DogEvolve

11/08/2024

Puppy Joy! Puppy Play & Train is back and we these baby dogs are partying and learning Sundays here in Durham!

20/07/2024

Help find this handsome young guy a new home!?? he's in SF.

Pictures of Kylo a Cavapoo for adoption in San Francisco, CA who needs a loving home.

20/07/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/wCfPhsTsXMwVWkY2/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Too much too soon WILL cause issues.
It is a really common occurrence with newly adopted dogs.

Congratulations on your new dog.
I know you want to take them to the beach, the pet store and your café....however can I ask for a few minutes so I can explain just what your dog has gone through.....and why you need to take the next few weeks SLOW.
Your new dog has had it's whole world turned upside down.
They don't know you.
They don't know if they can trust you.
They don't know if they are with you for an hour or forever.
They may have been in various scary places.
Other houses, rescues, the pound and likely ALL of these in the past few days or weeks.
Your dog has stress hormones surging through their brain, they are STRESSED....they need to decompress, they need STABILITY in their environment and from you.
They need time with you and their new environment.
They need to know that the tree outside may rustle against the house and that's OK.
They need to know that those normal creaky noises in your house are OK and that at 3.45 the neighbours bang their door shut.
They need to know when it rains that tapping sound is OK.
They need to know that when the door opens they won't be moved somewhere else again.
They need to trust that YOU are safe even when you have had a bad day, you will still give them food and that they can close their eyes around you.
You know what your good intentions are with your new dog, your dog however has NO idea what is happening.....only that everything has changed and it is scary.
They do NOT need other new environments yet. Take it SLOW.
Dogs that have just been adopted need TIME. There is no need to rush out the next day and take them to all the places you want to go with them.....They need the opposite.
Let them decompress, let them inspect a new area of your house or yard every day or two. Walk them up and down outside your house for a few days (and only there), let them sniff, and sniff some more. Let them p*e freely.....it may be boring for you, but not for your dog. They need to know what is happening around them and they learn that through their nose, eyes and ears.
They NEED this.
They need to learn to TRUST you.
The long walks can wait, the café will still be there in a few weeks and you can visit the pet shop alone until they are ready.
Your bond together is the MOST important thing to concentrate on right now.
You will never regret taking it slow and it can save your dog and yourself from making the very same mistakes that can lead to people rehoming in the first place.
All the very best with your new dog.

05/07/2024

Please be on the lookout for these… characters. They are tourists. Semi confused. And we are suspicious they may be up to something. 👀

30/06/2024

Hot fun in the summer! 💦

We ♥️ puppies!!! Check the last 3 slides for the AFTER pics our wonderful clients send us once they get those baby dogs home 🥹

18/06/2024

PUPPIEZ GALORE! Bring your baby dog and join us at for Puppy Play and Train Sundays 10-11:30!

Register at wholedoginstitute.com - only ♥️two more ♥️ PPT offered in June and then and then a summer break for the trainers! 🥵 🍪

12/06/2024

Who has the most ridiculous cute face?!

11/06/2024

Sometimes our own is a therapy dog for dogs ♥️ we are grateful he can help nervous dogs! Check out these posers

21/05/2024

Working with one of these pups on their big fears of the car and the world while the other two act as emotional support dogs
is pretty great!

Having two clients in very close proximity, we devised a series of meetups for Gracie (blonde hound/ pittie mix) to take an extremely short ride with her ridiculously cute new bro Rodrigo (small guy with a big underbite) to visit local diplomat Juniper the red lab. Juniper and her fab mom have hosted some very fun visits and lo and behold Classical Conditioning wins
AGAIN! 🥇

We are now well on our way to Gracie having good feels about mom’s car which means shes able and WILLING to jump in to take little adventures and we are thrilled!

21/05/2024

Arriving at a clients house and SOMETHING made us really happy about this front door setup?? Any guesses?

03/05/2024

Very proud to have done the matchmaking to get this adorable guy into his new home today! Thank you and foster mom for making it so easy and such a pleasure to bring RODRIGO home ♥️🙏🏻

16/04/2024

Puppy play is quelle DRAMATIC!! We never get tired of the tiny teefs / “scary” faces and the pro-wrestling moves!

Repeatedly, we ensure the play is consensual, that the pups are taking turns being on the top/ bottom, roles reverse and the game changes.

Have you seen your pup play “bitey face”? Have you witnessed moments of snarly threat display followed by a goofy play now or paw slap? There’s a particular silliness perhaps when the pups are babies and the teeth are tiny - but, this is utter fun for these kiddos (if it’s done right and they are opting in, relaxed and bouncy!).

Need help with your puppy? Socialization window closes at 16 weeks ~ we would love to help!

16/04/2024

Here goes some EMERGENCY RECALL training. Whistle and salami at the ready! 👍🏼 🍖 🐕 Dogs seem eager to learn! 🥰😂

09/04/2024

Our little guy Stanley was officially on the job today!

A confident, social dog is often able to help ease other dogs nerves. Through social facilitation Stan’s fun and engaging presence encouraged Gracie (truly agoraphobic and highly noise sensitive) to take some steps out the front door in a non-coercive way!!

GO STAN!! You’re hired (again)! 🥰

08/04/2024

Your reviews help us GROW! If we have worked with you in the past, please consider taking a moment to review us here.

19/03/2024

Todays trip to Lowe’s included some silliness and several focused chill-out mini-sessions for this extra-excitable-super-social baby Bassett Hound who can get very expressive out and about with “hound sounds”! We had success by keeping sessions short and sweet with a high rate of reinforcement (snacks!) and play/ sniffing breaks

19/03/2024

well said - great info about the nuances/ complexities and variations of herding behaviors

A very popular post about dogs using herding nips, grips, and bites on targets outside of herding suggests it isn’t biting; it’s just “herding.” Is it biting? Isn't it?

I need to address it because it perpetuates some of the most damaging myths about these dogs in pet homes.

In herding, “gripping” is simply a dog using its mouth to move livestock. It is not uncommon and often well-trained. It’s often a needed tool for the working dog’s tool kit. We might not like it, but using their mouth is very motivating when moving cattle and other animals who don’t want to do what you want. It is also common in inexperienced, excited, or intimidated dogs.

We call it gripping, but we also call it biting. Working dog owners often talk about their dog’s ability to “bite both ends” as a bonus, meaning the dog will face off and bite a cow's heel or nose.

In a nutshell, gripping IS biting, and so is nipping. We use many words to describe it, but at the end of the day, a bite is a bite.

It’s also important to know how and why they bite. Yes, a well-trained herding dog will grip as a tool, not as a symptom of an underlying emotion, like in aggression cases.

However, implying that all herdy-appearing bites (or nips or grips) are non-problematic herding “9 out of 10 times” is working off the common misconception that herding behaviours and fear and aggression are mutually exclusive.

When a dog is excited, herding behaviours such as rushing, grabbing, barking, circling, and biting will all pop up. Excited cattle dogs will heel! Scared Aussies will bark! And many herding dogs will look like working livestock just before they bite out of fear. That’s because herding behaviours are how dogs move through their world.

I’ve worked many cases where dogs who are aggressive and very upset about their target, who need space and support to improve and to keep those around them safe, are deemed “just herding” because they LOOK like they are herding.

It is very common for young pups to act out happy, playful herding instincts on kids, other dogs, adults and any other perfectly good stand in. This is usually easily resolved with simple training and appropriate outlets. But please, let’s stop perpetuating the myth that herding behaviour is never aggression or that herding “nips” don’t often hurt as bad as the real thing!

The bottom line is that many herding behaviours can pop up or misfire, creating major issues in pet homes. Knowing what you're getting into can make all the difference!

To further understand your herdy dog, order my book, Urban Sheepdog!

https://amzn.to/3RXQz48

17/03/2024

Puppy Play & Train was a blast!! We had quite a delightful mix of baby dogs today and were able to work on social skill building in a controlled and positive setting with each pup.

23/02/2024

What to do when you work with an elderly couple and their teenager pups and they say that it is hard to get dogs into the car? Teach the dogs to walk on a ramp of course!! Gradually get pups use to being around the ramp at first and then slowly luring them onto the ramp, using fantastic treats. It’s important to go slow, at each dog’s pace. Dogs are loving this “new game”. Little do they know that this is making their lives and those of their human parents so much easier.

19/02/2024

The Up-Up Hack:

When we started working with Frankie, he would come barreling out the door and throw his entire body at me in excitement. It was almost impossible for him to stand still so that I could clip the harness on and take him on a walk. I immediately got to work, teaching him a replacement behavior for all this excitement. Frankie quickly excelled at doing “up up” - or what he refers to as parkour. I gradually taught him to jump up on a raised surface and hold still. Harnessing became a breeze!

Do you also have a hard time getting your dog to stand still so you can put on their harness?

Teaching your dog to go up on an obstacle or even just put their feet up on something, can greatly help them to “hold it together”. Reach out for details on how to accomplish this.

Not all dogs love their harness, so remember to use super yummy treats to create a positive response.

18/02/2024

Take a look at sweet GIDGET! She is fully recovered from separation anxiety which means:

Gidgets people can now:
- leave any time of day or evening without any hubbub or warmups beforehand
- stay out of the house knowing Gidget is comfortable alone for up to 4 hours
- check their camera to see gidget do this amazing nose tuck deep rest when alone
- observe that gidget sometimes wanders from room to room or bed to bed but resettles and tolerates that alone time beautifully now!!

We are so excited for these awesome folks who worked diligently and consistently and trusted the process ♥️ for their darling pup

We love this work especially those moments where we see the gorgeous outcome and a great dog-human relationship ♥️🙏🏻

12/02/2024

Did you need some of this in your life? Viola!

Today was a blast! 🌧️ 🐶 💦

30/01/2024

Puppies in our play and train group

30/01/2024

Topher is a fun guy but he gets a little scared and overwhelmed with all the triggers that are out there in the big world. We are working on making walks fun and playful with some pattern games and parkour!

30/01/2024

This is Frankie! He loves his walks but loves squirrels more!! We are working on making walks fun for everyone.

20/12/2023

Flying into the holiday break like…. MISO & FRANKIE!

enjoy a play date after training !!

14/12/2023

In the spirit of the holidays (or whatever) we welcome your interpretations, anthropomorphisms and more!

06/12/2023

Next time your brain tells you your dog is being stubborn… now you know better ;)

04/12/2023

FREE dog training advice!! December has arrived and we are ready! Fa la la la la…. 🎶 🐶 ✨

DM us your questions!

28/11/2023

End of year behavior bonanza!! 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

Send us any question about your dogs behavior, any issue you want feedback on, any training goal and we will get back to you!

DM or text us at 919-408-7528