Shake On It Pet Behavior Consulting

01/26/2025

Pro Words Of Wisdom: It is really difficult to survive canine adolescence, raising a young dog with young children, or integrating dogs with a new baby/toddler, without embracing environmental management. Management can be anything from exercise pens, baby gates, and leashes, to food stuffed toys like lick mats and Toppls. Management means you're setting things up so that the dog, kids, and family can be successful. Management also means you're avoiding unwanted behavior to be rehearsed. Rehearsal leads to habits.

12/14/2024

A great example of fixing the environment to solve a problem rather than always looking at behavior through the lens of training. This girl has been scared to use these stairs for a long time and all it took to help her gain some confidence was laying down some towels. Ultimately, carpeting these stairs should do the trick long term. Good job miss Hazel!

12/14/2024

Long lines for the win!

Why do I use and recommend long lines over retractable leashes? What are the pros and cons of both leash options?

12/08/2024

So proud of my clients! They've been working hard on integrating their two cats who were, prior to connecting with me, stuck for 8 months in a holding pattern of not getting along and low in confidence. We've finally reached the bonding stage! They are learning how to play, starting to rest together, allo-groom, and build confidence! I'm so excited for them!

10/31/2024

So proud of my client! It's been a long journey and a lot of work to find the right strategy for getting Dexter to let my client care for his nails and we've finally made it! This photo marks the exciting moment of their first time using a Dremel on Dexter's nails. Good work everyone!

09/30/2024

Today's walk was challenging. Loads of off leash dogs to dodge that had no business being off leash. I have things to say about this very controversial topic.

There's a lot to consider before you let your dog off leash.

09/03/2024

It's been a long time since I've posted any tips. Here's one hot off the press for CATS!

Is your home cat friendly?

04/16/2024

It's terribly sad when a dog and family is a mismatch. Ask a dog behavior professional for suggestions and insight about breeds you have in mind before jumping in with a dog that doesn't fit your lifestyle.

RESEARCH REQUIRED!

Choosing a dog just because of the way they look.

We wouldn’t choose a partner or make a commitment to sharing our lives with someone based purely on the way they look – (I suppose there could be exceptions in some cases!)

We would first really get to know them, what kind of personality they have and who they really are before making that sort of commitment.

Yet people continue to choose dogs just because of the way they look.

Maybe they saw a dog like that in a movie that they enjoyed or maybe they just really like the way they look, without having any understanding or thought to learn about what that particular breed was selectively bred to do and what behaviour might be expected.

The way a dog behaves is not always specific to the breed. Dogs are individuals, with their own unique personality and their behaviour is shaped not only by genetics, but by specific life and learning experiences and environment, but problems can happen when the traits of that breed and their specific needs are not taken into account.

Some breeds may just simply not be compatible with a particular person or family’s needs, lifestyle, environment or expectations.

Is it fair or ethical to need to suppress, train out or even punish breed specific tendencies, calling them behaviour problems, when we hold a dog in a captive environment that is unsuitable for them.

First research the breed and learn all you can about potential traits and what to expect before making that choice.

03/30/2024

It's been a long time since I've posted a pro tip!
Pro tip: I recommend that when taking your dog out on walks or other outdoor adventures that you always bring something to reinforce your dog throughout the dog’s entire life. Reinforcement = anything the dog values. Food is simple and easy but favorite toys also work. Though in some situations toy reinforcement is not always practical.
Why?
The outside world supplies a constant flow of distraction and reinforcement for your dog via interesting smells and sights that are always changing. Thus dog owners should also always be a source of reinforcement to help their dog connect and focus on them while out and about.
My Toshi is 6 now! And I always have a bit of high value food or his favorite frisbee with us wherever we go. His connection and focus and listening skills are beautiful! He can always rely on me as a source of fun and food, not just the environment around him.

At the very least though, dog owners should have reinforcement with them at all times for the first 3 years of their dog’s life. Throughout the entire adolescent period and using it to reinforce good decisions and provide positive association with new sights and sounds and experiences.

02/04/2024

Proud of my Toshi boy! He's doing so well with his rattlesnake avoidance and alert training. Rep 2 in this short practice session is particularly awesome because you can clearly see when he notices the snake scent. If it had been a real snake, it would have rattled (hopefully) and he would have cued on that. But it's really cool that when he noticed the scent, he stopped barking at the birds (his favorite thing ever), didn't approach the source, came to me, and alerted.

The goal is that as soon as he notices the scent of the rattlesnake I've hidden, he should come to me and alert me by going between my legs. He successfully ...

12/18/2023

12/15/2023

Dancing with your dog is pretty fun I must say!
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8udjfYt/