Pawsitive Transformations, LLC

17/08/2024

14/08/2024

We’ve just returned from a road trip to CA to celebrate a family birthday - our first trip without our beloved Daisy. It was a lonely trip without her, and so hard coming home to our now very quiet, very empty house. We miss her terribly, and no doubt will continue to do so for quite a while. She was a treasured member of our family - our daily joy - and our life is much less rich without her in it.

Just the same, we do want to THANK YOU for all of the kind words you left on the post we shared about her death. Your thoughts and care are deeply appreciated as we adjust to this "new normal." We've had a dog in our life every day since 1990 - this is the first time in over 30 years it's just the two of us. While we look forward to welcoming another dog into our lives when the time is right - for now we are grateful we have each other to lean on, and comforted by the memories of such a joyful, perfect companion. Thanks again for all your kindness and words of comfort. It means a lot, and we appreciate you.
☮️🙏🐕

“There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals. It is a cycle unlike any other. To those who have never lived through its turnings and walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible. Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given.”
― Suzanne Clothier

09/08/2024

Congratulations to Team Ura, who made it to an hour and 15 minutes of alone time. Her family will take over the training from here, and we wish them all the best! 🐾💕🐶

08/08/2024

Because cats deserve a day too! (Just don't tell the dog.)

06/08/2024

With heavy hearts we have some very sad news to share. On Friday July 26 we said goodbye to our beloved Daisy. 💔

At 13.5 years old, she had been slowing down for a while. Then quite suddenly she had no appetite and was obviously feeling very poorly. Our excellent veterinary team diagnosed her and offered treatment we hoped would get her back to normal. As the day progressed however, she got much worse, and we made the decision to end her suffering. The end came peacefully, and we were able to hold and comfort her as best we could through her last moments.

Daisy was brilliant and affectionate and joyous and loved life immensely. She was an integral part of every aspect of our daily routine, and an exquisite traveling companion. She visited most of the country, swam in both oceans and dozens of rivers and lakes. She was an awesome athlete and nose games player. She was our partner at work, too, helping many dogs and their families with gentle training for leash reactivity. She adored meeting new people, and seemingly never met a stranger.

We miss her beyond words. Thank you for letting us share some of her life with you over the years. We hope she did a bit to make life better for your family by all that we learned with her. Daisy was truly a very good girl…

RIP Sweet Girl. 🐾💔

30/07/2024

Share a photo of you with your best friend(s) in the comments. 😊🐕💕🐾

26/07/2024

The 2024 Olympics begin in Paris today with the Opening Ceremony at 12:30pm CDT. In honor of the "people" Olympics, let's have some fun! Please share in the comments what your dog would medal in if they were in the Dog Olympics. 🥇 🥈 🥉 Best Chewer? Loudest Barker? Fastest Eater?

25/07/2024

Dog trainers need positive reinforcement too - and we so appreciate the kind words from Team Kat. We LOVED working with them, and are thrilled with the progress they made. 💕 🐶 🐾

24/07/2024

Parents come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and types - including Pet Parents. So Happy Parent Appreciation Day to us all! 🐾 🐶 💕

24/07/2024

If you don't already follow this page, you should. 😊

20/07/2024

It has been our pleasure working with Team Kat over the past several months. When training began, Kat could only be left alone for a few minutes before she became anxious - she would whine, pant, howl, and pace soon after her people went out the door. By week 4 she could be left alone for 20+ minutes, and at week 8 she made it 2 hours. She had a few set backs along the way (which is very normal). But thanks to the patience and diligence of her family, she can now be left alone for more than 4 hours, and her family feels like they got their life back!

CONGRATULATIONS TEAM KAT! 🐾 💕 🥳 🐶

20/07/2024

19/07/2024

At her initial assessment 5 weeks ago, Hattie panicked the instant her family opened the door to leave their home. Last week, she was comfortable being alone for 10 minutes. After another week of careful training, yesterday she CRUSHED 30 minutes with no difficulty at all! Once again, Bob called them back before she had a chance to get anxious about their absence. This slow and steady training process is helping her learn that being alone feels safe - and we couldn’t be more proud of Team Hattie! ☮️ 🙏 🐕 🥳

17/07/2024

Great blog article about how fear and how it impacts our emotional state (humans and dogs).

⭐ New Blog Post ⭐
Beyond the Scare: The Impact of Terrifying Experiences
By: Malena DeMartini

This very long tale about a recent experience I had is really about how our dogs who suffer from separation anxiety can be significantly impacted if left alone prematurely. These dogs are truly terrified of being alone, and long absences can (and most often do) affect their ability to learn and retain information for quite some time.

Learning is lawful. I mention this because those laws of learning require us to manage the scary stimulus (the dog’s alone time exposure) so that they can continue to learn and retain their training. If you have ever considered managing a dog’s alone time during separation anxiety training as an arbitrary request, please rethink it and continue reading.

Read the entire blog here ⬇
https://malenademartini.com/beyond-the-scare/

13/07/2024

When Bob first started working with Team Hattie 4 weeks ago, her pet parents could not even get to the front door without her panicking. Today, after a moment of concern and just a slight whine, she returned to her bed and rested there comfortably for well over 10 minutes (he had them return before she had a chance to become anxious). Ten minutes may not seem like very long to be left alone, but it’s HUGE progress! Desensitization is gentle, slow, methodical, and detail oriented - and with patience, progress does occur. And 10 minutes of alone time without any panic is a BIG DEAL! Kudos to Team Hattie for all your dedicated work.🐾 🥳 💕

11/07/2024

As Daisy turns 13 1/2 next month, she has certainly slowed down in terms of her physical activity level. So we upped our enrichment game by giving her things to do that provide mental exercise like "sniffari" walks and "sniffy games."

When Daisy was a young dog, she would run, swim, fetch, and play all day. As she began to slow down, we began to look for other exercise / enrichment options...

09/07/2024

We so appreciate hearing from satisfied clients when their training journey concludes. Bob really loves what he does, and knowing he makes a difference in so many lives means the world to him. 🐾 ❤ 🙏

06/07/2024

Congratulations to Team Bear for successfully achieving FOUR HOURS of home alone time with his bestie, Gunner. 🥳 He and his family rocked this training and look forward to being able to leave Bear home anxiety free!

02/07/2024

Engaging in some enrichment activities and exercise before the big fireworks show may help your dog be calmer and more relaxed.

01/07/2024

If your pet(s) will be present during your holiday celebration, make sure you have plenty of pet-friendly treats / food available to share with them. Avoid sharing "people food" as too much of a good thing can be harmful for your best friend.

🇺🇸

30/06/2024

We recommend leaving your dog home, even if you are attending a pet-friendly outdoor fireworks show. The noise and crowds can be scary for dogs, and it's just safer and better for everyone to let them stay home. If you are heading out to enjoy a holiday celebration, leave the TV or music on and close the blinds to help block the sight and sound of fireworks.

28/06/2024

We keep several frozen Kongs on hand for Daisy as an afternoon snack - and may give her an extra one on the 4th of July. She gets to enjoy a yummy treat which can help distract her attention from the noisy fireworks. 🎆

27/06/2024

Great deal - this week only at Nilla's Tub, DIY Dog Wash and Health Food Store for Dogs and Cat in Normal.

THIS WEEK ONLY - FEAST MAT 5.00 OFF. Lickmats are another tool you can use to help calm your dog in stressful situations like fireworks or thunderstorms. The repetitive action of licking is very calming for dogs and is effective as a distraction for stressful situations. While it may seem strange, many dogs are exhausted after a good lick session and it tires them out as much as a long walk! There are all kinds of things you can use: peanut butter, smashed banana, canned food, smooshed freeze-dried food, Goat Whip - let your imagination run wild!! Good idea to freeze the mat to make it last longer.
We love the Feast Mat! It is a combination of both a lick mat on one side and slow feeder on the other.

27/06/2024

We've already heard firecrackers in our neighborhood - and the loud popping noises can make Daisy nervous. So we speak soothingly to her and offer her any comfort she asks for - and turn up the television volume to mask the sounds.

26/06/2024

With the holiday weekend quickly approaching, we'll share some tips over the next several days to help keep your best friends safe and content during what can be a scary time for them due to our noisy celebrations.