Downtown work with Trubel!
When she first arrived and I got to candidly see her dog reactivity, I knew we had our work cut out for us. Lunging, barking, hackles up… she was in her own world in those moments. The addiction she had to those outbursts was a strong one, and the high she got every time she lost her mind at another dog was just what she needed to fuel her addiction. This girl came here with tons drive, but needed to learn how to manage it and channel it in appropriate, acceptable ways. We had to peel back layer after layer so that we could truly address her reactivity.
Tomorrow is part one of her pick up and then she heads home Sunday morning. Her work is far from over, because there is no such thing as the work being over, but her owners are so ready and dedicated to this new lifestyle with her. I remember them saying they couldn’t even imagine taking her through a Home Depot, now they have the world at their fingertips to grow together as a team with Trubel. The goal is ALWAYS progress over perfection, and being apart of Trubel’s progress over this last month has been a true honor and joy.
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Ahri is here for a 3 week train and board to work on her fear, anxiety, and reactivity. We are just about two weeks into her program and she is doing incredible. 🙌🏼 From cowardly to confident. From reactive to reliable. Today we took the challenge and went down “dog alley” as I like to call it. It is a road in our neighborhood where every house has crazy dogs barking their heads off, running up and down the fence line. Ahri kept her heel and her focus on me with no outbursts. She didn’t need to question what to do, because I provided her with the leadership and guidance she so needs in life. Beyond excited to see how far we will get in her last week here! 🤘🏼
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What comes to mind when you think of canine anxiety? 🧐 Maybe barking, panting, whining, or shaking. While those can all be symptoms of anxiety, it is important to remember that your dog’s anxiety can manifest in many different ways.
Take Juice for example. In the beginning of the video, she is bouncing off the walls crazy. Many people may see this and think ‘Oh look how happy and excited she is!’ without ever realizing how unhealthy of a mindset she is living with. At the start of this video, Juice has no idea what to do. She is asking so many questions like “where do I go, what do I do, can I sniff this, should I jump, maybe I’ll pull this way..”. The lack of guidance and structure is acting as a disservice to Juice in this moment. It is forcing her to guide herself. Imagine having to guide yourself through a world that you were not designed for, where every instinctual desire you have sets you up for failure. That is exactly what our dogs experience when we leave them to guide themselves.
We immediately add in structure and guidance. What is the result? Juice can exist with a clear and calm mind. She does not need to ask any questions because we have given her all the information she needs for the time being; simply hang out on place and relax.
Make sure you’re not mistaking your dogs anxiety for excitement or happiness.
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From crazy to calm.. Kooper is yet another dog whose life has been transformed through our Train and Board program. 🙌🏼 Want to know something cool about Kooper’s life with his owners? They live out of an RV together to travel and experience “van life”! 🚐🌈
Because they are on the road and travel to so many different places, it is critical for Kooper to remain calm in public, be reliable off leash, and have his impulses under control at all times. Of course, Kooper’s continued success will rely on his owners stepping into this leadership role and guiding him through life. I have no doubt that they will step up to the plate flawlessly and be the incredible leaders that Kooper needs. Koop still has 4 more days here, which means we still have a lot of work to do together. 👏🏼 Stay tuned on our story to see all of the amazing things this guy will accomplish over the next 4 days!
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The time has come and, after 3 weeks, Kobe goes home tomorrow as a calm and confident boy! When Kobe first came for his program, his owners listed their #1 goal for him was his leash reactivity. They had dreams of going downtown with him and bringing him along to patio restaurants, but were not able to because of his outbursts. They are local, so we were able to have their owner coaching session in person downtown at my favorite cafe. (It’s my favorite because we are able to set up so I can advocate for a dog’s space while also having them exposed to countless other dogs who are all leashed)
I asked his owners if they would mind sharing their thoughts after we met up and here is what they had to say:
“We were both excited and nervous to see our Kobe! We missed him after two weeks. When we met with Kassidy at Tourist Home for lunch we were blown away by what we saw. Not only was our crazy Kobe calm and collected, he was by far the best behaved dog in the whole place. There were at least 10-15 dogs there that were barking or would approach Kobe, and our little dude payed them no mind. We were amazed. A complete change in his demeanor, you could really tell he was more confident. Kassidy was so informative and thorough about her whole program. On top of the fact that she’s one of nicest people you’ll ever meet. She answered all our questions and made us feel fully prepared for what to do to make sure we are able to keep up with Kobe’s training once he comes home. She’s kept us up to date with all his progress and it’s the highlight of our day seeing our little pups new skills. She’s honestly been a pleasure to work with and we are truly thankful for her time with Kobe. 🤍”
I am so thankful to have clients who are so dedicated to their dog’s success. I know they are going to be incredible leaders for Kobe, and I can’t wait to join them downtown again for some coffee with their boy. 🐶
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