on their seat. This can be moved to different seats, as needed. In my experience, it doesn't require much training, if any. The dog will most likely choose the spot where their blanket is.

19/07/2024

We often expect a lot from our dogs in this human-dominated world that they are plopped in to navigate. I adopted Dozer about four months ago, and we are just now really clicking training-wise and seeing lots of success. It's perfectly okay that it took this long! It might take even longer for another dog. Since we're still getting to know each other, there was naturally a learning curve for both of us. Our training is built on trust, bonding, and kindness, all of which take time. It's okay if it takes a while for you and your dog, too. Just a reminder there is no set timeline for training or behavior modification, and your dog is doing the best they can with the information they are receiving. 💛

18/07/2024

18/07/2024

16/07/2024

TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND REACTIVITY

Before trying to work on improving reactivity, consider what colour your dog’s emotional state is in.

The belief or expectation that by continually exposing reactive dogs to triggers will make them get over it, is setting dogs up to fail.

Generally, a dog that is reacting to something does not feel safe – they are in survival mode – a mode where learning and appropriate responses simply cannot take place.

Neurotransmitters like adrenaline and cortisol flood the brain causing automatic responses intended for survival. This red zone is certainly not the time or the place to try to change behaviour.

We need to start working with a brain that is calm, relaxed, focused and feels safe – the green zone, where learning can take place.

A calm nervous system is essential to learn a new way to respond.

To recognise which colour an emotional state is, we need to become more adept at recognising and interpreting our dog’s body language.

Being aware of body language enables us to intervene before our dogs’ emotions – the “traffic light” changes colour.

Always start in the green zone, this is where we can really help our dogs to learn strategies to cope with triggers.

Keep working in the green - reinforcing, proofing and building confidence.

Once behaviours are established in the green, we can try moving into the amber zone by allowing our dogs to notice and be aware of distractions, but at a sufficient distance where they still feel safe and are able to focus. This is where we can make distractions or triggers feel far less threatening.

Stay out of the red as much as you can. Avoiding this is not always possible – life happens / the unexpected happens and we have no control over this.

In this case get as much distance as possible between your dog and the trigger.

We can’t teach our dogs to feel safe, but we can help them feel safe by managing the environment, taking small achievable steps, being aware of body language and intervening when their emotional traffic light is about to change colour.

16/07/2024

I have written this over and over again in my head. Even in putting it out on “paper” it still doesnt feel real.

I have always stayed true to the fact that what I share here shows the highs and the lows of living and loving these amazing animals called dogs. I know it wouldn’t be fair to simply only show you the good side, in fact that does you, and dogs, more harm than good. Sweeping the hard stuff to the side isn’t realistic and although it opens myself up for criticism and nastiness, I also know for the small bit of that I get, the plus side is the amount of people and dogs that information helps.

That is why I am choosing to tell you this story. I am aware in doing so I am making myself extremely vulnerable, and I accept that by understanding that if this story helps someone else who may go through or has gone through something similar, you’re not alone. I am under no obligation to share my life so publicly with people, but I choose to do so because I have seen the benefits. It’s also necessary for us to be able to heal fully.

Before I proceed, please ensure that you read this all carefully. Then read it again. Before you decide to cast judgement, blame, anger or sadness somewhere.

At the end of last month we went away for 4 days. Our annual trip to the cape before summer ends. We had a known petsitter staying at the house who knew and loved our dogs and animals and had experience with our routine and life. She’s also extremely dog savvy and an active trainer at NMBDT. She was living on the property while we were gone. Nothing other than her being at the house was “out of the ordinary” - this was really standard for our every day life. No new dogs in the group - we took the puppy with us - no changes to diet, routine or life.

2 days into our trip, everything was going great, she had let everyone out mid morning to potty. As you all know, the dogs have an acre fenced in to run and play. They had been outside for around 30 minutes with her with no issue and the petsitter walked to the slider door to call everyone inside. As she did this, Joker, that I’ve had since 8 weeks old, and used in every kind of demo and class work imaginable, ran across my yard and viciously attacked my 9 year old papillon Mallory with no warning. It was unpredictable, unprovoked, and extremely violent. She picked her up and shook her, released her when the petsitter screamed, and then picked her up and did it again even more violently. The petsitter ran over and tried to get her to release her grip, and then Joker redirected on her. But at least in doing that she had let go of Mallory.

She could tell immediately Mallory was severely injured and bleeding. Her tongue was blue and she wasn’t breathing. She got everyone inside, Joker went back to “normal” and into her crate; she performed life saving measures, and rushed Mallory to the emergency vet keeping pressure on her the whole time. Once she got there they started working on Mallory. She survived the attack and they kept pressure bandages on the punctures because they were so close to her jugular.

I got the call and we made the decision to come home early. When I arrived home, I saw the massive damage with my own eyes on Mallory and I knew, I just knew, there was absolutely no way Joker was safe to keep in the house. We have a very large community of dogs, small and big, cats, chickens, children and our farm. That unprovoked and unpredictable level of violence to a dog she had known since puppyhood and a relationship with… it was nothing I’d ever seen before. I also knew I didn’t want to contribute to the community of dogs with history’s like this - especially unpredictable ones - and place her elsewhere where she could do this again to another animal. Even if she never ever did it again, the risk that she could and the damage she would inflict, it was too much.

I called my vet, I called my friends. I called my colleagues. We went down every avenue rationally and responsibly. But all landed on the same conclusion. I said goodbye to my beautiful girl at the house, in the sunshine after a long trail walk together. She was with me and I was with her, the way it should be but shouldn’t have been. It was by far, one of the hardest and most difficult decisions I have ever, ever made.

After she passed I continued to focus on Mallory, but her wounds were so bad she was struggling to recover. After another night at CAVES and working so hard to save her, she succumbed to her wounds. We were able to be there to say goodbye to her, and truthfully that fully broke me. Her little body, covered in so many deep punctures, bruises, drains. She didn’t deserve that. She was the most hazard avoidant dog we had. She never saw it coming. None of us did. I do know that the lifesaving acts of my petsitter made it so we were able to get home to her to see her again before she died. I know without question if she had not done that Mallory would have died that day.

My whole house feels like a tomb. It’s so quiet. My dogs are grieving their friends. I lost my two best girls. I cannot describe this pain I’m carrying. I don’t understand it. I am such a huge advocate for safety and management and watching for any signs or triggers. I don’t know why or how this happened. Joker was the most neutral dog I had. Not one mark on her record. She never resource guarded. She never over corrected. I’ve gone back and watched every single video after video of them all together to see what or if I missed something. I just don’t understand.

It’s been a couple of weeks after this incident now and I’m still partially in shock, but I’m also now in a place where I’m able to grapple with things and can finally articulate my thoughts in a comprehensive way.

I’ve had multi dog households for close to 22 years now. I’m not immune to scuffles, arguments or conflict. But only twice in my life have I seen a full on unpredictable assault in my own home, and why it was that day, that violent, I will never know. The violence, unpredictability and severity of this attack was not something I could ever live with myself for risking happening again. I spend my days triaging and seeing the effects on dogs, people and families that have dogs that have inflicted damage like this and I did not want to contribute to that by potentially placing her elsewhere. If she were to do this kind of damage on another animal or person, my own or otherwise, I would never have forgiven myself.

This was a dog she knew. This was a dog she’d lived with from day 1. This was not a strange dog, a dog that was harassing her or even a play session gone wrong. This was the smallest and most vulnerable member of the family who was simply walking across the yard 50 ft away. I cannot explain why or what caused it, which makes it that much worse, although with time I may come to peace with that. I am not ignorant to assume that even if I do all the “things” right, my dogs can’t still be unpredictable animals. That is the reality of this life. And hiding that fact or pretending everything is fine wouldn’t be fair to all of you, or dogs in general, because it will create a false narrative that if you just do ALL THESE THINGS, nothing bad will ever happen. That will do more harm than good in the long run. I could have told you Mallory just died of old age and just never shared anything. But I owe it to dogs and humans everywhere, and to honor Joker and Mallory, to share this story.

Please understand that if there were predictors, if she had shown more inhibition, or if she had even only bitten once and not continued to return and reattach and shake, that those factors would have contributed to a different outcome. But those things were not in my control. The only thing in my control is the safety and well-being of my animals, my family, the public and their animals, and Joker, and so I made the best decision using not only my own decades of knowledge and field experience, but also based on the help of my colleagues and close friends. Behavioral euthanasia is still something that can create a wide range of responses, and it’s important to understand that the decision I made for Joker wasn’t because I didn’t love her. I did. I do. I loved that dog with everything I had. I was aware when Joker came home to foster that a multi dog household for a cattle dog wasn’t always ideal, so for years I’ve acutely watched and ensured that I stay on the pulse of the interactions my dogs have and continue to meet their needs not just as individuals but as a whole. Joker never once had given any sign of discomfort or displeasure with the life she had here. In fact, she thrived here. Lead the way for the daily yard romps and tired Legend and Aslan out. Hiked weekly with us and always enjoyed traipsing through the woods with her best friends by her side. Laying by the fire in the evening with the cats or demoing skills in classes. Had I had even the slightest hint of this being a possibility I NEVER would have put my other dogs in danger. She was my leading lady and one of my best friends. All you need to do is scroll through my videos and pictures of her and you can see that, even without me telling you. This event doesn’t mean she’s wasn’t a good dog. She was a great dog. The best dog. Life without her is so painful I cannot accurately describe it. But I know that isolating her, forcing a huge and confusing transition on her, pulling her away from all she’d ever known would have been one of the cruelest things I could have done to her, and set her up to do further damage elsewhere. Death is NOT always the worst thing in these scenarios. If she had had a brain tumor (which is very much a possibility given this event and discussing it with people) or some other massive medical issue, it wouldn’t be so hard to grapple with.

The loss of Mallory like this has shifted our entire household. We are all completely grief stricken and devastated. Mallory was the brightest little light in our lives and I do not know if I will ever get over having to say goodbye to her that way. All of the dogs are feeling this loss also. Messner has lost his best friend, and Legend has lost his. I don’t know how to help them other than take one day at a time. That’s all any of us can do.

I cannot bear any unkindness right now. Neither can my children or my family. I am going to post this with no ability to comment because as much support as I have had through this, I know some people will not see things the same way. And that’s fine, but remember it’s easy to disagree from the cheap seats, when you’re not living it, witnessing it, or responsible for it. Remember we’ve lost two members of our family in an incredibly violent and tragic way, and how you would like to be treated if and when something awful has happened to you. I feel like a fraud. But if I had seen any inclining, or sign, at any time, that what happened was even a hint of a possibility, I never ever would have risked my dogs lives like that. Ever. It’s not like she was giving subtle cues for weeks or months that I just ignored. She was coexisting and thriving one minute, and then killed Mallory the next. I just can’t make sense of it. But at least right now I know the rest of my dogs and family and animals are safe from that happening again. That’s what i have to focus on. And also being okay with not being okay. That’s just gonna take time. Please give us grace. I’m sorry if I let you down. I have spent my entire life dedicated to protecting, helping and advocating for the well-being and happy lives of dogs. This is the absolute worst thing that could have happened to us.

A huge thank you to the colleagues and friends who have been nothing but sounding boards and rocks for us, and to the incredible veterinary team for doing everything they could to try to save Mallory. And of course, my amazing petsitter, who also witnessed and experienced this trauma but stayed calm and saved Mallory’s life in that moment. She made it so we could be there to say goodbye. These are the tiniest glimmers of light in our darkest hour.

16/07/2024

At first glance a dog’s neck may seem muscular and strong; easily capable of having a leash and collar attached for walking. After all, it’s what we’ve used for the past umpteen years and it’s able…

13/07/2024

Sundae has made it obvious she’s feeling stressed and anxious these past couple weeks and has been acting out of character. She’s been very stressed around Dozer, has NOT wanted to play or wrestle with Ellie, destroyed items when left home alone, not wanted to go for car rides, and has been displaying a lot of attention-seeking and appeasement behaviors.

Some would say this is the time to do MORE training. She’s not listening?? “Acting out”?? “Refusing” to do things she usually loves?? Train harder! But this is not what a dog experiencing these emotions needs. Instead, she needs patience. Lots of decompression. Small building blocks of things she can do successfully while feeling safe.

My first thought was something medical - and it was. She has been battling a UTI and incontinence for 2-3 weeks and just had to be sedated and spend a few days at the vet this week.

But not to mention, she has had a LOT of change in these past few months that I haven’t really given her credit for. She lost her housemate, Prince, and then we welcomed Ellie (formerly Dasher the foster) in mid February. In early March, I went on vacation and was away for a week. In mid March, I adopted Dozer and she welcomed him, too. And we moved just a few weeks ago. I’m sure there are lots of different factors, some I haven’t even realized, that are attributing to this.

I love the saying “your dog isn’t giving you a hard time, they’re HAVING a hard time,” because it’s so true! We often only think of how our dog’s behavior affects us, but how does it affect them? If your dog is struggling, often times we need to adjust some things before we can start training.

Give your anxious dog some grace 💛

12/07/2024

Train the dog you want, not the dog you think you should have

We're told there are certain behaviors we shouldn't allow our dogs to do. Things like jumping on people, begging for food, and barking out the window are all considered "bad" behaviors and signs of an untrained dog. I disagree with that philosophy.

Our dog's lives are way too short. I would rather focus on the behaviors that bother me and not spend all this time training behaviors that I don't care about. I want to enjoy my dogs and not stress about things that don't matter.

Signed,
A trainer who doesn't care about her dogs jumping up on people

11/07/2024

Look at this cute photo of Sundae kissing Dozer! Except it’s NOT a cute photo of her “kissing”, it’s actually a great example of communication that she is uncomfortable with Dozer in this scenario.

Here’s what I see from Sundae (the red dog) -
Licking
Mouth closed tightly
Tense facial muscles
Whale eye
Shifting weight away from Dozer (look how much she is extending her neck to reach towards him while keeping her paws planted)
Ears almost fully flat back
Then, “airplane ears” (which can representing a conflicting state) and lip licking in the last photo

“Kissing” photos of dogs are usually not cute and are a sign of stress! Sundae has had negative experiences with dogs in the past, so has a difficult time feeling safe with other dogs. It’s my responsibility to pick up on these signs and give her space when requested and continue to facilitate positive interactions between them.

11/07/2024

My new website is live!

10/07/2024

Behavioral Euthanasia

[CW: Animal death. May be upsetting to read.]

There was once a shelter dog with no name. He was brown and white with floppy ears and a sweet little face. And he was terrified. For the 2 weeks he was with us, we tried so hard to bond with him safely. Every day I sat with my back to the kennel, tossing treats and speaking softly, but he was too frightened to do anything but growl. It wasn’t safe to move him without a catch pole because his fear made him lash out… He never would have been happy in a home.

So I advised them to put him down. He wasn’t the first or the last, but he stuck with me the most.

Behavioral euthanasia is one of the most stigmatized subjects in the dog world. Many people see it as “giving up” on the dog. They’re wrong. When your family lets a pet go for behavioral reasons, it’s because you’ve done literally all you could for the safety of everyone involved. You’ve used every available resource, you may have even tried rehoming your dog to no avail. But let me be the first to tell you: IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT. YOU DID NOT FAIL.

BE is the most loving, selfless gift you could ever give. You sacrificed your own happiness for the sake of your dog’s quality of life, and that was very brave. Maybe you made the sacrifice for the safety of your family, your other pets, or the public. Maybe your dog was not able to enjoy life due to the restrictions of their behavior. Maybe you just didn’t have the time or money to commit to further training, or training was extremely stressful for your dog. Whatever the circumstances, THAT’S REAL LOVE.

You’re absolutely not alone. We BE owners and consultants feel isolated from other dog enthusiasts because of the judgment (and straight up hate) that we might face. We keep it a carefully guarded secret, even from our closest friends and family. We dread questions like “Did you even try THIS?” Of course we tried that! We tried every ethical way we could. We made a call that was gut-wrenchingly awful, and we had a damn good reason, pardon my French.

But no matter what you’ve tried (or not), you’ve done your absolute best. Others may not understand that, but I do. You’re grieving, and you can’t share your grief for fear of being ostracized, so your mourning is multiplied. I GET IT. I REALLY DO.

When no-name was sedated, I was finally able to rub his ears. He leaned into me and my heart exploded. I am so happy that he got some love in the end, and I was honored to be the one who gave it to him. He had a name somewhere inside him, but he chose to keep it a secret and I won't go against his wishes by trying to name him. He is my symbol for every unnamed shelter dog who needs help. His memory means more to me than any human-made label ever could.

We make all our decisions based on love, however our pets go, and however long they stay. We can give them kindness, dignity, and compassion no matter how or why they leave this world.

If you are struggling with a BE decision, please meet with a veterinary behaviorist. There may be options like medication or specific behavior modification.

Please seek any necessary help for your grief. It is OK to not be OK.
You can reach the US National Crisis Lifeline 24/7 at 988.
Support group for BE - Losing Lulu
Or you can message us any time.

🐾💙Shannon

07/07/2024

Expecting a dog to thrive in a human world without kind, compassionate guidance from the human seems a little unfair.

Living with dogs may not turn out to be the vision we had hoped for or imagined.

That can be upsetting and even frustrating but it does not deveate from the fact that it requires us to adapt our way of thinking, managing and coping just as much if not more than the dog.

Guide, support, advocate for your dog. Compassion, agency, safety and trust are all key ingredients to helping dogs be the best version of themselves, even if that version isn't what we had imagined!

07/07/2024

One of the reasons I don’t get invited to a lot of parties

07/07/2024

Watch Dozer see a “trigger” (his & Sundae’s reflection) and move away from it!👇

It presented as a great training opportunity so we took it! Dozer struggles with frustration based reactivity and can have big feelings when seeing other dogs - he just wants to say hi so bad! His reactions can be more intense when Sundae is with us, so this was a perfect opportunity to proof some cues moving away from triggers before we use them in a real life scenario.

Dozer sees the trigger (reflection). We are close enough to it that he notices it—ears perk up, he stops and stares—but far enough away that his leash is completely loose and he is able to respond to the cue. I cue “this way”, meaning move AWAY from whatever it is we see, and click when he turns and reward with a treat delivered right to his mouth, then toss down a few find-it’s to create further distance between us and the trigger.

This was GREAT practice and I will definitely be using this again. Reactivity is hard, I feel you. It’s especially hard when you feel like your dog is great at responding to cues in your yard or the house, but as soon as you try it in “real life” your dog is unable to even take treats. This is where stuff like this comes in handy. We can’t go from level 0 (the yard) to level 100 (out on a walk seeing a trigger from 10 feet away) without little building blocks like this. Be creative and start where your dog is at!

05/07/2024

What temperature is too hot for dogs?

03/07/2024

Happy 4th birthday Sundae!

03/07/2024

Your dog does not need to go to the firework show. Even if they’ll be home alone otherwise. Even if you think it’ll be so much fun. Even if your dog isn’t generally sensitive to noises. Even if you think they WANT to! Please do not bring them to a firework show.

More dogs go missing on the 4th of July than any other day of the year. Even dogs who have previously been fine around loud noises, or even fireworks before, could get spooked and slip their harness or collar. Even if you think there is no possible way your dog would or could escape, please do not bring your dog.

This week, please do not let your dog outside unattended, or even off leash after dark. If you’re going to be away from home any night this week, set them up in a safe spot. Try to avoid a room with any glass doors and keep your windows shut and close the curtains. Play music or a TV show for them. Please keep your pets safe this 4th of July!