Northwest Paws Dog Training

31/10/2023

If your dog doesn't like Halloween decorations, costumes, or trick or treaters, please don't make them participate.

There's no law that you have to hand out candy. Be the human your dog needs.

And happy Halloween! 🎃

26/10/2023

1000% true. And there are so many ways to get more information: books, YouTube, blogs, etc. (Just be sure it's a reputable source.)

26/07/2023

This is why I always ask about vet visits and almost always ask my clients to have a complete vet check done, especially if the behavior is new or getting more intense.

https://cattledogpublishing.com/blog/medical-conditions-and-behavior/?fbclid=IwAR0fD_XAuZ21chedATSvh7AtyNtXQoCmB9Ou25NY8974cFQ45lCjlPFXIqA

Because many behaviors result from underlying medical conditions, a change in behavior may be the first sign you see.

17/07/2023

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30/06/2023

One of my favorite dog welfare/training books is on sale this weekend at Dogwise - check it out!

Let me know if you buy and read it. I'd love to hear what your biggest takeaways were.

The best selection of dog training books, dog nutrition books, and dog competition books anywhere!

26/06/2023

This was such a fun video. Dogs are amazing!

Scent trailing dogs are indistinguishable from magic. Ready for your LEAST BORING SUMMER EVER? Come join me at Camp CrunchLabs all summer long- http://campc...

17/06/2023

We are having a kind of day around here. What are you all up to with your pups? 🐾

06/04/2023

Enrichment isn't just puzzle toys. Check this out from Pet Harmony!

https://petharmonytraining.com/the-14-categories-of-pet-enrichment/

We focus a lot on dogs in our content, but we love working with ALL pet species. And, most of what we say for dogs, also applies to other species. For example, we’ve discussed an overview of dog enrichment categories in our book Canine Enrichment for the Real World and in this blog post. But […]

29/03/2023

If your dog is behaving poorly, it's very likely they are feeling like 💩 and no amount of training is going to fix that. The trick is it might not be obvious to you or your vet that it is pain. A quick vet visit might not be enough to uncover the issue. Keep digging.

26/02/2023

This little sweet pea is looking for a home! Let me know if you are interested, and I can get you in touch with the people currently taking care of her.
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Here's what they say about her: We estimate 6 months old. She is spunky, playful, litter trained, and fairly comfortable with 2 dogs and another cat. She is very food driven, of course! We have let her back outside a few times, but she gets nervous.
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18/02/2023

Fae and I indulged in a bit of shopping therapy today... and oh boy, I think we need to get back to working on our manners in public. We were both an awkward mess. 😂 Thank you to everyone at and our local gas station for putting up with us.
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17/02/2023

Tuesday was one of the hardest days of my life. We said goodbye to our boy Max after learning that he had stomach cancer. He had been sick for 7 weeks, and we just kept thinking he would get better.
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I have so many thoughts and feelings running around my head that I am hoping I can share with you all in time. For now, though, let me just remind you that every day, every moment, is worth leaning in to. Be present for your loves. One day, they might not be there.
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Thank you to for bringing this sweet boy into our lives 11 years ago. Thank you to the Oregon State University vet school and for helping us care for him at the end. Thank you to all our friends and family that have supported us emotionally and financially over the past few weeks. 🧡
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Back to dog training content soon! 👌

26/12/2022

Happy holidays, y'all! Give your pups some love from me. 🎄

18/12/2022

We need to start thinking of our dogs more like a dear friend and less like an infant.
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We don't micromanage our friends. We allow our friends to have their own preferences, and we listen to them when they tell us how they feel.

16/12/2022

Sassy little Faedra is six years old today! (Crazy! I swear she was just a puppy yesterday.) Fae came to us via a very nice family on Craigslist who decided it was in her best interests to rehome her after buying her from a breeder a few weeks before. My husband saw her picture and told me he "found my dog." Turns out, he had.

This little Australian Cattle Dog came into our lives like a wrecking ball, and she's never really slowed down. She is always ready to go, go, go. She loves her dog friends, playing in water, and off-leash adventures in the woods. She also has never met a person she doesn't like, though she has finally stopped trying to kiss them all on the mouth.

Fae is my first working breed dog, and I have learned so much from her. I'm still learning from her. I'm not going to lie. She has been and still is a challenge. She has taught me that you have to train and understand the dog in front of you - and sometimes you have to compromise with them, just like you would for people. They are not all the same, and what works for one dog may not work for another. High drive dogs are different. Herding breeds are different. Your dog is different than the next door neighbor's dog.

08/12/2022

Our little Max is 11 years old today! I can't believe it. He is still a little baby puppy to me and always will be.

All three of our current dogs have their birthdays (or adoption anniversary, in Phoenix's case) within a month of each other. So, I thought this would be a good time of year to celebrate them, introduce them, and talk about some of what they have each taught me.

Max came to us from Greenhill Humane Society as a puppy. He was part of a very large litter of puppies. He is a hound mix. I'll have to share his DNA results sometime, because they are interesting.

Max is one of the sweetest, softest dogs ever. He prefers sleeping shoved up against a human. It hurts his feelings if he gets yelled at, and he definitely pouts if things don't go his way. He can also be stubborn and grumpy and there are some things that make him pretty anxious.

He was my first puppy, and I have learned so much from him over the years. The biggest thing that he's taught me is the massive impact that trauma can have on a dog. It is easy for us as humans to discount our dogs' perspectives on their own experiences and assume something is not a big deal, because it's not for us. Max taught me that.

When Max was about 3, he seriously injured himself in a freak accident in our backyard. He tore a huge hole in the skin of his abdomen and ended up having to have 3 different surgeries with a specialty vet (and many, many additional trips for check ups and bandage changes) to get it healed up. His entire personality changed after that. He was much more sensitive about strangers, scared of the car, and generally more anxious. He was also less able to cope with new situations.

Your dog gets to decide what is traumatic, not you. It's your job as their guardian to recognize those experiences and see them through the eyes of your dog, as best you can. It is your job to protect your dog. It is your job to guide that dog through and help them the best you can. And if the trauma has already passed, forgive yourself and care of the dog you have today. We are all doing the best we can.

17/11/2022

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our Buddy cat. He was about 16 or 17 years old. We adopted him and his brother Bubby from
about 10 years ago.
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In a house with 7 other animals, you would think losing one would be barely noticeable. But he was special... and had a huge presence. He was also obnoxious as they come. It feels a lot quieter now.
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Give your furry and feathered friends some extra love tonight. Every moment and memory is precious.
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Huge thank you to our new friends at for all the support. Being able to say goodbye to him at home was a huge relief and blessing.

13/11/2022

This is one of the best dogs + kids safety post I have seen in a while.
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There is a big difference between kisses and the "kiss to dismiss!"

Dog licks are often thought of as doggy kisses. But, it’s actually something to take a step back and notice. And could sometimes be considered a, “Kiss to Dismiss” (more on that below). These licks do trigger some questions that may seem a bit silly to ask in response. Something like, “Describe the licks for me. Fast, slow, and then does the dog move away?”
“Is it a full tongue or a little bit?”
“Full tongue lick or quick flick?”
“Is the child sitting and the dog approaches or vice versa, what level of mobility does the child have, is food present or remnant?

There’s many questions! But, these questions help us gather valuable information to help us understand what the dog may be communicating. At Family Paws Parent Education, we want to help parents consider and recognize that dog licks may not always be what we think they are, “affectionate kisses”, or indications of “love,” but could have other meanings. We refer to this as “Kiss to Dismiss”. If you are curious of these doggy “kisses” and if they are a “Kiss to Dismiss”, ask yourself,
🐶 Is your dog in need of space? (what just happened? Did your baby crawl closer to your dog?)
🐶 Is your dog in need of space and there is a reason they may choose not to move? (example: comfy spot, resource, pain)
🐶 Does this licking deter closeness or lead to an increase in space?

Thank you, Steve Bishop of Bishops Gate Dog Training for this graphic! Steve is also a Family Paws Parent Educator.
We do not recommend baby and dogs interact as shown in these illustrations. Never allow your baby to crawl up to or freely explore your dog in this way.

You can also find him on Instagram at

11/11/2022

A giant thank you to all my family and friends who have served in the military! You will always have my gratitude and respect. 💙
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If you are veteran in need of dog training services, let me know when you contact me, and I am happy to give you a discount ($25 off a 3 pack of sessions) through the end of December.
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31/10/2022

I don't know who needs to hear this, but it's not mandatory that your dog participate in Halloween festivities. Please respect their level of comfort or discomfort with all the shenanigans! 🧡
Happy Halloween!

30/10/2022

Did you know it's National Cat Day?! Malcolm says it's about time! We love our kittehs. Do you have cats?
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28/10/2022

Gazing longingly towards the weekend...
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Hope you and your pups have some amazing adventures planned. Don't let the cooler weather stop you. 🍂 Get out and have some fun! 👏
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26/10/2022

I think this quote from Jane Ardern goes perfectly with yesterday's tip.
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We are so worried about powering through the challenges in our lives, including the challenges we have with our dogs.
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Sometimes we need to slow down, take a break, regroup, and find a guide for the journey.
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Don't give up. Just take a moment to breathe and remember the journey is important and it drives the destination. A stressful journey is going to get you to the wrong destination.

26/10/2022

It's time for Trainer Tip Tuesday. This is not a "what to do" but what to stop doing.

Stop doing what doesn't work. Period. Permission granted to take a break.

Here's an example. I think we all have it deeply ingrained in us that we have to walk our dogs. We also tend to think we just need to power through the hard stuff. Those two beliefs combined mean that we are powering through unpleasant, stressful, or even downright unsafe walks with our dogs. If you have a dog who pulls or barks & lunges at other dogs or people, you feel like you have to grit your teeth and keep trying, because dogs needs walks.

Just stop. Give yourself and your dog a break. Walks should be fun for both of you. If they are not, it's time for a break. Same goes with most anything.

Your dog gets too crazy and bitey when you play fetch? Stop playing fetch for a while. Your dog tries to bite you when you trim his nails? Pay someone else to do it (and warn them to use a muzzle). Your dog gets in scuffles with other dogs at the dog park? Stop going to the dog park.

If the activity is something that you really want to add back at some point, get some help with that from a good trainer. But in the meantime, it's okay to take a break. Consider this permission to stop.

28/09/2022

If your dog is acting aggressive, they really don't need "training." What they need is for you to understand that they do not feel safe and secure. Until you do the work to help them learn that they are safe, no amount of teaching sit is going to make a difference.

Just because you know your dog is safe doesn't mean they know that. Dogs don't look at the world the same way we do. You can't use human logic as an excuse to disregard your dog's feelings.

Here's an example for you. You and I think it is totally normal to walk towards and then past each other on a narrow sidewalk. No big deal, right? But dogs normally approach each other in an arch, neither going head on. It's also not natural for them to have their movements restricted by a leash.

Your dog's every instinct is is screaming that he should not be walking dead on towards that other dog, he can't get take a different approach because of the leash, and that other dog is giving him a weird look.

It probably feels a lot like I feel when I get shoved into an airplane next to the guy man-spreading and talking way too loud and close. Even if I can be polite, that doesn't mean I feel safe. Catch me on the wrong day, and I might just tell him how uncomfortable I am feeling -- and I might not be nice about it. One could even say I might be "aggressive" about it.

Your first step is to convince your dog they are safe. Until you meet their need for security, nothing else you do is going to matter.

24/09/2022

You can't meet your dog's needs until you've met your own first. The reverse is true as well.

21/09/2022

If you find yourself telling your dog "no" often, this is a good read about what function that is (or is not) serving.

Whole Dog Journal‘s mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information on dog food, training, behavior, health, and more.

17/09/2022

Teenage dogs, just like teenage humans, can be frustrating. They also deserve our patience and understanding.

As at so many times during early life with dogs, patience is due. It is just a phase.