Smart Snootz

10/11/2022

Welp the temps are finally dropping! Show us a picture of your favorite furry or feathered friends in...SUPER SNUGGLE MODE!

04/11/2022

Ever hit a wall with your pet in a training session? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help work through a tough point. Of course, if all else fails, you can always stop and try again tomorrow!

02/11/2022

10/10/2022

As pet parents, we sometimes get so wrapped up in our pet’s past that we forget to focus on their present and future. Here’s an amazing blog by Deb Jones, Ph.D on how that is not always the most productive place to put our energy:

The older I get the more I realize that sometimes s**t just happens. Sure, there may be a series of events that leads to said s**t happening, but those events may or may not make any sense and may or may not be within my control. As humans it is natural that we want reasonable

29/09/2022

Cooperative care behaviors actually started in the zoological world! Check out these trainers working with Ruth the baby alligator on targeting and entering her crate on cue. Her keepers will use these skills throughout her lifetime for daily husbandry and medical check-ups. If an alligator can learn to participate in cooperative care, so can your pet!

22/09/2022

Happy First Day of Fall Everyone! Who's ready for SPOOKY SEASON?!?!?

16/09/2022

Part of changing our pet's emotional response to an environment can include playing fun games in that environment! Here, Odin and his mom Emilee Rebecca Lasher are playing a game of "Boop" (otherwise known as a target behavior) at the vet clinic. They are both doing a great job! .

11/09/2022

Thanks to all the Grandpawents out there who spoil our pets as much as (or more than) we do! Have a great day!

05/09/2022

Our dog's body language one of the most important tools we can use when training. Check out this blog I wrote for Ankeny Animal and Avian Clinic about what your pup may be trying to tell you!

Have you ever wondered what your dog is trying to tell you? Most dogs are highly reliant on body language to communicate with humans and other dogs. Often, we miss the “softer spoken” communication that they have developed over the last 15,000 years or so that has allowed them to so uniquely fit...

23/08/2022

"The progress of tomorrow is the preparation today. - Lailah Gifty Akita

18/08/2022

"Nail Trim" is probably one of the most dreaded phrases when it comes to home care with our pets. Some pets seem to have no issues, but then there are dogs like my girl Petunia! I have no idea what her experiences with nail trims were before coming to live with me, so I decided to work WITH her instead of working ON her. Here is a sample of one of our cooperative care sessions.

We are now maintaining her nails nicely at home with a combination of cooperative care training and a scratchboard. No more sedation for nail trims!

Interested in how it's done? Contact us today to start your cooperative care journey!

10/08/2022

Not that we need any extra incentive, but...what the heck? Give your pooch a little something extra today!

04/08/2022

"Cooperative care is about empowering animals to be willing participants in their own care."

It started the way these things often do. At first, my dog seemed to tolerate being bathed. He’d walk into the bathroom willingly, take treats, stay in the tub, and didn’t seem too affected by the ordeal after.  As time went on and baths increased, I started to notice changes in his demean

01/08/2022

Happy International Friend's Day to creatures of all levels of fuzziness!

26/07/2022

Meet Homer! Homer is a silver lab sooo...Homer gets ear infections. Homer is also very much NOT a fan of having his ears touched. His mom is working with him to make ear cleanings a cooperative affair! Here you can see him learning to place his chin in her lap. This will help her to know for sure when he is consenting to his ears being touched and (eventually) cleaned! They are doing a great job!

22/07/2022