Faithfully Yours Dog Training

23/11/2024

Reactive Dog group class has graduated! Here are just a couple of the cuties from class! 🥰🐕

Congratulations to Freya the Carolina Dog, Baxter the Feist/Beagle mix, Gordy the Cairn Terrier, and Watson the Cairn Terrier on graduating! 🎓

They just spent seven weeks learning tons of training games to help support them in situations around new people, other dogs and animals, various sounds and novel objects, and more.

Our next Reactive Dog group class in Braxton, MS will be held in the spring and we will start enrollment for that soon. ❤️ Hope to see you and your dog there!

23/11/2024

Today is Reactive Dog group class graduation! 👩‍🎓

And everyone has progress so much with the other students as distractions, that we needed a little help from our chicken friends! 😜

Say hi to Minty, Habanero, and Vera! 🐓

21/11/2024

Final reminder!

We will be closed the week of Thanksgiving from Nov. 24th through Dec. 1st, 2024.

There will be no private sessions, virtual group classes, or in-person group classes during this time.

We will only be responding to current *private training student* emergencies. (ex. bites, fights, euthanasia decisions, etc.)

If your dog has a medical condition flare-up, needs medication changes, or has a medical emergency, please contact your vet directly.

We will respond to all other inquires, scheduling needs, and group class discussions, when we return to the office.

20/11/2024

Did you know we are over on Threads now? 🥳

All small businesses are struggling with extremely low organic engagement here on Facebook these days.

Out of over a 1000 followers, generally less than 5 of you see our posts these days! 🤯

Over on Threads, the conversation and engagement is much better.

Come follow us there for dog-filled conversation, ask the trainers posts, and more!

🔗 Link below:

19/11/2024

Feeling Nervous About Your Dog's Behavior This Thanksgiving?

You’re not alone. Many dog owners with reactive, fearful, or aggressive dogs feel a wave of anxiety as the holidays approach. Thanksgiving can bring new people, loud environments, and tempting food smells - all things that can overwhelm a dog who’s already struggling.

But don’t worry! You don’t need a full year of training to make this Thanksgiving less stressful. By using simple management techniques, you can set your dog up for success, keep everyone safe, and (most importantly) prevent your dog from stealing the turkey! 🦃

We’re really hoping this will be the FIRST YEAR we don’t hear a panicked voicemail about a dog eating the entire turkey. Fingers crossed! 😂

To learn how to manage your dog’s behavior this holiday, check out our blog post for practical tips:

👉 https://fydogtraining.com/training-tips/how-to-prepare-your-aggressive-dog-for-thanksgiving

Plus, we’ve included a free printable to hang on your dog’s crate, exercise pen, or outside their quiet room you can find linked in the blog post. This helps guests know your dog might not want to interact and gives them the space they need to feel safe and comfortable.

Let’s make this Thanksgiving less stressful for everyone, including your dog! 🐾

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends, enjoy a delicious meal, and give thanks for all that we have. For many of us, our dogs are part of the family. However, the increased activity level, if your dog is aggressive or reactive, it is important to take some extra precautions. Learn

18/11/2024

This 💯 times over!

Can dogs experience behavior and/or gait changes from "just"...

💛 Arthritis
🧡 Mild dysplasia/luxating patella
❤ GI upset
🩷 Skin issues
💜 Urinary tract & ear infections
💙 A**l gland impaction
🩵 Birth defects & poor conformation
💚 and much more?

Yes, yes, and YES!

On numerous occasions, we have observed that an ear infection alone can cause a dog to bite family members.

This is why we stress that a thorough medical investigation must happen before training starts for dogs displaying behaviors that have been related to pain, discomfort, or injury in the scientific literature.

Training alone can slowly improve these dogs, but it will cost you WAY more money and time. Even then the condition can flare up or worsen later, "undoing" your training progress.

If you think your dog is experiencing behavior changes due to a medical factor, but you aren't sure how to explain this to your vet, let us help you with a Behavior Guidance Call that includes a thorough Dynamic Dog Assessment & report for your vet.

We can help you help your vet help your dog! 🐶

"It doesn't matter what the x-ray says is 'mild'; what matters is how he is experiencing it as the patient".

A diagnosis of mild hip dysplasia doesn't necessarily mean a dog is experiencing mild pain.

Pain is a subjective experience and if you've got a dog that tends to experience things deeply and sensitively, mild to others may actually feel very significant and severe to them.

We cannot tell a dog how much pain they're allowed to feel.

A meeting with a veterinary professional about a client this afternoon who just GOT IT. The quote above is theirs. What we need to be looking at is the individual dogs behaviour and experience on a day to day basis, not severities according to x-rays etc.

Dogs are individuals and categories of "mild", "moderate" and "severe" can only be used for physiological indicators, not experiential assumptions.

Pic of my Lily who has had her own structural difficulties flagged up as well. We will be doing some supportive therapies to help her with these because although she doesn't present like she's in pain with her behaviour, she does with her movements and postures.

Every dog is different.

Respect their individuality outside of any labels that may be given to them 🐾💜

16/11/2024

🐕 Reactive dog owners, what is the most helpful thing you have done to help your dog?

Let us know below! 👇

15/11/2024

"𝑴𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒈."

Does this sound familiar? You’re not alone.

Every week, we hear from overwhelmed dog owners who feel like they’re carrying the full weight of caring for and training the "family dog."

You’re juggling walks, feeding, training sessions, and managing behavior challenges. Often on top of everything else you do for your household.

And when your dog struggles with reactivity, the responsibility of keeping everyone safe can feel even heavier.

It’s exhausting, and it’s okay to admit that.

If this resonates with you, our latest blog post offers practical strategies to lighten the load, foster teamwork in your household, and help you feel supported again.

You deserve a break and a plan that works for everyone.

Let us know in the comments: What’s one thing you wish others in your household would help with? 💬🐾

We explore the challenges of managing dog training responsibilities when one person in the household carries the majority of the "mental load"; the invisible burden of managing tasks like feeding, walking, and training, as well as tracking progress and implementing solutions. We discuss th

14/11/2024

🎉 Back by Popular Demand: Novice Trick Dog Self-Study Virtual Course! 🎉

Looking for something fun and rewarding to do with your dog this holiday season? Our Novice Trick Dog Self-Study course is here, just in time for the winter months!

✨ What’s Included?

- Preparation for American Kennel Club and Do More With Your Dog! Novice Trick Dog titles
- Video and written instruction on how to teach a variety of tricks
- Free title testing for multiple dogs for AKC and DMWYD!
- Immediate access to course content upon enrollment.

💸 Special Holiday Discount!

We understand times are tough, so we’re offering this course at our lowest price ever for a limited time during the holidays (Only $45!) It’s the perfect gift for older kids interested in training or seasoned dog owners looking for indoor activities to do this winter.

📲 Sign up today and start right away! Don’t miss this chance to bond with your dog, build skills, and earn your first Trick Dog title!

Let us know in the comments what's your favorite trick you've taught your dog! 🎄🐕

TAUGHT BY? Lauren Tsao, MS, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CTDI CLASS START DATE AND TIME? This is a self-study course with no live instruction. As soon as you enroll, you will have access to the course materials and can start learning. You have lifetime access to the course materials. Video trick assessment fo

14/11/2024

Read about three unusual dog behavior students we had back-to-back by checking out our blog post below.

SPOILER: All three dogs had the same medical condition impacting their behavior during thunderstorms. 🤯

This blog post explores the connection between discospondylitis, a painful spinal condition in dogs, and the sudden development of thunderstorm phobia in three case studies, including my own dog, Oakley. Diagnostic challenges, including the limitations of X-rays, are discussed. Treatment, involving

14/11/2024

Our Behavior Guidance Calls are now fully booked until December!

We understand that the holiday season can be a challenging time, especially when our pets add to the stress. We’re here to support you, but we need to maintain clear boundaries to ensure everything runs smoothly for everyone.

We cannot accommodate individuals who are verbally abusive to our staff or who don't follow our booking procedures. Respect and kindness are key in a trainer-student partnership.

Our trainer and behavior consultant personally speaks with each client before scheduling. Since she’s often in training sessions and guidance calls, please be patient if she can't pick up your call immediately.

To make the booking process more efficient, we kindly ask you to fill out our contact form on our website. If you prefer a brief callback to discuss the services you're interested in, please indicate this in the form.

This helps us gather the necessary information and schedule a call without phone tag.

Our focus is on complex cases, and a thorough understanding of each situation is important to us. For this reason, we cannot offer training advice without a paid consultation.

Decisions regarding behavioral euthanasia are particularly sensitive and require a formal consultation for a comprehensive assessment.

Our website has a variety of free blog posts covering different training topics that you might find helpful if you just need brief training tips.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Thank you for helping us provide the best support for you and your dog during the holiday season. Let's remember to be kind to one another!

11/11/2024

Intimidated

08/11/2024

🚨 Stop Trying to "Fix" Your Dog 🚨

Does your dog struggle with behaviors like reactivity, fear, or aggression? You’re not alone.

Many dog owners come to us seeking a quick fix; sometimes after these behaviors have been reinforced for years.

But here’s the truth: Your dog isn’t broken and training isn’t about “fixing” them.

Instead, focus on meeting your dog where they are, celebrating progress (no matter how small), and creating realistic goals that honor your dog’s individual needs.

Behavioral change is a journey, not a sprint.

Here’s why small steps matter more than a quick fix:

✅ Builds Confidence: Achieving small, realistic goals reinforces desirable behavior for your dog and builds your confidence in your own training abilities.

✅ Prevents Frustration: Unrealistic expectations can lead to burnout for both you and your dog. Break goals into manageable milestones to stay motivated.

✅ Leads to Lasting Change: Gradual progress sticks. Lasting behavior change happens over time, not overnight.

✅ Respects Your Dog’s Needs: Every dog is unique. Setting realistic, personalized goals makes them feel safe, supported, and set up for success.

✨ Let’s celebrate the journey, not just the destination!

📖 Dive deeper into this topic in my latest blog post linked below:

This blog post encourages dog owners to shift their mindset from “fixing” their dog’s behavior to focusing on gradual progress through achievable goals. Addressing behavior issues, especially complex ones like aggression or reactivity, requires patience and realistic expectations. Attempting t...

08/11/2024

We haven't trained service dogs in many years, but still get emails and calls ALL the time about them.

Hub City Service Dogs is the best option in the state for service dog training and we refer everyone to them. ❤🐕‍🦺

They are now accepting new applications!

06/11/2024

We will be closed the week of Thanksgiving from Nov. 24th through Dec. 1st, 2024.

There will be no private sessions, virtual group classes, or in-person group classes during this time.

We will only be responding to current private training student emergencies. (ex. bites, fights, euthanasia decisions, etc.)

If your dog has a medical condition flare-up, needs medication changes, or has a medical emergency, please contact your vet directly.

We will respond to all other inquires, scheduling needs, and group class discussions, when we return to the office.

If you need to sign up for a Behavior Guidance Call or private session program (aka you have already had a call with us and need further assistance) before Christmas, now is the time to contact us! We have only have two private programs spots left until the end of the year.

04/11/2024

Can you tell what this free work setup is for today!? 🐶🎉

If you guessed comfort around moving objects and different surfaces, you would be correct!

Dogs can become fearful of objects falling or moving around them quite easily. And many dogs, particularly those with old injuries or conditions related to their paws or limbs can become uneasy stepping on unfamilar surfaces.

This setup allows the dog to explore at their own pace with owner support and learn that bumping into or moving objects themselves is okay! As well stepping onto new surfaces.

These types of issues may not seem that big to people who have more confident dogs, but this can be the difference between a dog using the bathroom outside after rain or confidently moving around management areas that use exercise pens or pet gates for some.

We will also be playing some simple movement puzzles to this dog guardian a simple format for introducing new textures and objects at home.

02/11/2024

Today’s Reactive Dog group class has been rescheduled for November 23rd at 11 am.

If you are a student, please confirm with us via text that you got the message. See you all next week! 🙂🐶