Paws in Translation Dog Training & Behavior Services

06/06/2025

Love this! Many clients come to me after having done a lot of training elsewhere; they're frustrated because they still can't get their dogs to do certain things without relying on tools. When you shift your perspective and learn to teach your dog without relying on external "things" it leads to an incredibly rewarding relationship and a whole new world opens up. Train naked!

Equipment helps us to either train or restrain the dog, and sometimes both. In order to be fair to the dog and honest with ourselves, we need to be clear what we are doing and why.

18/05/2025

Thank you to everyone who made yesterday’s Tails-U-Win! USCSS trial at the Woodstock, CT Fairgrounds possible! It was a fun venue for nosework and Relic got his Vehicles Intermediate title in addition to some legs and placements. Great day!

08/04/2025

This is so important! Many people think of "socialization" in casual human terms, ie interacting with friends. Socialization when it comes to dog behavior refers to a specific developmental stage that ends early in life--a time when their little brains are wired to be more receptive to the new world around them. Ideally they will be exposed to and have good experiences with the things that will be part of their lives: not just dogs and people but walking on different surfaces, hearing sounds, seeing things like groups of people, people wearing weird things like sunglasses and moustaches, etc. Waiting to socialize your puppy until they're older because of vaccinations or just because you're too busy can result in significant behavior issues--you can never get that socialization window back! If your vet has advised you not to socialize until full vaccination, they're likely talking about having your dog around other dogs or in areas where other dogs have been. You can still carry your pup, walk them in areas that aren't frequented by other dogs, sit in the car with them so they can observe a busy parking lot from a comfortable distance, etc. There's SO much you can do! It's also an important time to notice if your pup is overly uncomfortable or scared--not all puppies will magically be okay with socialization and the earlier you seek qualified help, the better the odds that you're pup can thrive.

We get our puppies vaccinated on time because we love them and we want to lessen the likelihood of infectious diseases that can cause illness, suffering and even death. Why then, don't people get their dog the vaccination against fear, anxiety, stress, panic and phobia?

Isn't emotional suffering and potential euthanasia enough of a reason to protect puppies as any other infectious disease?

Just like vaccinations, the timing of socialization is critical. You can't do it later. It has to be done before 14 weeks in most breeds.

Not only is the exposure important, but the nature of the exposure. Positive exposures put value in the emotional piggy bank and negative ones withdraw value.

There is no reason to avoid socialization if done well and safely, but there are lots of negative consequences to waiting to expose your pup to the world.

Give your puppy the best of both worlds—protection and preparation for a happy, confident future!

26/02/2025

Fitness is so important for every dog! Here's a FREE webinar coming up on Thursday.

In this webinar we'll discuss the benefits of canine fitness for you and your dog. In this webinar we will discuss what canine fitness is and how to integrate it within yours and your dog’s lifestyle. Speaker: Steven Tallas FREE, donations optional!

23/02/2025

Thanks to Hot Diggity for including me!

28/01/2025

Terminology Tuesday ~ Learned Helplessness 🐶

As trainers who work closely with families, we are often asked the question of “will they just get used to the baby/ toddler over time?”

Something we always take into consideration is avoiding something called learned helplessness at all costs… But what does that mean?

Learned helplessness in dog training happens when people intentionally or unintentionally put their dogs in situations that the dogs are uncomfortable in repeatedly until they seemingly stop reacting.

This lack of a reaction doesn’t mean that they are comfortable, it means that they feel that no matter what they do, they will be forced into the situation so they begin to shut down emotionally. They feel as if they don’t have any other choice.

This is very dangerous as it can result in bites or reactions that people often describe as “out of nowhere” - which we know there is often no such thing as an “out of the blue” bite

To avoid learned helplessness in our dogs, we want to actively watch their body language for clues to how they might be feeling and respect their boundaries when they tell us that they are uncomfortable by adding in success stations and space!

We want to provide choice, not force 💚

14/11/2024

Wise words about puppy-raising.

20/10/2024

I don’t teach nosework but I do personally participate in it. It’s a fun thing that allows me & my dog to work as a team in new and interesting places—I can point you in the right direction to get started if you’re interested! We trial in several different venues and have just started in AKC Scentwork (who, along with other organizations, allow mixed-breeds in the sport so don't let that stop you!) Relic and I enjoyed Ark Farm in Harvard this weekend for New England Dog Training Club’s inaugural scent work trial. Great experience, well-run with terrific volunteers!

06/10/2024

Who’s enjoying the fall weather? It’s cool enough to take walks in the middle of the day again and perfect for getting cozy on a Sunday. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

22/09/2024

It's okay to ask a dog trainer what their credentials are - and you should expect them to have some, whether it's a degree or a certification. Safe and effective dog trainers are constantly learning, not just through experience, but by seeking out education.

05/09/2024

So true!

I see a lot of people talk about how they recalled their dog away from a rabbit, or from chasing a deer... And then their dog went right back to the unwanted behavior. So they had to do it again. And again. And again. Until finally the dog blew off the recall and took to the hills. This is because rather than enacting the Vegas Rule, they kept gambling with the behavior, nagging the dog about the behavior until eventually the dog decided the reward of the chase out weighed their desire to comply to recall.

Quit while you are ahead. When you're out on a walk and you come across a herd of cattle, or sheep recall your dog and then put them on a leash. Don't keep nagging them to recall, don't expect them to constantly respond to a cue you're issuing again, again and again.

This rule applies while training as well. When I am teaching a new skill, or working through behavior challenges: quitting while I am ahead if key to keeping things fun, and positive. If my dog nails the new skill, time to take a break and do something else. If the highly reactive dog in my charge ignores and successfully chooses to disengage from a trigger; time to go home. We won. We had the victory. I don't want to keep pushing the dog to learn and risk going past the fun line and into the nagging territory. And I desperately do not want to trigger stack my overly sensitive dog and risk that we end up undoing all the good things we have done in the first trigger encounter.

It can be easier said than done, but just remember that we can always go back to it later, refreshed and ready. But we have a harder time creating positive associations and a strong reinforcement history after a failure.

27/08/2024

If I had a nickel for every time a dog was called "stubborn" and it was actually one of these.... usually the second one. I myself became a better trainer the day I stopped attributing dogs' "refusal" to stubbornness and started asking myself, "What can I do to help my dog understand what I'm teaching?" instead.