Purple Paw Dog Training

11/07/2022

I know you all forgot PPDT has a TeeSpring shop because I forgot we have a TeeSpring shop 😂

05/07/2022

Your dog owes you nothing. Not a thing.

The decision for him to be in your life wasn’t his, it was yours. He doesn’t owe you anything. If you look at your dog as owing you something in return for your attention, food, medical care etc, then that’s the first problem we have to tackle before we can even begin true training together.

Your dog doesn’t owe you “obedience” he doesn’t owe you “respect” he doesn’t owe you “good behavior” simply because he gets to share the same space and life with you. If you want that kind of relationship and behavior; that’s on you to create, not him.

YOU owe your dog. You owe it to him to understand his history, his development and his ancestors. You owe it to him to learn about his needs, his characteristics and his individual personality. You owe it to him to become educated on how he communicates with you, his body language and train him in a way he understands and enjoys and doesn’t cut corners just because it’s easier on YOU. You owe it to him to protect him and keep him safe. You owe it to him to modify YOUR environment to help him be successful.

Dogs are a privilege. WE created THEM. We’ve done them so many injustices and yet they still go to war with us, herd our livestock, protect us, find people for us, assist us devotedly, meet us at the door wagging their tails and comfort us when we are down. The tasks they do for us go above and beyond any other partnership between species imaginable, so you have to be willing to do your part too.

Your dog owes you nothing. You owe your dog. Remind yourself of that every time you get mad at him for simply doing dog things. Now, let’s get to work to make a great team.

Written by Helen St. Pierre. No Monkey Business Dog Training. Please share with CREDIT to the author.

15/06/2022

Hi everyone,

Laura here. It’s been a while, and I wanted to update you a bit. I know I owe some of you direct emails and other such things, and those are coming.

As some of you know, I have struggled hard with my health for some time now. That roller coaster is far from over, and though I have improved some, my body is still preventing me from being able to work. My list of diagnoses grows, and I still do not have all the answers for what is causing my symptoms. I do not know yet when I will be able to come back, and I don’t know if I will ever be able to come back in the same capacity. It is difficult for me to imagine what that will look like, but for now, you can expect that sometimes I will be posting on social media in an educational capacity or to promote Imani’s services. She will also be posting under the PPDT name.

Imani has been an invaluable member of the team since hiring her, and I do not have words right now for the appreciation I have for her. Many times, she alone kept the spirit of Purple Paw alive and still does on days I am just trying to survive. She has stepped up to the plate and learned some tough lessons in a really short amount of time, and I am even more proud now than ever to offer her to you as a professional on my team.

Some of you have reached out to me directly over the last year or two (how long have I even been sick now?) to see how I am doing or ask if there is anything you can do to help. I am intensely grateful to you for your continued support.

We may post some polls or questions to gauge what we can offer that will be most useful to you. We look forward to your feedback and are forever grateful for your patience and support. ❤️

15/03/2022

Hi guys! Been a while but we are still here! Excited to announce that Purple Paw Dog Training has expanded into the Hartford Connecticut area and accepting new clients asap! We are looking forward to what the New Year will bring us so stay tuned for more posts from us!
💜🐾🦮

29/09/2021

23/09/2021

Let’s set the scene. This may become a bit sensitive for some, and I apologise in advance.

You’re out somewhere. You might be at a restaurant, a bar, a public park on a sunny day enjoying the sunshine with your family. It may be that you’re on your way home from work or trying to catch the bus. You’re just minding your own business.

Suddenly, a person comes straight up to you. They give you anxiety. What is this person going to do? I don’t know! The person is walking with a friend and the friend sees you’re a bit anxious and calls out to you saying “Don’t stress, she/he’s all good!’’ But they keep approaching you. And when they finally reach you they randomly hug you. Touch you. Walk circles around you. Start talking to you. Don’t let you leave.

What would you call that? Harassment? Assault in severe cases?
How would this make you feel?

Now, after the initial shock you find your courage and you ask the person to go away. Leave you alone. But the person doesn’t stop and instead touches your arm or your hair. “Oh come on, we’re alright. I’m not doing anything bad I’m friendly! Just let me be around you.’’You get upset and might push the person. Shout at them. If you’re a bit more of an assertive person you might punch them. Who knows.
Then the person and the friend get upset. Well? WHY are you here then? What are you doing in this public space if you don’t like being around other people? You have no business to be here, minding your own business in this park with your family without allowing me to sit with you, play with you, touch you, talk to you. Actually, you know what you should do? You should be more social! You should go more often to random groups of people.

_______
Do you see what I did there?
If you thought any of the above situation is not okay (and I sure as heck hope you do), then why do we think it’s okay to let dogs run up to strange dogs and say ‘It’s okay he’s friendly’?

What we do in the dog world is the exact opposite what we should be doing. We label the harassed dog as aggressive and the harassing dog as the victim.

Dogs have emotions. They have feelings. They have their own characters and personalities. There are many, many dogs that are not interested in making new friends or being with dogs they don’t know they can trust.

And sure, some dogs love playing with other dogs. Those are the extraverted dogs. Just like we have people that LOVE hugging or love making new friends even as adults, but to be honest.. how many of those people do you know? I think if you put it into a % its lower than the people that rather just are with their select group of people and be left alone by random strangers in public spaces.

So don’t assume the dog your dog is running towards on the beach, is willing to play with your dog. Being in a public space means you need to have your dog under effective control. And if you can’t call your dog back, it should be on a long line until you can.

——-

In case you’re interested.. after quite a few requests I made a video version of this blog as well.

Your dog is NOT friendly, he's harassing others
https://youtu.be/YlWf02MHKCo

16/08/2021

"OH, HE'S NOT IN PAIN"
I've been thinking a lot about pain for the past decade: how do I spot it, how do I talk about it, how do I help the animal, and how do I help the guardian recognize and address it....
I always thought that pain is difficult to spot and we just simply don't see it. But today, as I talked to a dog owner, I had a revelation. We do see it. We actually see it very clearly. But we either don't know or don't WANT to know it's pain. Hear me out.
On my morning walk with Rocco I ran into an owner of a 5yo energetic dog breed. I've know the dog since a puppy and because I haven't seen them in a while, I stopped to chat:
"How's your dog doing"
"Great! Really matured and slowed down quite a bit, turned 5 and like a switch flipped, truly middle-aged mature dog now"
At this point my eyebrow goes up...
"What do you mean?"
"Not a runner anymore, listens well, prefers to stick close to me"
knowing the breed very well, I see nothing but red flags, owner continues:
"We went on a long hike, I think it was a bit much, so now we don't hike much, doesn't seem to like it anymore, I guess lost confidence or is worried.
I ask the most obvious question:
"Do you think he injured himself, maybe he's in pain?
"Oh no he's not in pain! I think he's just matured"
I can count at least 10 statements in this short exchange that lead me to believe this dog is in pain. The owner clearly sees them too, they are naming them one by one, I even suspect they are starting to see a problem....but....are they scared? Are they in denial? Are they not ready to face the reality? I don't know.
But please, watch your language and the way you describe your dog:
⚠️They matured

⚠️They slowed down

⚠️They don't like xyz activity anymore

⚠️They're needy

⚠️They lost confidence

⚠️They're worried
And do your dog and yourself a favour and talk to your veterinarian, your dog might likely be in pain.
PS. Rocco is almost 13yo and his medical file rivals War and Peace at this point, but on a good day and given the opportunity he will still choose to run. If he doesn't, I know he's in pain.

02/08/2021

Hi everyone! It's been a while! I sent out some emails and have an automated response, but I probably missed a lot of you, so I wanted to post here as well. My health concerns continue to ravage my life, and though we have figured out some of the puzzle, I am waiting on more diagnostics. Until I can be reliable, I am not taking on new clients.

However, Imani is taking on new clients! She has been amazing, and I suggest you contact her for your walking, jumping, barking, potty training, new puppy, etc needs! You'll love her, I know it :) [email protected] is the easiest way to reach her at the moment.

Thank you all for your patience and support.