Happy Leashes Dog Training and Behavior

12/04/2025

THIS SUNDAY! April 13th at 9am is our 3rd Wags & Wellness group walk! This group is all about building community within the dog and wellness worlds. Our focus is on getting you—and maybe even your dog—out for a fun, 45-minute walk with new friends!

Hosted by Happy Leashes Dog Training and Behavior and , we can’t wait to spark amazing conversations and have a blast with everyone!

Location for April: Booker Creek Park (but please stay tuned for updates in case plans change).

Our event is dog and people-friendly, so bring your pups!

Our mission is to promote positive dog training and positive self-thought for everyone. If you’re bringing a pup, we kindly ask that they are walked on a flat collar or harness. While we don’t support prong collars or e-collars, we’re more than happy to discuss why during our walk.

This is a judgment-free zone for both pups and their people, so come as you are and let’s have a great time together!

18/03/2025

Need a way to keep your pup mentally and physically stimulated while you’re at work? Our Enrichment Visits are the perfect solution!

Each visit is customized to your dog’s needs and can include games, puzzles, scent work, a potty break, and even refresher training. Keeping your dog engaged helps reduce stress and unwanted behaviors—because a fulfilled pup is a happy pup!

Book your dog’s enrichment session today at http://www.happyleashes727.com or DM us for more information!

17/03/2025

Smiling faces, wagging tails, and happy leashes all around! 🐾 We are so proud of these their amazing progress!

01/03/2025

We’re thrilled to announce our March Wags & Wellness meetup happening on March 15th at 1pm!

As the date gets closer, we’ll keep an eye on the weather and update you if needed, but we’re looking forward to a great time!

This group is all about building community within the dog and wellness worlds. Our focus is on getting you—and maybe even your dog—out for a fun, 45-minute walk with new friends!

Hosted by Happy Leashes Dog Training and Behavior and violetblossomwellness, we can’t wait to spark amazing conversations and have a blast with everyone!

DM us for details on the location.

Our event is dog and people-friendly, so bring your pups!

Our mission is to promote positive dog training and positive self-thought for everyone. If you're bringing a pup, we kindly ask that they are walked on a flat collar or harness. While we don’t support prong collars or e-collars, we're more than happy to discuss why during our walk.

This is a judgment-free zone for both pups and their people, so come as you are and let’s have a great time together!

Lastly, this is not a walk for dogs that don’t like walking around other dogs. However if you are working through reactivity you’re more than welcome to come and we can help you get them to a point with they can stroll with the others to set your pup up for success!

22/02/2025

We are excited to introduce A New Leash on Life – a program dedicated to fostering peaceful partnerships between dogs, rescues, and fosters through science-based, force-free training!

Our mission? To reduce stress, encourage positive behaviors, and help dogs thrive in their new environments. Whether it’s post-adoption support, retention strategies, or enrichment for foster pups, we’re here to make a difference!

Because every dog deserves a happy, fear-free life.

📍 Proudly serving Pinellas County & parts of Hillsborough and Manatee counties.
🐶 Want to learn more? Contact us! DM us “New Leash” for more info!�📩 [email protected]�📞 727-458-9340�

18/02/2025

You would never guess that Max, the boxer, is reactive to other dogs. Max has been working with Happy Leashes on his reactivity towards dogs and is doing phenomenal! He has even made a new friend!

Here at Happy Leashes we prioritize a dog’s wellbeing and social life. While not all dogs want to be friends with other dogs, if we are able to give our dogs safe, positive experiences with other dogs then that’s what we will do. Whether this means a quick butt sniff, or being able to exist calmly around another dog, we are here for it all!

06/01/2025

Karen Pryor was a pioneer for animal welfare and training. She was one of the biggest inspirations for me to become an animal trainer when I first learned about her while in vet tech school. It then led me to graduate from the Karen Pryor Academy and earned the credential of KPA-CTP that I hold proudly. Her dedication and experience was a catalyst for the beginning of Happy Leashes. We hope to carry on her legacy by helping animals using kindness and creativity every day. 🐾❤️ - Sydney

With profound sadness and immense gratitude, we honor the life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a true pioneer in the fields of animal behavior and positive reinforcement training. Karen’s groundbreaking work revolutionized how we communicate with animals—and each other—leaving an indelible mark on science, education, and the lives of countless species around the world.

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/4214rRG

25/12/2024

Happy Pawlidays from our Happy Leashes crew! As we close out 2024, we are so excited to help even more dogs and their people in 2025.
We hope you have an amazing holiday season no matter what you celebrate, and get lots of one on one time with your furry friends 🐶
See you next year!! 🎉🎁🌟🐾

24/10/2024

Hello! I’m Caitlin, one of your Happy Leashes trainers. I am a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed. I am also Fear Free Certified and an AKC evaluator. I hold a BA in both Animals Studies and Psychology from Eckerd College. With over 6 years working in the animal industry, I began my formal career with dogs working for various hotels in New York City as a dog walker and sitter. Since then, I have gained a multitude of dog training experience through my internships at New Dawn Animal Behavior Center and SPCA Tampa Bay, as well as by attending both in-person and virtual seminars on canine behavior, neuroscience, and training. I also have extensive and personal experience working with high energy breeds, reactivity and anxiousness.

I currently have two dogs: my Whippet, BMO, and my Border Collie Whippet mix, Razzmatazz! BMO and I compete in a multitude of sports and I’m hoping as Razz grows up that she will be soon to join. My dogs push me to learn more and continue my education. I strive to give them choice in their lives as well as keeping both their bodies and minds well enriched.

At Happy Leashes, my goal is to help dogs and their family succeed by creating fun, play-based training solutions uniquely designed to meet the needs of each dog. I’m here to help both you and your dog thrive and I am committed to ongoing education in this ever-evolving field!

24/10/2024

Hello! I’m Rachel, one of the trainers here at Happy Leashes. I hold a BA in Animal Studies from Eckerd College, with minors in Biology and Psychology. I am also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), a Family Dog Mediator, Fear-Free Certified, and have completed The Aggressive Dog Course for professionals. With over five years of experience in the animal industry, I have worked extensively with dogs in various settings, including private training and shelters. My shelter experience has given me a deep understanding of animal behavior and welfare, especially for rescue dogs. I’ve had the opportunity to develop training programs for a variety of behavioral concerns, helping clients build positive relationships with their pets.

Currently, I have two dogs: my Bichon, Snow, and my rescue Pitty/Husky mix, Pocah. They are both such enjoyable companions and are actively involved in ongoing learning and training, which keeps our bond strong and their minds engaged. At Happy Leashes, my goal is to create humane training solutions that meet the unique needs of each dog and their family, ensuring a harmonious and balanced life for everyone involved.

24/10/2024

Hi! Im Sydney, as the Owner of Happy Leashes, I prioritize continuing education and uphold the standards set by veterinary behavior professionals and leading animal behavior experts.

I am certified through the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA-CTP). And a proud member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) I strive to adopt and implement the latest information into training. As a Fear-Free Dog Trainer and an AKC Good Citizen Evaluator I aim to be at the forefront of industry best practices and developments. I specialized in training and integrating service dogs for veterans and military families at Dogs Inc, an ADI accredited guide and service dog school in Palmetto, Florida. Now, I am excited to focus on running Happy Leashes!

I share my life with my husband, and our two rescue dogs, and two rescue cats: Tucker, Maggie, Guinness, and “Little Kitty” . Each of them possesses their own delightful quirks that we adore.

21/08/2024

https://vote.cltampa.com/services/best-dog-training

We'd love if you gave us a vote for Best of the Bay!

26/06/2024

Our new logo design by . Featuring Tuckers scruffy little self! Check out Wren for your own pet portraits 😍

14/05/2024

Happy Leashes doesn’t run classes ourselves, because who wants to do class in this Florida summer heat that’s already hitting us? Not to worry!

Our trainer Sydney is partnered with St. Pete Dog Works, LLC and works alongside two other fantastic trainers to provide amazing group classes, in an indoor location in Downtown St Pete.

Sydney has a puppy class coming up this Thursday 5/16 and we would love for you to sign up and join if you have a puppy in need of a fun time, to learn some new things, and to socialize safely with other puppies.

If you have an adult dog and are ready for group classes there are also great group class options and often specialty classes for things like leash walking!

We have a couple of openings in several of our classes scheduled to start next week:

• Tuesday, 5/14 at 5:30pm Urban Leash Manners
• Thursday, 5/16 at 5:30pm Puppy Manners

See full class descriptions and register online:
https://www.stpetedogworks.com/puppy-classes

09/05/2024

We are so excited to announce our new "Sniffari Summer School" program!

☀️🌸🦮✨

The benefits of "Sniffaris" also known as Decompression walks are endless. These walks have a goal of enriching your dogs life which in turn gives you a happy, exercised dog for the rest of the day. I find a good decompression walk helps my own dogs for a few days after!

These walks are not intended to be training, but we do our best to reinforce good behavior and each walk will help your dog feel fulfilled, confident, and enriched

There is limited availability for this program as we are only doing walks in the morning to prevent our pups from overheating.

What is included?

-1 or 2 walks a week that include a max of 10 minutes of travel time to and from a designated location.
-Your dog walked on a long line for 30-35 minutes, where they can explore the world around them!
-Reinforcing desired behaviors like recalls, touch, checking in on walks.
-Games on the walk that are unique to your dogs individual needs, scent games for our hounds, fetch for our retrievers! What your dog likes, is what we will do.

Pre-Requisites:

-Your dog is comfortable with new people, in cars, and is generally happy on walks!
-Mild reactivity is okay but precautions will be discussed.
-Your dog is able to be walked on a flat collar or harness. We do not utilize e-collars, prong collars, or choke collars. (please note we are a judgment free zone, do not hesitate to reach out!)
-Some dogs may require private training sessions prior to being permitted to join the Sniffari program.
-With proper acclimation we can provide basket muzzles that allow your dog to pant and take treats for dogs who need them!

Check out this article by Dog Minded, she writes

"Sarah Stremming defines a decompression walk as “a walk where the dog is allowed freedom of movement in nature.” This can be done off-leash or on a long line with a back clipping harness. It sounds simple enough, yet the physical, emotional, and behavioral benefits of this practice can be profound.

Dogs are natural hunters and scavengers. Some of their innate behaviors include sniffing, chasing, running, digging, playing, and rolling in dead and stinky things, just to name a few. They see the world through their noses and their natural pace is much faster than ours. It’s not an exaggeration to say that given all of this, city and modern living can be hard for dogs. "

https://www.dogminded.training/blog/2019/5/27/the-life-changing-power-of-decompression-walks

10/01/2024

Happy New Year!

Happy Leashes is looking forward to announcing some new and exciting programs as well as introducing some amazing trainers to our team. We are so excited for 2024 and can't wait to help you and your pup feel like you can take on anything this year brings!