Fox and Sparrow : Pet Training and Behavior Support

07/06/2022

Cats communicate quite clearly… if we’re paying attention. Take this quiz and see how accurately you can read cat faces!

https://catdogwelfare.wixsite.com/catfaces/cat-faces-interactive-quiz

01/06/2022

You’re likely tired of all those infographics warning you against leaving your dog in a car because they get so hot, right? Oof, I know. It’s that time of year. Sorry, but my infographic is on the way, too!

But before that arrives, it’s currently 67 degrees out right now at my house.

Can you guess how hot it is inside my car?

16/05/2022

We’ve just returned from a two week trip and I am reminded of how critical it can be to help our animals understand and feel comfortable in the world in which they live. They live in a world with such socially nuanced contexts as hotels, with intoxicated strangers they’ve never met but we’ve known our whole lives. They are constrained by different kinds of harnesses and leashes, by crates and cars and arms, by words and fences and rules. They are dazzled by TV and toddlers, birds in cages, and nachos on the ground. This is the environment we’ve made for them, and it’s our job to help them learn to feel safe and know how to behave in that environment.

Sparrow is an old pro - she knows exactly how to handle hotel lobbies and elevators, she can chill in a vehicle for hours or wait outside a cafe.

Glimmer is still the newbie (even though she’s nearly two!). She did great in the hotels, but was utterly terrified of the outdoors in a park with a lot of unfamiliar birdsong!

So we have our spring work cut out for us: help Glimmer acclimate to new outdoor environments she’ll likely encounter when traveling. Not walking in a tight heel.

16/05/2022

Fox and Sparrow is 1/2 of Cascade Canine!

Fox and Sparrow is just me - one human. Well, and a dog. And two cats.

But since I have moved to Tacoma, WA, I have joined forces with Kay Rutland under her business name (Cascade Canine). So if you’d like to hire me for any in-person training, that’s the place to find me! Fox and Sparrow still exists, but mostly just as a name for all of my training-related posts!

https://www.cascadecanine.com

Dog Trainers and Dog Walkers in Tacoma & University Place. We offer positive reinforcement dog training, including puppy training and socialization, dog walking visits, and pet care. Learn how to train your dog, or find the best dog walker with Cascade Canine!

16/11/2021

“But how do I stop my cat from…?”

Instead of thinking about what you are going to STOP your pet from doing, I want to know what you can START your pet doing!

Glimmer used to be a counter surfer. Heck, she was a counter stroller, a counter sitter, a counter napper. These days, she is never up there. Ever.

I have a multi-pronged approach and one part of that is teaching a cool alternative behavior - one that is incompatible with counter surfing. In this case, Glimmer invented her own.

[Video is of a black and white tuxedo cat with big golden eyes whose rear feet are on the ground and front feet are against the kitchen cabinets. She stands between the human and the cabinets, pressing the top of her head against the human’s black-legging and pet-hair clad thigh. The human is feeding her little bits of food whenever the cute head press occurs.]

22/03/2021

These very good animals find it easier to stay on their station when the station is a platform!

These particular platforms were $5 each from Five Below and are sold for human step aerobics. Last night Sparrow used hers for canine fitness exercises, too.

Platforms can be fancy (like Cato boards) or frugal (IKEA step stools, part of a shelving unit).
Important details:
-Enough room for your animal to comfortably sit and lay down
-Sturdy and safe - no wobbling, no splinters or sharp edges
-Traction on the top - silicone placemats or a piece of yoga mat taped on will do the trick.

More platform thoughts soon!

14/02/2021

31/01/2021

08/01/2021

Hi there! Updates from Fox + Sparrow!

The FB business pages are quite awkward to use, so don’t be put off by the lack of posting here. I have been moving to a new state and managing some huge changes (in addition the general state of pandemic, political coup, etc). The animals managed the first part of the move very well thanks to a lot of advanced planning and a head-shaking amount of beds, crates, heated mats, heat *reflective* mats, treats, Feliway, DAP, and daily play and training in hotels. Every time we stopped for the day it looked as though we were moving in for good. We’re Washingtonians now! I keep telling Sparrow that this guy in a movie once said “It can’t rain all the time.” She doesn’t care about screens or martial arts or gothic icons, so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’ve written to the kind people who seem to own Foxandsparrow.com and while their business seems defunct, they do not answer their emails and therefore I cannot make a bid in earnest for that perfect domain. Sigh.

I’m excited to announce that I hope to be taking on new clients for cat behavior consultation starting around mid-March. Around that time, I will also be launching some small group classes geared toward cats, held via zoom! Kitten Kindergarten, anyone? Cool Trick Cats?

Meanwhile, your free gift for reading this is yet another photo of this gorgeous Sparrow.

13/11/2020

08/11/2020

Glimmer's first (!) session for Go To Mat.

04/11/2020

We’ve recently adopted 3 month old Glimmer the kitten now and she is being introduced to the existing animals - 15 year old cat Tillandsia and 10 year old dog Sparrow.

She’s been in our home since 5 weeks of age but has been in the foster kitten enclosure without access to Tilly or Sparrow.

When we foster kittens, our focus is on keeping them healthy and gaining weight and creating positive experiences with all kinds of novel stimuli (Vacuums! Dogs! Nail trims! Human hands!).

But when we adopt an animal, we focus on the skills they’ll need to thrive in their new home: specific environments, human expectations, other animals. These skills can be very individual and I’ll be posting in the future about some of the things Glimmer is learning about in her new home with us!

For now, here’s a snapshot of Where we’re at with introductions. Tilly and Glimmer can look at one another in a relaxed way, and they can also look away. No big deal, they say.

09/10/2020

Cooper, Scratch Board, Part 4: Robust Scratches!

Heeeeere she is, Miss Scratch Ameeerrrricaaaaaa!

Total: Two sessions. Between sessions, Cooper even chose to sit on my lap!

Poor Cooper had become so upset by nail cutting methods that involve restraint through fear. By trying the scratch board, her humans had a new way to help her keep those little toes (and feet, and legs) in good shape!

09/10/2020

09/10/2020

Cooper, Scratch Board, Part 3: The Breakthrough!

After a rest and reset, we see if Cooper wants to try out some contact with the board and she gets it almost right away! Her nails are so long that they often get crossed over one another. Clipping her nails was getting worse and worse as she began to anticipate the feeling of no consent, no participation, no escape, only surrender to helplessness. her humans wanted to try a new direction with Cooper running the show!

09/10/2020

Cooper, Scratch Board, part 2: The Setback!

I was unaware of Cooper’s feelings about noise. She suddenly said “this game is freaking me out” and so we took a break. After she had a nap, I switched to a quieter clicker, changed positions, and started again.

09/10/2020

Yesterday I went to visit some friends with pups and they asked me to bring along the scratch board - “so I can see how that works.” Rather than bring Sparrow along to demonstrate, I thought it might be fun to get her dogs using it right away!

Three little chi-mixes, all of them in their senior phase of life, all of them with various labels like reactive, fearful, and even “dumb“!

None of them had even seen a clicker before, but moving at the pace of each dog, we had success!

Cooper and Dori were using the scratch board after 1-2 sessions. (Tigger had just returned from a stressful day and wasn’t in a good place for learning.)

Cooper, part 1: Clicker was charged briefly before we started recording and then in moments, she offers a hand target! So brave!

09/10/2020

Cooper, part 1: Clicker was charged briefly before we started recording and then in moments, she offers a hand target! So brave!