Pup to Perfection (2025)

Effective, fun, professional dog trainer with over 10 years of experience working with dogs in a variety of settings.

17/04/2025

Dog bite prevention week is almost over! So before it is, let’s quickly review why we actually want dogs to growl…

1) growling is a natural and appropriate form of communication for dogs in certain situations. Growling serves as a warning- give me some space right now or else.

2) it’s the “or else” part that we don’t want to see! When dogs are pushed past their limit, or less intense forms of communication are not heard, they are much more likely to try more severe forms of communication. Like an “air snap” or lunge-bite… or an actual bite.

3) “air snaps” or warning lunges could result in injury. The dog might not be intending to make contact, but if they miss or the target of their warning zigs while they zag, those teeth could still cause an injury. This is especially true for larger and stronger dogs.

Warning lunge-bites towards another dog could also trigger a fight, and we don’t want that!

4) dogs who are punished for growling learn to suppress that behavior, but that doesn’t mean the feelings that caused them to growl have gone away! If the situation that led them to growl keeps happening, like a dog keeps getting in their face or being touched/handled in a particular way, then that dog is more likely to resort to biting or attempting to bite much faster and without as much noticeable warning.

5) Growls buy us time to intervene and deescalate the situation before it gets worse. we want our dogs to have as many options available to communicate that something is making them uncomfortable (even if that something doesn’t seem very logical to us) BEFORE they feel the need to get their teeth involved.

This is why it’s also important to teach our dogs other important skills, like coming when called so we can separate dogs if one dog approaches another and gets growled at. Or how to create distance themselves if they encounter something that makes them uncomfortable.

If you’re dealing with a growling dog, comment below for more info on in-person and virtual 1:1 coaching!

09/04/2025

WHY I DON'T USE PUNISHMENT (P+) IN DOG TRAINING OR BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION

Punishment-based dog training or behaviour modification often fails because it doesn't teach dogs what to do, instead, it only suppresses unwanted behaviors, leading to fear, anxiety, and potentially aggression, while also damaging the bond between dog and owner.

Some consequences of positive punishment are:

1. Punishment doesn't teach desired behaviors
Punishment focuses on what the dog shouldn't do, not what it should do, leaving the dog confused and unsure of what is expected.

2. Punishment creates fear and anxiety
Punishing a dog can lead to fear and anxiety, as they may associate the punishment with you or the situation, potentially causing them to become fearful or aggressive.

3. Punishment damages relationships
Punishment can damage the bond between you and your dog, as they may begin to distrust or fear you.

4. Punishment doesn't address the root cause of the behaviour
Punishment only addresses the symptom of the problem, not the underlying cause, which can lead to the behaviour resurfacing later.

5. Punishment can backfire
Dogs may learn to avoid situations or people associated with punishment, rather than learning the desired behaviour.

6. Punishment requires constant supervision and consistency
Punishment needs to be immediate, consistent, and severe enough to be effective, which can be difficult to achieve and may lead to unintended consequences.

Punishment can be, inter-alia:
Yanking, pushing or shoving
Corrections
Yelling and scolding
Finger pointing
Spray bottles
Use of choke chains, prong collars, shock collars , head harnesses, no pull harnesses or martingale collars
Withholding food, water or a warm place to rest
Withholding comfort when your dog is scared
Early pinching
Kneeing
Intimidation of any kind
Hitting or smacking
Forcing a dog to confront his fears or to 'get over it'
Saying "No!"
Saying "stop it!"

100% Positive reinforcement and not balanced training, is definitely effective in the long run, so instead of punishing unwanted behaviours, focus on rewarding and reinforcing desired behaviors which is a more effective and humane way to train dogs or modify behaviour.

Find a force-free, positive reinforcement, ethical trainer or behaviour professional to help you understand how to best work with your dog. Be aware of those punting the words 'balanced' and 'corrections' while throwing treats at your dog - they are not ethical professionals.

Note 1 - I am not going to argue with balanced trainers. I'm here to use my knowledge, education, skills and compassion to help my clients and their dogs. You do you and I will do me. Also be assured that I won't come onto your page to argue with you on your philosophies, ethics and knowledge.

Note 2 - this post does not cover emergencies like your dog running into the road or engaged in any dangerous situation. This post is about being proactive as opposed to reactive. It is not about setting your dog up for failure but rather to give them the skills to be successful with your assistance when confronted with a trigger.

Some sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787817300357

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2053&context=hc_sas_etds

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7743949/ #:~:text=These%20findings%20indicate%20that%20aversive,and%20outside%20the%20training%20context.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-46333-003

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318577941_Do_aversive-based_training_methods_actually_compromise_dog_welfare_A_literature_review

www.smartpetbehaviour.com
www.coape.org
www.cabti.org

31/03/2025

Something I am always talking to my students about is the absolutely overwhelming amount of information available online regarding all things dogs. From training, nutrition, flea & tick preventatives, vaccine schedules, grooming practices, breed specific information... oh my!

Folks often tell me that they don't know what to believe. They will read one thing that seems credible and then five minutes later see a video on social media touting the exact opposite stance.

I'm going to switch specifically to dog training/behavior here now, because that's my lane.

The reason you might google something and read five different blog posts that all have shockingly different answers is because every dog and every human are all so very, wildly different.

What works well for one might not be the most effective strategy for another.

This argument is often used as a justification for P+ in managing and/or training dogs, so I want to be abundantly clear that I do not hold that opinion.

But as is often the case, two things can be true. And two diametrically opposed things are often true in this messy world in which we live.

Humans and dogs are unique and may have different learning styles, physical aptitudes, and preferred reinforcement processes.

AND

That is not an excuse to rely on intentionally causing a dog to feel pain, fear, and/or discomfort as a means of changing their behavior.

Or at least that's my opinion on the matter- an opinion I've formed over more than a decade working with dogs in two different countries across a variety of disciplines, all while constantly learning how to better do so under the tutelage of leading experts in the field of animal behavior and more niche areas of dog training like agility, aggression specialists, and more.

Which leads me to the point of this post: nuance.

Nuance is important when it comes to anything related to dogs.
And people.
And most things honestly.

It's important to know who you're getting your information from, where THEY got THEIR information from, and how it pertains to your situation.

Unfortunately because the realm of dog training & behavior is essentially the wild west where the standards of practice are made up and the minimum requirements for education, hands-on experience, and qualifications don't matter, this due diligence is even more important.

Doubly so when you're consuming dog-related content on social media. Because it's very very very hard to have something go viral while still being nuanced.

28/03/2025

Had a very impromptu lil photoshoot with Chester & Melody this morning! Blue Back Square is never this empty so I couldn’t not take advantage of it 😂 if you know you know…

10/02/2025

Long time no see, IG! Finally back into the swing of things post-surgery, and I’ve got a few things on the docket to look forward to 👀 category is: easily accessible training options… actually there’s an option for that starting soon with my Basics & Beyond zoom class! If you need help but can’t make it to in person training, this class is for you. Info on the site! For now please enjoy these snapshots of some pups working on perfection 😜

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