Concerned Canines

24/04/2025

It hit me today, as I was stress cleaning. You see, I've been purging my wardrobe the past few days. Mainly old t-shirts I don't wear anymore, some dress clothes and shoes it doesn't make sense for me to own anymore. Old things. I kept some, shirts with fond memories attached mainly. But everything else...it goes. Now, if it's not work clothes, it's a handful of clothes I kept that I had an attachment to.

Because I'm having problems losing things that I'm attached to.

I was so attached to you. You hit my world like an asteroid. You changed it, completely. Changed our world completely. I changed careers. Jennifer changed careers. Our first home we bought was with you, as well as Flynn and the other critters, in mind.

When you were diagnosed with diabetes, our world revolved more around you. Plans canceled, events missed. A few weeks before it happened, the vet said your bloodwork looked amazing for a dog your age with diabetes.

It wasn't fast - like Flynn was. It was slow. There's a blessing and a curse all wrapped up together in that though. On one hand, we got to say our goodbyes. We got to tell you we loved you over and over. But watching what was happening to you, having to make that decision, make that drive...

I can't say you were my favorite - because that doesn't do justice to what you did for our lives. I will say you were my earth-shattering, world-breaking dog. And when we lost you...everything broke all over again.

It seems cruel, to have lost Flynn to only turn around and lose you too. It's a pain that can't be described - it can only be felt in an excruciating detail.

I miss you, Phillip. We miss you. And we love you. We love you so much. And we always will.

09/04/2025

Are dire wolves really back? What does this mean for the dog world? Check out my video over on my YouTube channel

https://youtu.be/XUsqgGvkqQI?si=bxoNq9p-dIWBOKd2

09/04/2025

Are dire wolves back? What does this mean for the dog training world?

28/03/2025

We don't live in a world built for dogs anymore. Arguably, we don't live in a world built for humans anymore either...

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BwaWyLx3v/

21/03/2025

New video! Today we're talking chickens! And things that aren't...well...chickens! And what your dog should do around these chickens...and things that definitely aren't chickens....

Also, I'm sorry to Clint at Clint's Reptiles for borrowing his intro! Hope you'll forgive me! Big fan!

https://youtu.be/shwFAKlwEQY?si=WBkahGHOGwrYK7jM

Many of us have pets beyond dogs. A lot of my clients have been acquiring chickens lately, and they want their dog to be calm around them. While I don't have...

18/03/2025

Still not sure how I feel about this...

10/03/2025

Here at Concerned Canines, we love all animals! Feeding the birds has become a morning meditation and activity for me and the dogs. And the dogs (and cats for their part) enjoy watching the birds and squirrels at the feeders. Caring for the birds has helped immensely not only with us navigating the grief of losing Phillip and Flynn, but has brought Jennifer and I countless hours of peace. So I wanted to share these with you, on the hopes that maybe you'll do the same and have a similar experience.

And a big thank you to our friends over at Wild Birds Unlimited for sharing not only their knowledge but also their passion for birds with us! If you haven't checked them out yet, please do so. It helps a fellow small business owner, as well as helping the local wildlife we all know and love.

05/03/2025

This dog has made excellent progress in just a few weeks. I'm very proud of him!

https://youtu.be/iw9SrXXwTks?si=XGj5gYHxqpXUrmr8

Marley is a 10y Beagle who had a hard time even going outside with any kind of confidence, much less control. He's doing amazing in his training! ...

25/02/2025

Marley showed some improvement very quickly! We'll be working with real dogs very soon.

https://youtu.be/cQxBz0nM26Q?si=cR6q4FBDNMBuNWHj

An example of owner-absent training services I offer. Marley is a frustrated greeter, when he sees other dogs (and sometimes people), he makes a big ruckus. ...

14/02/2025

It's Valentines Day - so I thought I'd share a little love. Our cats love our dogs, and Horus and Barley here show it! Barley, of course, is getting his breakfast cuddles. Horus always tries to get some extra cuddles during breakfast with the dogs too.

13/02/2025

It hit me, almost physically, this realization. Something had happened when I wasn't looking. I was with Flynn again...in the best way possible and in the worst way possible. Let me explain -

Flynn was around a year old when he began to develop serious dog reactivity. I was a very young trainer still, I had followed every socialization protocol I could find at the time (none of which were very nuanced) to make him dog friendly. One of the dogs I had exposed him too, a large grey poodle owned by one of the vets I worked for, went after him. I separated them, and made sure each dog but especially Flynn was safe I made a few other mistakes, exposing him to dogs I shouldn't have. I didn't help it. I made it worse.

And at some point, I said I have to keep my dog safe, so I stopped exposing him to other dogs unnecessarily. I could only imagine some large dog grabbing him and hurting him. I wasn't going to be responsible for that. Flynn was indifferent to people most of the time anyway, so he stayed at home. We did things close to the house. Sometimes on rare occasions, he helped me with a class - but I respected his threshold. I wanted to keep him safe, this dog I had come to love most in the world.

And I lost him to something in the home.

I endeavored not to do that with Barley, but Murphys Law took a personal interest in me. Nothing went right. I continued to work on Barleys socialization, then his reactivity. But I couldn't make the progress as fast as I would like it, so I subconsciously eased off of it. He began to feel more like Flynn. In the home, Barley is my go-to dog. He'll do it when Kristoff won't and he'll do it fast.

My schedule freed up today unexpectedly. And I decided to kick myself in the butt. I took Barley on a field trip, with the goal of just letting him get comfortable in a new environment. No big focus on counter-conditioning, just...letting him be him and explore his environment.

I drove over by the UWF trails, just to see how busy it looked and it was dead. So we got out, and walked a little over a mile down a trail before turning back. He did wonderfully. Downed on cue, did a few stays in a few spots when I needed to catch my breath. Only saw two people and barked a little. He did great. We'll definitely go back there.

But I realized on the walk back - I had done to him what I had done to Flynn, but inadvertently. I don't want Barley to get hurt by another dog. I don't want him to be scared or bitten by one.

But...I also have to let him live. I have to let him explore, and experience, and risk that so that he can have a more fulfilled life. I know I'm crazy, and overprotective. It's a daily struggle for me. Losing dogs the way we have...it makes you cautious, hesitant...

But I can't stop Barley from living just because I'm afraid of losing him...and I can't stop living either, just because of what I've lost...

God, I miss you, Flynn. I miss you every day. You would have hated this puppy...but I know you're still with us. And hopefully, I can learn from the mistakes I made with you.

13/02/2025

My wife got me a new wax warmer for my office space. I think it's actually really pretty. I chose a blue bulb (because duh) and I think it looks good.

05/02/2025

Hi everyone! After a technical issue, my interview with Sue Alexander from Dogs In The Park and The Dog Trainer's Crucible is finally up on YouTube! I apology for the quality. I ended up having to edit it on my phone, so I hope it came out alright. Go check it out!

https://youtu.be/aqKvFNX1UmU?si=bLWbXb_KPOS5gOUV

Hi everyone, and welcome to our flagship episode of Barks With Ben. In this series, I interview other dog professionals about a variety of topics. For this e...

30/01/2025

Hi everyone! I'm going to doing a series of recorded conversations with other dog professionals, discussing a variety of topics from training to care.

My first conversation is going to he with my friend and mentor, Sue Alexander from Dogs In The Park and The Dog Trainer's Crucible

Our topic is going to be "What Did You Expect - a discussion about breed related behaviors". If you have questions you'd like to ask Sue, feel free to drop them here or PM it to me directly! We're recording our conversation on February 2, and it will be released the following day on YouTube. I hope you'll enjoy it!

28/01/2025

If you'd rather listen on YouTube, here's the link! Again, give Lets Talk About Pets Podcast a follow on your platforms!

In this episode, we are joined by our special guest professional dog trainer, Ben, with Concerned Canines. We explore the complexities of aggressive dog bree...

24/01/2025

Check out this ancient dog art!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17o9FgaQpg/

Five Assyrian dog figurines, made of clay with pigments, circa 650 BC. Names inscribed on the figurines represent protective qualities. Now on display in the British Museum.⁣
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Each dog features its own name, emphasizing their symbolic roles in warding off evil and protecting households. Figurines like these were often buried beneath thresholds or placed in foundations to guard against evil forces.⁣
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“Expeller of evil” (mušēṣu lemnūti) with white pigment and red spots⁣
“Catcher of the enemy” (kāšid ayyāb) with red pigment⁣
“Don’t think, bite!” (ē tamtallik epuš pāka) with white pigment⁣
“Biter of his foe!” (munaššiku gārîšu) with turquoise pigment⁣
“Loud is his bark!” (dan rigiššu) with black pigment⁣
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14/01/2025

I don't think this really surprises anyone

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/your-stress-levels-affect-your-dog-study-7425602?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1azoW36pFt2qzfghzmQKkccGmsCRwCcwa-zN2mStDqf47syF37AOvLUMc_aem_cTTqH-JO48FqUnoI0Q1Y3g

Dogs have lived alongside humans for thousands of years. They have been used to hunt, guard, herd and perform many other tasks, but today they mainly act as companions.