Pawsitive Attitudes Dog Training & Behavior LLC

08/24/2024

Please remember this!

04/10/2024

THIS! I promise that dogs can smell you from afar. And even if they come up to you and sniff more that's also not an invitation. You'll know when a dog is actively seeking attention and affection from you.

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

03/21/2024

I don't post a lot about this special boy but he deserves a big shout out. He is tired this evening after helping our client dogs today with their reactivity toward other dogs. He is SO good at it and I wouldn't be where I am today without him when it comes to working with reactivity.
I love him so much! 🥰

02/07/2024

Call them differently motivated and independent. But they are not stubborn. This label just makes it a combative situation or relationship instead of thinking how can I motivate my dog better.

DOG MYTH
Some dogs are stubborn. They know what to do and ‘decide’ not to anyway.

IN THE REAL WORLD
Dogs don’t refuse to act out of spite. If your dog is not following a cue you’ve given them, it is likely due to one of the below reasons:

- They don’t understand the cue fully yet.
- The cue hasn’t been practiced in many locations.
- Distraction level is too high for dog’s training level.
- They didn’t hear/see/feel you.
- That cue hasn’t been adequately reinforced.
- They aren’t feeling motivated right now - we need to have realistic expectations, dogs aren’t robots.

Discover what motivates your dog.

02/02/2024

Had a fun session with Reese and his mom today. Baxter and he have become friends so Baxter comes to give him some moral support while working on some reactivity. They had so much fun together today and Reese did very well with other strange dogs coming into the park. But this was a GOOD sniffing spot!
😊🐶❤️

09/19/2022

A video of goat recall. We cut browse for them as one of our daily chores and decorated their enclosure with apple branches, blackberry vines, and grape vines. They got to enjoy it every evening. 😊🐐

09/19/2022

I was fortunate enough to spend last week at The Ranch Experience with Ken Ramirez, a world renowned Trainer and behavior specialist.

I was with 11 others who also wanted to learn and hone their training skills. We had the full ranch experience, which includes the chores of cleaning up after the animals. Yes, we scooped p**p! Followed by a full day of hands on training with the animals and classroom time talking theory. I enjoyed connecting with other trainers and talking all things training and behavior.

It was such a fun group! 2 were from Glasgow Scotland and 1 from the Netherlands. The 11 hour days were long, but fun, and interesting.

Training a new species is a humbling experience. I have a renewed empathy and appreciation for my human students who are learning how to communicate and train their dogs with me.

I hope to do another one of The Ranch courses in the future. But for now, I will reflect and take all the information I have taken in and try to better help my clients. That is always my goal as I take continuing education courses and strive to be better at doing what I love.

Thanks to Ken Remirez and those helping him last week I feel energized and inspired!

05/13/2022

OMG! Those ears are amazing! New student, Kaylee and her human are letting me help them with Kaylees' leash reactivity. 😊🐶

04/26/2022

I love my Job!!! Some of my puppies and adolescence students. I love helping them and their humans working towards an amazing relationship and good mutual communication.

01/05/2022

Great read!

Dogs have become such a deeply integrated part of our daily lives as a society. They go on outings and adventures with us, we base our daily routines around taking care of their needs, and we pour many of our resources into their healthcare and activities that promote their wellbeing. But somehow wh...

12/21/2021

I do use "nope" that has been trained as a positive interrupter tho. I also feel it's pretty hard to say the word nope in a harsh or mean way. 😁

Perhaps one of the most commonly used words I hear with people and their dogs is the word “no”….and when I mention in classes that “no” is something we should

12/04/2021

This cute little nugget, Bella, just got her first real hair cut! So cute!

11/28/2021

Some new clients and a puppy that has grown up so much! I love what I do! Helping people build a solid bond with their dogs and be able to have a two way conversation with them is the best thing ever!
Meet Bella, Everest, who has gotten HUGE, and Thor and Loki. 🐶

10/03/2021

If I could educate people on one thing...this would be it. This can create an adversarial mindset in the relationship with your dog. While dogs can be confident and assertive, they are in no way trying to dominate the people that provide all of their needs.

Your dog is NOT trying to dominate you. Dogs do whatever works to get what they want. Management and cooperation will get you both what you want.

09/02/2021

I know people have feelings about crating dogs, but since there is always a chance of emergencies or your dog needing to stay at the vet for treatment I always recommend at least basic crate training so being in one doesn't add to the stress and anxiety of an already stressful situation.

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

08/26/2021

Just finished up with this little cutie the other day. Rocket and his wonderful family were a joy to work with! Just a few thing needed some work to make home life a little bit easier. "Both ends of the leash" are such quick studies! So proud! ❤🐶

07/07/2021

Another one of my wonderful clients. This is Duke. He has worked so hard and come so far with the dedication and work of his human family. They have changed his reactive behavior to a fun game of "look at that". I am so proud of them all! 🐶❤

07/03/2021

I have been remiss in posting the wonderful dogs(and their humans) I have had the pleasure of working with lately. ALL puppies! ❤🐶
Meet Blu, Penne, Bruno, Glacier, and Everest.

06/18/2021

Trust that little voice in your heart and gut. 🐶❤

Larkin’s first trainer was careful with his words. He didn’t say “alpha” or “dominance” or “punishment”. He brought treats. He was personable. But he also did things during that one hour that made us deeply uncomfortable, confused, and caused us to question ourselves.

As we tried to implement the plan our unease deepened. I began to feverishly research and realized that the person we trusted and let into our home was bringing us to the precipice of causing irreparable harm to our puppy. When I shared this with my partner, he said, “F**k this, we’re not doing this anymore. Why even bring a dog into our family if we have to treat him like this?”

I know I’m not alone on this. I know so many of us have been there. So many of us have stood in front of a trainer wondering, “Is this OK?”, “Is this safe?”, “Does that hurt?” So many of us have watched our dogs’ personalities change, their spirits shrink, their behaviors diminish in front of our eyes.

And so many of us have heard the assurances. “Hurt? No! It’s JUST like a mother dog correcting her puppies”, “What shock? This is S-T-I-M. See, feel it, it’s barely a tingle”, “Oh, this is just to get their attention, we’re communicating”. The assurances are swift and well-rehearsed and may make us feel silly for questioning in the first place. And yet, that little voice deep inside remains.

Listen to that voice. Trust your gut. Real training doesn’t need a PR team. When being given a training tool it shouldn’t be followed up with a disclaimer that even though it looks painful, it’s actually quite benign “when used properly.” You shouldn’t’ have to hear assurances that something you‘re about to do to your dog “doesn’t hurt.”

Good training feels…good. Good training is fun. Good training is uplifting, empowering, meets you and your dog where you are, and brings out the best in you both. Whether you’re working with a puppy, an adolescent, or an adult dog with behavior challenges, training should never hurt or make you uncomfortable. Trust that. And trust yourself, you and your dog deserve it.

[ID: A brown dog is standing on a wooden crate on a beach. His head is turned to his left, his mouth is open, and his ears are flopping in the wind.]

06/02/2021

If I could get one myth completely cleared from everyone's minds, this would be it. 🐶❤

The researcher who introduced this term tried to clear the confusion up two decades ago, but the myth still lives on.

05/22/2021

I am SO proud of Penny and Winston for their progress! This little man has cone so far and is doing so much better with his hypervigilance, and reactivity. He may still have a ways to go, but with Pennys commitment to helping this little guy and all the lengths she goes to, to make his life better, I have no doubt they will keep progressing. He was SO relaxed during our last session! So happy to see! ❤🐶

05/12/2021

This! 100 times over! We can train as much or as little as we want. There is no level of proficiency that absolutely has to be met, unless that is what the individual needs or wants and the dog is game.

04/10/2021

So proud of these two today! Working on LLW is hard, but these two get better every time! And Bodhi's overall focus was off the charts better! Super stars! Both of them!

04/04/2021

My helper this afternoon. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Dude, really? 😹 I guess he doesn't like the looks of next weeks schedule.

03/26/2021

Will you be returning to work outside your home soon? Maybe full time, or a hybrid schedule? It will really help your dog to prepare for this change before it actually happens.

Returning to Work: Preparing Your Pets July 3, 2020 by Seattle Animal Shelter Is being home with our pets all the time really a good thing? By Kimberlee Spicer, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified Professional, Seattle Animal Shelter Behaviorist For many of us, today’s new normal includes workin...

03/13/2021

I love when clients send me pictures of the progress they are making in between sessions. These two are practicing "place" or "settle" during dinner time. Great job! 👏🐶❤