Perked Ears Behavior Consulting

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Perked Ears Behavior Consulting

Kristen is a certified dog behavior consultant who specializes in senior dogs, dogs & kids, and fear & aggression.

Services clients in Indianapolis and online anywhere!

23/06/2025

Hot take: sit, stay, come, heel, and place are just fine.

But they don't mean anything when it comes to your dog's overall quality of life, safety, and mental state.

Your anxious, aggressive, or fearful dog doesn't need more obedience.

Your newly adopted dog doesn't need to learn a robotic place "command" to help them acclimate to your home.

Your senior dog who is showing more signs of aggression towards your puppy doesn't need to be yelled at or punished.

Let's focus on the stuff that really matters.

Let's help our dogs learn to cope with things that stress them out.

Let's learn strategies to best help them overcome their fears and worries.

Let's figure out how to improve our bond with them.

Let's make sure that their well-being is a top priority, not their ability to be "obedient."

Work with me to learn how to help you and your dog live your best lives together!

16/06/2025

Believe it or not:

I don't need to see the aggression, anxiety, or problematic behavior with my own eyes in order to effectively help you!

Training is easier to implement and more effective if we are able to get started EARLY.

Any training plan you are given should feel safe and do-able.

These are things that I wish more people knew about working with me as your dog behavior support.

Follow for more dog behavior insights!

10/06/2025

⚠️Controversial opinion!⚠️

I don't train dogs to be "calm."

Why? Because well, you really can't.

Calm isn't something you can just train a dog to do.
This is because calm is a mental/emotional state. It is not going to be a permanent thing your dog does.

Dogs feel calm when they feel safe, happy, confident, and have been able to get appropriate mental and physical exercise each day.

This is how we create "calm."

It's also important to remember that all dogs have different physical and mental needs in order to help them feel relaxed and content.

So I challenge you to stop seeing calmmess as a behavior that we need to teach your dog to do.

Instead, think of it as a result that comes from helping your dog have all their needs met.

02/06/2025

In case you haven’t noticed, I do not have magical powers. 🧙‍♀️

I can’t “fix” your dog’s behavior challenges in a single consult—or even in a package of sessions.

Real, long-term behavior change takes time, patience, consistency, and an incremental plan.

Despite what certain shock-collar-loving TV shows would have you believe, there is no magical quick fix. And remember—they’re TV shows, not reality.

With all that being said, it does not need to be fancy, stressful, or overly complicated either. I meet my clients where they are at to come up with a plan that is do-able for them and their dog!

So if you’re ready to do the work, I’m here to guide you through it with compassion, science, and zero animal abuse or domination!

Reach out to schedule a consultation today!

27/05/2025

I love using longlines (aka really long leashes). They have so many benefits and can make for super fun outings for you and your dog. They can even reduce leash pulling!

However, there are many things that I think people need to understand and know before using longlines, ranging from the best materials and lengths to finding an appropriate setting, and even what type of training you should do before using one with your dog.

Check out my latest blog post to dive into the topic of long leads! Link in bio!

https://www.perkedears.com/post/long-leashes-why-i-love-them-how-to-use-them-safely

23/05/2025

In case you forgot:

Dogs are real life animals that live in our houses.

This means that they sometimes come with real instincts, such as the urge to protect what is theirs.

Especially when it comes to members of their own species, it is completely normal for dogs to prefer some personal space when they have a favorite toy or a food-related item.

They are not being a jerk. They don't need to be shown "who's boss" if they do this.

They are simply being an animal with an instinct to protect something they find valuable.

I mean... Don't you lock your house and your car to prevent other people from taking your stuff?

Don't we all have gates, fences, and even security cameras around our homes to keep people away?

If your dogs seem to prefer it, let them chew their bones separately in peace!!

You're not doing anything wrong. In fact, you are probably helping to maintain a positive relationship between them!

21/05/2025

I'll absolutely die on this hill. And I'll post about this topic again and again and again.

There are so many more reasons that punishing the growl is never the answer.

Growling is communication.
Growling is a warning.
Growling is actually your dog trying NOT to escalate.

So we all need to check our egos and stop making it personal. Your dog is not growling at you to dominate you and take over the world

Your dog is more likely growling at you because they're uncomfortable and don't want any trouble.

Follow for more tips about dog behavior and fear/aggression!

14/05/2025

How many small errors do you think you make in a day?

Probably a lot.

Even professionals make mistakes at their job all the time.

This is normal. Because no one is perfect.

But guess what? Neither are our dogs!

We need to stop expecting our dogs to have perfect behavior all of the time, when we aren't even close to perfect, and we're human!

Dogs make mistakes.

Dogs need practice.

Dogs need motivation.

Dogs need encouragement.

Dogs are never going to be 100% on anything.

This is just another reason that you should RUN far far away from any trainer who gives you a 100% guarantee that your dog will never bark, bite, or pull on leash again. Because that claim is just bull****!!

Follow for more dog behavior tips!

12/05/2025

Ever wonder why your dog does things that makes zero sense you… and then seem like they didn't want to do it?

Such as:

🟣Barking and rushing towards at strangers they’re scared of

🟣Growling at you after they jumped on the couch and joined you

🟣 Curling up in a tight space next to a dog friend and then snapping or growling at them

These kinds of mixed messages are confusing—but they’re actually really common in scared or stressed dogs.

Dogs are animals. They act on impulse, not logic. They react first… and realize later that they don’t want to be in that situation after all.

So next time your dog behaves in a way that seems aggressive or confusing, try not to take it personally.

It is likely that they are stressed or afraid, not just being a jerk

Has your dog ever done something that made no sense in the moment?

09/05/2025

So here's the thing.

For the past 9 years, my dogs have been my main priority in life.

And I knew things for my 2 senior dogs would change when I had a baby last year.

So in honor of Mother's Day, I'd like to share a little bit about what I've learned so far as a human & dog mom!

Happy Mother's Day this weekend to all of the dog and human moms out there!

05/05/2025

"Grumpiness" isn’t a personality trait—it’s often more of a symptom of something else!

If your older dog seems quicker to react to things like their space being invaded or then being picked up/handled/bumped into, these things maybe be a sign that something is wrong!

Think about it: are you ever snappier with people in your life when you are stressed out or not feeling your best?

Follow for more senior dog behavior tips!

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http://www.perkedears.com/

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