A.H. Dog Training - By Aimee

01/01/2026

COME MEET TUCKER!
Tucker is a male 2-year-old boxer/hound mix full of affection! He has the cutest little underbite that we call a "change drawer" and he craves human attention. Tucker was recently rescued from an overcrowded shelter in N.C. He was an outside dog and nobody claimed him when asked who the owner was. Everyone in the area knew who Tucker was, but nobody wanted to take care of him. So he wound up at the shelter. Tucker will be at Pet Supplies Plus located in Hillsdale, NJ Saturday and Sunday January 3rd and 4th 2:30 until 5:30. For more information on Tucker and the adoption process, check our Petfinder website. We need to meet your entire family in order to be considered for his adoption as well as any dogs that you own. There are no same-day adoptions and we have applications at the store.

01/01/2026

If you are still feeding kibble, please watch this documentary.

The film is an in depth look at the commercial pet food industry, it's lack of regulation, and how is has evolved over the years, as it is now owned mostly b...

01/01/2026

Most dogs don’t just snap out of the blue. Most people often miss the subtle warning signs prior to the snap, and then we just blame the dog. Understanding body language, can help us be proactive, help dogs feel more comfortable, and avoid snaps/bites.
Pics from blue collar working dog.

01/01/2026

This is one of the very first questions I ask in an initial behavior consult:

“How much does your dog sleep during the day?”

And every time, people look surprised.

They were ready to tell me about the reactivity on walks, barking at the window, separation anxiety, pacing ...

Sleep feels unrelated.

But behavior is NEVER isolated.

What your dog does is not happening in a sterile bubble.
It’s shaped by everything they experience throughout the day.

That’s why I always ask about sleep.

Almost always, the answer is some version of:
“He’s actually awake most of the day.”
“She’s always on the go.”
“He doesn’t really nap.”

Often this gets framed as a personality trait.
Some people even see it as a badge of honor - a true working dog who’s always alert, always ready, always moving.

But that’s not how dogs are designed.

Dogs don’t have the same day–night rhythm that humans do.
We can be awake for 16 hours straight and still function reasonably well.

Dogs CANNOT.

Dogs need to sleep or nap every three to four hours.
When they don’t, we start to see the fallout:

Lower patience.
Reduced impulse control.
Shorter fuse.
More reactivity.
More stress.

And here’s the trap:
An overtired dog often can’t settle by themselves anymore.

They get wired, cranky, restless.
They react more.
They struggle to calm down.
Which means… they still don’t sleep.

That’s how dogs end up in a cycle of chronic stress and chronic sleep deprivation.

If a dog never naps, it’s not because they “don’t need sleep.”
It’s because they’re too dysregulated to get it on their own.

That’s why I don’t wait for dogs to figure this out themselves.

I actively "prescribe" naps.

That means:
- A quiet room away from household activity (eg a bedroom)
- A genuinely comfortable bed (not just a thin blanket! Think extra plush bed with walls they can snuggle up against)
- Toys put away
- Other pets separated
- No access to self-triggering, eg at the window
- Background sound like white noise, a fan, or soft music

Then we start with scheduled nap times.
Two naps a day, around two hours each.

And the shift can be remarkable!

Well-rested dogs are:
More patient
Less impulsive
Better learners
Less reactive

Sleep is also when learning consolidates.
So if you’re doing behavior modification or reactivity training, sleep isn’t optional. It’s part of the process.

If your dog doesn’t nap, that’s important information.
This is not "who your dog is".
It's not a sign of being extra energetic or driven.

It's a sign that they really need your help to get the restful sleep they need to live their happiest, least stressful lives and make progress in their training!!

01/01/2026

01/01/2026

Well said!

Calling All Pet Parents — 2026🎉

Your dog isn’t “giving you a hard time.” They’re having a hard time.

Behavior is communication. When we slow down enough to listen, we realize our dogs aren’t asking for perfection — they’re asking for guidance, enrichment, connection, and clarity.

Proactive care isn’t just food and exercise. It’s mental stimulation, appropriate social experiences, emotional safety, and teaching skills that help dogs succeed in a human world. It’s meeting needs before frustration turns into anxiety, reactivity, or shutdown.

When we invest in their whole being — mind, body, and emotional health — behavior changes naturally.
Not because we forced it…
But because we finally understood it.

Do better for them, not to them.
That’s where real transformation begins~🤗🐾❤️

31/12/2025

🚨 URGENT NEED FOR DOG FOSTERS 🚨

During the last snowstorm, heavy snow accumulation on the roof of a neighboring business fell and crushed the roof of our rear kennels, causing significant damage and displacing over 30 dogs. With the shelter already full, the sudden loss of this critical kennel space is devastating. 😫

We urgently need foster homes for dogs 40 lbs and over. These placements are temporary and lifesaving. 2-4 weeks is all we ask, while also providing supplies. AHS has dogs to fit many households — dog-friendly, kid-friendly, and more.

👉 Apply to foster now:
ahscares.org/become-a-foster

We are relying on our community to step up and help save lives. 🐾

‼️ Rescues- if you have space or fosters willing to help PLEASE reach out to Rescue Coordinator Sherri Laraway at [email protected] 🙏

31/12/2025

Happy New Year from our 3 and little Bailey!

31/12/2025

Love updates from my clients!

Mom practicing with Shelby at Lowe’s!

31/12/2025

Last week, I had an in-person lesson with a family who are doing *everything* right on paper.

Their dogs are high-drive, working breeds.
They do dog sports. They play fetch.
Every day they let their dogs run, chase, wrestle, and train them.

And yet ... the owners are completely exhausted.

Their day starts around 6:30 a.m. with barking.
Demand barking.

And then, all day long the dogs pace, vocalize, stare, push toys at them, and insist on more.
More action. More intensity. More stimulation. More go-go-go.

The only quiet time they get is one or two hours at night, right before bed.

This is a pattern I see all the time, especially with people who truly want to meet their dog’s needs.

It sounds logical:
“My dog has a lot of energy, so I need to burn it off.”

But this is where things go wrong really fast.

When a dog’s entire day is built around high-arousal activities, they don’t just "burn off steam".
They get locked into one way of being.

Over time, the dog stops noticing ANYTHING else.

The yard isn’t a place to sniff, roll, dig, or lie in the sun.
Being with their human isn’t about simply existing together.
It’s only about the next adrenaline hit.

Fetch. Chase. Sports. Toys. Movement.

And when that’s all a dog knows, calm doesn’t even occur to them as an option.

So here is what those dogs need more than anything else:

Low-arousal time with YOU.

Not sleeping in their crate after activity.
Not collapsing from physical exhaustion.
But deliberately doing "boring things" together.

If a dog has never experienced hanging out in the yard while you read, without trying to make you throw their ball AGAIN, they won’t magically learn how to do that on their own (especially if they’re a high-energy breed).

Dogs only know what we show them.

So with this family, we’re starting small and intentionally:
– Scatter feeding to replace one fetching session a day
– Lick mats side by side instead of only racing together
– Time outside that isn’t about doing anything highly exciting

This isn’t about “doing less” for the dogs.
It’s about giving them behavioral diversity.

A healthy dog doesn’t just do one thing well.
They can move between states. They can choose different behaviors. They can be active and neutral.

If your dog can only bring you a ball - but can’t sniff, chew, rest, explore, or disengage - that’s not a sign of a "driven" working dog.

That’s a sign something REALLY important is missing.

And the good news is:
We CAN teach our dogs to just be without needing the next adrenaline hit. And then life will also get easier for YOU.

31/12/2025

Handsome Marino!

30/12/2025