Smartypaws LLC

16/11/2025

15/11/2025

I never like saying this.🫣
We see it as affection.
Dogs can see it as a restraint.
That's the issue here.

As humans we feel a desire to show our love and affection the exact same way we show it to our family.
We wrap our arms around, pull closer and squeeze tight.
They may wriggle, so we hug tighter.
We might playfully wrestle with them when they move away or try to leave, we often do that to other people we know well.

That doesn't mean it translates well to dogs.

If a dog is trying to leave or is not accepting or receptive to a hug, don't insist.
If we need to use our strength to hold our dogs from leaving, they don't want a hug.
They want space.
Space equals safety to a dog.

Don't take it personally, many dogs don't like hugs.
It goes back to feeling restrained and having their freedom of movement restricted.
Being able to move away from anything they're uncomfortable with builds trust way more than insisting they accept that very close, tight physical contact.

Children often greet family dogs with hugs and that's absolutely fine if that dog is happy to be hugged by that child, but this may form a habit of greeting other dogs by getting low, face to face and restraining/hugging a dog they don't know.

Hugs aren't a right we should insist on.
If a dog accepts them and enjoys them, that's trust built over time and feeling safe.

It's not from restraining and removing options to move.

11/11/2025

STOP causing your puppy distress and leaving them to cry it out. They will learn independence and confidence once they feel safe!

A damaging myth surrounding dogs, particularly puppies, when they get to their new homes is that, if the cry, they should be left alone so they learn to stay quiet overnight. This is absolutely not the best way to help that new family member feel safe and comfortable in their new home.

From :

"A puppy is like a human child. They cry when there is something they need, including comfort and connection. If they do not get a response when they are crying then yes, they will stop, but not because they have settled. They have learned that nobody is coming and so they give up trying. This will have a serious and damaging effect on the bond between them and their family, and at probably the most vulnerable time in their lives emotionally. One of the most important things we can focus on in these early days and weeks of our shared lives is helping them to feel safe and secure and responding to their needs is absolutely the best way to go about this."

In those early days have them sleeping close to you, and respond when they are distressed. It does not mean that they will always cry at night. It will, however, help them to realise that they are not alone and that they can sleep safe and sound knowing you are there if they need you during the night.

10/11/2025

Meet our new puppy friend, Hazel! At 8 weeks old, she’s a lil bundle of fluff who is rapidly growing, changing… and learning!

Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting event and is the perfect time to start training. Puppies are eager to learn and full of potential. We’re here to guide you through those crucial early weeks.
Smartypaws LLC specializes in positive reinforcement to teach foundational skills and offers puppy packages specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of young pups under 5 months old!

From manners, obedience and socialization to the tougher stuff - like biting, potty training, crate comfort, and building calm behavior at home - we make your perfect puppy parenting partner.

Contact us now and start your puppy off on the right paw today! 816-743-4077 Smartypaws.net

10/11/2025

31/10/2025

31/10/2025

🎃Halloween Tip: Keep your pets confined and away from doors that will be open and closed frequently.🎃

14/10/2025

100%! It can actually create reactivity and be pretty stressful for your dog to obsess, fixate and go crazy while staring out the window. A simple or pretty window cling can stop the stressful behavior loop.

🚨HELP !!! My dog barks at everything moving past the window !!!!🚨

🔔 Common problem, especially when dogs seem to “like” to spend time by the windows (or glass doors) looking out.

🤔People often think their dogs enjoy watching the world that way (they can do), so quite commonly a designated dog chair gets placed right by the window (door).

🤨But what IF this type of exposure to things outside is stressing your dog out ???

🤨What IF your dog reacts to everything moving and it adds to their anxiety?

🤨What if this visual stimuli (trigger) fuels the barking, which is rooted in anxiety/ stress / frustration ?

🤨And what IF this goes on for hours, day it a day out??? Can you see how this could easily cause chronic stress to your dog?

Before you seek help of a professional (which is always recommended) to remedy this behaviour (which at this point may be deeply rooted and needs to be modified, not “trained out”), try applying a window film to the window (door) to block the virtual triggers, and see if that helps your dog a bit. There is a wide variety of semi transparent and colourful window films available online, and not only they work, they can also give you a stylish vibe to your home.

😇My dogs can be triggered by people walking past the window, which is extremely rare but does happen, so this solution absolutely works for them 😎

➡️Management of your environment is the first key step to success in dog training/ behaviour modification.

13/10/2025

8 month old “puppy”!
Guess what behaviors or skills these pawrents called Smartypaws to solve with their adolescent dog?
Tell us in the comments:

12/10/2025

It's movement, emotion, and escalation.
All in a split second.
Or it can take much longer.

Think of it as pressure rising. They are simmering and about to boil over.
That absolute focus on that trigger.

What did they do just before?
Ears move from forward to slicked back?
Maybe they were sticking right up?
Were they already showing signs they were starting to escalate?

What did you do just before?
Did you inadvertently walk directly at a trigger?
Push them just a little further because they were doing well (we have all been there).

Maybe you were both taken by surprise?
That happens to us all. Yep even trainers.
We can set up everything for a positive and "controlled" exposure session but the unexpected can always happen.
Always.

Being aware of loading can give you some power.
It also can give you options, but the time to put those options into play is rapidly closing, which is why it is so important to see the signs before this happens.

There's a lot of stages and changes before loading.

We just need to spot them

07/10/2025

When you bring home a puppy, it’s tempting to think your new pup is a blank slate. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Your puppy’s brain has already been shaped by genetics, their mother’s experiences, pregnancy conditions, and the care they received in their earliest weeks. These early influences wire the brain for learning, calmness, and resilience or, in some cases, for reactivity and anxiety.

At birth, puppies have lots of neurons but messy connections. As they grow, unused links are trimmed away while important ones are strengthened and insulated, making signals travel faster.

The more flexible the brain, the better a dog can adapt, recover from stress, and make safe choices.

That means a mum who was stressed, poorly nourished, or unwell can pass those effects on to her litter. Stress during pregnancy can prime puppies to be more noise-sensitive, anxious, or reactive before you ever meet them.

First Puppy Milestones:

0–2 weeks: new-born reflexes only.
2–3 weeks: eyes and ears open; startle reflex begins.
3–8 weeks: play, mobility, first interactions with people and dogs.

“Socialisation” isn’t about meeting every dog or every person. It means:

🐾The right experience, at the right intensity, at the right time.
🐾Staying below the puppy’s fear threshold.
🐾Including everyday life surfaces, sounds, grooming, car rides, alone-time.

Too little exposure leads to fear. Too much, too soon creates panic. Just right builds curiosity and confidence.

Puppies raised in high-stress, crowded environments (such as large commercial breeders) often show house-soiling, noise sensitivity, and even aggression later. Puppy raised in isolation such as a shed or a barn are just as likely to develop behavioural problems.

Good breeders:
Keep mum healthy, low-stress, and well-fed (omega-3s).
Provide regular gentle handling.
Plan gradual, positive exposures to everything between weeks 3–14.

The breeder role is everything: they are in charge of setting the foundation for resilience.

06/10/2025

More sweet sugar faces! 💞
Why do these dogs over 5+ years old need training?

We’ve been working with quite a few adult dogs whose older housemates/siblings have crossed the 🌈rainbow bridge. In the absence of their siblings, the parents have discovered the surviving dog lacks confidence and doesn’t really know some important cues like “come”! They just followed their friend’s lead.

Smartypaws training will build your dogs confidence, consistency and most importantly - comfort in their new role and family relationships.

Contact us today to learn more! 816-743-4077 [email protected]