The Woodland Wag

07/06/2024

Wonderful news! Maggie was secured by her humans and is safe. It’s so heartwarming to see an entire community come together to help a dog make her way back home safely with her family. Well done, Wrentham, Norfolk, and all who shared to help Maggie back to safety!

Maggie from Wrentham is still missing. She ran off Thursday night during the fireworks and hasn’t been found. Please check your ring cameras, trail cameras, and be on the lookout for her. She’s fearful, so do not try to catch her. Contact 781-962-6256 with any sightings.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/TWro6WpnX8mN9zkH/?

Update 07/07/24: Great news from Wrentham - Maggie was just secured by her owner! Thanks so much for everyone calling in sightings and not chasing her. Reunion photo in comments.

Missing Dog. 7/4/24. , MA. "Maggie" is a female Lab Mix. She is 7 years/65 lbs. Black. Fear Aggressive. Missing from area of Holly Lane/Forest Grove Ave near Mirror Lake Do not call and chase!

Report sightings/info to 781-962-6256

06/14/2024

What exactly is a sniff walk?

🐾 Stopping and sniffing as much or as little as the dog chooses to do so.

🐾 Changing directions and walking sideways (seeking behavior).

🐾 Walking in a quiet environment with limited interruptions.

Notice I only talk to Abbie once and it’s to fix her leash. Notice she stops, goes back to investigate the same spot, crosses over the path, and takes her time. I don’t cue her to stop, I don’t cue her to keep going, I don’t expect her to heel, and I don’t pull on her leash. I don’t correct her. I don’t do much of anything except hold the leash to keep her safe.

Dogs need to be allowed to be dogs.
Dogs need to decompress and get out in nature. Dogs need to feel safe in our company.

This was a 35 minute sniff walk ahead of the heat and my busy day. The more we let our dogs stop and sniff, the less they pull on leash. The more relaxed our walks are, the more relaxed our dogs are after. The more we provide opportunities for our dogs to be dogs, the less we have to work on unwanted behavior in the home. Reach out if you want to work on more peaceful walks and return home with a tired, content, and happy dog. Enjoy the adventures with your dog. ✨ 🌳 🍃

05/22/2024

I’ve worked with some wonderful dog duos recently who get along so well, have incredible communication, and want to learn more from their humans. Thank you for the referrals and recommendations. 🐾✨

04/06/2024

I’m so lucky I get to teach dogs like Gus and Odie. They are such wonderful students, eager to learn new cues and understand their humans. Training should be fun for you and your dog. ✨ 🤍🐾

03/28/2024

Mateo has come a long way in four short months. He has the absolute best humans committed to giving him the best life. I’m honored to be trusted with such a sensitive and sweet dog.

03/21/2024

Absolutely loved working with this good boy and his human. Looking forward to our next visit 🐾

02/10/2024

Article on living with and trying to navigate the world with a reactive dog. If you have a reactive dog, I see you, and I understand your experience. Some of the most rewarding work I’ve done is helping people see their dog is struggling and providing strategies and techniques to help them work together as a team. Giving these dogs extra space and time to process the world around them goes a very long way.

https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2024/02/having-reactive-dog-is-difficult-and.html?fbclid=IwAR0N_NYOQpcAFKZywuRCbuWXz4U8LNdZMSj0OHnLV5VJsyxj1TIpcvlGivo_aem_AXu7QYoOE_SmDMNA29LGnerPRHAiRr7H9F27aardwSLrHxJ66bJ7xPJ-iW9I2uyIRSU&m=1

This week's blog post is getting a lot of attention. I wrote about new research on the difficulties of living with a reactive dog. Dr. Carla Hart of Waltham Petcare Science Institute, first author of the study, told me "To me, the most striking finding from this research was how problematic off lead dogs are to reactive dogs and their owners, but it also highlights an opportunity for positive change. Future efforts should be made to disseminate the message that not all dogs can be approached, and to suspend judgement because their owners are often working on complex behavioural problems.”
Read more in the post on my blog. What do you wish other people knew about reactive dogs?

12/09/2023